If you enjoy HxH's Successor Arc (especially the one where there's pages of Rihan monologuing), you'll have fun with this series. Not only this series' pacing and action-to-dialogue distribution is very reminiscent of that arc, the protagonist's personality is also very close to Kurapika's.
To add to that, you'll discover that some characters in this series' powers scale by "conditions" (but under the concept called "Geas". Like an individual can be very strong, ONLY UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
Vibes wise, there's a lot of tension, some action scenes sprinkled here and there. So ultimately, this series should be classified as a mystery psychological thriller suspense. But unfortunately, many websites would catalog it as action fantasy shounen; which can be the furthest from the truth, since it is very far apart from conventional "action fantasy shounen" tonal-wise and development-wise. However, it cannot be denied that its first impression does lend some credence to that (as there are some action fantasy shounen that start with a similar opening).
When reading this, there is a high tension throughout without much of a breather. But unlike HxH's succession arc, the setups and situations in this manhwa can become comical (albeit unintentionally), such as the protagonist thinking that he actually grew strong (while a manipulator, he is still innocent and hopeful---good dichotomy), but no, it's actually the weapon or some other kind of situations. It's funny in a sad way, e.g.
- There's also a lot of meme potential with the protagonist wanting to learn an martial art style called "Galaxy Style" (which is a purely physical thing) after witnessing its prowess, but he never really got the chance to, so the readers always say that the best he can do is a "Galaxy Style Brain" (galaxy meme time).
- Imagine ending a chapter with a cliffhanger where it might imply that the protagonist has some talent in magic just to start the next chapter where he basically has none. The author's a real tease!
While it can be inferred by the previous paragraphs, I'll reiterate this point directly: Unlike many other series that start off with a weak protagonist who "grows strong" as a "progression" series, this series hinges on the protagonist staying weak throughout THE WHOLE SERIES, but make use and highlights his weakness as a strength, rather than a detriment. He's weak, but he's so brazen, while being opportunist and strategic at the same time. But of course, he can't always win every encounters, so high tension unpredictable developments happen due to it. It's kinda unique due to this, and you're more or less be like "Ah the author got us!". It's a fun read if you like being challenged on that domain while enjoying surprises.
If you expect this series to be the typical action series, then you'll have a bad time. The protagonist, while weak, is as determined and as he can get, without veering to the sides of being a complete amoral individual (I have seen lots of manipulating protagonists ended up like that---which is not really to my liking). Because I enjoy the mismatch/contrast of having the duality of a multi-faceted protagonist like this. It creates friction, but it adds more stakes that way, rather than a character who doesn't feel dilemma at his actions. And this creates a sense of gravity and intrigue.
However, I cannot earnestly give it a 10/10 because some parts are a slog to get through. The perspective shifts, while interesting, sometimes land on characters I find not as much relevant or developed. Many readers stated that it is primordial to read the "prequel" "Epic of Gilgamesh" to fully enjoy it. But I focus on rating this as a standalone, and so the focus on some characters who do not seem relevant to the overarching narrative seem to detract from it. The action scenes, while impactful, seem very filler-ish and I would rather the author just off-screens it (70% of the fights and their results---might as well be fillers because it wouldn't change the narrative but bog down the pacing---feels like the author is milking it). Like some developments like the protagonist facing a very dangerous antagonist -> I find the action scene inclusion relevant; but sometimes the author spends a lot of time on this OP character (Black Hen), and while it's well drawn, I find it meaningless except for conveying that oh Black Hen is a doo doo and now here's some fan service action! So yeah, action scenes that are not climax to this story should just be cut or skipped forward and only add fractions of panels instead of dedicating CHAPTERS on them.
(-140)
(+288)
