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(4.23/5)Peak fiction
Just need to point out that this is NOT n3 level. Idk who rated it lol
Incredibly brutal right from the start
This book was all kinds of "whew"; it is the definition of a content warning (for example: limbs being removed, cannibalism, rape, the concept of eternal agony, bestiality, etc.). Granted, given that it is a shonen manga, most things besides drastic violence aren't actually shown on page, just talked about and threatened with.
The story is set in what appears to be a post-apocalyptic-ish Earth. Humans with special powers started to appear at some point, and after one, nicknamed the "Ice Witch", appeared, the world has been covered in an eternal blizzard ever since. Protagonist Agni also has a special power, one of regeneration. This is more of a curse than you'd initially give it credit for, especially once he's set on fire by an enemy special ability user, one who's ability is to create fires that burn eternally until whatever is fueling it is destroyed. Agni's family village is wiped out during the attack, and he vows vengeance on the person who's left him in eternal pain, both physically and emotionally.
Japanese-wise, this is a very typical shonen action story in terms of vocabulary and grammar. There is no furigana whatsoever in the book, but I don't recall any specialized vocab that would be difficult to look up without it. Expect to see a lot of basic vocabulary (雪、燃やす、殺す、etc.) quite often.
I definitely recommend trying out the book to those interested who aren't squeamish; it's got a fast pace and some good cliffhangers, and is nothing if not entertaining.
Grotesque and then beautiful at the end
Being the last series I'd read from Tatsuki Fujimoto, I expected it to be similar to his works with light comedy mixed in with bits taken from western movies. It was exactly that, except with more gore than Chainsaw Man and the subtlety of notions increased up a notch. Definitely a series worth rereading once you're able to fully understand the events without looking up words with a vocabulary, and then analyze the motives of each character.
Language learning-wise, it was surprising to see that lack of furigana actually makes it easier to read, especially with how toned down the vocabulary becomes once the author is obliged to use common contractions. The grammar has some notes that I did not know at the time (I'm high N3 level), but it is still palatable as they're repeated often enough for you to understand their main gist.
Live
Not for the faint of heart. This is the most brutal manga I have read since I started learning japanese. It isn't just pointless slaughter, but brutality in a way that goes under the skin.
I do recommend it.
Absolutely loved how this started
This manga is BRUTAL! I was really surprised by how the author depicts this frozen, disgraceful, and broken world. Our protagonist initially looks like the average shounen protagonist, but only god knows all the suffering this dude has endured. From the perspective of someone who knows 16.000 words and somewhere between N2 and N1, this was a very easy read. So if you are around N3, that should be enough to really enjoy this story.