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Trash. Quite simply. Go watch Samurai Champloo and/or Dororo instead to have what this fails to deliver.

I love my fair share of mature stories, specially if they have a samurai going on a journey for whatever reason it is, but this one was actually a very cheap shoujo desguised as a mature cast show.

That because: Unlike what the title suggests or even the synopsis hints at, Manji (the Immortal) isn't actually the main character. He is not even a secondary main character at that, since his only purpose in the story is to serve and protect Rin because of his sob backstory of having his ... lil sister killed so now he needs a proxy young girl to make up for it. Supposedly he has a new personal goal of "killing 100 criminals" to make up for the 100 people he killed as well, but he throws that away quite quickly as Rin randomly asks him to kill random normal men in order to protect the guy who killed her parents... Yep. That also happens.

Once you push the actual samurai AND mature character of the story so much to the background he becomes just a simple plot device, what's left is the 16 year old girl who can't seem to do even the very basics at self defense despite presenting herself proudly as a dojo master's daughter time and time again. Rin has a very simple drive force and goal, which is to avenge her parents cruel deaths but for some reason along the line the story botches even that very simple train of thought as she goes on to pretect and care for her malefactors for reasons completely unknown.

I know some people can argue that is supposed to make her relationship with the villains complex and unique, but the execution is very nonsensical. I'll give you an example: At some point, she orders Manji to kill a group of men trying to kill Anotsu (the guy who ordered her parents murders) because he did to them the same as HE did to her. And she argues that he is sick >>>>>.<<<<< so you know? It's kind of unfair to fight a sick person!!!!! So then nothing more fair than killing a bunch of other victims like yourself TO PROTECTED A GUY YOU YOURSELF ARE TRYING TO KILL!!!!! There's even more nonsensical stuff, like when another immortal samurai appears, and he's very bitter and tired of immortality and goes on and on about seeing people he loves die before him and all that shit, and how he became kind of a sociopath because of that BUT!!!!! HE CARRIED WITH HIM A POISON THAT CAN ACTUALLY KILL HIM LMAOOOOO like?????????????? And then he """"chooses"""" to let himself be killed by Manji and Rin because he is tired??????????? BUT HE COULD'VE DIED LITERALLY ANY MOMENT HE WANTED TO LAKSLKASDJLKS I'm sorry, at some point I just couldn't take this bullshit anymore.

This is... whack.

To be honest, the original (1998) isn't good either, but at least it has this vintage cowboy+scifi drip going on despite the poor animation; the characters have charisma and they give off a mature flare that makes even the goofy silly gag plot lines that go on for more than necessary for most of the story to be rather entertaining. It really builds the relationship of the main group of characters well enough for you to be attached to them, and because it paces the story in a light hearted beat, whenever the serious parts come in you really feel these moments ... and how deep down the characters have this darker, sad side to them.

But here in this reboot they tried so hard to go for an edgy futuristic sad boy typa thing that it falls flat. They stripped the story and the character designs of anything and everything that made them stand out. You don't believe me? Just look up side by side the cover for Trigun (1998) and Trigun Stampede.

Another example: Meryl in the original works at an insurance agency. She has to measure and report about the destruction that happens in the cities Vash is passing by, but she doesn't believe he is Vash at first. She doesn't follow him initially but rather they keep bumping into each other because all the cities she goes to assess the damages he happens to be there. Their friendship (and more on her part) builds over time, her participation in the action scenes and on the story comes naturally as she and Lily get involved with him more and more. In contrast, Meryl from Trigun Stampede works as a reporter but that information becomes totally irrelevant and by the second episode you'll probably have forgotten about it. She jumps at following Vash for no apparent reason without questioning, even when the situation becomes detrimental for her. There's even this obnoxious scene where she's seen letting go of a kid's hands to what the kids fall to his death and later after she sees his dead body she doesn't even think twice or show any sadness before running after Vash and clinging to him like a shoujo anime girl. BY THE THIRD EPISODE. And then the scene cuts for them driving happily in the car leaving behind a devasted city. Like???????????????????????? Even the goofy horror that the original one was would never be this tone deaf. Specially considering that Vash suffers A LOT whenever things like this would happen. I swear, here the character feel like walking talking clay dolls navigating through the plot.

This is a gem. Like, a true gem.

- First, some people might be bothered by the concept of the couple. Something like a "charity" relationship where the hot/talented/popular guy falls head over heels for an 'ugly' kind of loser character, who doesn't really have any redeeming traits other than being hardworking. That can tickle our brains a bit into thinking "There's something wrong" or something...

BUT! Hear me out. The ambience, the dialogs, the true CHEMISTRY between the characters. Everything flows so naturally and with hints of sensuality and intimacy that you can't help but get butterflies. It's a fluffy story, there's no heavy drama nor ... unecessary jealousy plots, but unlike most fluffy BL I've read, this one doesn't fall flat after the first chapters. The conversations aren't cliché, the soft touches and snuggles, the natural feeling of their flirting are so well done that it never gets monotone and all throughout the story you have a constant sense of development on their relationship.

+A plus for me is the whole ass kinky nature of the hot/popular guy's attraction for the younger little ugly duckling counterpart. There's this eccentricity about it that makes up for a very colorful couple and just really highlights the sense of lusting in the characters in a very unique way.

The artstyle isn't your convencional bishounen aesthetic, but instead reminds me a bit (the atmosphere of the story as well) of Doukyuusei. Those Doukyuusei enthusiasts, you can be sure you'll dig this one as well!

Whatever I was expecting when I picked this up, it managed to be 10 times better.

It's consistently funny until the very last episode, without the gag aspect interrupting the flow or making important climax parts awkward. The characters, despite how short the manga is, stand out on their own and are very charismatic. The romance is robust, with the author really making the most within the short amount of chapters.

The main couple has a lot of chemistry and I'd dare say the plot is not really that predictable, or at least I was at the edge of my sit until the very last chapters ... thinking things could not go exactly as one would think.

It leaves you wanting more but not feeling inconclusive or imcomplete. It's just that good. For what it is (a gag manga) it's a 10 out of 10.

I'd like to state the obvious first: If you're reading this story because of Kamisama Hajimemashita, chances are you're going to be very disappointed.

No, the story itself is not bad. But it's mediocre. Childish even.

The premise is interesting and even manages to maintain a certain originality, but there is a huge flaw that can be overlooked up until chapter 25 (for the most patient), but which really starts to become a burden: the protagonist's lack of protagonism.

Basically, the story revolves around Aoi, his past, how he came to the Momochi house, his relationship with the other characters, his conflicting feelings of embracing the spiritual world ... and missing his life as human, and the likes... However, Aoi is not the protagonist. Himari is.

And Himari, dear friends, is just thrown into the middle of the storyline by constantly hindering every single character from doing what they need to do. The story is told through her eyes, and yet we know much less about her than about Aoi. The overprotection that Aoi has for her and their romantic feelings, arise from the very 1st chapter without ANY development or even contact between both characters.

She doesn't really have any spiritual powers to help them fight demons and subjugate evil spirits; she is kind of kicked to the curb in regards to being the head of Momochi House since all the yokai there serve Aoi and all affairs happening there revolve around Aoi; her role as Aoi's emotional support device mimicks that of at least 2 other characters who do a much better job since they've been with him the longest and they CAN actually fight alongside him and protect him, whereas Himari can't help and needs to be protected; and even her role as the last human connection with the mortal realm Aoi has, is heavily questioned when we're presented to Aoi's childhood friend arc.

At various times in the story you can see the plot moving while the main character stands as a mere spectator. And I mean LITERALLY STANDS THERE LOOKING while everyone is minding their own business, that until she's in danger (because she can't even leave the scene or hide) and then needs to be rescued. This drags on for several chapters, where the story begins to get tedious due to the lack of real substance tying the story's universe to this protagonist who seems always to be randomly there in the middle.

Honestly I'm still crying while writing this, and because I don't know how to feel better I'll just write a small review... Oh my god, what an emotional wreck... I think if I ever do get children of my own I'll need a few extra therapy sessions.

It's beautiful. For a short while I thought it was gonna go on a weird incestuous twist, thank heavens it didn't. This was written with quite a powerful and gentle message, some could even say a heartbreaking one... Aaaah I don't know, let me get more tissues.

Because is only one movie, of course somethings get a little rushed, you ... sense some characters could have had a little more development, but on the tight hours we get, they honestly, HONESTLY, did a pretty good job... I'd love to have it broke down in many episodes so we could see the story of the kingdoms expanded and get more insight (and even more heartbreak, oh lord, here I'll start crying again) on a couple characters... Still, an amazing job. Maybe it wouldn't be quite a 10, more a 9, perhaps I'm just emotionally attached, but I want to give a 10 :(, it made me feel a 10 so a 10 you have there.

So. You have this timid girl who has issues and a trauma, and they present that to you as if it's going to matter at all in the future, and she's going to work on herself and learn new things and overcome her fears but then... She never does. The main character becomes this very obnoxious project of toxic girlfriend, extremely over attached and emotionally depend on the male lead guy who doesn't really balance out her flaws with his good traits, doesn't really help her learn anything or help her work on herself at all, instead he just helps the story sell this weird ... perspective that if you're single you're sad and lonely and jealous, and if you're in a relationship, then you have it all. He gives up career oportunities and even some traits of his own friendly personality to suit the female lead who never really grows to be an interesting character, but rather just spirales deeper and deeper into someone no one would ever want to be around in real life.

It's really not a romantic story at all unless you're like, under 12.

I absolutely hated the 2 main characters in this story. For their selfishness, for their lack of basic empathy towards other people, for their stubborn insistence in obsession disguised as "some wholesome otherworldly love". But the thing is, I also loved them for the exact same reasons. I just couldn't forget them even a couple days after finishing the whole thing, they're perharps not meant to be loved or admired but they still are? Someway?

- Jaehee for how he loves violence and forgives all evil aspects of Dai but still insists in playing the good boy, good friend while being extremely hypocritical. For how he ... goes to his (traumatized) ex-girlfriend and childhood friend and tell her she needs to put on a fake smile and pretend like nothing happened to her so he can feel good about himself for dating a f* criminal without much guilt.

- Dai for how he represents a lot of guys that exist in real life, who hide behind their rich and influencial families to wipe their asses everytime they do absolutely nothing but make life hard for everyone around them, how he questions the "system" but nothing he truly does stands out of this system, he simply chooses to commit crimes and be violent and unproductive, and call himself revolutionary. He is a real villain, and to see a character being unapologetic like this and having the story be told under the point of view of someone (also unapologeticly) in love with a character like this... Now THAT was a revolutionary thing.

- A mention of honor for Eunhyung, for I cared about this character from chapter 1 till she leaves us. I cried and got nervous for her, I hated Dai and Jaehee with all my might for her and I feel like her tragedy truly makes up for protagonist material. The heartbreak was real for this one.

Let Dai was a very gloomy and hard to read story for me. I didn't see it as romance, for I couldn't root for the main couple to be together or happy at all. I truly wished them hell LMAO. But as hurtful as it was, it was beautiful. Everytime I'd want to tear my hair seeing Jaehees almost pathological attachment to Dai or Dai's complete lack of true caring for Jaehee but ridiculous possessitiviy, I also had a really weird warm feeling of admiration. Their chaos was so, so ugly, it actually had beauty in it...

Now, about the ending, I gotta admit that it feels a little like the author kinda of abandoned the story.

Overall, the manhwa is really worthy reading, the plot and characters will pull you into the hollercoaster of feeling along with them, you will suffer, you will question and admire things and have a heartwrenching feeling all throughout the story.