Deadman Wonderland Vol. 2
Written by Jinsei Kataoka
Art by Kazuma Kondou
Published by Tokyopop
Review by Julie Opipari
From the back cover:
As Ganta begins to understand his new disturbing power, he becomes more determined to destroy the Red Man. However, his strange abilities prove to be an obstacle to Chief Makina who is resolute in maintaining peace and order in her territory. With conspiracy and monstrous attacks from every angle, Ganta manages to arrive at Ward G, a mysterious, detached location in Deadman Wonderland where the horrendous bloodbath continues…
This is such a fun series! I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I do, and I am so glad that I decided to read it. Ganta is a wonderfully plucky hero, and even though he is always at a disadvantage, he keeps plugging away at discovering why he was framed for murdering his classmates. He is trapped in a nightmare that seems to have no escape, and reading along as he careens from one death defying episode to the next kicked up my heart rate. I would have keeled over and died of a heart attack if I was stuck in the same situation as Ganta! Once I picked up this volume, I could not put it down again until I hit the last page.
Now, even though I find the series exciting and a thrill a minute, I am not going to say that it always makes sense. There are a couple of times where logic goes completely out the window, but with the proper amount of belief suspension, you too will just breeze over these much too convenient or confusing plots twists. This is a summer action flick in manga form, so just go along with the flow for maximum enjoyment.
I am fuzzy on the whole “Branches of Sin” infection, but it is pretty cool when Ganta and Senji use their blood as weapons. Though it is something that can backfire quickly, as Ganta discovers, honing the ability to use your blood to slash your opponent to ribbons has got to be one of the coolest attacks, ever! Think about it! Just give yourself a paper cut, and you can take down your enemies by fashioning a blade of death out of your own blood! So cool!
The art is another positive of Deadman Wonderland. The action scenes are chaotic and exciting, and the character expressions leave no doubt about how anyone is feeling. Frightened, angry, determined; Ganta experiences a wealth of emotions as he tries to keep from getting himself killed. I love the character designs as well, and feel that they fit the story to a T.
Deadman Wonderland is a non-stop thriller, packed with action and mystery. There is so much going on, you won’t want to put the book down until you hit the last page. Then you will want the next volume. Too bad it’s not due out until the end of September!
When Julie Opipari isn’t mucking around the barn, she can be found trying to make a dent in the massive pile of manga that keeps following her home from the bookstore. Not wiling to admit she has a problem, she blissfully continues to anticipate the latest releases despite the cries of agony from her credit card. She cheerfully blames her addiction on the stresses of college and post traumatic work disorder, and is grateful that her family grumbles only occasionally about the amount of time she spends buried in her books. In addition to reading Your Manga Minute every Wednesday, you can read more of Julie’s work on her blog, Manga Maniac Cafe.
July 11th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Really boring as hell to read.