Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin

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Beautiful manga, even yet a masterpiece. Really one of the best mangas I've read in a long time. The story made me tear up so many times I've lost count, and the character development is so realistically on point that it made many of the other mangas I read that I thought had a good character development look bad. I can see why people complain about the manga's tone, but considering this was a not-so popular manga back in early 2000's I'd say the art makes up for it. This manga is one of the motivations for me to start boxing, and now in 2months ... of now I will be joining the amateur boxing league and go aim for the highest I can go. Overall a masterpiece that I longed for many years. RIP George Abe, may he have peace on the other life.

"Regardless of where you're at, or what the circumstances are, please do not give up. If you can only muster a single step forward, please take that step." - George Abe (creator of Rainbow)

This series is based on 7 young men who are surviving through a horrible depression in Japan after WWII. Survival through theft, conning, violence, etc. This leads to their imprisonment into juvie. A horrid environment where the guards treat them like filthy, easily discardable vermin. And because of this, it forces them to become allies and later friends in order to survive their sentences.

One of the 7, Sakuragi, has been in ... juvie much longer than the others and takes them under his wing. He teaches them how to fight, as he was becoming a professional boxer before his imprisonment. And also teaches them how to be good men despite the struggles of the outside world. His presence and teachings remain throughout the series in every character's actions.

Fighting is a very heavy topic in Rainbow. Fighting to survive, for others, for yourself, for freedom. In this series they can never stop fighting, because if they do that's it. Times up for either themselves or someone else. So they keep going. And while doing so they grow into better men. Which, in turn, makes those around them also fight harder and become better people.

I watched the anime because it was highly rated. I didn't expect it to become my favorite manga of all time. But here I am, having just finished it and grateful for every second of it. Shit in my life hits me so hard, and it just is so much easier to lay down and give up. But they never did. They kept moving, fighting. Despite all the injuries, trauma, etc. They never stopped.

I don't want to stop. I want to keep going too. I want to fight.

I want to live too.

As a fan of violent and tragic stories, I expected maybe a bit too much from this manga. On paper, Rainbow seemed to be on par with the type of manga I read and liked (like Shamo, Sidooh), but it turned out to be less believable.

The manga focuses first on the lives of youngsters in a juvenile prison, and later on how they cope with the hardships of the outside world. What confused me first was the way that the manga "switched" the main character, but as it went on, I got used to it. I think the manga is supposed to be read from ... all the main characters' perspectives than just one's. This approach gives you plenty of time to get to know the characters individually, which I liked.

I assume the manga is based on a true story, since the commentaries make it appear so. However, the story, or rather the characters don't make it believable. The difference between the good and evil is just way too black and white. At first it was interesting to read about the cruel ward Ishihara, but later on his wrath became unrealistic. It might have been somewhat believable, had not the other villains used the same pattern. Thus, every time the manga introduced a new villain, you'd know he/she was a copy of Ishihara or Sasaki. Even the way they were drawn left you no doubt of it. I did like the development for a while, but when the villains' obsession over hurting the main characters went overboard, I lost my interest.

The good characters were supposed to be criminals, which should have made them "grey", but they were way too "white". Their crimes were just something they did for living, and the manga didn't really make use of the contrast of the characters' way of life and their righteousness. I think it would have brought more depth to the story if there had been moral dilemmas for the characters regarding their deeds. Now they made me think of "bad guys try to live like good guys, except that they were already good guys". If the intention was to make "good guys who get all the shit all the time", it turned out too shallow. Despite the hardships, the characters would not change that much, and by change I mean mentally. If you get abused, it should have an effect on you, no matter how cheerful and strong willed you are.

The camaraderie between the characters is the strong point of this manga. I actually liked to read the more relaxed phases the characters had, and how they would take care of some minor problems they encountered. The way they felt bad about hiding stuff from each other, and helping each other get over it was great. Also the differences between the characters was a good thing, from outside to the inside.

If the manga had had a more realistic approach to the difference between the good and the bad, and how the hardships affected the characters, it might have worked for me.

In my opinion, Rainbow is not really a feel-good type of manga, so if you're looking for a good hero story to lift your spirits Rainbow isn't the story for you.
But if that's not what you're looking for I would say that Rainbow does have some of the best story arcs I have read in a long time. It's drama, mixed in with redemption, and A LOT of tragedy. It has it's really depressing moments, but the promise of a good story providing a consistent stream of adrenaline-pumping moments keeps the reader reading.

Artistically its also a beautiful manga. I can't get over the ... awesome covers and consistency of the artwork through the whole series.

My only complaint is that the grungy tone doesn't change too much (hence my score of 8/10). As with most stories where there isn't much complexity in tone, it can get a bit boring.

As I attempt to write this review, tears cloud my vision. Just moments ago, I read through the final chapter of Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin, and the emotions that I currently bear from this series can in no way be put into words. While I'm sad that it's over, I find myself encouraged in many ways. This is without a doubt the series that I needed most during these confusing and often troubling times in my life. I wholeheartedly believe that even years from now I'll still think back to the seven from compound two, cell six, as I take strides towards my own ... future, just as they had.

Shounen Special Reformatory, a place only comparable to hell for those unfortunate enough to end up inside. A place run by truly abhorrent individuals, broken at the depressive state of post-WW2 Japan. The dishonest guards, unafraid to lash out upon the helpless minors serving their sentences, as they abuse their positions of power to sate their own disgusting pedophilic and violent urges. It's in this wretched place that fate brings together an unlikely group of young criminals and plants the seed of eternal camaraderie in their hearts.

The six delinquents, each with their fair share of wrongdoings committed to survive, are met with the displeasure of being locked away within hell. As they're raped, beaten, and ultimately treated like animals, they're each left with a looming feeling of hopelessness. Thrown in cell six, with anger rampant and all pride lost, only their cellmate Sakuragi Rokurouta (An-chan) gives them hope. Keeping the morale high and further uniting the group, he encourages them to look after one another and continue moving forward, no matter what. They begin to respect him as the caring older brother they never had, and as time marched on, so did they.

Their familial-like friendship further thickens as they selflessly value one another's lives over their own. The friendship they've constructed inside this reformatory will stick with them for the rest of their lives, as they'd never forget how much they all mean to each other even if they wanted to. Through sorrow and loss, they stuck together and held strong.

Manga is often portrayed by many as childish and thoughtless, with little to no real literary value to offer. However, as Rainbow displays, this couldn't be further from the truth. There are countless motivational elements to Rainbow that've heavily inspired me in many ways, so many that attempting to list them all would prove impossible. No media has impacted me as much as Rainbow has in a long time, if ever.

The combination of George Abe's impeccable writing and Kakizaki Masasumi's captivating illustrations truly had me savoring each page. I'd find myself emptily staring at a badass illustration, reading the profound lines over and over in my head with tears welling up in my eyes. I'd lose myself, completely immersed in the story, and suddenly break down crying. That's how much this manga affected me emotionally.

George Abe's writing isn't based on what he simply imagined Japan was like after WW2, no, he experienced it firsthand. He found himself in a similar situation as the boys in Rainbow, and because of this, he was able to truly pour his emotions and bits of his life into the characters. Although the story and characters themselves are fictional, one could feel the author's past emanating brightly from the panels. I also recall reading an interesting afterword from one of the volumes, in which George Abe stated he received Kakizaki's manuscripts crumpled, almost as if someone had gotten them soaked and later dried them. He soon realized that Kakizaki drew the illustrations for the series while crying. So much heart went into the creation of this manga, further contributing to my undying love for this masterpiece.


As a result, Rainbow is among my favorite manga series, if not my favorite. I enjoyed every page and will without a doubt read it again in the future if I'm ever feeling down. I highly recommend this series to anyone going through hardships and feeling hopeless. The harsh reality is, that life can get difficult, and when things are difficult, giving up can seem easy. But the boys from cell six never did. They never once gave up. If there were even a 1% chance of success, they'd take it. The storm is sometimes rough, but the rainbow is always beautiful.


May you rest in peace, George Abe. Thank you for the beautiful work that you've left behind for us all.

a group of young men that continue to fight for their place in the world despite all the pushback and the continuous stream of problems they face. rainbow manages to take a simple and timeless premise and make it utterly unrecognisable.

the title's biggest downfall is sacrificing good, simple storytelling for moments of spectacle. everything has to be an event and our heroes have to fight against oppression and horrid villains all the time. to put it simply, it suffers from delusions of grandeur. it assigns nonsensical character motivations at every turn and all of this makes for a horrible reading experience.

if you look past all ... that you might find a heartwarming, inspiring tale about a couple of boys seemingly brought together by fate, striving to follow their dreams. unfortunately, it's very difficult to look past all of it's drawbacks and downright infuriating. you could chalk up my horrible experience to reading scanlations, though.

I honestly think this manga starts out great and then just gets increasingly worse. So much so to the point where I'm now dropping it at 116 chapters. I'm not having fun reading it anymore. Please keep in mind this review is only reflective of those chapters, I cannot speak for the second half of the series. I still wanted to write a review anyway, I wanted to finish the series before I wrote this but I just wasn't enjoying it anymore and still had a lot to say.

STORY - [6/10]
I think the story and manga in general start out really strong. It's really captivating ... and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire first arc, I really loved it and would have rated it an 8/10 at that point. Unfortunately, this doesn't last forever. Without saying any spoilers, the story just doesn't know what to do with itself after the first arc. Once all is said and done I feel like the entire manga just morphs into something completely different, and not something I mostly liked. It was kind of just repeating small arcs of minor drama over and over again, and it came to a point where I just wasn't expecting anything anymore. Why was the drama minor? Because it never amounts to anything. It's almost like random shock value that resolves shortly after over and over again. While some of these small arcs are better than others, It's just zero progression and tiring to read after a certain point. It got to the point where I just didn't care anymore and dropped the manga.

ART - [7/10]
I don't really have much to say about the art besides that its good. Nothing crazy. but nothing bad. It also fits the tone of the series pretty well.

CHARACTERS [7.5/10]
Without a doubt the best part of the manga. The manga puts a big emphasis on friendship and as a result puts a lot of its resources into developing characters. It does this pretty well and the dynamic between all the characters is enjoyable. I do have one complaint though. Sakuragi's influence later in the series is just kind of annoying and illogical. When in conflict, characters will be all like "damn what would Sakuragi do right now!" since they all look up to him and view him as a role model. I don't think the relationship between Sakuragi and the rest of the cast was nearly developed enough for this kind of attitude to be embraced in the characters though. The idolization of Sakuragi seems unnatural to me. A lot more could have been done to reinforce this kind of thinking within the cast.

OVERALL ENJOYMENT - [6/10]
Despite some of the negative things I've said about this manga, I think I can still recommend it unlike other series I give a 6/10. The first arc is great and worth experiencing. So if you are interested in this series, I recommend reading up to the second arc. If you like what the second arc had to offer, then knock yourself out because it follows the same formulaic sequence in different skins (at least up to 116). I didn't like the change, but you might.

The absence of color pages is not striking, since the tone of the story does not claim them either. It would be different if it were a fantastic cut story where the reader, although accustomed to black and white, always appreciates a colorful note.

Regarding the graphic section, Masasumi Kakizaki's work is, in general, good. But not bright at all. There are vignettes where the bodies are disproportionate or poorly designed, for example, by placing the eyes on an impossible axis. Instead, there are very good and impressive illustrations.the adjective that best suits this situation is inconstant.But hey, this is a story where the script ... is much more relevant than the graphic section. A very interesting and renowned way.

I just finished reading it and I hope this review helps you decide whether to give the Manga a chance or not :P

Story: 9.5/10 - The story has a very strong beginning, and after that it continues in small arcs, resolving the characters' "issues" and finally the conclusion of their dreams, as some comments pointed out, the story is very "black in white", forgetting the shades of "grey" in between, it's a valid criticism, but the characters don't deal with these types of people, only the dark side of society, so it's even possible to overlook that part a little .
Furthermore, the setting of the ... Manga is very good, and well detailed by the author, accompanying art that gives even more life to the Manga, and then you wonder why I got the 0.5, FOR ME the development of the last arc left me with a slight bitter taste in the mouth, because of how a "couple" ends, so to speak...
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Art: 10/10 - I really liked the Art, it sets the tone of the Manga very well.
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Character: 10/10 - I have no complaints, the entire main cast is very charismatic along with the secondary people who are gradually introduced XD.
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Overall: 9.5/10 - A story of struggle, overcoming, drama, resilience and willpower to keep living. It has a little bit of everything, of course, as other comments have pointed out, it follows a "formula", which for me wasn't at all uncomfortable, it may be for some, but others may enjoy more of what this work has to offer, and I'll even say more, be an inspiration to move forward.
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If you read this review thank you very much and may God bless you!

Review written in French, then translated by a deep learning software (because I'm lazy to do it myself and with mid-term exams I don't have the time, although I can do it).

English part :

Rainbow, the work of Georges Abe illustrated by Kakizaki is certainly well known from this site, in a way, it seems to me, very positive. And if, undeniably, it is a success, the manga is nevertheless very imperfect, by its tone a little too manichean and some other aspects.
The story we are told is fascinating, the beginning in the juvenile prison reminds Shamo/Coq de Combat in some aspects, the tone is however ... very different, the two stories having little else in common. It happens to be really touching at times, but sometimes there is a tendency for the author to overpathosize the pathos, which tends to undermine the narrative. On the other hand, credibility flies out the window a few times, which can come out of the story (I've done that a few times).

A profoundly political work, which swears with the rest of the production, for better or for worse, because if as a narrative, it's rather pleasant, for the underlying message, the constant is quite different. In the end, all of this seems to be bathed in a naive, even vulgar idea of the inmates of juvenile prisons. But as said, the story is pleasant to follow, and if you want a more interesting work for its depiction of the juvenile prison environment, I recommend Shamo/Coq de combat (well, only the first 13 volumes, after that it's no use, it's crap ... but the beginning is really excellent). To come back to the story of Rainbow, it follows itself well, the characters who compose it are all endearing, and those adding to the group throughout the story are just as endearing. The events behind the story's progress are almost "to much", in the sense that one wonders if one day the group of heroes will be able to live in peace. But at the same time, knowing the manga industry, one understands why these choices are made, especially since, once again, it's fun to follow the story all the way through (you even really want to know what happens next at times). The style of Kakizaki, although it is not necessarily one of those I particularly like, is very successful and creates an atmosphere that fits the story. The confrontation scenes are intense, never a board seems strange or even failed (at least I didn't have that impression).

The fact remains that it is a successful political and social pamphlet, certainly too politicized in certain aspects, all refined by the stroke of Kakizaki.
A masterpiece, certainly not, but a good manga, pleasant to follow from beginning to end.

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French part :

Rainbow, l’œuvre de Georges Abe illustrée par Kakizaki est de manière certaine bien connu de ce site, d’une manière, il me semble, très positive. Et si, indéniablement, c’est une réussite, le manga n’en est pas moins très imparfait, par son ton un peu trop manichéen et quelques autres aspects.
L’histoire qui nous est contée est prenante, le début dans la prison pour mineurs rappelle Shamo/Coq de Combat par certains aspects, le ton est cependant bien différent, les deux histoires n’ayant pas grand-chose d’autre en commun. Ça arrive à être vraiment touchant par instants, mais on retrouve parfois une tendance de l’auteur à trop verser dans le pathos, ce qui a tendance à desservir le récit. Par ailleurs, la crédibilité s’envole à quelques reprises, ce qui peut sortir de l’histoire (ça a été mon cas à quelques reprises).

Une œuvre profondément politique, qui jure avec le reste de la production, pour le meilleur comme pour le pire, car si en tant que récit, c’est plutôt plaisant, pour le message de fond, le constant est bien différent. Tout ceci semble finalement baigner dans une idée naïve, voire vulgaire, des détenus de prisons pour mineurs. Mais comme dit, l’histoire est plaisante à suivre, et si vous souhaitez une œuvre plus intéressante pour sa représentation du milieu carcéral pour mineur, je vous recommande plutôt Shamo/Coq de combat (enfin uniquement les 13 premiers tomes, après ce n’est pas la peine, c’est de la merde … mais le début est vraiment excellent). Pour revenir à l’histoire de Rainbow, elle se suit bien, les personnages qui la composent sont tous attachants, et ceux s’ajoutant au groupe au fil de l’histoire le sont tout autant. Les évènements à l’origine de l’avancement du récit font presque « to much », dans le sens où l’on se demande si un jour, le groupe de héros arrivera à vivre tranquille. Mais en même temps, connaissant l’industrie du manga, on comprend pourquoi ces choix, surtout qu’encore une fois, ça reste plaisant à suivre tout du long (on a même vraiment envie de connaitre la suite par moments). Le style de Kakizaki, bien qu’il ne fasse pas forcément parti de ceux que j’affectionne particulièrement, est très réussi et permet de créer une ambiance qui colle au récit. Les scènes d’affrontement sont intenses, jamais une planche ne semble étrange ou bien même ratée (enfin je n’ai pas eu cette impression).

Reste que c’est un pamphlet politique et social réussi, certainement trop politisé par certains aspects, le tout affiné par le trait de Kakizaki.
Un chef d’œuvre, certainement pas, mais un bon manga, plaisant à suivre de bout en bout.

Rainbow is a cruel, brutal and also hopeful manga. Let's do it by steps:

The characters that surround the protagonists are captivating, presenting layers or having presence as their enemies. It is very easy to fear a villain that appears or sympathize with the relationships that the protagonists build with other people.
This is very good, because the sense of danger is important for the story to be engaging and as well as appreciation between the characters.

There are 7 protagonists, each with their personal dilemmas and arcs. All excellent characters who go through a journey of pain to conquer their freedom and happiness.

The story is fantastic. As ... expounded by the author in his notes, it is based on a reflection of their own experience in that period... As such, it is brutal and merciless even as they struggled mightily to survive and achieve something in their lives. The world of this work is brutal, unfair and malicious and yet it allows itself to fight without bowing its head to all this negativity.
A powerful story full of impactful and fantastic moments.

The art is fantastic. From the beginning, it has been impressive, but it still allows itself to evolve even more in order to create true visual spectacles that give even more strength to this narrative.

Finally, Rainbow is a fantastic manga about delinquents having to seek their happiness in a cruel and unfair world, with an art that pushes each moment in the story even further. If there was one criticism to make, it's that the manga ends because it's notable that it's a unique and different experience.

Truly a story about friendship. Makes me jealous, I wish I had friends like this.
The story has twists and you don’t know where it’s going in the end but you wanna follow them along their journey


. It’s full of harsh and brutal moments. Fantastic story with beautiful beautiful art that makes you in awe of some of its double and single pages. If you enjoy storys of friendship and hardships then you’d like this one.

And of course you’ll end up wishing your friends and yourself were more like these characters though and though.
You’ll get attached and so many characters thought out from the get ... go as some disappear and some show up.

Almost a decade after I watched the anime (2015), I'm happy that I could read all the original manga. All these years I didn't know what to expect from the rest of the story that the anime didn't cover, and I can safely say it was a pleasant surprise.

This is a tale about seven young men – Nicknames Mario, Suppon, Heitai, Kyabetsu, Joe, Baremoto and Anchan - in a juvenile reformatory in the post-war Japan (1955, more specifically), and how their encounter changed their lives.

Being written by George Abe, who was a teenager in the 1950’s Japan, takes great care in addressing social topics such ... as the American occupation and how it affected the country culturally (we see an ascension of Jazz and Rock music, boxing and other western sports, etc.).

But the main point is the economical devastation affected the Japanese people for decades after the war.

The manga expands beautifully on the backstory and development of all the seven characters, their personal struggles, families, goals, traumas, hopes and dreams. But the focus is on their relationship since juvie, and how there is no bond as unbreakable as a strong friendship.

It’s a wonderful tale wonderfully illustrated by Masasumi Kakizaki, a very talented artist.

Despite all the social criticisms Abe makes, you can tell a lot of the plot has his own life story in it, and the main point he makes is and how having good, trustworthy people by your side is what makes you overcome even your most rough hardships.

Overall, a great and very human story, great character design and development, beautiful art and a clear philosophy. I can respect that.

Recommended specially if you like historical novels and such. It was the first piece of media that I saw being set on 50’s-60’s Japan, and being told by someone that lived the period, at that.

“If there’s a place inside this world,
Where hopes and dreams are not yet lost
We stand and climb against this walls,
And fight this fight forever more.
If there’s a place inside this world,
Where hopes and dreams are not yet lost
Where we must go back to once more,
Until the day,
We find that place…
We are not alone”

the art is very mediocre, both in characters and locations, also, the fact that suppon resembles some cartoon character with those ears and his height while the rest of the characters are make to look more realistic, is a bad contrast in my opinion. The fact that by their looks alone you can establish who is bad a who is good takes away from the plot, from the moment characters are introduced you know who is going to be the enemy, also the fact that the plot is black and white, in the sense that good and bad people are very clearly delimited, the protagonist ... are angels underserving of their punishment and the antagonist are demons that fuck little children and drink blood, the beatings carry little weight, when someone is beat up the artist just adds some blood over their faces and thats it, their characters remain unchanged besides that, like some character is supposedly beated regularly but he doesnt even had a black eye, a broken nose or swelling, no, just some black ink seeping across his face.