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A Seinen High-School, action, romance, psychological, supernatural themed manga. Hmm. It must be a Shounen manga!

Story: 8/10

Tenjou Tenge initially begins following the flow of events common within the High-school action themed genre but, while retaining a somewhat generic feel, rather subtly hints towards an underlying level of complexity while never feeling inconsistent or forced.

The narrative itself retains an episodic feel for the most part, with various arcs developing the characters, their relationships, strengths and ideals. However the episodic nature of Tenjou Tenge seems misleading with each arc contributing to the over-arching narrative in some manner.

The arcs themselves offer a distinct variation from ... other titles; dwelling into the psychology of each character and often presenting antagonistic figures that are relatable and, with the consideration of their intentions, rarely chaotically sinister.

However, while Tenjou Tenge is an impressively crafted tale, the manga is often viewed as overly complex and rightfully so – with intertwining narratives and varying timelines being a common aspect of the narrative. The variation of and contrast between the grim realism of being incapable of achieving even the simplest of feats and the joyous school-life of rebellious youths are often stark transitions and, while effective for the most part, a minor betrayal of the mangas true depth.

I wouldn’t claim that Tenjou Tenge is the most excellently crafted narrative in existence, starting off a tad slow and seeming inconsistent at times, but it’s a fairly intriguing tale that dwells beyond the forte of its genre.

Art: 8/10

The presentation of Tenjou Tenge is among one of its highest feats, and initially its least complementary aspect. Tenjou Tenges presentation initially restrains the mangas potential, with hilariously misshapen faces and unrealistic figures. However, as the manga transgresses, it becomes perfectly complementary of the direction the narrative takes – with grotesquely detailed manifestations of primal emotions and psychological instinct.

While the art improves drastically and retains a dynamic level of detail on surroundings and backgrounds from the beginning: background characters and even those close-up sometimes appear deformed, a problem often existent in early chapters but even present in the latest chapters of the manga.

Characters: 9/10

The characters within Tenjou Tenge are one of its greatest aspects, with most of the characters undergoing considerable development and seeming genuinely human. The cast is funny when need be and likewise manage to adapt to the varying current of emotions and themes that occur.

Enjoyment: 9/10

It’s really an individualised term so I can’t possibly expect everyone to retain the same attitude towards the manga in regards to enjoyment but the varying locales, narrative and truly complex characters likely provide a good justification for finding enjoyment in Tenjou Tenge. The action segments are of just the right length, the comedy rather clever and the plot rarely predictable.

Overall: 8/10

While the series is a welcomed variation from the typical tale associated with the genre some notably, however some minor flaws restrain the amount of praise I can give it.