Kingdom Manga Review

''Two orphaned boys dream of being the gratest generals in all of china.'' (Kingdom description by a manga site.)

I cannot think of a more triggering description that'd make you want to hit the person that wrote it on his damn head than this. That being said, the person that wrote it was probably in a hurry to read the next chapter of Kingdom so he hurried on leaving this horrible description. I am okay with that and completely understand, because Kingdom is just THAT GOOD.

Ever heard of the term 'Page-turner' or simply put, a book that you can't put down till you finish? Kingdom is literally the manga form of a page-turner. You cannot stop reading it till you finish (you may want to drink water or take a shower idk don't take my words too literally) but yeah, Kingdom will keep you hooked till the end. Now that I have raved about it without any solid input, let's go over it in a bit more detail.

Plot:

Kingdom is a manga illustrated and written by Yasuhisa Hara and is set in the warring states period of China (Warring states period - when China was still divided into 7 large states where each state was at war with another; hence the term warring states). The manga, based on actual historical facts explores how the King of Qin, (Qin is one of the seven warring states) conquers all of China and unifies it under a single rule with the help of his generals. The story mainly follows Shin, an orphan who goes onto become a great general in the Qin king's conquest for supremacy. As we follow Shin on his journey, what ensues is a gripping story with magnificent art, epic battles and an immaculate story telling that puts many a great book based on war to colossal shame.

The picture above is, but a sample of the brilliant art that enhances the story telling of this already impressive manga. I have read my fair share of historical manga but I have yet to come across one where the art is so incredibly detailed like Kingdom is. Hara (the author) depicts the large scale battles and military schemes with tactical maps and explains a lot of the techniques used in battle with extreme detail. The art combined with the vivid story telling sometimes makes you feel like you are physically witnessing the battles yourself.

The manga does follow a continuous story line, but is divided into several arcs. Each arc usurps the other in terms of enjoyment and thrill starting from Seikyou's rebellion arc, Keiyou campaign arc, and Battle of Bayou arc ultimately culminating in the GREATEST ARC OF ALL TIME - THE COALITION ARC. I can only describe this arc in one single word - orgasmic. Truly, there is no other word in the oxford dictionary that better describes this masterpiece. The battle of the Kankoku pass that takes place during the course of this arc brings so much hype - you will actually stop breathing. It's one of the only arcs I read and re-read multiple times and it still feels fresh and exciting. I never imagined a bunch of manga panels could get my adrenaline pumping like crazy, but here we are. Kingdom is THAT manga - COALITION ARC is THAT ARC. 

The characters is the manga are all diverse. The mangaka ensures that every character has their own color and stories to tell. He also makes sure that every character gets a proper ending which isn't really visible in manga these days. Now, because this is a war manga, you come across many generals and subsequently numerous battle strategies. All generals are unique and hence their battle plans are also unique. The author highlights the different strategies employed but does so in a way that's easy to follow through. 

My only gripe with Kingdom is the main character, Shin. Kingdom is a seinen manga and most seinen MCs are usually complex, but unfortunately that does not seem to be the case for Shin. Shin reminds me more of a shounen protagonist than a seinen one. He is immature, relies on brute strength and often times spaces out like a dumbass on the battlefield in awe and that irritates me. Hara needs to un-naruto him one day and I will send him a bouquet of flowers. It is alright though, because I don't read Kingdom for Shin. He is the MC but most of the story revolves around other characters too and Shin has his moments where I want to root for him so I take it all in stride. 

The manga is of course ongoing and it will go on for at least 5 more years, however, unlike a lot of other manga (*cough cough* HIATUS X HIATUS, B--berse-berserk- ahem), Hara manages to update the manga consistently with amazing art every week so you don't have to wait for a chapter like boo boo the fool. 

Kingdom delivers everything a great manga should. Epic battles, solid characterization and powerful storytelling all while keeping in line with actual history. Read it and you will NOT be disappointed.

I finish my review with a quote by......me.

''Kingdom is like Loreal paris. It's worth it.''