This manga is truly one of the best manga's that i've ever read. It's basically about a solitary kid who's been bullied, and decides to stand up to his bullies and fight for his pride/existence... for his place in the world... for his Holyland. Anyway... the raw emotion and feelings from the main character from the manga truly made me shiver in anticipation for the next chapter every time. I suggest this manga to whoever is interested in a psychology/fighting manga. My rating 10. I'd give it 11 if i could.

this manga made me shiver in terror from various aspect of human psych that reminds us of what we try to forget about ourself the dark corners of our soul
for example who hadn't sheevered when Izawa said:
these words ... these words
Im going to erase them
so no one find out
so no one sees....

a must read for all martial art manga fan. sure, its more grounded on reality, than, say, kenichi - but that made it better because it is believable. i love the it when the mangaka broke the fourth wall to stated some facts about the moves done. the main character may be a bit whiny and depressing, but thats what made me like him - im effing bored with the perpetually happy/optimistic main char of other series

highly recommended - the author's other works are also populated with emo people and if you like this, try the others..

edit
just finish it and holy Ra, this is AWESOME. my heart race so much, it nearly bursts. this is the holy grail of fighting manga.

... Last updated on May 23rd, 2012, 12:54pm

flaws. flaws everywhere.
what the mangaka trying to do? does he intend to teach us about boxing (in such patronizing way, i hate his guts), or is just that bad in maintaining his story's flow?

Usually I wouldn't be interested in these types of manga, since I'm more of a shoujo and jousei person, but this manga is simply amazing. It's exceeded my expectations. The art is wonderful, as is the story.

I love this manga so far. Very interesting. The story is actually believable (well, sort of), as it sort pulls of pulls me into it. You can (sort of) identify with the main character and all the characters feel real somehow.

I definitely recommend it.

This is a decent manga, but not a great one. It's like a slice-of-life manga about real-life street fighters. The manga is filled with remarkably accurate information about fighting techniques, but I highly doubt that those advanced teachings, which often require tons of training to perform, would ever come into play in a street fight.

Although it contains accurate information about fighting techniques, this is supposedly a manga. As such, the slow pacing and total lack of direction of the story makes the series uninteresting. Not being Japanese, I can't really relate to the setting or problems faced by the characters and the main character's constant pondering about his place in society is boring and highlights how unfocused everything is.

... Last updated on August 10th, 2010, 11:09am

this manga's been adapted to a live action drama in japan. that alone tells that this manga is a success.. kind of?

anyway, it's not my favorite manga, and i don't think it's bad either. there are better manga, but i could actually recommend this one if you're looking for a good fighting manga where the protagonist starts out weak and later becomes incredibly strong.

To tell the truth, I really didn't like this manga. It is about a pitiable kid who has martial arts potential and is truly sad because he's been bullied all his life. He's some kind of Shinji-Ikari look-alike (and is almost the exact same in personality) who can't decide whether he'll go full pitiable kid, or someone who can take out the friggin trash. This manga has no charm, no personality. It's cyclical nature only adds to the boredom. Forced to beat up kid, discovers new thing, talks to other boxer, repeat. The very few arbitrary developments are what gives this manga any flavor at all. It tries to be a street fighting guide, but in the end, it is a manga. And attempting to be like a guide is not good for a manga in the same way that a gangster wearing short-shorts and a fitting polo along with tube socks pulled up doesn't work. And talking in a high pitched and flamboyant voice and accent (respectively).

"While it is a good read, most of the martial arts and fight info is incorrect". I disagree.I have been in dozens of street fights, most of the stuff author talks about is common sense and it DOES work in a street fight. This manga is not a street fight manual, the information is annoying, but the manga is still a great read. I am looking forward to more chapters.