Review: Nabari no Ou Volume 1

Here's a really nice shounen manga that you can follow quick. It took me more than 2 weeks to finish these 4 volumes I have of this title. It's not as exciting as any other shounen manga with a ninja theme (No, not Naruto. Just, not that type of ninja.)

Nabari no Ou Volume 1 (Japanese for "King of the Hidden [World]") is a shounen manga with a fantasy-esque kind of ninja story. It revolves around Miharu Rokujou who constantly tries to be indifferent as he does not want to burden people. He's a version of Shinji Ikari that can be a hero if need be and not just whine all the way.

Sweet little Asuka!

The story begins when the Shinra Banshou (the biggest secret-art that has a life of its own) comes alive to live inside Miharu. All ninjas are alerted by it's presence almost immediately and now the plan is to take the Shinra Banshou for personal gain. With the help of Miharu's teacher, classmate and a kunoichi (female ninja), they protect him from the clutches of the Gray Wolves. The antagonist here are the group called Gray Wolves, they have deviated from their original clan and have accepted members from different clans. In later volumes, the leader of the Gray Wolves and his plan will be revealed but for now, that's the whole summary without spoilers.

Art: Cartoon-y and very shounen, they don't exactly complement the story. The art style would've work with other stories but not this one. The character design is okay with the adult but fails when it comes to the kids. It's a ninja story, at least give the supporting character some muscle. Then proportions are good, it's the skinny-ness of the characters that get to me.

Story: It's a good story, BUT, for a ninja theme, it's overused? I've read Ninja Girls and Naruto before this so I feel like the "secret art" or whatever technique/jutsu stuff is putting a disgrace sign on the meaning of ninja. That aside, I think that it tried to be serious but failed.

Bottomline: Read it if you want something out of the ninja subgenre. Pass it up if you don't want another ninja story without much use of the real description of a ninja. I want to keep up with it but if I knew that it would be only be on the "good" level, then I would pass it up. It's interesting enough to make me want to see how it finishes.