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//Somewhat spoilers ahead, be caution
//Also, I wouldn't say this is a proper review, but just some thoughts I needed to get down somewhere.

Some of my favorite quotes from final chapter are: "Is Joe Tabuki not afraid at all of dying or becoming crippled? Does he have no one... to weep for him?" and "I haven't turned completely white yet."

I love Yabuki Joe. His tenacity, stubbornness, his selfishness, his character design, and plot armor (lol) all made for an incredible combo. His dialogue was always on point. His actions made sense for his character. His personality, despite some changes, was so natural and ... suitable for a man who grew up without a family and without being loved until the end of his life. It was never a front, and he never truly made a 180 in his personality, so it was as though we truly grew up with Joe. He overcame his struggles in his own, clever way. He shone bright for those just like him- those who are low class yet determined.

The themes in the story I would say aged pretty well. I don't care about the misogyny or the racism of characters, like Joe and Jose.. those subjects definitely suit that time period, but it was so fitting and funny in its own way that I don't really care. Some progressive thought processes I would say were the discussions of how people handle trauma and illnesses (like CTE, or punch drunk syndrome). The companionship of the men in the series was topnotch and the way some characters gradually come and go was clever, too. Other things, but I appreciate the lack of romance. The series was pretty straight to the point and the pacing was, I would say, 93% perfect.

One other thing regarding the theme of the series, but dear god, that "master finds a student that can fulfill his dreams" trope is godlike. It's my favorite of all time. The dynamic is so accurate and it's dreamlike. The old man does get a little annoying in part 2, but it's fine because it had all become about Joe sooner than later.

One plot hole I noticed is that everyone was practically cheering for Joe when he came out of jail. Wasn't he causing ruckus in the town and being a bad influence to the kids, wtf? The neighborhood really doesn't have anything better to do.

I personally thought part 1 was a definite 8/10 while part 2 was an 9.5/10. I thought there were a few faults in the story. I believe the kids should have grown in a five year period. I also don't find fart jokes to be all that funny... Secondly, at some point I would have given Harimau a penalty, especially because he jumped on Yabuki's head and did close to a rabbit punch on his head too. He is basically subhuman to tell you the truth. Lastly, and not to nitpick because it is the 1960s after all, but the weight loss regime Joe and Riikishi were on at first was seemingly incorrect. Dehydrating yourself isn't the ultimate way of lose weight but whatever.

To tell you the truth, I really hate Youko. I disliked her from the moment I saw her. I understood her intentions pretty late into the series, I admit, but dear lord. I don't hate who she stands for (the person who guides Joe in and out of the boxing world), but her selfishness boils my blood! She was so set on her goals and didn't take into consideration the feelings of the person she "loved".. meaning, she was proactive in some aspects and not in others, and now she feels guilty for the trap she set her goals up for. I don't even know if that makes sense. I just hate her. ); I don't even think she loves Yabuki, but loved what she could do to Joe as her talented money-making suicide machine! Even though Joe had approached her once or twice, she truly is the devil in the shape of an angel.

Anyway, go read this series if you haven't, thanks.

I'm going to have a difficult time giving this manga a 9, since I truly loved it from beginning to end. One could say I'm being generous and that this manga deserves even lower, but I still think highly of it as it intertwines different themes into one being. For the first manga I've ever read being from 1970's, it certainly changed my view of manga from that time period.

When I came to know Oscar Francois de Jarjayes, I fell in love. I mean, everyone loved her, but the reader is no exception. A person gets to see her explore the emotions that ... come with sexual and gender exploration, as well as her battle of social stigmas and environmental issues. She has the most character development in the series, and as it happens, the characters around her flow with it. You get to see her at her most beautiful, and towards the end of this tragedy, her most tired. If you're like me, you'll want to reread the manga just for her. But moving forward...

The one attribute that stands out in this manga is the writing. As a person reads, the writing becomes more poetic and grandiose. Since the author is a philosophy major, she is able to capture a person in what she made sound like an artful and ruthless time period. That's not to say that the writing style isn't a matter of preference, since it isn't necessarily realistic, but it's suited to being melodramatic.

With the writing comes the gorgeous and silly artwork. The author is able to blend humorous illustrations with beauty at the best times. What I loved was how some characters do look like their original selves (like Louis XVI and Saint-Just) which only adds onto the historical imitation the manga is. It does have that charm that older manga and comic books have, but explore it anyway!

Now there are some flaws, but I find that they can be looked passed, especially in comparison to the anime. For one, those who do know their French history will most likely find errors in the manga or general ideas that could have been put in. This might ruin the storytelling depending on what you're looking for.

The main flaw would be the character relationships, though. Some relationship developments felt incomplete. I needed more reasoning as to why one character felt a certain way about another character. Relationships which I thought were brotherly or platonic turned out to be more, and as a result, one or two characters felt like narrative devices. Perhaps the author meant that the people of this time period were easily swayed by the thought of love, or she didn't want to move the readers off the topic of French history; but, at the end of the day, I still would have preferred to see the romantic relationships/feelings blossom than be told that they are.

Also, there were some moments that I was not able to emotionally attach myself to. I felt like an outsider to the death or emotions of some characters, because some characters were underdeveloped. That's not to say that you won't cry at least once and won't be sent into a spiraling sadness for a while, but if you are looking for a manga that has the right amount of melodrama and overall character development, you may have to ponder on this one.

There's not much else to say, but you will at minimum become curious of the French Revolution. The main story has quick pacing and is straight to the point, so you may want to further explore the events touched upon in the manga at your own whim. I suppose I could also say that if the manga had given us more visuals of the Paris populace than tackling individual stories, it would have been more fruitful. However, the very last volumes, which were barely touched upon in the anime, concludes the manga greatly!

Overall, I think this classic is worth a read, especially if you love history! The author was awarded a Legion of Honor for this manga by bringing awareness of French history to Japan too, which is pretty cool. It helped me to watch the anime first, as it helped me appreciate certain aspects of the manga that the anime didn't have (and vice versa) BUT you don't need to!

Currently, I'm going through post-Versailles no Bara sadness, so come join me!

Kingdom is one of the best mangas that not many people in the West talk about. I'm really just going to discuss key points I think people should know if they want to get into it:

Get past the first arc! There is quite a loud minority that skip out on it, reasonably so (the art, some cliches, etc) but I love it and encourage people to read it. As many first arcs, it is an introductory to the future of this well thought out manga. You will seriously indulge in all the physical conflicts of the manga and those moments of just theorizing and drama. ... If anything, the first few volumes is a basis to understanding why some things are the way they are. So yes, please read the first arc, you don't have to read it again if you don't want to!

Many people seem confuse this to a shounen, though it is seinen. I consider it seinen because of the approach it takes to certain issues, considering the manga is based on real historical events recorded in the Shiji. Overall, even though the sex isn't super graphic or expletives aren't common for instance, we are still looking into the eyes of coming-of-age warriors and how they are consuming the changes of their country; as well as the eyes of old wartorn men and women who have seen it all. I can't discuss much on this issue because I don't read shounen as often, but I think it is a manga an adult would appreciate a lot.

Another factor are the women in the manga. Now, I won't go into details, but there are quite a variety a reader will approach as they read through all the arcs. They are all badass in their own ways, even if some are more susceptible or powerful than others. Most moments, though scarce, of sexual activity is quite needed for progress or understanding. Along with this, there is very little romance for our main characters, although hints here and there that emerge (it's sort of to be expected after all). It's well executed. The pacing is awesome when it comes to dynamic.

The issues I would say a person will encounter are the characters at times or the length of an arc. You will definitely see character development, so I wouldn't worry about the pacing as much as getting through some annoyances as much as possible. You will have to be considerate of how lengthy this manga will have to be to capture the entire essence of the Warring States period and our characters. However it is quite manageable, at least for me. Also, you might find yourself asking questions often of "why this" or "how that," but Hara does cover up most holes or gives good or decent excuses for plot devices (some perhaps more questionable than others, heh). Given how this manga is and the state of many good manga today, people usually do have high expectations though. I recommend reading this with average expectations at first, but they may excel at some point.

Lastly, you may cry. The manga doesn't hold back on deaths. You may find yourself asking, "Who will die next?" The speeches too, goddammit!

Anyway. It's either that you wait until chapter 1000 to read this manga because you will oftentimes want to binge right through it; or, start reading it now and join the waiting club.

Overall, I give the story a 10, the art a 10-- it gets much better over time honestly, characters a 9, and enjoyment 11;. Overall, 10.