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Really getting some Steven Universe x Evangelion vibes, says the guy who's only ever watched Steven Universe and Evangelion.

This review is mostly spoiler free in terms of actual plot details, but does discuss changes in tone and vibes across the story that could be considered light spoilers to some.


*~ Plot ~*
LotL's story begins in a straightfoward manner: Fight the bad angel-looking guys that appear and appear randomly and attack, and along the way develop the cast of characters and expand on the worldbuilding. If you enjoy watching an underdog with no fighting capabilities slowly but surely make their way up the ranks as they develop ... new abilities and the like, then the first half of this manga is for you. Good for a casual read, though I personally found the opening volumes to be the weakest part.

There's a problem that potentially comes from the shift in tone over the course of the story as it is such a large change from how it starts that many readers might consider it jarring. The tone only gets darker and darker with later chapters, and character motivations become less clear as we learn more about them. The true foundation of the story is based on uncovering a bevvy of mysteries that Phos's companions seem completely uninterested in, which leads to both frustration and even some ostracization. The story also delves into some of the underlying implications of the gems' existance, as well as the nature behind their beloved Sensei and the goal of the Lunarians in a way that had me flip flopping on who I trusted more, or if I trusted either side at all. The mangaka does a good job at mirroring the reader's curiosity with Phos by having him start off ignorant and care free before escalating to actively seeking out information even at the risk of their own safety and social standing.

I think the best way to describe the change is that if you read the first and last chapters of the story without context I highly doubt many people would recognize that they were part of the same story. In fact, Phos himself goes through such vast changes that they become a walking Ship of Theseus.

It's also worth noting that if you don't enjoy stories where the main character becomes the "punching bag" so to speak, constantly experiencing hardships, trauma (both physical and mental), and just overall being beat down then this is not the story for you. Honestly, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that it is nearly biblical how much the progression of the plot and happiness of the characters hinges on Phos really going through the ringer.

Overall the story is good, but the first volume is like a half empty bag of chips compared to the final volume's full course meal.


*~ Characters ~*
This definitely was the weakest part of the story for me at first. The characters all seemed to blend together (both in terms of characterization and art), and even with the way Phos was given a chance to get to know his companions better one by one through various escapades they all seemed fairly one-note. This won't be an issue for some, but for others it will make the opening chapters feel hackneyed. There are some interesting implications and results that come from the characters being made of gemstones that I won't get into because of spoilers, although these are primarily explored through Phos as they grow and change across the story. I will say that the gems can be put back together after being hurt, so if you don't want to see the characters getting smashed and wrecked on the regular then this is a good warning not to read this as despite not being made of flesh there are scenes that could be considered body horror adjacent.

In terms of the expanded cast beyond our protagonist Phos, it would be safe to say that the side characters are very much side characters for much of the story, and when they do show any change it is usually quick and sometimes even partly off-screen. Phos is the main character, and as such will be the one at the center of basically every major event and revelation. That might sound like a pointless or obvious statement, but I say this to mean that when I think back on the story there are many characters who I could not describe in more detail beyond their primary characteristic that came with them when they were first introduced (i.e. This is the character that fights good, this is the character that likes doing research).

I will say that I really enjoyed the fact that the gems are all fairly androgynous (though with a clear leaning towards a more feminine look), and aside from a certain character towards the end they don't hold much of an interest in gender. They use male pronouns, but it comes across as just pure happenstance and likely would not feel or act any different with any different pronouns. They also don't have any gentials or boobs, though they still cover themselves up because why not (there is arguably a story reason for this, but I can't really get into that). Anyway, as a non-binary I just found this to be very cool.

Overall I liked Phos and some of the other characters were interesting, but most of them aren't anything to write home about (but certainly blank enough slates to write fanfic about if you're into that).


*~ Art ~*
This will probably end up being one of the more disagreed upon aspects of LotL. On one hand, if you grabbed a random panel from the manga and compared it to a frame from something akin to Vagabond then it would be easy to write off LotL's art as inferior. Many of the gems looked identitical to me, and even as they all became a bit more distinct over time they still seemed to blend together to a degree.

Stylized is definitely the best word for this manga's look, and I definitely think that the benefits of this particular style shine through moreso with the setpieces and the way the art conveys particular feelings during key moments. Similarly, the more simplified style works in the story's favor when there are panels that are much more intricately detailed when it comes to making these moments stand out, as with a story in which every stroke is as perfect as can be and panels are rich and full it can be easy for major moments to just feel like any other page.

I wouldn't say I love the art, but when it did everything it needed to and even had a few standout panels.


*~ Wrap Up ~*
To put it shortly, Land of the Lustrous is best described by Shrek's ogre and onions metaphor. There are a lot of layers to this which might not be apparent at first, and I think that this is both a strength and a weakness with the way that many readers will have a strong preference for either the first half or the second half.

It was an overall good read with some really cool moments, but also its share of lulls. 7/10

This story tackles ideas like how willing young people are to write off the rest of their lives, the harsh reality that comes with attempting to chase after the path as the rose-tinted glasses come off, and what it really means to live life to the fullest. It has an interesting premise and is very short, only three volumes which you could read in under two hours, so it's worth checking out if it sounds interesting. Even in the worst case scenario it'll amount to less than two hours of time wasted.

Overall I'd definitely say that I liked the story, and was able to relate ... to the feeling of looking back on people you used to know in grade school only to realize that maybe they aren't the amazing, idealic people you thought them to be. Kusunoki's arc is a good portrayal of a character who starts quite flawed and betters himself over the course of the story, though the short length helped with that a bit. Not that he was really that bad considering that plenty of people in his situation would be willing to do much worse things, and with the worst thing he considers doing he stops himself after thinking it over.

That being said, one of the main things that stopped this story from being an 8 or higher was how predictable almost every twist and turn was. It can get tedious reading through something being treated as a shocking development when it was so clearly telegraphed chapters prior. The ending was also disappointing considering the way that it seems to glorify Kusunoki's decisions, with a literal, "and then everyone clapped," moment. Considering that the final choices made are antithetical to the message the rest of the story was trying to get across, it comes across as a tacked on ending for the sake of having a happy ending regardless of how it ties into the rest of the narrative.

When it comes to the art it was certainly good, but nothing that felt worthy of stopping and admiring. There weren't any moments of turning to a new page only to suddenly be greeted by an amazing spread or panel that hits hard and leaves a lasting impact. This is likely due to the fact that this is an adaptation of a novel, and as such the artist isn't as emotionally attached to the work as would be the case in an original manga.

7/10, a fairly good, quick read, but I don't know if I'll ever actively recommend this to another person. That being said, if you're curious enough to be reading reviews then you might as well give it a shot considering it's only sixteen chapters long.

MÄR is pretty much exactly what I'd expect from an 00's isekai: Kid gets teleported to a magic world, finds an overpowered weapon, has a tournament arc, and then saves the land. Despite that, I'd say it was still decently fun.

The plot points are predicatable and the tropes are hackneyed, but if you grew up with 00's anime/manga then you'll probably get the same enjoyment out of it that I got. On top of that it isn't very long (by my standards), only running 15 volumes so you won't have to dedicate tons of time to get through it. The biggest plus I can give ... it is how quickly paced it is, as if it knows that you know what's gonna happen next and just says, "Yeah, it's that shonen thing, you get the drill." It made a lot of the predictability fun in a way, like an I Spy for shonen tropes.

★★★☆☆ 3/5, Good for some nostalgic fun, but don't expect anything you haven't already seen.