Ayashimon – Review of the manga

Who among you would not like to become as strong as Goku? Maybe spending the days at fight increasingly stronger enemies? He had the same desire Maruoprotagonist of Ayashimon, three-volume series written and illustrated by Yugi Kaku and published in Italy under the brand Panini Planet Mangaunlike the previous work Hell's Paradise – Jigokurakuregistered J-POP.

Is this box set worth adding to your library or not? It's not such a simple question, and as always you will discover why by reading our review!

Money brings happiness

In this eccentric world there is a well-known organization of criminals, there Ayashimona sort of Yakuza which however is made up of Yokai, or creatures from Japanese folklore endowed with superhuman powers. When their boss dies the organization goes into turmoil, e.g Doppo, who becomes the new presidenttry to subdue the various factions with an iron fist.

Uraraa girl on the run from some of her henchmencomes across our protagonist as in the most overused clichés: the very strong Maruo he is a boy with a problematic childhood who has not yet found his place in society, but has not lost heart because of this; by training like his favorite characters (the heroes of the manga he has read) he has acquired monstrous strength capable of countering the Yokai even though he is a human, and this is precisely how he saves the runaway girl. And this is how Maruo finally sees his goal, his reason for living: to get hired by Urara for protect her from the clutches of Ayashimon.

The fugitive is in fact a rather important Yokai in the supernatural government panorama, and by using the boy as a bodyguard she will try to recover what was unjustly taken from her. But who is she really and why did they want to kill her? Too many spoilers! You will only find out by reading the three volumes of Ayashimon.

The harsh law of the strongest

The aspect that catches the eye right from the first cartoons is the consistency of the central gear that moves the actions of this manga: being the strongest. Maruo he grew up suffering from his impotence in the face of family and social difficulties, and for this reason he took refuge in one of the worlds where the protagonists never give in in the face of adversity, constantly becoming stronger: that of manga. From JoJo, to Dragonballuntil Ken the warrior (be careful of some spoilers for Rocky Joe and the saga of Phantom Blood) our protagonist searches for the strength not to lose. Like few other times we have someone who fights for the pleasure of itand not driven by traumas, worries or personal disorders, which are also mentioned, but never forcefully enter into focus.

However, this is also the first weak point of the manga, because the motivations stop here (even if for greater causes) and by basing everything on this linearity we are not provided with anything new compared to other fighting titles: the genre is reinterpreted enough, and the settings are fruitful, but everything is reduces to alternating displays of strength regulated in the form of “duels” (with the exception of one pleasant surprise). And anyway, let's say it, after One Punch Manwith its parodic re-enactments, it is difficult to deal with the topic “I got strong with crazy workouts” reaching similar heights. In short, the protagonist who screams “It's like a manga, don't you find it exciting?” before starting yet another fight it's a good start, but nothing more.

Of Yakuza and Yokai

Ayashimon, in 2022, had the courage to focus on contents that have been widely taken up (and exploited) in recent yearsor that of Japanese supernatural creatures: just think of all the references present in the amazing Jujutsu Kaisento the adventures of Kemono Jihen you hate Noragamifrom the crudest scenes to Urataro or Ushio and Tora, up to the fun ones at Ayakashi Triangle. Many successes certainly, but there are just as many failures dictated by difficulty standing out. In this case the touch of originality is given by mixing the supernatural component with that of the Yakuza: as is explained to us in this work, the Yokai are creatures that do not distinguish good from evil and the Yakuza follow their path for better or for worse , a good combination. “Business is business” we would say in the first volume, at least when we discover that these entities are composed of the same offerings of the faithful and are transformed into coins when they are killed; it is the “donations” of the faithful that keep them alive, a bit like the prayers for Noragami. The famous manga of Adachitoka it is not the only one with which it shares key concepts: we have for example the “marebito” of Mononogatarithe clan affiliation of the Lord of Monstersand even some references to the great classics of the past such as Inuyasha.

On the other front, let's remember that the Yakuza theme is always a bit particular in manga: there are many in titles like “The way of the apron” or “Sakamoto Days” which focus on comedy aspects to achieve success, unlike the colder titles of the past, such as Sun Ken Rock, or even worse, in Sanctuary; aspects that we see little today, as in My Home Hero. Although the members of the Ayashimon are represented as monsters there are various distinctions in this case too, with various groups shown in a good light; but in manga everything is allowed, and this is also their beauty!

Sorry, no encores!

We arrive at Kappa in the room: the early ending of the series. When Hell's Paradise had not yet become yet another seasonal success by Mappa (here is our review in the series of the best spring 2023 anime) and shortly after the end of the paper series of the same name (2021), Tuji Kaku he had already started working on his new work for the famous one Weekly Shonen Jump. However, despite the captivating beginning that had captured the magazine's fans, the series has been declining in popularity and publication, also due to the mangaka's health and the problems related to Covid. All this forced the author to close it early, and unfortunately in a hasty and sketchy way: it is a open ending, which however in the eyes of the reader is something even worse than having cut parts to make a coherent conclusion: I spent the entire last volume reasoning about the possible ending, stopping to enjoy the drawings and plot. In addition, these three volumes leave too many insights never explained, with just as many inconclusive notions, missing scenes, and not in a Duranki where the context and the accompaniment sweeten the bitter conclusion, still making us appreciate the work and exclaim “It's a shame I'll never see the continuation”, but in such a quick and unexpected way that it remains almost exclusively disappointment. We hope that this does not affect the author's future publications.

Tradition and novelty

Despite some high quality tables, the graphic aspect is also overall shaky, especially when compared to the previous work: the drawings have obvious references to Fujimoto (also for history history, as in Fire Punch) due to the author's past.

A style that, while remembering Hell's Paradise in expressions and halftones (although the use of blacks varies) winks at more ancient atmospheres, like those of the manga indicated previously. The torture scene, the decorations of the protagonist, the transformations and some references seem to come directly from traditional stories. On the other hand, the fights can remind you of some scenes from Fire Force, and the characters those of Chainsaw Man, especially for that “sketched” style with thin and repeated lines, which was so cool in the work. Drawings that until the beginning of the second volume help to capture attention, and yet we notice a subdued graphic level, with some unexplained changes in style and sketchy scenes proceeding towards the end. Also some considerations on the characters: Unfortunately, Maruo's characteristics do not make it noteworthy, as well as for most of the characters, while Urara, although she takes advantage of already used details, is perhaps the one that stands out the most. In short, it won't be a job worthy of the previous one, especially for the scenarios, but it's not even a low-level work and he definitely didn't deserve this end.

Who do we recommend Ayashimon to?

If you also appreciated the author, thank you Hell's Paradise It's not a given that this short story is up your alley, due to its more retro colours, but above all due to its conclusion. Honestly I feel like recommending this trilogy only to collectors who, a bit like the various short series of Oh Great!, want to own all its publications (also the box set turns into a poster!). Fans of the previously mentioned titles or fighting shonen may also appreciate it, especially for the low cost, but don't think you're faced with a hidden gem. However, we do not recommend it to novice readers, who would find themselves taken aback by the genre and the ending. A final consideration, Don't be held back by the adult sticker: branding this title with “red” is really exaggerated, especially if you consider that there are “green” volumes out there with more blood and heavier topics.