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Feb 12, 2021
I've gotta say that when I first read the title of this manga I expected it to be about actual torture, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it's pretty much about the opposite. The 'torture' scenes in the manga are all adorable, and I find that the introduction of different torturers with their own style are enough to keep this series from getting overly repetitive. I think this manga really shines in how it subverts typical dark fantasy tropes and how enjoyable the cooking scenes are.
I'll admit that every chapter is essentially just a different form of the same joke, but
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the gag somehow gets me every time with how cute it is. Whether it's a genuinely intimidating looking torturer actually ending up being really nice, or a demon child failing at a torture and having to be comforted by the princess, each chapter seems to be more wholesome than the last. The princess' talking sword serves as the only 'normal' character in the series, frequently trying in vain to stop the princess from handing over her country's secrets for a bowl of ramen, which is another gag that is repetitive but always lands for me.
The only other thing I wanted to touch on was how awesome the cooking scenes in this series are. Seriously, it seems like half of the reason that this was made was so the artist could flex their food drawing skills, because there's some Food Wars quality cooking in this manga. About half of the 'tortures' are food related, so reading this never fails to make me hungry.
TL;DR - If you like scary looking characters who are actually adorable or incredibly well drawn cooking scenes, give this manga a shot. It's definitely repetitive, but it rotates its jokes around well enough to be consistently fun all the way through.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 12, 2021
Hell's Paradise is the least known member of what I've seen referred to as Shonen Jump's "Hell Trio", consisting of this manga, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Chainsaw Man. However, least known does not mean worst in this case, as I'd put Hell's Paradise on par with either of the aforementioned series (It's written by a former assistant of Chainsaw Man's author, and the eye for quality shows). While the action scenes are awesome, it's the character interactions and art direction that really distinguish this series from other Shonen Jump titles.
The main reason why I found myself so engrossed in reading this manga when I first
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picked it up last summer was just how likable all of the characters are. This may seem strange if you've only read the synopsis, seeing as half of the characters are death row inmates, but the author does an excellent job of explaining the circumstances surrounding each character's imprisonment. You can safely assume that any character that doesn't die immediately after they're introduced has redeeming qualities beyond their criminal history and genuine depth. This is especially true for the main character, who I kept forgetting is the most feared assassin in all of Japan due to how endearing he is. The samurai executioners who are assigned to each criminal are understandably biased against their partners in the beginning, so seeing them gradually begin to warm up to the criminals is also really fun to watch.
The other aspect of the manga that really shines is the art and overall style. This series incorporates elements from several different religions, and blends them into a disturbingly beautiful island that looks as much like heaven as it does hell. Watching the characters be hunted by disturbing imitations of divine figures is both exciting and surreal, and each character having a unique fighting style and demeanor keeps the action scenes varied and interesting. I often found myself going back through a chapter after reading it just to look at some of the art again.
One last thing I want to touch on is how different the character's attitudes towards death is in this series. Most typical Shonen has every death be drawn out and the characters have to be sad about it for a full five chapters before the story can get back on track, but not Hell's Paradise. Given that each character has seen their fair share of death in their lives, deaths tend to push characters forwards towards their goals rather than driving them to despair, which I really liked. This is necessary to the story as well, seeing as characters die pretty often in this series.
TL;DR - Hell's Paradise is an exciting dark Shonen with beautiful art and one of the most interesting and likable cast of characters I've seen in any manga. I'd absolutely recommend this series to anyone looking for a new action manga to read, and I'm excited for what the author does in the future. I'm also excited for the upcoming anime to release, so if you're here from that then 100% give the manga a shot too.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 12, 2021
Before reading this manga I never would have thought that horror and comedy could actually successfully mix. The closest thing to it might be the movie Cabin in the Woods, but even that doesn't manage to be genuinely scary enough to really be called horror. However, Mieruko-chan is somehow both genuinely funny and genuinely scary, and actually uses each genre to highlight the other.
I'll start with the horror, and the thing that stands out the most to me is how grotesque and terrifying the monster designs are. I'd say the worst of the spirits in this manga beat out even the worst apostles of
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Berserk or the worst devils in Chainsaw Man in terms of their sheer ability to creep me out. The author is also a master at using panels transitions as jump scares, with perfectly lighthearted scenes commonly leading into double page spreads of disfigured demons. Now this isn't to say that Mieruko is Junji Ito levels of horrifying, but it's most definitely scarier than I expected.
On the other side of the spectrum, the comedy in this manga consistently lands for me. I'm particularly fond of comedy where characters act as though strange events are perfectly normal, and this series hits the nail on the head with that. Seeing the MC's friend smiling happily next to a demon holding a butcher's knife, or another medium being confident in their abilities but failing to notice spirits devouring each other right next to them manages to make me laugh every time. Just FYI though the beginning has some kind of awkward fanservice, but it mostly stops after the first couple of chapters.
TL;DR - Mieruko-chan somehow blends horror and comedy in a way that each genre makes the other better. I've never seen another series quite like this before, manga or otherwise, and I'd 100% recommend this to both fans of horror and to anyone who's looking for something new and unique.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 12, 2021
I'll start this review off by saying that this is without a doubt the most relaxing show I have ever seen. Tanaka is the master at being lazy, and watching him go through life feels like you're being taken to a world where you can just sit back and assume that nothing bad will ever happen. While this might seem like a boring premise to some, the show keeps you hooked with incredibly wholesome character interactions rather than conflict.
It is clear from the beginning of the show that Tanaka's lifestyle of trying to move as little as possible at all times would not be
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sustainable without the help of his friends, particularly his best friend Oota. I'm willing to go so far as to say that Oota is one of the most supportive best friends in all of anime, seeing as he will go so far as to carry Tanaka to class when he falls asleep at lunch. All of the other characters in the series are equally adorable, ensuring that every interaction results in a different type of wholesome.
I think what really makes the show stand out though is the general vibe that the studio was able to accomplish. The art style is simple and calming, and manages to perfectly highlight all of the expressions that Tanaka makes in his quest for relaxation. The show is also brilliant at pausing for comedic effect, as there are moments where you'll think your computer is buffering only to realize that the characters actually did just stare at each other for 5 seconds.
TL;DR - Tanaka-kun is about a guy on a quest to be perfectly relaxed at all times, making it the perfect anime to relax to yourself. Every character is wholesome and interesting, and the director can make even the most mundane situations charming.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 11, 2021
This is a manga that I had tried to start probably three times over the last year after seeing it recommended on Reddit, but the first half of the first chapter always seemed to stop me from going any further. I tend to be a sucker for a generic fantasy RPG style series, but the beginning of this manga seemed so generic that I couldn't get into it. However, on my fourth attempt I decided to power through the beginning and see what all of the hype was about, and I was rewarded with one of the most unique takes on the dungeon crawler style
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manga I've ever seen.
While Dungeon Meshi shines brightest for its sequences outside of combat, its action scenes also manage to expertly incorporate D&D style creative problem solving. None of the main party members are particularly powerful on their own, so they tend to fight by analyzing their environment for help or by repurposing cooking tools into weapons for surprisingly good results. Characters also seem to be more willing to try risky and potentially deadly strategies than in most manga, as reviving the dead is as common of an occurrence as treating an injury. These scenes can also occasionally get pretty dark/philosophical which I think offsets the comedy really well.
Combat aside though, the real spirit of this manga is when it turns into a fantasy slice-of-life in between fights. The party leader and a dwarf they meet early on are both obsessed with cooking and eating monsters, so after each fight the reader is treated to a cooking sequence that gives me similar vibes to the cooking scenes in Yuru Camp. There's a lot of good comedy in these scenes too, usually about other party members' objections to cooking whatever horrific monster just tried to kill them. These sequences also help develop an interesting party dynamic, full of running jokes and characters who are deeper than they initially seem.
TL;DR - Dungeon Meshi is a really fun mix of creative fantasy combat and laidback slice-of-life cooking that isn't afraid to get serious when it needs to, combining to make one of my favorite manga to date.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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