Manga Review - Akumetsu

*For (hopefully) better results, listen to the song while reading. Repeat if needed.*

Queensryche - Take Hold Of The Flame:

Setting:

 Akumetsu's setting is at a day and age like the one we are currently living in. The people of the manga's world encounter poverty, hefty taxes and impersonal governments, things that make them lose their trust in the people that run the country. The general population however is either indifferent in or feeling unable to act against the system and bring about the change so many desire.

  Plot:


  Enter Akumetsu, our vigilante and hero of the series. A young man wearing a devil’s mask, kills one of the goverment's many corrupt politicians in cold blood exacting vengeance upon him for various economical schemes he had taken part in, all the while burdening the general population with more taxes and austerity.
  At the question “Who are you?!” the young man responds “When I have this mask on, you can call me Akumetsu. Do you understand its meaning?” After unmasking the politician for what he truly is, Akumetsu brings an axe down the his head in the most gory, disgusting depiction of a kill I had the chance to read since Gantz.

Ohyeah.

  The manga goes forth, showing the deeds of Akumetsu and its effects on the people, the politicians and the law enforcement. Throughout the manga the plot is tight, the pace is fast, with a few exceptions of “deus ex machina” style interventions in an effort to keep the plot holes and unanswered questions to a minimum. There is also a good amount of comedy relief with the help of chibi Akumetsu, who also helps explaining the facts behind the secret goverment deals and where the taxpayers' money eventually end up.

 Art:

 When I first started going through the manga, I couldn’t help but feeling put off by the art. However, as I went on I got captivated by his style. The depiction of emotion, be it happiness or terror is given in such a way that gets me every time. Generally the mangaka has done a really good job showing how fast paced the action is. The panels are for the most part clear, with the dramatic scenes being as touching and emotional as needed and the violent/combat scenes being as breathtaking as needed.
 The violence is more than violent; it’s vulgar and shocking, to the point that a good amount people would decide to turn their heads the other way or skip the following pages as soon as they realized what was about to come. So much violence depicted in such a way seems essential however; the drawing compliments one of the ideas the author wants to convey to the reader: “Revolution demands blood”.

Conclusion:

 All in all, Akumetsu cannot be called a “fun to read manga”. It is as serious as it can get, both in meaning and in substance. As a whole it is balanced: It doesn’t condemn or promote the concept of vigilantism. Its characters and their respective camps do however, with arguments and counterarguments presented for both sides. After reading the manga, the reader feels ready to make an educated choice between “Staying true to one’s ideals, no matter what” and “Surrendering to evil, so that one doesn’t become evil himself”.
 
Akumetsu is a purely BAD.ASS. manga. Definitely worth your time.