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Believers is a very frightening manga when it needs to be. Not that anything scary ever happens, but watching our characters suffer for the sake of an uncaring and manipulative source is both frustrating and heartbreaking. The manga is often graphic, but in the situations depicted so is its counterpart in reality. The premise of the piece is three members of the “Happy Smile” cult are placed on a deserted island for a purification program, attempting to reach a heightened state of existence. The members are to essential eat, sleep and meditate for their entire journey. What seems like a uplifting challenge for the members ... is altered drastically as their utopia begins conflicting with the realty.

Believers is a very good manga, both in terms of quality and residual feeling it leaves with the reader. Certain inconsistencies may prevent this manga from being considered “a great”, but this psychological drama is very underrated, and at only 22 chapters is definitely worth a read (even if only to see what the fuss is about)."

"Magi no Okurimono is heartbreaking, to put it simply. Heartbreak is the most appropriate word to describe my experience. Its highs were bitter sweet, while its lows were soul sucking. This manga made its readers bleed with empathy through its effective creation of genuine characters. However, the story structure and some plot points held Magi no Okurimono back from being truly exceptional."

"Magi no Okurimono is an example of how great storytelling will always trump length. You don’t need a 300+ manga to feel engrossed, captivated, invested. All you need are simple characters, whose inherent humanness captivates you alone. They don’t have all the answers to ... their situation, because no one does. They don’t try to tell you how to live your life, or make the distinction between right or wrong. At the end of the day, all they are doing is trying. Trying to live after what they’ve been through. Trying to reach the one that they love. Trying to attain happiness. While I felt that some parts were underdeveloped and others overdeveloped, the inconsistencies were never enough to really harm this piece, and its execution was so fantastic I often found myself forgetting it had flaws. There is no reason why you shouldn’t read this piece."