Shinobi no Kuni

A 7 to 10 series. Shinobi no Kuni is very entertaining, has a “strong MC” and a memorable art style, contains a lot of humor and no less gore, though its ending is rushed and some developments are, maybe, suboptimal… But, well, let’s not rush the review at least. It’s necessary to give praise when it’s due, especially since this can be a decisive moment for many readers. The main character of this manga is ungodly badass. The design, the movements, the battle prowess, the laid-back personality when not murderous – he has it all. He is a lot of fun too – being the focusa lot of comedy moments. Truly a character to remember and love! (By the way, he is not the one we follow in the first chapter, so stick with the story for a bit.) And the interesting detail is that I don’t think he is completely self-insert. But why is that, since it’s practically the tradition? The important thing to remember while reading Shinobi no Kuni is that its characters don’t think like us. The author tried to reflect antiquated mentalities. You need to pay attention to the backgrounds and upbringing of the characters and follow their reasoning, though you may not agree. This complexity is likely due to the fact that this manga is based on a novel. It’s a respectable valid endeavor, but I think that the author does not always succeed. The variety and the scope of the cast is impressive, it consists of memorable figures, but the narrative is a bit unpolished. There’re moments when you are not sure the story is serious, many plottwists rely on either the “we predicted it all” kind of scheming or on actions of hysterical characters (combined with the alien reasoning it makes motivations untransparent sometimes). On the other hand, the plot delivers a lot of powerful scenes, and it is engaging almost all the time. It's better to treat this manga like an emotional adventure story rather than like a serious historical drama. The manga tries to focus on the question of humanity. Being a bit rough, as I’ve mentioned, the story both has interesting thoughts on the matter and doesn’t understand some of its own strengths. Though it's still very cathartic and memorable, it's just that I wouldn't put it on the highest shelf of the psychological action manga. It goes something like this: At first we get a black and white picture from one point of view. Then, along the course of the manga, a more complex picture is drawn, grey undertones develop. A twist in the middle has the potential to turn the events into a beautiful clash of views. But in the end it all returns to the black and white worldview. Maybe some readers would agree that the described situation is black and white, actually. It's just that I can't help but consider the matters of loyalty and betrayal a complex matter. I don’t think that declaring certain people monsters works too, escpecially when we talk about something big and diverse like a nation. It’s also a painful question whether children should answer for their fathers. A lot of nuance around these topics is lost in the ending of this manga, sadly. This is my main gripe with Shinobi no Kuni: it feels like the the story was a bit more complex than its own conclusions. Also the tired trope of leaving your nemesis for later got on my nerves a bit. The art stays ever strong though. It has this brushy warm feeling to it (the MC is the brushiest of them all, yeah). Sometimes this style makes understanding what’s happening difficult, but it happens rarely, for the most part the drawings are comprehendible and charming. This manga can and should be read for the art. The covers are simply to die for, you won't see it anywhere else. In the end, I advise picking Shinobi no Kuni up for most readers. The narrative problems I’ve mentioned in this review are more opinion-based and ideological than purely quality-related, and they didn’t stop me from binge-reading this manga in the course of one night. I had a lot of fun and will remember it’s main cast for years. If you are fine with a small volume epic and a somewhat rushed ending, you can enjoy it for its historical setting, lively art, impressive protagonist, engaging plot, dark dry humor, or epic ninja fights. You shouldn't go into this manga expecting a flawless masterpiece, but you can get a lot out of it if you can ease away from some flaws and enjoy the potential.