3x3 Eyes

No Spoilers

I want to share my thoughts on this manga, especially because there is only one review yet. And I've only read the first 3 volumes, so I'm not sure if it will change my opinion.

I'd give this manga a 5/10. I will go through every category and explain why.

Art: 7/10

The art is good. It has a certain vibe to it because the manga was made in the 80s. The expressions, fight scenes, and the clothes are very well drawn. Sometimes the heads look a little bit weird, but it doesn't matter a lot because the rest of the drawings look totally okay. Despite the heads (sometimes), I have nothing negative to mention.

Story: 5/10

As you may have gathered, a girl (not a human girl, but a monster girl) from the mountains met an old professor who then died, leaving her to deliver a letter to his son and with the desire to become human. So she looks for the boy and a way to become human.

The story is fine by itself, but the way the author implemented it is strange and not particularly pleasant.

The first chapters were very rushed and kind of hard to understand. The following chapters/volumes are not as rushed but still hard to understand and very confusing. There are also some side stories that were equally confusing. And the whole third volume was just baffling. I still don't get it, and I've read it a few times now, haha.

Character: 4/10

The characters are somewhat bland. The main characters are the (monster)girl (Pai) and the boy (Yakumo), but they both lack charisma. Let's talk about them individually.

Pai: Her story isn't bad, but it isn't well explained, so she's a bit of a mystery. She acts oddly too. When she's in her normal form, she's annoying and even more annoying. She's helpless and needs to be protected by Yakumo. But in her other form, she's a total brat. She doesn't care about anyone and is selfish. But she doesn't need help anymore, so at least that's what I'd call character development.

Yakumo: A useless sidekick. Sorry, but that's all he is. He doesn't have an interesting story, nor does he have an interesting personality. He's good at fighting, though, and that's probably the only good thing about him.

Enjoyment: 3/10

Due to the rushed and confusing chapters, it is a hell to read, not even the art makes me keep going.

And there's one more thing I'd like to mention. The unnecessary sexualization of the girls in this manga.

In every chapter, there is at least one pair of boobs. And it's very annoying because the story has nothing to do with the gratuitous nudity and the sexual assault happening in the manga. They're useless, and I think the only reason they are here is to excite young boys. And that's sad. Because I would've enjoyed the story way more if the sexual stuff wasn't here. So this really bothered me, and I've decided to drop this manga because of this point. It's awful, in my opinion.

But there's a cool thing about the covers of the manga. On the spines are picture fragments, so if you put all the volumes together, there'll be a big picture. I just thought this was cool.

Overall: 5/10

If you like the story and you like the unnecessary rapes and boobies, this is your go-to.

For me, it wasn't a fun ride, and I'm not sure if I'll ever pick it up again.

But please make your own opinion of it; this is just mine :)

This manga is quite unusual, dark, demonic, and riddled with questions. At first glance, the premise seems straightforward, but the plot takes so many unexpected turns that it's impossible to predict where it's headed. It's an exhilarating read that keeps you guessing and surprises you at every twist.

What I particularly enjoyed about this manga is how even seemingly irrelevant characters or subplots turn out to be crucial to the overall story by the end. Every scene written plays a vital role in the narrative. The manga blends elements of mystery, action, romance, and a touch of comedy, offering something for everyone.

The artwork is remarkable. The monsters have unique appearances with their demonic exoskeletons, fangs, and even a mustache here and there. While the character designs aren't bad, they lack some detail and variety. Some body types are reused, and a few side characters can be easily confused, but you never lose track of the important players throughout the majority of the plot, which is fine.

The story is long, with a simple-sounding goal that becomes increasingly complicated as you progress. Things get so out of control that you can't wait to see how it all ends. 3x3 Eyes is an amazing read, and I'm glad I picked it up after watching the short-lived OVAs that initially hooked me. Outstanding.

After 577 chapters and roughly 4 months of continuous reading, I have finally completed 3x3 Eyes. Initially, I started this series on a whim, thinking I would only read a volume or two. My original intention was to watch the OVA, but being epileptic makes watching old OVAs challenging for me. Little did I know how deeply I would fall in love with this series. It brought back feelings I hadn't experienced since reading shonen action manga about a decade ago. I wish I could hug every single character! Over the past few months, as I went about my day, I often found myself thinking about the characters and smiling. I understand it's a hard sell given its length, but if you enjoy action manga even slightly, please give it a read. This has become one of my all-time favorite series.