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"Those who come to the Abyss are all the same. They're all desperate to get something back. But everyone goes mad partway..."

*shock face*

See, I really, really don’t understand how a mangaka and f-ing story writing genius, can immerse readers in something so gloriously messed up, beautiful, emo, crazy, funny, deep, and downright strange like it's nothing. More than just a few times I laughed out loud and shook my head thinking: psshh, that’s absolutely ridiculous and stupid, then turned the page only to stop just short of curling up into a ball in a dark corner, gently caressing the book and whispering softly to ... it, while crying myself to sleep. How the heck can a person accomplish not looking like a mad person while reading this series (it’s not that I’m actually just crazy…honest)? This is just one of those books where you WILL get people whispering about you and strange, slightly fearful, glances if you read it in public, cause incomprehensible outbursts of emotion are a thing throughout this series.

Okay, now that I’m done with my rant, on with the actual review:

I honestly never expected to really like this series and wasn’t expecting much from it. I tried to watch the anime a couple years ago, but couldn’t really get into it (never made it past the first part of the 1st episode). After the first volume I figured I’d enjoy it, but it probably wouldn’t be a favorite. Once I got to the 4th volume I figured I’d really like it, but might not buy it (in my poor defense I’ve got a pretty extensive list of manga to buy so I’m really reluctant to add to it). But past that…I stopped caring about the total price of the series, food, and sleep. The last couple arcs almost killed me with all the FEELS.

“Finally I saw... A world so bright I almost wanted to cry... It was then, that my consciousness was engulfed in darkness."

I actually had to put the book down a few times and walk away in an attempt to take it all in, especially since I was still trying to deal with the aftermath of a few events in the arcs before that. Wait, my bad, I’m ranting again lol.

Okay…

The Story:
A well-deserved 9/10: It's got an Alice in Wonderland type thing going on and explores pretty complex themes, primarily identity and existence, and how things like the presence/absence of memory, human (or otherwise) bonds/connections, and the past can shape one’s identity and sense of self.

The story is riddled with mysteries that Mochizuki skillfully reveals bits of in each arc like puzzle pieces that don’t become a clear, coherent picture until the last arc. Only after completing the series did I understand that there was actual meaning behind some of the seemingly unimportant details I glanced over volumes ago. This is honestly one of those stories that you could re-read multiple times before being able to take in how carefully put together the story is. I even really enjoyed the side stories at the end of most chapters/volumes that I admittedly tend to skip over the first time I read a series.

The Characters (8/10):
Most of the main characters are made up of the typical shonen anime/manga archetypes which made me think of them as shallow at first, but they all have quite a bit of their own depth. Through there ventures they experience past and present grief, love, despair, and even emotional/psychological challenges. Character development is a thing all the characters go through, even a lot of minor characters.

The only issue I had was with Alice. Despite being such a central figure I was left feeling like she had much less depth and development, especially when compared to Oz, Gil, and even a few less central characters like Xerxes. Even so, none of the other characters felt like cookie cutter versions straight out of other works (even the minor ones), and I loved, or at least liked, pretty much all of them.

And, though I’m no expert, The Art-8/10:
It’s clean, easy to follow, and Mochizuki draws the expressions of characters in a way that conveys a wide and complex range of emotions, from emotional agony (he’s pretty good at this one), surprise, downright insanity, joy, anger, and everything in-between. You can tell he put a lot of work and detail into each scene including the backgrounds. I personally really like Mochizuki’s style (the darker, creepy scenes are done and arranged very well) though, at least from what I read so far, it’s a pretty typical one.

Overall: 9/10

Anyone looking for a good fantasy, and/or mystery, should definitely give this one a shot.

"Someone once said it was a dark place that swallowed everything up. Even if that were true, an enveloping darkness like that...in this world that holds every color possible...also contains the light of hope."

*This review is spoiler free*

Just breath.

So…

It…

Sigh

... This series… I just…wow. This is one case of judging a book by its (beautiful hard)cover gone completely right. It just happened to catch my eye when I was cruising my local library seinen (older male) manga shelves, and I picked it up without even glancing at the premise. I’ve been sitting here trying to sum this series up into a coherent review but, nope, I just can’t right now. This is one of those few series out there that makes you question the other books on your favorites shelf. Ugghhh, I feel…like…sigh

Noooo *metal slap*, I need to get serious here, I LOVE this series too much to not try my best to form an actual review here.

Okay so in short- this on-going saga, which I have currently read every volume available in English (seven 2-in-1 omnibus volumes/100 chapters) as of today, is something I’d normally never touch in my life: A historical fiction. At that some of you may have groaned inwardly like I would have, but trust me, you’d be seriously missing out if you pass this up. For one thing the art is a MASTERPIECE, and if you’re even a halfway decent manga/art fan, heck even if you’ve never even heard of manga (Japanese comics), this series is a MUST. Overall, hands down TEN/TEN Unicorn Horns.

The long explanation:

The story-line? 8.5/10 and Brilliant. It’s like a masterful fantasy series in picture format, but without any actual fantasy…if that makes sense. It took me a shamefully long time to notice it was historical fiction despite the names, and setting…and introduction- let’s just not talk about that -but by then it was too late and I was hooked. The story follows Thorfinn and the Viking band through epic battles, pillaging, and a bit of Game of Thrones-esque plotting. It also explores some complex themes (primarily morality, human nature, revenge, the (im)possibility of real peace/non-violence, etc.). It’s beautifully paced, surprising refreshing, sometimes brutal, sometimes sweet, and often profound in some ways.

The characters? 9/10 and Generally complex. Even after 14 volumes I still don’t think I have concrete understanding of most of them. They caught me off guard a few times, but not in a bad, wholly uncharacteristic kind of way, but in an unnervingly human kind of way. Though Thorfinn’s static character and single minded drive for revenge can be can get pretty irritating at times (and is the reason its not quite a 10), it's a necessary precursor for a fundamental mental shift and what I believe is part of the building blocks for future epic-ness. So for those that may be bothered by his tunnel vision, just bear with it. Besides, while Thorfinn may be the main character, you get quite a bit of depth from other major and minor characters as well. I’m still in awe at how enchanting and... full the characters are.

And of course. The artwork? 10/10: Sigh. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at manga art in quite the same way. Seriously. I’ve read a ridiculous amount of manga in the short time I've awakened to its existence, and Yukimura’s is very likely the BEST I’ve seen so far. It’s not the typical manga style but it is f***ing MASTERFUL. The backgrounds and scenery, the fight scenes (which are remarkably easy to follow btw), and the EXPRESSIONS. UGH. The amount of detail in each panel gives me delightful chills just thinking about it. Even if the story-line was just okay I’d still buy it just for the art.

Recommendations? Everyone. Anyone. If you enjoy a gripping story, engaging, complex characters, and BEAUTIFUL art this series is for you. Even if you don’t, this series is for you.

Mmm…That hardcover though…