Shamo

I have heard a great deal about Shamo prior to reading it and it left me with the impression that it’s supposed to be one of the most unique manga around. Furthermore, the synopsis certainly did much to cement that impression. Well, Shamo is a great and unique manga, but readers may find it is also very familiar. To begin, the synopsis is misleading. Everything it says does happen, but it gives the impression that what it says is the primary focus of the manga when I would easily argue that it is a fairly unimportant detail that only serves as an explanatory backstory. Seems crazy tocall parricide an unimportant detail, but aside from serving as a MacGuffin for why the MC is so hated, it doesn’t really do much else in the story. Honestly, it seems to me the MC pretty much forgets it altogether at times. No, instead, if I were to rewrite the synopsis, I would write out one describing a pretty standard martial arts manga – you know, the whole weak guy gets trained by a martial arts master, trains hard, and gradually faces challenges improving along the way. However, there would be one difference and it is basically the whole theme of the manga: the POV of view is from that of the villain. Imagine every martial arts manga you’ve ever read. Know that villain the good guy MC typically faces who fights dirty, mistreats women, bullies everyone, and basically act like an all-around asshole? Well, he is the MC in Shamo. And it is a unique and interesting premise. It basically explains how the martial arts villain becomes the way he is, how he succeeds, what he generally does, and etc. In a lot of cases, he basically does the same things as a good guy MC, except, obviously, there’s a lot more darkness and Shamo really revel in that aspect. The MC, Narushima Ryo, is basically a gangster and his life reflects that. Ignoring the whole martial arts journey – which is common and standard – and the fact that Narushima is essentially your classic villain, what makes Shamo such a great read? I think the strongest compliment I can give it is the sobering and realistic portrayal of a common street thug. This is something most manga does very poorly. It’s not the fault of most manga. Most of them focus around the good guy MC and can’t give much time to the side characters, thus they can’t really do a portrayal justice. Instead, they eschew subtlety in exchange for blazon portrayals, e.g. the street thugs you see seem to spend all their time robbing others, molesting random women, committing crimes, and all while bellowing evil laughter. Shamo is, again, all about the villain so the author has a rare opportunity to do the portrayal justice and he does it magnificently. Narushima is a street thug and it shows. His life is sometimes glamorous, but, in most cases, it’s ugly. He commits crimes easily, but, in fact, he does things legitimately most of the time. He is surrounded by shady people who hates him and gladly takes advantage of him, but he can’t do much about it because normal society despise him so he has to survive by being tough. When he needs money, he turns to doing ugly things. Most often that involves getting into a life-threatening fight, but he survives by backhanded means every step of the way. He knows he is not honorable or fair and he doesn’t give a damn. He intends to live. He has only a few friends and most of them are outcasts like him. Being around them tends to bring him harm and, likewise, his presence causes them harm too. Any normal people or ‘good guys’ who comes into contact with him or his crew quickly comes to regret it and, in fact, a great deal of the manga has readers cheering for his defeat because the people he fights and cheats against are often such great guys unlike him. So in short, Narushima’s life sucks because he sucks and everybody hates him knowing how much he sucks. The manga contains little romanticism and things like destiny/fate/good karma/redemption are laughed at. From beginning to end, the mang depicts an utterly sobering life in Narushima Ryo and all those around him. All in all, the manga is a fantastic read for that reason alone. The art is pretty good and it can get highly suspenseful at times, but all in all, the character exploration of Narushima Ryo is the primary motivator. The author has created a genuinely amazing manga and it should be read for that purpose alone.

I don't hate this manga, but I do wish in a way that I never read it. I picked up Shamo after reading all these MAL reviews calling it a 9 or 10 and praising it as some sort of 'philosophical,' 'existential,' 'masterpiece.' In the reccomendations I see it wrongfully compared to Berserk, Vagabond, Punpun, and...Holyland... I'm not afraid to admit that Shamo has lots of good aspects to it: - (Most of) the fights are technical and lots of strategy goes into them - The art is very appealing - The author does a great job of making you love or hate characters - The characters are prettymuch all unique and different - The main character is developed decently, just decently. The problems I have with Shamo lie in its abundance of flaws. I'm not here to nitpick, I can usually look the other way when a story has some flaws if it's executed well overall, but there comes a point where there are just so many issues that I just can't ignore them anymore. If you don't like: - Meandering storylines (no logical through-line, motivations, or goal) - Characters taking one step forward and 2 steps back constantly - Main characters (mostly the antagonists) getting written out of the story for no reason - Unsatisfying endings to most character arcs - Plot conveniences - Flat characters - Lack of explanation for almost anyones motivations/reasonings - Weird fantastical breaks from an otherwise grounded story - Following characters for many chapters that ultimately have no impact on the overall story - Fake depth to compromise for poor writing/ideas Then you probably wont like this manga. The first 2 arcs (prison arc, and the lethal tournament arc (and the Ryou-Sugawara finale)) were very splendid and well written. I was glued to my laptop reading, and I'd recommend that everyone at least reads those. The rest I can really take or leave, you wont be satisfied with the development or endings of any other arcs. They do have some good elements, but at the end of the day they aren't worth the read UNLESS you're just reading Shamo for the fights and action. (Note* I also thought the Ki arc was dope, but I admit it wasn't executed well and had no business being in this story*)

Shamo is one series that is difficult to write a simple review for, but I'll try to keep it brief. I may as well get it out of the way - Shamo has one of the worst endings to a manga series that I've ever seen, There's no resolution, no ultimate lesson, just a strong feeling that the author wanted the series over and done with. Now, there are plenty of mediocre manga series but it is particularly distressing here because of the way Shamo started out. The first several volumes or so were cerebral, dark and well-paced. It took a lot of risks, givingus a main character that was clearly a villain, but who the reader is compelled to root for. This is done by giving the reader a clear look at how he got to be where he is and how he feels during the whole process. It gives us a look at the less savory elements of Japanese culture, but the themes are fairly universal. One of the central themes is how society can never really forgive a criminal and often perpetuates their unlawful behavior because of it. What we get is a character study of a person completely shunned by society. While he is intelligent and talented and desires recognition, his experiences and bad decisions continue to haunt him and prevent him living a rewarding or even a normal life. That's why I need to give this manga a good rating despite its glaring flaws. The latter half of the series really begins to lose track of what the story is about. The last few volumes are a complete waste of time. Those that have followed the series know about the long hiatus it experienced. It was stuck in a long, messy lawsuit where the creators fought over ownership. In the end, it's understandable how the series ended up but no less disappointing. I still recommend giving it a read. Just don't bother reading after the first half or so.

The series is quite unhinged in an explicit manner, much like its sadomasochistic cousin, Ichi the Killer. It presents a cocktail of brutal violence, graphic injuries, as well as sexual assault/rape, drug use, and disturbing psychological imagery. This serves as both a warning to readers and an invitation to be disturbed. I believe these tags are not superficial but are more substantial. Whether it's gore or rape, each can be used effectively in a story if executed well to communicate the intended emotions. Shamo avoids using such elements for mere titillation. Shamo follows Ryou Narushima, who, in a visceral breakdown, kills his parents. He is then sentto a delinquent correctional facility for rehabilitation. The series sheds light on the lowest points Ryou experiences. While there is a strand of empathy for Ryou, the series critiques social family hierarchy and Japanese social mannerisms without portraying Ryou as a hero or glamorizing him. Instead, it highlights the self-destructive path he's on. The manga acknowledges that Ryou continues to make vile choices, further condemning himself. However, the series repeats arcs about Ryou's character, featuring isolated, self-contained arcs that aren't referenced afterward. This is problematic and leaves the feeling of these arcs being unnecessary distractions. The fights in Shamo are psychological, emphasizing mind games. Ryou's preferred method is a scrappy survivalist style, reflecting his mentality to win and survive, whether for positive or negative outcomes, discarding honor. This also outlines the evolution of martial arts, initially about survival, shifting to a cleaner, more honorable, sport-focused version. Shamo stands out as a poignant psychological work, exploring the inner shadow of a person suppressed in a Jungian way, warped over time. When it emerges, it does so in a desperate and violent expression, with violence becoming Ryou's sole means of expressing himself through vile acts. While cynical, there is a sort of neutrality in the sobering way the story shows Ryou.