May 4, 2011
Murder sure is an interesting subject and, let's face it, some of the most intriguing works around dive into the head of a person who is just a little "off" and attempts to examine what drives them such as great stuff like Silence of the Lambs and Monster(anime).
That's exactly what Kare no Satsujin Keikaku(His Murder Scheme) does, except in this case it is a seemingly normal high school kid who decides, on a whim, that he "wants to try out killing someone." It's apparent that someone who can offhandedly decide to do this, and then actually follow through the steps to conclusion, is far
...
from what is generally perceived as "normal."
The irony is that, with his specific goal in mind, the protagonist actually improves in other aspects of his life, such as acquiring a girlfriend and receiving better grades in his schoolwork. This highlights something that really intrigued me, as it shows that, no matter whether their ultimate goal is "good" or "bad", humans can and will improve themselves for the sake of completing something they "want."
The characters, this being a One-Shot, are obviously paper thin and only serve the purpose of pushing forward the Mangaka's ideas and that was fine by me. The artwork, being by Kitoh Mohiro, is very similar to his other work Shadow Star Narutaru and I've always kind of liked his drawing style and it's always nice to be able to tell who drew what without even having prior knowledge of the creator.
In any case, there isn't really much more to say as this is a very linear path through a potential murderers year of preparation. Anyone with any interest in the human condition would do well to read this.
Story: 7
A linear path down the mind of a high school student who has the desire to kill someone on a whim. An interesting ending.
Art: 8
From the little experience I've had with Kitoh Mohiro's work in the past I've always have had a liking for his drawing style, so not really many arguments here. His drawing style IS very similar from work to work, and that could be bad thing or good thing depending on the reader.
Character: 6
The only important characters are the protagonist and his target, a very young girl. There isn't much delving into the WHY he does the things he does, but that arguably makes things interesting in its own right to me.
Enjoyment: 7
I've always found criminal behavior, and what makes these kind of people tick, interesting and this is no different. Definitely an interesting experience.
Overall: 7
It isn't as detailed as what a truly great story would be, but this gets the job done in the briefest time possible. Very one note characters, though watching the main character "improve" his life as he strives for his goal is..interesting given the context. Definitely recommended.
As usual questions and comments/critiques are welcome on my profile. This is the first manga I've reviewed and I'm sure my inexperience with reviewing has shown here and there. But, believe me when I say I am confident I will only get better as I continue. Thanks.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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