Usogui

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STORY: 4

Meet Usogui the king of gamblers! He has an agenda and he is willing to bet his life to succeed. Along with his companions, his fate will cross a LOT of very colorful (read mostly psychotic) characters along Kakerou, a mysterious organization of game referees (and at the same time assassins because why not) that operates in the shadows of Japan.

The story is a succession of high-stake 'games' that Usogui takes on to conquer power. Call the right number and immediately 30 guys in black suits show up to insure the game goes as it should. Each game is anything-goes as long as ... it's within the set of rules decided by the Kankerou referee. And then things get boring very rapidly as the same formula is repeated non stop over 49 volumes:

1 The nice guy starts the game with some super smart move.
2 However, the enemy saw that coming with an even smarter strategy that encompass all possibilities and moreover he is cheating using extremely convoluted ways. How evil! All hope seems lost!
3 But wait! The hero had an even more complicated strategy that includes all the possible actions of the enemy and had somehow anticipated for the treachery of the enemy and has used an even more cunning way of cheating.
4 There he wins! Oh but no! The enemy had a last, even more unrealistic and unlikely trick and it's over for the hero, who would have thought!
5 As despairs arrives, in an totally ridiculous twist (and after dragging for a loooong time), the hero ultimately wins because he had planned for basically all events in the universe (with flashbacks to explain how things truly went).. No wait nothing makes sense! Oh whatever, you will get tired of it quickly anyway.

On top of this tedious adventure add (at the same time) a ton of tough characters that pop out from nowhere for testosterone brawls with constant power-ups and you have a boring, over-confident mess of a manga.


ART: 5

As a half enigma and a half manly-fights manga, the focus is clearly on faces and bodies with some influences from titles like Baki or the Jojo saga. Lines are very detailed and show the experience of the author with some flexibility and ranges of emotions but the end-result is not that great. The main problem being that the approximate anatomy (the author is struggling with chins) makes the artwork feel weak.
Everybody looks the same and we need haircuts, accessories or moles to keep track of who is who in the huge mess of characters.
There is some clear skill progress along the many chapters, however, and a few nice panels, but globally the art self-seriousness fails as much as the story.


POLITICAL POTENTIAL: 4

Kankerou, the shadow organization of game-referees has ramification up to the corrupt government or the police and.. that's it.
Each of the too many characters has long tirades about justice, heart, power, but they mostly feel like incoherent babbling given the lack of consistence in the story.


FEMINISM: 3

Here is a manga that loves men so much that the female to male ratio feels like it's around 1:30. On one hand you have men characters who engage in brutal violence just for the kick of it and you can feel that the author enjoys depicting those over-the-top fights where the feeling of manhood is more important than any attempt at realism. That glorified violence in Usogui, similar to the masculinist classic Baki, is so ludicrous that it seems to have been written by a 13 years old.
On the other hand, the only two noticeable female characters are made into the 'femme fatale' trope: they are strong, beautiful and deadly. As often with this trope, they are shown as having a very active sexuality that makes them abnormal (which is a threat for men). And here you go, basically two women over 49 volumes.

There is also one bad allusion to sex through the manga: in one episode, a grateful host wants to reward one of the heroes. He then gives him two girls for sex like if they were objects. That scene is purposed for comedic relief and does not succeed -_-.


CONCLUSION: 4

Usogui is a failure of a cross-over between Detective Conan (for the crazy enigma) and Baki (for the ridiculously-strong manly-men lame fighting). Unconvincing in most of its aspects, sometimes unwillingly funny, it could have been so much better if it were 10 times shorter.

Usogui is an amazing manga series full of exciting story telling and psychological trickery. There were times I found myself reading Usogui and feeling so lost in the atmosphere and intensity. The art is so unique and amazing in its own ways. The expressions displayed by the characters and the brutal fight scenes depicted in the art are awesome. The symbolism and inferences portrayed are so deep and subtle, you get lost in the plot. The gambling tricks and crazy scenarios are reality shattering. This is one manga i could never put down because of how exciting it was and how hooked, just like if ... you were gambling, I was to the story. I definitely recommend any manga reader to check this book series out cuz its insane!

*I'm not a native speaker, thus I apologize for any grammatical errors that might appear in this review*

Usogui is a criminally underrated piece of work in the West, sadly. It was serialized in the popular seinen magazine Young Jump (Tokyo Ghoul, Kingdom, etc) throughout the time span of eleven years, and is nothing short of a masterpiece. I'd say that anyone with an interest in the world of gambling or in the psychological genre should absolutely read it.

Although Usogui's premise may not seem very creative at first, the manga actually delivers a masterwork in storytelling and world building. Gambling and fighting is just such an ... unexpectedly good mix, and the way both of these elements are implemented in the narrative is just perfect. With the exclusion of the first arc, I'd say that every arc is very well written, with the last ones being absolutely flawless. No overstatement here.

The characters are also really good and have a great sense of depth to them. Almost every single character gets proper attention and development from Toshio. Baku and Kaji's extravagant personality contradictions make up for a great MC duo, and all presented antagonists have real purposes and ambitions. I do need to say, though, that this is nothing like other psychological series such as Kaiji. This isn't a deep analysis of the human psyche, where gambling is used as a pretext in order to analyse the state of mind of people submitted to extreme circumstances. Sometimes Baku is way too perfect for his own good, but that makes sense from a storytelling standpoint and is also the factor that makes him unique (making another parallel with Kaiji, the thing that makes it's titular protagonist stand out are his glaring flaws. In Usogui, it is exactly the opposite).

As for the artwork, it's just godlike. Seriously. Well, I must admit that the early art style is really awful, but it's just for the first 50 or so chapters. It keeps on evolving from time to time, and each story arc features it's own, unique style, giving Usogui a sense of variety that's not usually seen in the media. The latter panels are INSANELY detailed.

In the end, I can't stress how much I love this piece of work, and I hate the fact that my man Toshio isn't getting the recognition he deserves, since he's an incredible writer and artist.

*What a gift it is to read this manga!! I am beyond grateful for having had the opportunity to read 'Usogui'. And I'd recommend it to anyone interested in Seinen
*CHARACTERS: The characters are each brimming with personality. I've personally never been so attached to a fictional character's story. There is a metric ton of adrenaline pumping action in this series and three metric tons of suspense. Baku-sama is a god among men and his story is one for the record books.
*ART: The art is beautiful and it evolves to an outstanding degree throughout the length of the series.
* PLOT: The path to ... the end is a spiral road of chaos and death that could only be navigated by a miracle.The plot is perfect, to the point that in the end of it all, no matter what happens, it's a win/win for the reader.
*Thank the heavens I was able to read the series at my own pace instead of having to wait for weekly/monthly releases. I would not have been able to tolerate the suspense.
*Possibly my favorite manga I've ever read

Greatest of all time. Zenith of the medium. Hallmark of media. Gold standard of storytelling. Apogee of creativity. Vertex of invention. Crest of ingenuity. Acme of imagination. Pinnacle of innovation. Epic of epics. Legend among legends. Peak fiction. One above all, peak creation, lonely at the summit, goats above goats, grandiose masterpiece, impeccable perfection, too exquisite to exist, unbelievably marvelous creation, spectacularly bewildering and stupendous imagination, work of god. Groundbreaking and foundational, his sense of development is a deconstruction of employment segregation and the powerful performances are truly comprehensive of their poignant themes while the nuance in the direction complements a layered screenplay. Pure elegant, ... exquisite, endeavor. I can't put my finger on what's wrong because there isn't anything, masterful character-making from a masterful person. Top of the decade. Top of the century. Top of my life

Absolutely incredible. A masterpiece. Never has something kept me so hooked for so long. Though it starts off slow with a bad first arc and really subpar art, every subsequent arc is amazing and the art steadily evolves throughout the whole series to become fantastic towards the end.

Every arc besides the first one is consistently amazing and offers tons of suspense and foreshadowing, along with insane mindgames and payoffs. It's the kind of manga you need to really pay attention to while you're reading because it's easy to get confused at the crazy stuff that happens. I've often had to reread parts where they ... explain the mindgame in a gamble because they are always several layers deep.

The characters all have unique traits that make them who they are, especially the referees, making them very lovable and enjoyable personalities. The main character is completely insane- never has a degenerate gambler been this badass. The risks he takes are simply ridiculous, and the amount of excitement he gets from taking these aforementioned risks reminds you of what he really is- only to sweep you off your feet again when you realize what his plan was the whole time.

Once more, the art starts off pretty subpar, but eventually becomes stellar. The latter half of the manga is full of screenshot material, simply because of how beautiful some of the panels and spreads are.

This manga also has fights, though the main focus is on gambling. The referees are monsters amongst men who offer consistently over the top fights while still somehow being realistic- it's hard to explain. Their strength and dexterity is nothing close to human, yet they're still no match for bullets. A lot of characters also have pseudo-scientific explanations for their abilities. It doesn't make the most sense, but the fights are so brutal and enjoyable that you quickly learn to not question it.

If you like a complicated story full of foreshadowing, over the top hand-to-hand combat, gambling with life, unique characters, are able to deal with subpar art for a while and aren't put off by a story that starts off a little slow; Usogui will definitely reward you for sticking with it and seeing all the incredible moments and payoffs it has to offer.

Story: The story of Usogui takes on a realistic point of view of illegal gambling, that gamblers need violence in order to protect what they win.The story is complex and unique in a good way, but because of that, it took time until the plot made sense. It was then when I finished reading volume 29 that I first realized how deep the story is, and I was amazed how all the things I thought were not relevant came together. The storytelling in my opinion is also excellent on how the author manages to convey the tension of the games to the readers. The games ... that are introduced in the manga are sometimes complex, other times simple but they are all quite easy to understand, and the author manages to create psychological battles that are complex and entertaining, but it may be too complicating for some people. In conclusion, I think the story is simply outstanding and should not be judged without reading at least 100+ chapters

Art: The art of Usogui was definitely not the best when it started, but the art continued to improve throughout the whole series, and by the tower arc, I think it's safe to say that Usogui has excellent art in total. However, the way that the author draws the characters sometime becomes silly, almost comical. I myself enjoy this change in art, but it may be revolting to others.

Characters: The characters are one of the reason that I like Usogui so much. There are two protagonists in Usogui, one is a genius gambler, while the other one is a normal guy. What I like is that the readers get to see the normal protagonist become smarter and become a better gambler over time. The author also succeeds in creating live and interesting characters, both good and bad. The characters are so interesting that sometimes the MC doesn't stand out among them which could be considered bad in a way, although I don't mind at all.

Enjoyment: Usogui is a unique manga that has both psychological and battle aspects due to the realistic themes. The manga does a great job of fusing the two aspects that don't usually come together in one manga, and it should be very entertaining to people who like either one of them. One thing is that while the fight scenes are fairly realistic, the style may not be suited to certain people. This is just a matter of taste, so it will depend on the person reading.

Overall:Overall I had a great time reading Usogui. It sometimes requires lots of thinking to understand the games, but once understood, it will definitely be worth the time. The only reason why I didn't rate 10 is because it's still ongoing. I hope this review encourages people to read this unrecognized and underrated manga.

Usogui is an extremely psychological, high stakes gambling manga with the most extraordinary and strategic yet enthralling deadly mind games that will keep you hooked better than crack whilst offering such intricate and unconventional, realistic storytelling with loads of foreshadowing and an insanely unique plot that pulls the reader into the story. Featuring a cast of many cunning, daring, and intelligent characters, the most compelling in any manga, and by them constantly interchanging the most unhinged bluffs, exceeding human boundaries mentally and physically, and completely shape-shifting the atmosphere with their charismatic and/or villainous presences, forcing the reader wanting even more. Toshio Sako's Usogui is a ... rollercoaster ride with peaks that continuously reach higher heights the longer it lasts, even being praised by one of the most influential manga authors, Hirohiko Araki, the mangaka of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

Storytelling: 9.5/10

There are 11 main story arcs in Usogui, each consisting of one insanely suspenseful, complex, and outlandish major gambling game, that always impressively builds up to the next arc. The gambles are not puny normal gambling games either, they are the most extremely well-planned and well narrated, brilliant, and especially fatal gambling games any medium of media has seen. The games fascinate the reader by making them very compelling and unpredictable with a ruleset explained for each game leaving the game with an infinite amount potential ways that could lead to the players death the next move they make. The players are always switching sides of who is in the disadvantage and advantage by them exchanging the wildest bluffs and deceiving each other, gravely injuring their opponents hindering their chances at winning, cheating, the absurd number of near deaths, and the endless most astonishing plot twists in EVERY arc with NO plot armor nor plot holes that will leave your jaw dropped. **SPOILERS** One gamble that was played was a poker match played underwater where both players' feet were locked in cuffs and the only source of air was the chips they used to bet on. Although there were some boring parts throughout the story, all the arcs are fundamental to the very last chapter and range from a 7/10 to the best manga has ever seen.

Art: 6/10-10/10

It is impressive how much Toshio’s art has evolved throughout the 11 years of making this manga, so much so that Usogui’s art at its peak can even give Berserk and Vagabond a run for its money. At the start of the manga, the art was mediocre, but the one quality that made his art like no other was his burning dedication from the very first chapter to the last. Because of Toshio’s continuously developing style whilst writing this manga, each arc has a slightly different art style but gets more defined throughout the series, and all the characters are clearly identifiable so no worries. From the second story arc (ch 80-146), Toshio’s art style becomes more of his own and slowly it builds up to the best art any human can lay their eyes on when the 2nd last arc starts (ch 429), Toshio becomes a literal alien in illustrating everything that just transcends all human ability (I wish I could show some of the panels in the review because bro OH MY GOD HE IS THE GOAT). From illustrating the sickest gazes and facial expressions, menacing and devilish presences, godly hair that flows everywhere (like Yujiro from Baki) which make them even more menacing, very iconic and distinct poses at unusual and incredible angles, the most gruesome and suspenseful beatdowns and fights choreographed so well, all impact how each character gives off their unique presence of how advantageous, dangerous, cunning, devious, or guileful they are to evoke the sensation of how truly ruthless these characters are. All these practiced details are staples of Toshio’s art which creates his own recognizable style in manga and how he sways readers in with THE sickest art making him one of the best illustrators in manga.

Characters: 9/10

The cast of characters in Usogui are great, each with their own unique gimmicks making them unforgettable, all with important backstories and what they have done by furthering the story. The protagonist, the extremely intelligent and cunning Madarame Baku is EASILY one of the most compelling and best protagonists ever in manga. How he carries his plans by manipulating every character in the story and even the reader, into his palms with his devilish charisma, steadfast ruthlessness yet carefree demeanor using bluffs and trickery, pure intellect, proficient predictability, mood-reading, deductive skills, and more to gain his goals is way beyond entertaining. Whilst also being a mentor yet friend to the deuteragonist of the series, Kaji Takaomi who started off as a complete loser in massive debt who later even had his own character arc for development and became just as quick-witted as Baku. With many more intriguing characters, there is one who is beyond all others, the main antagonist of the series, the leader of Kakerou, the perfect human being, so much so that he is referred to as an “alien.” (also, there are not any aliens in the series). Being one of the best written antagonists in manga, the leader is a true representation of being the perfect main antagonist for any story, not being poorly done *cough cough* demon slayer, or just being evil for the sake of being evil. There are actual plot points in the story that shape the leader and his reasons for being an excellent main antagonist. But the most important thing in having the perfect villain of any story is the parallel between the protagonist and antagonist. The leader and Baku have the greatest rivaling themes in manga, there is even a backstory arc regarding the two of them which makes them the best written characters in Usogui and having one of the best dualities ever in manga. 9/10 is because not all characters are touched upon and some feel “useless” to the plot.

Writing: 10/10

Usogui’s writing is exemplary, its ideas and exposition, setting, diction for metaphors and hyperboles (The whole Baku and leader backstory arc is literally a metaphor), foreshadowing from the very first chapter, avoidance of stereotypical manga tropes, the characters and their representations of themes and symbolism (Perfection vs Imperfection, Creation vs Destruction, Existentialism vs Destiny, Sacrifice vs Success, Brain vs Brawn, Life vs Death, Redemption vs Rejection, Heart vs Mind, Exploitation vs Altruism, Ego vs Modesty) are all "ideal” (An Usogui reference haha) in showing how much of a flawless writer Toshio Sako is with his completely original masterpiece of a narrative that is Usogui.

Enjoyment: 10/10

Haven’t I already said enough? It took me 11 months to finish, never will I EVER read such a manga with such suspense, plot twists, perfectly planned storyline, compelling characters, and art that just makes me so scared yet excited to flip the page as this was the most enjoyable manga I have ever read. Considering there is a confirmed sequel, I am beyond excited, and even if the sequel does not finish, the main series is more than enough. Usogui is truly the best and I will glaze for life.

Overall: 10/10

Read it or don’t. This is a recommendation but more so an obligation as a reader to write a proper in-depth review to give my utmost respect to Toshio Sako for creating this hidden gem.

Hello everybody I am here to review a manga called Usogui or Lie Eater in English.It is written and illustrated by Toshio Sako and serialized by Weekly Young Jump.
The story is about a gambler name Bak MADARAME a.k.a Usogui as he tries to take control of Kakerou. He is a smart,cool,versatile character and he steals the show every time he makes an appearance .He is one of the main things that draws you into the manga.Other characters are Kaji Takaomi a.k.a (Lois Lane),Marco who posses incredible strength that could match The Hulk,Kiruma Souichi the leader of Kakerou and Yako Hikoichi the No.2 referee of Kakerou.

WHAT ... I LIKED
This manga is very diverse in characters as there is at least one character you will really like.The art is also really good and focuses on the characters facial expressions.Also the games are really good and diverse and they are not too hard to understand(except the first game which is just escaping a building).They also have very awesome fights.

WHAT I HATED
The art can get also very silly and sometimes lack detail and somehow for every arc the art style completely changes drastically like its a whole new manga.This manga is only available on-line in English through scanlations.
VERDICT

Overall the manga is great and it truly lacks recognition, mainly because it hasn't been published in America.

I don't like writing reviews, however Usogui is an exception. It pains me to see how criminally underrated this phenomenal work of art is. I also finished this work of art a while ago, but I'm currently re-reading it because it's simply amazing.

PLOT: This manga is the epitome of a masterpiece. A literal diamond that shines through perfectly, however, it has its own rough edges throughout. The beginning of the story is pretty slow paced, and it takes time to finally introduce our cast. However, everything after Chapter 100 is what shines through. I don't even feel like spoiling because ... it's that good, experience the greatness for yourself. A very intricate piece of work, with complex mind games surpassing any other games/set of schemes I've seen set in manga. The suspense ties in with the numerous games, each arc introducing eccentric and memorable characters, elaborate and perfectly devised games, and of course some of the greatest characters of all time.

ART: The art in this manga may seem undefined and a bit rough at first, but the artist, Toshio Sako, develops and evolves his work into something else. The art is phenomenal and easily one of the greatest in manga, contending with works like Berserk and Vagabond. Each fight is perfectly set and explicit throughout the story, expressions fit each character, and the character designs are simply amazing.

CHARACTERS: As mentioned before, some of the most eccentric and memorable characters + design, with unique personalities and explicit set of goals/views. Well written characters with unique personalities + some of the best character designs: what more could you ask for?

ENJOYMENT: Yes. 11/10. The most enjoyable piece I've ever read. Not much else to say.

OVERALL: Stop whatever you're doing, drop that mid Manhwa or manga you're reading, and Read Usogui to experience greatness. I sound corny right now but seriously go read Usogui.

The problem with long manga is that it requires us to set up schedules to be involved 100%.Nevertheless, we often have a return on our investment since 90% of the time this length is justified and we have the opportunity to read great mangas. Is it the case for Usogui? I think so.
From my point of view Usogui is a jewel in the landscape of gambling manga. It's that manga that allowed us to highlight the great author that is Toshio Sako. We can be very surprised at the beginning because the first tomes are not that transcendent. The drawing style is very ... average and the story has difficulty to start. But it's totally bluffing to see how much the scenario evolves! As time goes by, we discover a work which appropriates the codes of the yakuza manga but also those of martial arts! Indeed, Usogui is a manga which includes many fights, which are always sublimated by the multiple appearances of charismatic characters, which are for the most part well used and well developed.
Even more amazing with this manga is its graphic evolution over time. Toshio Sako has evolved a lot and this can be felt during the reading, since he changed his drawing style at least 3 times during the adventure. From a very rough and not very elegant style at the beginning of the manga, we arrive at the conclusion with a very personal and inimitable style, which gives an additional strength to the manga.
As for the heart of the manga, namely gambling, it is just as exciting. The games and situations are very exciting, and we always find ourselves in extraordinary situations with a lot of tension. As an example, we could quote the best games of a manga like Kaiji as an equivalent.
To sum up, I think Usogui is an excellent manga. Toshio Sako appropriates and plays with the codes of many genres and uses many references to give a unique identity to his manga. Rarely a manga centered around gambling has been so exciting. The manga is entirely translated into English, which makes it more accessible.

This manga is written by a manga lover for manga lovers. It has references to popular works like Jojo's and Hokuto no Ken. It's respected by the author of Kingdom. On multiple occasions Araki Hirohiko drew illustrations celebrating the anniversary of the manga and Hara Yasuhisa made an illustration for the 10th anniversary. It's unbelievable how almost no one talks about this manga and how unknown it's kept while seemingly being this mega hit in Japan. Nevertheless I'm happy to have found my favorite story in all of manga.

Usogui is a thrilling ride. It never stops and continues flooring the gas pedal into absurdity. Each ... gamble keeps you turning the page, eager to see what'll happen. The mind games and creativity of gambles is nothing short of brilliant. It keeps one upping itself and constantly keeps you entertained. Oh he won a pretty big gamble, time to settle down right? Nope, time for an even more absurd gamble that was actually a plan to get this dude to come over and gamble with him in an even more absurd gamble which will give me this to be able to actually start my real plan. I'm deliberately not giving any details for even one would spoil the enjoyment.

For a gambling manga, it doesn't shy away from physical fights. The Referees which preside the matches have some of the best hand to hand combat in all of manga, the matches and assassinations are INSANE. When you think you saw everything, Sako Toshio simply flips the board. Remember the Greed Island arc in Hunter x Hunter, well, it'll be a ride to say the least.

Honestly the top part was just me gushing as a fan of this manga and the man behind it. But from an extremely technical level this manga just delivers everything. The dynamic of each and every character is polished and worked on in the manga. Nothing feels left to the table and every plot thread is resolved by the end which is an extreme plus for a long running manga. The main characters, referees and "villains" you'll get to know each of them quite well, and you'll end up loving every one of them. This series has the highest number of characters I love in a manga.

The art keeps evolving with each arc and funnily enough it's never consistently the same, but not in a bad, jarring type of way. It keeps slightly changing style which feels refreshing every chapter. Extremely high detailed drawings that rival Berserk and Vagabond with ease to these highly kinetic one on one fights. It's never afraid to change style and experiment, while it does suffer, it's never bad.

I'd say this is a must read if you're a fan of entertainment. As I said "this series is written by a manga lover for manga lovers". Each decision Toshio made feels perfect to me as a fan. I was never disappointed when something happened, I never had any questions or doubts about his decisions. It's like he was reading my mind and just consistently kept telling me "Don't worry, It'll be fun" and kept pulling my hand, not letting put down the manga until I physically had to stop reading because my eyes were hurting. Toshio clearly loves manga, he reads so much of it. It feels like I could talk to him about the manga we both read and we would both fangirl over everything. Usogui is the most wild and fun ride, the most fun story I have read. Thank you Sako Toshio for creating this Masterpiece.

It’s one of the mangas ever made.

The first like 15 volumes are so good. The heavy atmosphere, the fights, the jokes, the mastermind of Usogui himself. It’s amazing.

It kinda fell off after some arcs, not gonna lie.

The story is filled with needless dialogues and rule explanations that add nothing to the outcome.
I did skip a lot of text boxes and panels.

There’s more women in the first 5 chapters of Tenjho Tenge than in the 49 volumes of usogui. In some points it was uncomfortable.
...
Overall, nice art, smart plot twists and a lot of text.

“He’s fragile, but he’ll never be broken…”

I'm still thinking about how to rate Usogui because I thoroughly enjoyed the manga, especially the last three arcs. However, the first 200 chapters was narratively messy and inconsistent. I enjoyed every arc (chapter 200 and below) because each one had its peak moments, but each arc also had some boring parts to get through.
I didn't really care about most of the fights before chapter 200, I more so preferred the mind games instead because the author was clearly cooking. For example, the plot twist in the beginning of the Labyrinth Arc where Yukiide framed Kaji. Moments like that was what kept me invested ... in the series.
After chapter 200 I began to see the true appeal of Usogui, and ever since then, it was narratively consistent, and I enjoyed it all the way through. After I finished it, I wanted to give the series an 8 - 9. But then I couldn't forget about all the lows of the first 200 chapters.

As a result, this manga is very hard for me to recommend to new readers. So, at the end, I'll give it a 6.

Usogui is a manga with profound insights and contemplations on life. This is evident in the way it predominantly delves into the philosophy of gambling and the psychology of gamblers. However, there is more to it than meets the eye. Usogui treats gambling as a metaphor for life, and life as a gamble. At its core, it explores the philosophies of living and the psychology of humans.

While the gambles serve as a framework for thematic exploration, they are not merely superficial elements. In fact, the gambling scenes are exceptionally well-crafted, featuring intelligent characters and brilliant mind games and tactics. Usogui also incorporates exciting and well-choreographed ... fights, which, like the gambles, often serve to reinforce the underlying themes.

All of these elements are complemented by fantastic artwork that is not only visually appealing but also serves as an effective storytelling device, with its expressive and dynamic style.

In conclusion, Usogui stands as one of the finest manga I have encountered.

Usogui will go down as the best manga series I have ever read. The art may start off old looking, kind of what youd expect from older mangas like ashita no joe, but it quickly elevates to a more modern but unique looking art style. I'd say that some of the later panels are some of the most well drawn panels in any manga Ive ever read. But I did give it a 9 in art, because the characters could be drawn kind of comically in some ways, and some of the angles the mangaka draws comes off kind of weird and outlandish. But in ... comparison to the story, character development and my enjoyment of the series, I had to give it a 9.

The mangaka is well versed in martial arts, and he really shows it in Usogui. Everything is more or less believable, he tries to rationalize a lot of the normal manga powerscaling, but I enjoyed it. The psychological games that the gamblers play, are unique. Some of them really are well thought out and smart. I think the manga hits its stride right at the fourth arc, and then it just doesn't slow down. And that's not saying that the first arcs arent incredible either, I think the first arc is really good at selling what the manga is supposed to be.

The character development is crazy. Madarame Baku is top 3 characters in any manga series, and I'll die on that hill. In my mind, Madarame is the archetype for the smart genius in any mind-game/psychological manga. He might be a trope, but the way he is written and the things he does throughout the series to manipulate certain people to do things later on in the series, is far thought out by the mangaka.

TLDR: Overall 10/10, art is insane just kind of weird at times, the fights are well drawn and well written, the story is well thought out and enjoyable to read.

Usogui ( The lie eater)
Usogui is a manga written by an author with many ideas and thoughts on life and this is evident in the way it dedicates itself mostly to philosophy of the gamble and the psychology of the gambler but there's more to this because usogui treats gambling as life and life as the gamble so at its core its about the philosophies of living and the psychology of humans.
The gambles act more as a skeleton for theme work than as the actual meat but despite what I'm making out the actual gambling to sound like the games and gambles are ... absolutely phenomenal, boasting some of most intelligent characters and best mind games and tactics you'll ever find. Usogui has one more layer to it at well that helps reinforce its skeleton and that's its fights. The fights are really well exciting and choreographed well but similar to the gambles they act in one way or the other to exercise a theme (most times). All this is wrapped up in really fantastic artwork that isn't just there for show but is also a good storytelling device with its very expressive and dynamic style.
All in all one of if not the best Manga I've come across. It's a daunting 541 chapters but why don't you take the gamble?

This manga is based on the premise of a gambler "Madarame Baku" and his journey to becoming the leader of a global gambling organisation. The manga has a long run of 540 chapters, which may seem daunting and unnecessarily long at first but by the end, you will realise that the author simply needed this long to create this complete story. It is widely agreed that Usogui's first half from chapters 1 - 205 are not as good as the rest of the manga. This is not to say the first half is bad, as it is still incredibly intriguing and exciting, but rather to ... accentuate the masterclass of writing that is the latter half of Usogui.

The gambles themselves are the highlights of the manga, with each one being more insane and nail-biting than the last. The incredible mind games and strategy of the characters in the story are unparalleled. The final 2 arcs, air poker and surpassing the leader are both individual gambles that are the peaks of Usogui. However, even earlier gambles like the Labyrinth arc and Battleship arcs are simply mesmerising. Of course, the reason why these gambles are top tier is due to the characters, especially the main character Baku. The whole cast of characters are unique and the main antagonist is one of the best in manga.

However, although the manga's psychological and strategic aspects are incredible, the story also has some of the best fights and action sequences I have seen in manga, surpassing most battle-oriented manga. The choreography and art of the fights are a true spectacle, and a nice break from the onslaught of psychological warfare. Speaking of the art, it starts quite mediocre at the beginning of the manga before evolving into some of the best art in manga by the end of the series.

Overall, Usogui was an unforgettable read for me, having some of the best fights, art, characters and of course, mind games in manga. The only downside of Usogui is that the first half is significantly slower than the latter half, from the Tower of Karma arc to the end of the story, Usogui is simply on a different level. I would highly recommend this manga to everyone ever.

This is by far the greatest gambling manga I've ever stumbled across in fiction with impeccable artstyle that hooks its audience, there are times it offered games with convoluted structure so I hardly grasped it, so I had to go back and reread the chapter or check the comment section but I never once took it as a downside tho so rest easy. The final arc was easily the best arc for me since all the build up from the get go beautifully paid off, but Protoporos was optimally the most preeminent and groundbreaking arc from a writing standpoint, although the final game called dropping ... the handkerchief is by far the easiest and most simplistic game in usogui it felt like its self-explanatory in a sense that it kept me engaged throughout hence it only took me a day to consume it, since there are certain arcs that subjected me from experiencing burnout cus it's slow asf and that's just initially the first few arcs, it starts to pick up at chapter 140+ as you'll experience terrific writing and art onwards. I have no gripes with the revival of a certain character, the direction the series headed, and how it open-ended, except the penultimate and the final chapter felt rushed or is it just me? Anyways that doesn't divest its greatness and quality writing at all, the series still received a perfect send off to its characters then tied the central plots loose ends and an open-ending is the best way to wrap up the series. Last but not the least, the cast ain't the best out there but there are no neglected nor potentially wasted characters within the main cast especially kaji and Marco who've naturally developed over the series, including the side characters as they considerably served their roles, but there are few characters I hoped that receive more screentime, I'm referring to Nobuo and Ranko, yeah I'm down bad for both ngl. Furthermore, Baku and kiruma cracked my top 10 protagonist/antagonist list, they're charismatic, intruiging, and most memorable character dynamics and literally the best thing that ever happened in usogui.

This is my first review, and Usogui is such an underrated manga that it deserves it.

Usogui is a manga that is unlike any other. I have read many gambling mangas, and none of them quite leave the impression that Usogui does. Usogui is about 2 characters Kaji and Madrame Baku. Kaji is your traditional gambling protagonist, a man with nothing to lose and everything to gain. He is somewhat new to the gambling sphere and then is introduced to the Lie Eater himself, Baku. What starts off as a somewhat generic gambling manga ends up going to places that I never thought it would. ... These include being trapped in a IRL mmo, being hunted by a serial killer in an apartment complex, or even something as simple as Old Maid. Despite all of these differences between games, there is something they have in common, and that is a well written and complex back and forth of mind games and intrigue. Even when playing Battleship, Usogui does a masterful job of making something mundane seem so tense. The best part is, it isn't the fact that these situations are life and death which make them intense, its the way the story is told. The art, and psychological aspects of the games and the characters are nothing short of fantastic. There are numerous times in Usogui where something that might seem as a cheeky joke or completely irrelevant come back 40 chapters later to foreshadow an event to winning the entire gamble. All of this aside I haven't even dabbled in the deep lore. or the over the top actual life or death fisticuff battles.

Yes you heard that right, fisticuff battles in a gambling manga. Boy oh boy are these a nice break from the mental fuckery of the games. To top it all off these fights are beautifully illustrated from top to bottom and only get progressively better as time goes on. You only need to look at a fight in the first 100 or so chapters, and ones from the last 100. The difference is night and day. Most of these battles too have more to them than just pure spectacle, usually an interesting strategy or a defining character moment.

Speaking of characters, let's talk about them, Usogui has a large cast of interesting and varied characters. Some of these characters are like the games themselves, deceptively mundane, and others freaks of nature. The list of rogues and referees you will meet throughout this series are nothing short of amazing. All of these characters playing the games, or presiding over them have their own way of adapting to the situation, or manipulating it into their favor. This isn't to short sell the two main characters either. Both Madrame and Kaji have alot of very memorable and interesting moments through out their time and experiences together.

In regards to these experiences, the art also grows to reflect them. A lot of people say the art is mediocre in the beginning, and while I agree it is objectively better later, I still very much enjoy the over the top art style used in the earlier chapters. However I can not stress it enough to say that some of the paneling in this manga is simply incredible, especially in the last half of the series. The manga goes from a cartoony aesthetic, to a somewhat more realistic one and the games and situations complement that perfectly. You will still find some amazing art in the first half of the manga, but the second half is a whole nother world of complex and beautiful art. The way that Toshi draws some highly exaggerated demonic versions of characters is impressive and does a great job of detailing the sort of mental situations these characters are in or trying to inflict onto others.

Along with the progressively impressive art, comes the winding and intricate narrative. The lore of Usogui is surprisingly baroque. Despite something as simple as a group of referees presiding over gambling games, even Usogui does something new and fresh with it. You will never meet characters who are forgettable, or unimportant to the story. The leader of the organization, and the back and forth they have with Usogui's crew is very alluring. There were many times that I would promise myself I would only read a few chapters and ended up reading 30 or 40. That's just the hypnotizing style that Toshio crafts for the readers.

Now no manga is perfect, so what are some of Usogui's flaws? Well mentioned earlier, the art takes awhile to adjust to. It evolves and changes very many times throughout the manga (and changes again in the spinoff that just came out in 2021) but almost always is this for the better. The narrative can be convoluted at first, but if you have patience it will eventually click into place. Some of the characters can seem very one note, especially in the earlier chapters, but the ones who stay for the long haul are usually (USUALLY) fleshed out, albeit even for a little bit. I also must stress that if you are not a fan of the battles in Usogui, it might dissuade you from checking out the rest of the manga. The battles can stretch to double digit chapters, and while I personally loved them, I could see if it filtered a few people.

In short, if you love or even like gambling or high stakes game as a genre you owe it to yourself to check out this masterpiece. Don't let the first volume cover, or the number of chapters scare you away. This is a gamble you'll regret not taking.