With more people reading manga and Webtoons (aka vertical scroll comics) than ever before, Beat’s Bizarre Adventure gives three writers an opportunity each week to recommend some of their favorite books and series from Japan, Korea, and elsewhere. This week we have a Shonen Jump WEBTOON adaptation, another rec from a BL favorite, and, of course, freelance assassins.
Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku
Writer/Artist: Yuji Kaku
Platform: WEBTOON
In honor of Yuji Kaku arriving in New York City for AnimeNYC this end of August, I’ve decided to Yap-Yap about the webtoon version of the hit manga Hell’s Paradise.
WEBTOON has been coloring and reformatting licensed manga for a while now. (Another recent example is their take on Fullmetal Alchemist.) Hell’s Paradise’s story is for the most part the exact same as the manga. Gabimaru, a renowned ninja with a high luck stat, is captured because every past attempt to execute him has failed. His executioner, Yamada, gives him a second chance. If he can find the elixir of life in the mysterious realm of Shinsenkyo, they will stay his execution. But this realm is a hostile place teeming with powerful beings and criminals who have come hunting for the same reason.
The Hell’s Paradise webtoon is a Daily Pass series. On desktop, you will only be allowed to view the first 3 episodes; the remainder is only available on mobile devices. The adaptation adds colors, readjusts the text balloons and re-positions most of the panels to flow better as a vertical strip. Surprisingly it still reads right to left, which is unusual for a WEBTOON series. My biggest question, though, was whether this mature series known for its violent fight scenes and nudity would survive WEBTOON’s adaptation process unscathed.
To my surprise most of Hell’s Paradise’s gore was left intact. Unlike Gantz:T, which either applied a motion blur filter on blood spatter or cropped it, the blood is visible here in its full crimson color. The way the WEBTOON adaptation handles nudity lived up to my expectations though. It edits scenes from the original, where characters were depicted as nude or shown above the waist, by dabbing paint on their bits matching the background color. The effect looks really goofy and does not match the original art. It resembles a floating paint cloud.
The panels are clustered closer together here than in other webtoons, which makes them feel cluttered at times. But this improves in later episodes. I bet the team involved with this version was figuring out the best way to depict Hell’s Paradise as they went along. Speaking of the team, I wonder why they are uncredited? I don’t believe that Yuji Kaku, the mangaka, was the one who colored the panels, readjusted the sound effects, dialogue, and whatnot. Could it have been an internal WEBTOON team? Even then, it doesn’t hurt to give these unsung heroes recognition for their hard work.
My yappening time limit has reached its end for now! But in all seriousness, I do recommend this version of Hell’s Paradise more as a very accessible way to read the manga on the go and in full color. If you want the pure uncensored version, the source material is always an option. Happy reading! — Justin Guerrero
Secret XXX
Writer/Artist: Meguru Hinohara
Translation: Adrienne Beck
Lettering: Deborah Fisher
Publisher: SuBLime
Fine, sue me! This may be my third Meguru Hinohara recommendation, but I love her works and cannot recommend them enough. This time I’ve gone back to her debut work, Secret XXX, which was published in Japan back in 2017 and was released by SuBLime in 2020. If anyone has read Therapy Game/Therapy Game Restart, they might be surprised to know that Secret XXX came first and introduced Minato and Shizuma’s brothers. If readers love Shohei and Mito and are sad that they don’t see that much of them, they should read Secret XXX where their story began.
Secret XXX follows university student Shohei Ikushima, who volunteers at a rabbit shop. As much as Shohei loves rabbits and their adorable fluffiness, he volunteered in the first place because he had fallen in love with the owner, Itsuki Mito. Unfortunately, Shohei has a severe rabbit allergy that he tries his utmost to hide from Mito. He knows that if Mito ever finds out, he’ll be forced to leave. Although Shohei is unsuccessful at hiding his secret, it’s a blessing in disguise, because he learns in the process that Mito reciprocates his feelings. After the two start dating, Shohei realizes that Mito has his own secrets that he’s hiding; secrets that Mito has no desire of sharing, ever.
One of the reasons why I like Secret XXX so much is that you can see Hinohara’s growth as an artist. She’s improved so much even in just making the characters’ faces symmetrical. While Mito’s confession feels too sudden, it’s understandable considering that the first chapter was meant to be a one-shot. What the manga does well in the later chapters is expand on Mito’s feelings and why he fell in love with Shohei. It casts enough light on Mito’s past to explain why he is the way he is. It also segues very nicely into Therapy Game, where we learn more about his family.
Secret XXX is a great manga for new BL fans. It’s short and light with just the right amount of angst to keep the story interesting. It also has the perfect amount of fluff (thank you, adorable, fluffball rabbits) and enough spicy scenes to keep fans happy. — Hilary Leung
Mujina Into The Deep
Writer/Artist: Inio Asano
Translation: JN Productions
Lettering: Annaliese “Ace” Christman
Publisher: VIZ
Inio Asano’s latest series Mujina Into the Deep takes place in a Japan not too far removed from the modern day. The difference is Japanese citizens must carry cards identifying them as humans. Those without cards are called mujina, people who no longer exist. A mujina’s only means of making money is becoming a drug addicted assassin.
This is how Ubume has made money since her teens. She lives in a world where it’s kill or be killed. Any mujina is utterly disposable. After a botched protection job, she falls into a found family with video game developer Terumi and runaway Juno. She’s also stalked by a very horny rival who wants to both kill her and sleep with her. The new status quo upends her skills as an assassin. Will it save her soul in a world that no longer values her?
Asano shows off his talent for bloody action scenes alongside considered character moments. Flying limbs, stabbed skulls and decapitations share the page with characters bonding over meals. Since the mujina utilize a kind of rocket boot in their missions, Asano utilizes all kinds of weird angles to convey the fast pace of Ubume’s fights.
But Mujina Into The Deep is at its best when it examines just how messed up this world is. The rich lure victims into human trafficking schemes. Civilians forfeit their existence for quick riches. Mujina become cannon fodder to carry out corporate disputes. Those with citizenship don’t have it easier. Terumi is just as exploited by the game publishers as Ubume is by her handler. Juno ran away because those that should have protected her from harm did not. Both citizens and mujina are under constant surveillance. This is a world where various systems consistently fail and exploit everyone.
In the United States today, certain states require citizens to have Real IDs, ICE agents cart people off to who knows where, and the vulnerable continue to be targeted. Asano’s creation doesn’t seem too far removed from ours. This is a comic about a violent and exploitative world where the only comforts we can take are with the people around us. But even that’s no guarantee of protection. This is an exploitation-action series that feels necessary for these times. — D. Morris
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