Shibatora

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Shibatora is a series starring a vertically challenged MC. He is a police officer who is in a part of the youth division section. They deal with crime committed by the underage. The series deals with various youth committed crimes and the after effects of those crimes and what not.

The series isn't just 1 whole story. Its several laced together in a sense. Their are a total of 5 arcs i believe. Each dealing with minor's and how they have their own problems. I think the author did a good job in trying the make the children *not* the bad guys. One of the ... main themes is that every child becomes a criminal because of their parents, something i disagree on personally, however for some of them i think the author did a decent job for making them seem like its not their fault. I mean i don't think anyone would think it is just his or her fault but it has the intended effect the author is going for.

Due to this *its not your fault* mindset the main character believes that every child can be changed. Their in lies the problem. Originally the first 2 arcs were solid. I really liked it they had a lot of intense moments the main character was badass and amazing double page spreads really made the series enjoyable to read. However the next 2 arcs were more of a problem. Honestly I hate the fact that main character tries to reform every single delinquent. Part of his technique to do this is believe everything they will say to the point where i was verbally saying **come on**. Part of this got annoying but the main reason it pissed me off was because it worked. But it didn't feel deserved more like he got lucky and in turn the delinquent reformed as well. This happens on more than one occasion and this part didn't have the intended effect as the author wanted.

Which is why i also kinda liked his supervising officer but her turned out to be a bit of a waste. I also felt like his friend the white haired dude wasn't utilized well enough. Some of the other characters also feel wasted and were used as comedy routines too many times. I liked the heroine though. She was funny and her personality brought a lot of funny and cute moments in the series.

Though dealing with Kids in this series can be a hit or miss, dealing with adults is just amazing to see. The MC has 2 side to him. The kind soft calm side dealing with children, and super sayain mode dealing with adults. This contrast is very satisfying to watch and unfold. Though i do not like how adults are almost always blamed i do like how the main characters deals with it though. One of the situation is the main character playing the cat and mouse game with a very professional law student and its so insane. I won't say its on par with Light vs L but i did very much enjoy the word game they had.

Most of this stuff though actually occurs in the beginning. The dealing with adults and charisma or likability of the main character is why i really enjoyed the first 2 arcs. But beyond that it start losing it. The dealing with Kids is a hit or miss like a mentioned because the 3rd and 4th arc just aren't as good as the beginning. They aren't bad, but you'd expect more after being hyped from the first 2 arcs. Now the last arc however is well written. Author starts taking risks and it pays off. Character's are more interesting. Situations are more dangerous and the stakes are the highest they've ever been. I didn't think the ending was bad either. However the resolution of the last arc got too political, unnecessarily and the ending ending was too nice personally.

Another thing i didn't like was that the main character could see whether or not a person was about to be in mortal danger. It's related to his backstory stuff but honestly the entire thing felt unnecessary. I don't think it was poorly implemented but its not something I thought i want in this manga.

TLDR: Good manga, I was upset at the lack of hype from the first 2 arcs in the 3rd and 4th arc however the last arc was solid and considering it ends in a solid note, I guess i'll let this get away with a 7/10. Also their is a reddit mod moment.

Shibatora is an average detective manga, and that is okay because this manga is pretty fluctuative in its aspects.

Story: 7/10
The story of Shibatora has its highs and lows. Some of the arcs have lazy conclusions, to the point that it is quite forced. I particularly hated the reveal and conclusion of the final confrontation of the final arc. However, I like the overall story structure and how it rarely has any plot holes. I also think the culmination of Taketora's story was kinda neat; after being blessed/cursed with the 'hands of death' throughout the whole manga, he acquired the 'hand of life' at the very ... end.

Art: 7/10
I think the artstyle was kinda good. I had no problems with it, but I also think its application was too safe especially at some key panels.

Character: 6/10
Obviously, Taketora Shibata is the MVP of this manga. His motives and actions were quite consistent throughout, and his OP-ness in pretty much everything except being tall was oddly compelling to see. That being said, the supporting cast was painfully average. Each supporting characters (aside from Kojiro) were only given one arc to shine, and I don't think that's enough to flesh them out. Also, the joke of Mizuki pretending to be Taketora's wife was so repetitive and was never that funny to begin with.

Enjoyment: 8/10
Idk despite all the criticisms I put against the manga, I still had fun reading it. The first 4-5 arcs were all quite enjoyable. All in all, Shibatora is a nice relaxing break from the usual masterpiece mangas.

!!!WARNING MILD SPOILERS!!!

Summary: Good series with feel-good elements. If you want realistic reactions then it all goes downhill in the final arc. -2 points for the final arc. Worth reading but prepare for disappointment towards the end.

Edit: The ending arc ticked me off which affected my review, so here is an updated review.

If you are a fan of good-hearted naive main characters then this is for you. If you are more realistic and is not a fan of soft hearted and naive MCs (to the detriment of other people) then this is not for you. If you are a believer in that people can change ... for the better and getting a second chance, then you will enjoy this series. The series was enjoyable up until probably around chapter 100, until the final arc took place.

What ruined the story was essentially the soft and naive main character. While he is actually quite sharp, there is a limit to how much you can forgive. He is quite powerful and is able to beat people up despite his looks. Throughout the series, they hinted at a dark past that he had as "atonement". What was actually revealed was actually quite disappointing and extremely brief. There is a very small supernatural aspect to this series related to the MC, where the MC has a ability to tell if someone is going to get murdered.

The last arc is what ruined the series. It focused more heavily on drama and left a bitter taste in my mouth, in a bad way. A criminal mastermind that controls the underlings through digital means causes rampant crime, from arson, assault, and even multiple homicides. Of course our MC detective manages to solve the case, and acts with naive a bleeding heart. Even though his friends were victims of this criminal group, just when you think the perpetrator behind the incidents gets his just desserts, the MC takes a bullet for him (literally).

All is forgiven by our benevolent MC and they all live happily ever after. Our MC believes in people no matter what and will defend them even if they kill him or his friends, as long as they are juveniles of course. There is a limit to what can be forgiven, and this series just does not believe that some people are already evil even as juveniles. The final arc approached this limit and the characters did not have realistic reactions at all. In fact, I think it stresses more on having sympathy for the perpetrators (as long as they are juveniles) rather than the victims or their families no matter how heinous the crime. Throughout the series I started to respect the MC, but that all went out the window in the final arc.

What could've been a pretty good series is ruined by the final arc, where the characters seem to be missing the brain processes required for realistic reactions to wrongdoings. The ending also does not tie up loose ends. Other than the main culprit, the other murderers and criminals are never shown to be caught. The other arcs were pretty entertaining, and it had me hooked until the finish.

-2 points for the final arc