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Jul 8, 2021
Pretty sure this show won't appeal to non-fans. Not even zombie fans.
Its existence seems to be only for one thing: to develop Leon's character...and it doesn't even do a very good job of that. None of the other characters matter, not even Claire. They aren't fleshed out enough for us to really care.
In one scene, Leon attempts (half-heartedly) to flirt with the Chinese agent. It amounts to nothing. (At this point you gotta wonder if he has a fetish for Chinese women. Poor Claire.) In fact, that's a pretty good summary of the whole series: nothing happens. Specifically, nothing significant is added to the overall
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lore. You can skip this and not miss anything.
INFINITE DARKNESS isn't the worst RE series IMO, but that's not really saying much. It's filler material, not must-watch material. Hardcore fans like myself will still lap it up regardless (and the next one, and the next.) *shrug*
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 28, 2017
This piece of work has HIROAKI SAMURA stamped all over it. From the art, to the characters, to the plot...it's like BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL in a modern setting. Except it isn't by Hiroaki Samura......could have fooled me though!
Plot-wise, there isn't really one...there are *hints* of an overarching plot but it isn't developed. What there is, is just a rough setting and a bunch of characters with their own agendas--but again, these aren't fleshed out (enough.) The chapters aren't standalone either, but build on each other...but there wasn't anything to motivate me to keep on reading on except to know where all this was going...and
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I sort of knew, that at 2 short volumes, it probably wasn't going to go anywhere (and yes, it ended prematurely and without any good resolution.) Consequently, I struggled with the last few chapters and just skimmed through. The general feeling I got from this is that it was a little boring, a little confusing, but ultimately just a waste of time. Shame, because the potential is there for it it develop into something decent, if not good.
The art is the probably the best thing about this manga...it is a very good imitation of Samura's style (seriously, if I didn't know better, I would have thought Samura drew this) and since I love Samura's art, it goes without saying this would appeal to me too...no points for originality though! On the flip-side, it also suffers from the same flaws that Samura has, namely that the characters' faces look too similar and it's difficult to tell some of them apart. The sketchy, rough style also makes some of the action panels hard to interpret (too many lines everywhere.) I hope, for his own sake, that this mangaka eventually develops his own style...the drawing style here is just TOO much of a clone of Hiroaki Samura's very distinctive and recognisable style.
Bottom-line: There's just not enough going here to justify the time spent to read it to its (inconclusive) conclusion.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Jun 17, 2017
--Plot/Pacing: B+
The basic premise is interesting, yet...it ultimately ends up feeling like the prologue to a longer series. The story ends without much of a resolution (and with a very weak punchline), which is a shame. I can see how this could continue for at least 1 or 2 more volumes, where the protagonist overcomes his curse. As it stands, it's just feels dissatisfyingly unfinished.
--Drawing/Design: B+
The drawing style strongly reminds me of Hiroaki Samura (Blade of the Immortal), and that's a good thing in my book.
--Characterisation: B
Pretty basic. This being a one-shot, so don't expect anything beyond two-dimensional characters.
Bottom-line: Bit of a waste of
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time, considering the disappointing and slightly anti-climatic conclusion. I did quite like the drawing however, and would be interested to explore more of this mangaka's (longer) works.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Sep 25, 2016
First off, if by reading the synopsis you thought this was a show about zombies (a la Highschool of the Dead)...it's not. It's about "Outsiders"--seemingly ordinary people with extraordinary abilities. One of those Outsiders is a girl who can control zombies, but she is NOT the main character.
Secondly, if you haven't started watching, I must pre-warn you of this part in the 1st episode which caused a fair number of people to give up in disgust. It's the scene where Houhou is trying to bury the MC, Soran, and he just sits there like an idiot. Why doesn't he just get up and run
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away? See, in the original webcomic (which I checked out), that pit is supposed to be much deeper than shown in the anime (it's over Soran's height even when he's standing up and he likely had to jump to get over its edge--at which point he was easily kicked backed down by Houhou.) For some reason, the anime depicts the pit as being really shallow, which makes this particular scene not credible...but I'd put this down to bad art, rather than bad writing.
***Ratings***
-- Plot/Pacing: B
At first, the mystery behind Soran's background and the Outsider world in general made me anticipate each new episode, as I found myself wanting to know more about the Outsiders and the different organisations and to see the development of the various characters and their relationships. However, after the whole Outsiders thing was explained (episode 5), I felt it wasn't that big of a deal/reveal at all. Worse, the pace slowed considerably (around episode 7 onwards)--and it was already quite slow before. The comedy bits are also a bit overdone and can be quite jarring, but you kind of get used to them after awhile.
-- Seiyu/Sound: B+
I'm watching the Japanese dub (with sub-par English subs.) I think the voice actors did a fairly decent job, giving the characters enough of their own life and personality, such as the indifferent Houhou, the slutty Natsuka, the cunning Lo Ryu, etc. The soundtrack is pretty much standard J-rock, but the OP managed to get stuck inside my head after awhile.
-- Art/Animation: B
The character designs are nothing out of the ordinary, and the quality of the art is inconsistent (from "not bad" to "ugly/lazy.") I don't know if it's just me but I felt there was a noticeable drop in the quality from episode 7 onwards.
-- Bonus/Bias: +10%
I'm giving bonus points solely for the character of Fuu Houhou. Normally I detest those "stoic", emotionless-girl type of characters, but Houhou just seems different somehow...her messy hair, poor fashion sense, ignorance of societal norms and conventions, and her insane skill with kitchen knives and choppers all combine to give her a very unique appeal (read: "moe.") Her character significantly helped to sustain my interest in the series--and I know there are a number of people out there who feel the same way.
***Additional info***
The original source is a Chinese webcomic and the anime is a collaboration between Chinese and Japanese producers. I watched the Japanese dub and a bit of the Chinese dub (just to compare), and I think the Japanese dub was produced first, the reason being that the animation matches the Japanese voices better, while it is a bit out-of-sync for the Chinese voices.
In terms of differences in script, the Chinese one is more crude. For example, in one scene, a female character in the Japanese script says something like, "it would be better if we were on a date", while the Chinese script has her saying, "it would be better if we were in bed". The Chinese script also has more cussing.
As for English subtitles, unfortunately the fan-made one is very far from perfect. Some terms weren't translated at all. For example, the following terms:
(1) Kinkou - literally "golden light". It's a visible aura manifested from one's inner energy. Soran's kinkou is supposed to protect him from harm.
(2) Xiangxi ganshi - "Xiangxi" is the name of a place in China (where the practice of animating corpses to transport them was popular in the past), and "ganshi" literally means "corpse-driver". Ryu Kenken is referred to as a xiangxi ganshi--a person who knows how to manipulate corpses.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Aug 11, 2016
The synopsis above is quite misleading. Reading it, you might think the focus of this story is some kind of magical bear, or forest, or the aforementioned girl...but you'd be mistaken. In fact, the Japanese title translates to something like, "Escaping Man" -- and that's what this manga's basically about: a man who "escaped", his reason for doing so, and what happens when that reason no longer exists.
Since it was serialized in "Manga Erotics F", I expected to see something naughty but the closest this manga ever came to that was just an implied sex scene. This doesn't affect my evaluation of it in
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any way (OF COURSE), but I thought I should just mention that, for the benefit of any *cough* pervs *cough* out there.
The plot and characters are fairly simple, and the main draw for me was the art--it too is simple, but effective, and reminds me a little of Quentin Blake's sketchy, raw style in those old Roald Dahl books you used to read as a child (you know who/what I'm talking about right?), except with slightly tighter lines. Unlike a lot of self-taught mangaka out there, Natsume Ono can draw--she probably went to art school or something. I mean, just look at how she does the bear; it's not hyper-realistic or anything, but at least it's unmistakably bear-ish-esque...which is more than I can say for most of us, when trying to draw the same (go ahead and try it yourself--and NO, teddy bears DON'T count.)
There isn't much dialogue, which is how I think a comic should ideally be done -- let the pictures tell the story, otherwise we might as well read a book amiright? NIGERU OTOKO does a fairly decent job of that.
Bottom-line: it's an okay read, something mildly pleasant with which to pass the time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Aug 9, 2016
Plot/Pacing: B+
Frankly the plot is quite messy and chaotic, especially at the beginning--there's too much going on and at too fast a pace, and you'd probably struggle to read the subs and make sense of things. However the situation should improve by the 3rd episode, and as the series progresses, a plot gradually forms and steadily gains coherence. By the end of the 13th episode, you'd have your happy ending all nice and wrapped up. Bonus points for consistently making me chuckle, as well as having a slightly different flavour of fantasy (Chinese as opposed to Japanese or European) compared to the norm.
Seiyu/Sound: A
Chinese voice
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actors are virtually unknown, but I'm actually pretty impressed with the casting here. Not only do they have nice-sounding voices, their acting is pretty spot-on (in terms of matching the demands of the script and the characters.) The Opening and Ending theme is also quite catchy, and grows on you the more you listen to it.
Art/Animation: B
More or less average quality.
Bonus/Bias: +10%
There are quite a few subplots still to be resolved, and the alternate universe created here (seems like our world, except with animal spirits/demons and Taoist magic being common) still has room to be explored and be interesting. Sign me up for the second season...
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 8, 2016
I read an English fan-translation, and I'm pretty sure more than a few things were lost in the process of translation. The story's resolution confused me, so I went back and read it over. That actually made it worse, as I discovered more flaws in the story. Anyway, my evaluation as follows...
--Plot/Pacing: B
I'd really like to give this a higher rating, but I just can't ignore all the plot-holes, character inconsistencies, contrived circumstances, and loose ends. Any subject matter that deals with the manipulation of Time is always tricky due to the inherent paradoxes, but the resolution of this story is nothing short of inscrutable.
An
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example of a character inconsistency: the queen repeatedly asserts her disbelief in magic, despite having asked Eide to work his time-magic on her, and being an actual living testament to its effects.
An example of a contrived circumstance: a female character (Neleh) needed to find the protagonist, Oldman. Later they just happen run into each other when some guards are chasing her...but why were the guards chasing her? I don't believe this part was ever explained. It's just random and too convenient.
An example of a loose end: Oldman gets his magic from a cosmic butterfly...just who or what is this butterfly?
On the flip-side, there is enough humour and action present to keep the plot from being a complete disaster, and I think one of the best parts is the chase scene in volume 3 that culminated in a climactic death-match between Rebecca and Hammer.
--Design/Drawing: A+
The art is incredible (especially the chapter covers) and is of the realistic type, similar to what you'd find in western-style comics rather than Asian ones (although it's actually pretty similar to Takehiko Inoue's Vagabond.) Beside the high standard of drawing, the action is also well presented.
--Characterisation: A
Despite the relatively short length (only 4 volumes), the characterisation is pretty strong. The old but resourceful Oldman, the crippled but fiery Rebecca, the inventive but lecherous Vincent, and the ditzy but loveable Neleh compose the principal cast, and they make for a fun and interesting bunch. Although Oldman is the primary protagonist, the others too have their moments and are crucial to the plot in their own way. Even the secondary antagonist, Hammer, was quite compelling as a powerful adversary.
--Bonus/Bias: +10%
Personally I like the characters and would have loved to see a continuation or expansion of this story, or perhaps new stories involving them.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 5, 2016
This is a series that started off pretty strongly, with an intriguing anti-hero protagonist. However, somewhere in the middle it became too draggy with all those tedious flashbacks and an abrupt switch in focus to the relatively boring backstory of the main character and his quest to defeat his archenemy. It didn't help that said archenemy had a less than compelling presence and personality. IMO, It would have been better if the author finished this series in 10 volumes, then put the revenge arc into a new series or spin-off.
The art is above average, but not really to my taste. The main characters are
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drawn well, but many of the background and supporting characters do not appeal to me.
Story/Setting: B+
Drawing/Design: B+
Characterisation: B+
Bonus/Bias: +10% (for having a somewhat different feel from the average Japanese shonen manga.)
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 4, 2016
This is a manga that gets better and better as it goes on. It's certainly not for everyone, but give it a try or two--I gave it a second chance (hated it on my first attempt, but it somehow stayed at the back of my mind) and to date, I can say this is one of the best manga I have ever read.
A couple of things:-
(1) The art doesn't have a consistent quality. The covers and the first few pages are good and neat, but the rest are pretty raw and untidy and looks as if the artist didn't put a lot of
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effort into it. In the beginning, this was quite a turn-off for me but I eventually grew to like the style.
(2) The plot and esp. the characters are far from what you'd find in a typical manga. But I think it's a good thing, in this case. The series is roughly episodic and may be separated into several arcs, usually focusing on an individual case and its relevant characters (either the enforcers or their targets.) There is quite a bit of humour in the writing, but perhaps not everyone will be able to pick up on it.
At the end of the day, this is a manga that can weird you out and make you think, is funny as well as sad (almost approaching tragedy at some points), and I think this is why it's such a great manga, because it's working on so many levels and manages somehow to pull it off. A final caveat: the sexual content is quite explicit, and more revolting than erotic IMO. Don't let that put you off the manga though--you may eventually develop a taste for it =p
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 4, 2016
I'm re-reading this (years later) and revising my review/rating.
I got into this because I liked Samura's work on BOTI. A bit of gratuitous sex and violence is also within my tastes. However I got a hell lot more than I bargained for. Most people have a line they draw somewhere right? Mine are: eye injuries and underaged rape. This manga has both. I was close to puking at one point. Anyway let's break it down for the rating.
The story: 6/10
There isn't really a plot. This is just a collection of short stories that revolve around a central premise, a premise that I find...a bit
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hard to believe, at first. To prevent prisoners from uprising, a heinous plan is put into operation involving female orphans. If this was a hentai manga, I'd be like okaaay whatever, moving on! But this story--although technically hentai (which in Japanese literally just means, "perverse")--is not meant to be taken in the same grain. Because of how detailed it is and the lack of gratuitous sex scenes (the sex is an integral part of the story, so it's not really gratuitous), it's probably meant to be taken a bit more seriously...and it's hard to do that because the logic of it is just kind of ridiculous. Could such depravity exist, and on such a scale?
Then...I remembered. I come from a country where we receive some education on the atrocities committed by the Japanese during WW2. I later on read more about it myself as an adult, and I knew...the kind of evil men are capable of. The things the Japanese military did during that time, mainly to the Chinese, were far worse than what the Germans did to the Jews during the Holocaust. Being gassed to death is merciful in comparison. You may have heard of "comfort women" -- the concept is similar to what this manga is depicting. But the Japanese did a lot more stuff than just rape; I don't even want to go into detail. So yes, such depravity--even worse than that depicted in this manga--can exist and have existed, and on an even larger scale, in real life. When I think of that, then the premise becomes more believable. BUT--to any decent person--it's still distasteful. Samura says in the afterword that he did some research, suggesting that there's a chance this story might be based on reality and that it took place somewhere in Europe...actually he can just research the Japanese themselves (although admittedly that might prove difficult to do in his country as it's a known fact that their government has censored and revised their history books on that period.)
Objectively, each story is well-written enough; there's proper setup and denouement. The last story connects to the first by sharing a character, and this provides a sort of resolution. In my original review, I remarked that this manga didn't have a proper resolution -- this is not strictly true; I just didn't get the resolution I expected or hoped for, at the time.
Subjectively, I cannot rightfully say I enjoyed myself reading this manga, and so I will dock a point for that.
The Characters: 6/10
Since these are short stories, the focus isn't on the characters. That said, each of the main characters do their part in shedding more perspective on the overall story. They are not deep characters, but that is due to the inherent constraints of the story structure and length. Can the author make a character more endearing and strong? Possibly, but that would fundamentally change the type of story he was intending to portray. This is not a Good triumphing over Evil story, this is a story about an Evil...that came to an end on its own (thankfully.) It's not "dark" either; a dark ending would be if the bad things depicted in it continued and there's not even a hint of a chance of them ever ending. I would have liked to have seen a chapter devoted mainly to Bradherley himself, to see his perpective, but he--somewhat disappointingly--remains a peripheral figure throughout, and his perspective is only suggested at through one of his "daughters."
The Art: 8/10
You can tell that Samura put effort into his drawing. There are times in BOTI where he would get lazy on certain panels, but here, every panel seems drawn with equal attention to detail. He still has this flaw where the faces sometimes look really similar (especially young girls) but that's pretty common in manga and anime and perhaps unavoidable if you're not drawing photorealistic faces.
Overall: 6.67/10
Even if you liked Samura's art or other works (e.g. Blade of the Immortal)--which I personally do--be warned that this is an entirely different kettle of fish and might not suit you if you have delicate tastes.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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