As some of the reviewers here, I dropped Code Breaker because I got bored before it reached chapter 20. I got disappoint since I'm such a huge fan of SDK. However, ever since it got licensed in my country, I wonder about the progress. Then, I read some reviews saying that it got interesting in later chapter, so I downloaded it again. And boy, am I so glad I did that. It is true. In later chapters, the story does get more and more interesting and exciting. And lots of mysteries which are yet to be revealed.

After I think about it, the reason this manga seems boring in the beginning is probably, unlike Samurai Deeper Kyo, it started slow. In SDK, we instantly introduce with an interesting aspect, that is Kyoshiro and Kyo in one body. Moreover, the interesting side characters such as Yukimura already appear in the early chapters. One has to be patient to read Code Breaker.

Yes, the story is not that original. But it has the unique sense of Akimijyo-sensei which I really fond of. And, of course, the characters. Akimijyo-sensei is one of the mangaka who could create lots characters in one manga but manage to present each of them as one specific memorable individual. It is easy for me to distinguish one character to the other. Not just through their physical appearance, but also their nature. Furthermore, eventhough you could feel the presence of some SDK characters, none of them are really similar to the characters of SDK. Sakura has a little bit of Yuuya, but she is not Yuuya. Ogami has a little bit of Kyo, but he is not Kyo. Sakura may seems annoying. However, it is revealed later that her nagging and clinging to Ogami has a reason. So far, my favorite character is Shibuya.

I also want to comment about the balance of comedy and seriousness. I actually like that he put comedy in the middle of seriousness. I mean, it is not that full of angst or emo story. And, for me, the comedy does not ruin the flow of the story at all.

Code Breaker is not a super extraordinary manga. But it is good. It is one of good manga out of tons of manga I have ever read. And it is certainly worth my time.

For you new readers who wonder whether Code Breaker worth your time or not, read until at least 30 chapters, then decide. For old readers who dropped this, you might want to pick it up again. I did, and I don't regret it.

... Last updated on August 11th, 2010, 1:46am

I didn't know much about Code: Breakers than what the description tells us, which is also very misleading. Sakura, the main girl, is definitely not good in martial arts, however she's not a person to mess with either.

Sakura is just a simple high-school girl, until she sees Ogami exterminating a bunch of people with blue fire. Later on we find out that he is a Code: Breaker (number 6), and works for an organization that makes him kill 'evil' people. Code: breakers are people with a special ability, Ogami's ability is a blue flame which burns everything to well .. nothing, but he likes to say 'burn to ashes'. Sakura doesn't want him to kill people, she believes that there are other ways to change evil people's minds (and she preaches this A LOT throughout the entire manga). Ogami was about to kill Sakura but finds out that he can't, Sakura is a 'rare-kind', one who can dispel any ability from any code: breaker.

The story had a nice set-up within the first few chapters, but it moves on from that story plot and introduces a lot more code: breakers, adds in a bunch of comedy, and it generally tries to figure out what KIND of story it wants to be. So the beginning is very serious, then it's pretty funny without much plot, and then it finally gains some ground and we get something that resembles a plot.

Code: Breaker is funny and while it seems to lose its way throughout the middle, the characters are interesting and funny. Some might say Sakura is annoying, but I find her much of an improvement compared to the ditzy and air-headed heroines that plague all kinds of manga. Sakura isn't ditzy, she knows what's going on, and she sticks with her ideals. Slowly, she changes Ogami's views - and there might even be a possibility of romance between them. She's not always the damsel in distress, she seems to handle herself just fine when she's pushed to use her rare-kind's ability. In fact, she saved 4 code: breakers all on her own!

Ogami is very much like Light from Death Note, because he really just kills people on a whim (much to Sakura's dismay). Although he does show signs of extreme embarrassment in later chapters, unlike the always cool and collected Light. With Sakura nagging him and hanging around him all day long, he slowly changes a bit. He doesn't realize it, but he's grown very much attached to Sakura and wants to protect her. Because of this, he wants to become stronger, so that he won't just watch and see Sakura get hurt by the person he hates most. Despite Sakura's nagging not to kill, he still goes and kills people on a whim - if he can that is.

All the other code: breakers are funny and interesting too. Despite the fact that they're supposed to be all emo and stuff because they kill people, they seem like regular young teenagers that are having fun with each other most of the time. Of course, that changes in the later parts of the manga because it's finally continuing its plot.

Anyways, Code: Breaker is funny and interesting, and while it doesn't seem to have much of a direction in the beginning, it'll get better. Just keep reading!

... Last updated on November 24th, 2009, 1:22pm

Let me first start of by saying: I generally don't read shounen. Code:Breaker is probably one of the few shounens I read.

The premise isn't particularly new - evil vs evil, people with superpowers and abilities, a corrupt government. What is the breaking point for any manga for me is it's characters. And with a shounen, you're bound to get many.

The female lead, Sakura, disappointed me <i>at first</i>. She was branded as a 'strong female lead' but I saw nothing of such, apart from literally being strong. She was annoying with her whole 'don't kill!' and pretty much stupid for jumping in the dangerous situations.

BUT she does grow on you. She's such a contrast between the Code:Breakers and their whole quest for killing and revenge that it's refreshing. She's got strong morals and voices them. Countless times. I consider that strong, for not conforming. As the manga progresses, I become more sympathetic to her plight and we eventually do understand her aversion to death and killing.

The male lead, Rei is the typical kick-ass, silent but deadly killer. I don't have any complaints about him. Sure, sterotypical but I like his character, killing tendencies aside. He too, slowly grows with the influence of Sakura.

The rest of the characters have diversity and it's interesting to see their compelling needs clash between their friendships.

So far, I've found it enjoyable enough.

... Last updated on June 1st, 2011, 6:28am

I think this is a really good manga. I don't get some of the bad reviews. Sakura...I love and hate her. But I think I love her more. She is annoying but there is a reason for it. Most characters like her they have no reason to act as annoying as they act. To me the most annoying person is Ogami. He tends to tick me off sometimes but thats what I like about this. I think every1 should keep reading instead of stopping at the beginning because it gets better.

... Last updated on September 29th, 2010, 4:24pm

First I'm not gonna complain about how cliche it is. To many people want something innovative. While I do agree innovation is important, it's not as important as inventiveness or refineness. Here's the deal: Code Breaker isn't anything new but it brings out cliche ideas in superior ways than most mangas.

Code Breaker has VERY nice art. The plot is alright as well. Fight scenes are above average as well as comedy. Perhaps what most people like the most about this series is how likable all the characters are, and their sheer diversity in personalities.

Let's bring out the cons. There are three major cons:
1) Inappropriate integration of comedy:
This is a common complaint. You'll hear other talk about how seriousness and comedy is distorted in this manga. It makes the manga feel superficial.

2) Sakura
Not saying that she is not a likable character but she is annoying. I don't mind her idealistic nature. I think that offers a good balance to Ogami's cold hearted nature in the beginning of the manga. The problem is that the author integrates Sakura to voice whatever is happening in the story. It's REALLY annoying. She is like an unwanted narrator that has to talk about every little thing...

3) Plot Twists / Progression Speed

There are TONS of plot twists in this manga. It's just all too much. I also feel like every chapter tries to provide something new, which may be more enthralling for those who have little patience and attention span. However, I do appreciate mangas that take a slower pace at things (One Piece may be too slow). To sum it up, the BIGGEST problem with this manga is the lack of contrast. By this, I mean the lack of contrast in drama. There is always too MUCH drama, and so the readers begin to take it less seriously over time because they get used to it. It's like watching Korean drama. It becomes predictable and "omg no you didn't!" events no longer have the same impact as they used to have because they're so overused.

By the way, I'm a bit scared to see this turn into an anime. The reason is that each panel of art seems to have rapid movement in plot. When I read this manga, I feel like I am watching a slide show summarizing huge events, rather than a gradual sequence. This may not be a bad thing however. It's certainly very unique to the Code Breakers. Some may really enjoy it. I do not.

Code:Breaker is a disappointment for me, but it’s one I keep returning to. The art is something I enjoy, even though the author’s character design is basically swapping hairstyles on the same face. But I defend the art as being clean, distinct, and aesthetically pleasing in terms of characters, movement, and backgrounds.

The premise is something we’ve all heard—there’s a mysterious organization purporting to support justice but is actually quite sketchy, its members have strange powers and painful pasts and are conveniently numbered by strength, things are not as they seem, and then a regular girl gets caught up in it all. It’s not exactly trying to be original with its premise, but it’s still fun and fresh as a story.

But I must voice my biggest criticisms about the story, which happen to be the main characters: an Ogami Rei and a Sakura Sakurakouji.

Despite protagonist Ogami Rei’s insistence that he’ll show enemies what “real evil” means, he never delivers on that evil promise. I have never felt less impressed nor less threatened by a character who is meant to represent and make me question the duality and hypocrisy of executing justice.

I was initially excited by the potential of Rei’s character, if only because he wasn’t the blatant angel that usually appears as a manga’s main character, but I was quickly disappointed—he was too predictable, too uninteresting—and a little too invincible to make me feel invested in his fight scenes. After denying it to myself so long, I’ll admit it—I’m bored by Rei, who is so obviously in love with Sakura and in agreement with her idealism by now that I don’t know why he even bothers to deny it anymore. Rei is the author's vehicle to represent the controversy of justice, power, and their respective responsibilities and it doesn't work.

But Rei is nothing compared to Sakura, who went from pretty cool action girl to comic relief and just the weirdest airhead ever. She went from competent, practical fighter to really incompetent, oblivious, and obligatory - just a love interest to Rei. I am actually so irritated by Sakura I will skip pages or stop reading for a few….weeks.

With that said, there’s still characters to like in Code:Breaker—a whole supporting cast, in fact. The smartass Toki is clever and full of flaws, which I like; Heike is the gentlemanly “real evil” I was looking for; the bizarre Yuuki is pretty funny, though his personality is basically just quirks. Still, Yuuki’s two uncharacteristically human bursts of concern for frenemies Toki and Ogami were ten times more emotional than any overly sentimental Ogami/Sakura moment. And there are legitimately funny moments involving all characters throughout the series.

This all sounds like serious criticism, but like I said, I still read Code:Breaker and enjoy it. I recommend it, too. It can be quirky, fun, and dramatic in its best moments, and I think reading through a few dull moments for those gems are well worth it.

This is one great manga yea the lead heroin does get annoying at times but she also adds the comedy to it.. The lead male is very similar to Light from death note but you can say that he is much more caring... This is a great manga and a deserves a read.

Even tho i´ve only read 1 chapter so far, i love it! maybe its because i love mangas/animes with a really cool male lead ^^. It´ll be interesting to see how this story will envolve , and as kujika wrote, the male lead does resemble Kira from Death Note ( I loved it 2 =). So if you like mangas with a really cool "anti-hero protagonist" you´ll probably love this one 2

An amazing manga. The fights, the plot, the twists, everything. Sure there may be times when you think "meh this seems like it's getting boring now" but GUARENTEED after reading on a few more chapters you will love it again.

I loved the way the Code:Breakers are Evil fighting Evil and not your typical "Heroes of Justice" who always do the right thing and stand by the "Code of Right and Wrong". It was the first thing that really caught my attention and made me think "this looks like a manga that I will really end up loving". Also it's not Evil as in what society considers wrong. [DONT EVEN THINK THAT FOR A SECOND]. The "Evil" each Code:Breaker fights against is his/her own sense of evil. Whatever the Code:Breaker judges is Evil by their own principles is what they kill.

Also seeing the special powers and how they develop as the manga progresses is also interesting, especially Ogami and Toki's.

In the beginning, I really liked the characters, and I thought that the premise of the Code:Breakers was interesting. Then secret after secret was being revealed, and that was okay, because there was some development. After awhile, though, the developments weren't all that interesting, and, actually, were corny as hell and made me want to kill the mangaka. I mean, WTH? My final straw was in ch 144, where it's revealed: Okay, fine and dandy, but what about all the previous chapters where that wasn't an issue AT ALL?? It happened ALL the time!

I mean, I like the relationship between Sakura and Rei, but really... it's too much entanglement and not enough payoff. I hope it ends soon.