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ALIENS AREA
21
3
Finished
Jun 6, 2022 to Oct 24, 2022
5.5/10
Average Review Score
0%
Recommend It
2
Reviews Worldwide
Aliens Area falls into 'that' category of Shonen series... Where initial idea shows potential, but it falls apart when developed. Which kind of reflects with the fact it got axed. Even the whole setup showed influence of other series, so despite having fresh spark on the paper, in reality it seemed like we haven't seen anything new. It's a mixture of good elements from other mangas, but with a slight lack of enthusiasm behind it. Or rather, it was difficult to get attached to characters, plot or "world building" (power system, mechanics, etc.) from a get-go. Plot on its own is dabbling on borderline ofthose detective noir novels (of course, painted by Shonen tropes) and sadly it never kicked off in that direction. For this kind of themes, story is heavily driven by characters, who came out slightly flat and emotionless (aside our mc, who had initially had it plenty of, but it got lost along the way). Heck, most important factor for enjoyment of such stories is villain... but at the end,one can only feel disappointment over who villain is or represents. To be fair, author hadn't had much space to develop more than this, given that this manga is only 20 chapters long. On the other hand, art elevated the quality of this manga and, with some editorial aid in terms of writing, author could make something more impactful in future. It's short manga. It's ok for an rainy afternoon read, to kill some time. But there are better picks for that elsewhere.
Tokyo, Planet Earth... High schooler Tatsumi Tatsunami lost his parents at a young age and now works multiple part-time jobs to live a hectic but peaceful life with his younger siblings. One day his body undergoes a sudden change... And now mysterious beings are showing up at his house! In order to protect the people he holds dear, in order to protect Earth (or "area"), Tatsumi must awaken! He better, because "they" are already here! (Source: MANGA Plus) Included one-shot: Volume 3: Hirake! Nyorai-kun (Exposed! With Nyorai)
Aliens Area likens itself to a Men in Black inspired alien detective story, with the superpowered twist of the protagonist having alien abilities. On paper this manga seemed like a wonderful addition to Weekly Shonen Jump, with its unique art style and memorable first few chapters, but in reality it squandered ample opportunity to build its world and explore its themes at a slower pace. There isn't much to say about the manga as a whole, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. What Aliens Area does well is both fun and interesting, but it often feels inorganic and rushed. I truly think with some attentionto detail, and more time to flesh out what it was trying to show, this would've been a pretty fun read with plenty of science fiction to make any nerd happy. It just couldn't strike a great balance between detective noir and alien fighting secret agents. The power system never feels properly explained, but seemed like an interesting take on one, albeit riddled with atypical Shonen troupes. I would recommend this if you're a fan of sci-fi and shorter reads, as this clocks in at 21 chapters, as it was at least an interesting idea with great illustrations.
