tl;dr: A very lengthy but high-quality battle shounen with a somewhat weak supporting cast and a rushed ending.
This manga is about Kenichi, a boy who, after being bullied, tries to overcome his weakness by joining a dojo. By sheer luck, he ends up at Ryozanpaku. This dojo is unique as it doesn't specialize in any particular martial art style; each of the six masters practices completely different styles. The only thing they have in common is their absurd strength. It turns out Kenichi has absolutely no talent for martial arts in any form. However, he has a genuine desire to get stronger and the willpower to push himself beyond his limits. Thus, all six masters of Ryozanpaku agree to take Kenichi as their disciple.
Like many shounen manga, this one starts small but grows tremendously as it progresses. I think it goes further than most, with Air Gear being the only other shounen I can think of with similar progression. It begins with Kenichi using martial arts to stand up to bullies. This catches the attention of the town's most prominent gang, Ragnarok, whom he then faces. Then an even bigger gang appears. As things continue, suddenly Kenichi is fighting with the fate of modern civilization on the line.
Despite that, the manga does a pretty good job with power scaling. It keeps two distinct tiers of combatants: master and disciple levels. While Kenichi certainly gets stronger throughout the manga, he remains a disciple to the end. So, over time, he fights increasingly stronger disciples. These disciple fights dominate the early parts of the manga, but as it progresses, there are more and more fights between masters. By the final arc, both tiers are equally represented. Master fights are at a completely different level from Kenichi’s and have a completely different flow. Disciple fights focus on showing training results and growth, while master fights showcase crazy superhuman combat spectacles. Having both allowed the overarching plot to grow massively in scale while giving Kenichi’s growth arc room to be well-written. Mixing the two tiers also helped with variety, improving pacing. Add in good comedy and the mangaka knowing when to wrap up arcs, and you get a manga that was interesting all the way through, impressive considering its 61 volumes.
That's not to say there weren't issues. The manga did a good job with Ryozanpaku members—Kenichi, Miu, and the six masters. Kenichi's and Miu's relationship development was slower than I would have liked, but overall it was solid. Both had decent character growth, and Miu and the six masters got well-fleshed-out backgrounds. Unfortunately, side characters were handled poorly. The issue seemed to be trying too hard to keep characters relevant long past when they stopped fitting into the story. Characters like Nijima, Hermit, Sieg, and Renka were cool throughout, but much of Kenichi’s 'party' felt out of place in later conflicts, such as Takeda, Ukita, Freya, or Valkyrie. There were more colorful and interesting characters introduced later that deserved more focus. The manga also suffers from villains being forgiven or redeemed too easily, but that’s standard for shounen, and this manga handles it better than most.
The biggest issue was definitely the ending. The final three volumes are so rushed that it's hard to appreciate anything happening. It tried to wrap up multiple plot threads while giving many characters their moment to shine, resulting in a mess. Characters behave inconsistently, making the plot feel forced. The pacing is terrible. The epilogue is good in what it shows but rushes through the most important parts, making it unsatisfying. Overall, while I was satisfied with the manga, I was disappointed with the ending.
The art of the manga is fantastic, especially the color art. It started rough but improved tremendously. Character designs and framing are excellent. The scanlation involves many groups, unsurprising given its length. Thus, translation and scan quality range from good to awful. Still, even the bad parts weren’t too difficult to push through.
Short and sweet, folks. This is a hentai masquerading as an action manga. I didn't think anyone could write something with more fan service than Hiro Mashima. That's quite an achievement in itself and the only accomplishment of this series. Over 500 chapters in, and he still hasn't surpassed the woman he vows to protect. Someone who watches over him getting his ass kicked by multiple people—people she could easily defeat but lets him fight because he has something to prove.
Granted, some of the Master's fights are impressive. But nothing else stands out as memorable.
Scrawny boy gets rescued by a powerful individual.
Scrawny boy trains hard to become stronger!
It seems mundane and predictable, but surprisingly, it isn't.
I started with the anime and then moved on to the manga (as there was no other option).
If you are male, you will adore the artwork in this manga. It's one of the most enjoyable reads ever. Filled with inspiration and packed with action, this anime will get your adrenaline pumping.
Oh my goodness, the artwork is simply marvelous...
This manga features a straightforward plot, with the main character simply desiring the strength to safeguard those he cherishes. The most engaging aspect is how he pursues this goal. Kenichi encounters Miu, a martial artist, who introduces him to her dojo and its masters. Each master possesses a distinct personality, creating numerous comedic moments. If reading this manga doesn't make you laugh, you might be devoid of life or soul. The artwork is impressive, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's slight nudity, but even if you're uncomfortable with an occasional exposed nipple, it's still worth reading.
Kenichi is your typical protagonist.
Gets beat up
Finds a master
Becomes incredibly strong
Defeats everyone
Great stuff.
But it's a manga with over 500 chapters, and I understand that many people might not have the time to fully experience it. However, I'd say it's worth reading. It's like Naruto; you have to grow with it. Everyone remembers Naruto, right? It's not THAT great of a series, but because we grew up with him, he's like our childhood hero, just like Goku. Kenichi is somewhat similar to us—just an ordinary human without any chakra nonsense. Kenichi has to endure trial after trial, testing his love for Miu, and that's what I love about him. He never gives up, even when he was nearly killed. He keeps going and tries his hardest. Unlike his peers, Kenichi isn't gifted, so he has to undergo grueling training to become someone great. Can't we apply that to our real lives as well? We need to keep pushing forward, even when we really want to give up, because in the end, it'll all be worth it. That's why I love Kenichi so much that I've read it three times.
First things first. My "reviews" system is explained on a blog entry, which can be found through my profile.
✦Story
Well, it's the typical battle shounen with some ecchi elements and a "wimpy" main character. We follow his growth as he meets new people, including his love interest. There are many cool battles and superb fanservice, all wrapped up with satisfying humor.
I honestly can't complain much about this manga. The story felt blissful and straightforward, with reasonable development and plot points. Our protagonist grows under the guidance of his overpowered masters, each with quirky traits. Despite having no talent initially, he relentlessly trains to become stronger, aiming to protect those he cares about, especially the woman he loves. Martial arts also deeply interest him.
In essence, this is a well-executed battle shounen. It's not overly complex or too simple. There's character growth, new abilities, and interesting characters. What more could you want from a battle shounen?
However, I did find some arcs, particularly towards the end, oddly "fillerish," feeling out of place. This is likely why I lowered the score a bit. Another issue for me is that manga, being text and pictures, doesn't deliver as much emotional impact for me.
Some villains' purposes confused me. For example, one "final boss's" plotline still puzzles me.
✦Art
The characters are cool, the girls are hot, there's nice fanservice, and some really cool fight scenes. I have no complaints.
Fanservice was present for both genders, though obviously, this is a shounen anime, so males get more attention. Women wear revealing dresses and tight outfits, while niche characters have their own serviceable choices of clothing. Suggestive angles and awkward moments add to the fanservice. On the male side, we see shirtless, buffed, and muscular bodies, different kinds of powerful physiques, lots of alpha male stereotypes. So there's plenty of "sexiness" going around for both sides.
To sum up, the art in this manga was superb. Cool battles, hot characters, great fanservice moments. Since the manga also had great humor, some reactions and moments had priceless facial expressions and other gag moments.
✦Character
There's an unreal amount of characters, many quirky or odd ones. That part I absolutely loved. As mentioned, the main cast's character growth was quite satisfying. Even some side characters got a little attention, some more than others, ensuring they had backstories, flashbacks, or presence even after their arc.
The biggest minus would be that some characters confused me a bit, specifically their reasons and backstories.
✦Enjoyment & Overall
I've seen the anime 2 or 3 times. Now, after a long time, I finally read this manga, and it was worth it. It's a straightforward battle shounen with a martial arts theme, great humor, and comedy touches. The visual appeal was superb, very cool, and I loved the fanservice in this manga. It was well done, fitting, and hot but not too arousing. Without fanservice, this manga would be duller or even ruined. (I can't comment on "male fanservice" as I don't really notice such details aside from what I mentioned previously.)
Some great gag moments and facial expressions will go into my "funny stuff" folder.
To sum it all up: "Great straightforward battle shounen with a martial arts theme and a touch of good fanservice."
Popular Reviews
tl;dr: A very lengthy but high-quality battle shounen with a somewhat weak supporting cast and a rushed ending.
This manga is about Kenichi, a boy who, after being bullied, tries to overcome his weakness by joining a dojo. By sheer luck, he ends up at Ryozanpaku. This dojo is unique as it doesn't specialize in any particular martial art style; each of the six masters practices completely different styles. The only thing they have in common is their absurd strength. It turns out Kenichi has absolutely no talent for martial arts in any form. However, he has a genuine desire to get stronger and the willpower to push himself beyond his limits. Thus, all six masters of Ryozanpaku agree to take Kenichi as their disciple.
Like many shounen manga, this one starts small but grows tremendously as it progresses. I think it goes further than most, with Air Gear being the only other shounen I can think of with similar progression. It begins with Kenichi using martial arts to stand up to bullies. This catches the attention of the town's most prominent gang, Ragnarok, whom he then faces. Then an even bigger gang appears. As things continue, suddenly Kenichi is fighting with the fate of modern civilization on the line.
Despite that, the manga does a pretty good job with power scaling. It keeps two distinct tiers of combatants: master and disciple levels. While Kenichi certainly gets stronger throughout the manga, he remains a disciple to the end. So, over time, he fights increasingly stronger disciples. These disciple fights dominate the early parts of the manga, but as it progresses, there are more and more fights between masters. By the final arc, both tiers are equally represented. Master fights are at a completely different level from Kenichi’s and have a completely different flow. Disciple fights focus on showing training results and growth, while master fights showcase crazy superhuman combat spectacles. Having both allowed the overarching plot to grow massively in scale while giving Kenichi’s growth arc room to be well-written. Mixing the two tiers also helped with variety, improving pacing. Add in good comedy and the mangaka knowing when to wrap up arcs, and you get a manga that was interesting all the way through, impressive considering its 61 volumes.
That's not to say there weren't issues. The manga did a good job with Ryozanpaku members—Kenichi, Miu, and the six masters. Kenichi's and Miu's relationship development was slower than I would have liked, but overall it was solid. Both had decent character growth, and Miu and the six masters got well-fleshed-out backgrounds. Unfortunately, side characters were handled poorly. The issue seemed to be trying too hard to keep characters relevant long past when they stopped fitting into the story. Characters like Nijima, Hermit, Sieg, and Renka were cool throughout, but much of Kenichi’s 'party' felt out of place in later conflicts, such as Takeda, Ukita, Freya, or Valkyrie. There were more colorful and interesting characters introduced later that deserved more focus. The manga also suffers from villains being forgiven or redeemed too easily, but that’s standard for shounen, and this manga handles it better than most.
The biggest issue was definitely the ending. The final three volumes are so rushed that it's hard to appreciate anything happening. It tried to wrap up multiple plot threads while giving many characters their moment to shine, resulting in a mess. Characters behave inconsistently, making the plot feel forced. The pacing is terrible. The epilogue is good in what it shows but rushes through the most important parts, making it unsatisfying. Overall, while I was satisfied with the manga, I was disappointed with the ending.
The art of the manga is fantastic, especially the color art. It started rough but improved tremendously. Character designs and framing are excellent. The scanlation involves many groups, unsurprising given its length. Thus, translation and scan quality range from good to awful. Still, even the bad parts weren’t too difficult to push through.
Short and sweet, folks. This is a hentai masquerading as an action manga. I didn't think anyone could write something with more fan service than Hiro Mashima. That's quite an achievement in itself and the only accomplishment of this series. Over 500 chapters in, and he still hasn't surpassed the woman he vows to protect. Someone who watches over him getting his ass kicked by multiple people—people she could easily defeat but lets him fight because he has something to prove.
Granted, some of the Master's fights are impressive. But nothing else stands out as memorable.
This is your typical anime storyline.
Scrawny boy gets bullied.
Scrawny boy gets rescued by a powerful individual.
Scrawny boy trains hard to become stronger!
It seems mundane and predictable, but surprisingly, it isn't.
I started with the anime and then moved on to the manga (as there was no other option).
If you are male, you will adore the artwork in this manga. It's one of the most enjoyable reads ever. Filled with inspiration and packed with action, this anime will get your adrenaline pumping.
Oh my goodness, the artwork is simply marvelous...
This manga features a straightforward plot, with the main character simply desiring the strength to safeguard those he cherishes. The most engaging aspect is how he pursues this goal. Kenichi encounters Miu, a martial artist, who introduces him to her dojo and its masters. Each master possesses a distinct personality, creating numerous comedic moments. If reading this manga doesn't make you laugh, you might be devoid of life or soul. The artwork is impressive, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's slight nudity, but even if you're uncomfortable with an occasional exposed nipple, it's still worth reading.
Kenichi is your typical protagonist.
Gets beat up
Finds a master
Becomes incredibly strong
Defeats everyone
Great stuff.
But it's a manga with over 500 chapters, and I understand that many people might not have the time to fully experience it. However, I'd say it's worth reading. It's like Naruto; you have to grow with it. Everyone remembers Naruto, right? It's not THAT great of a series, but because we grew up with him, he's like our childhood hero, just like Goku. Kenichi is somewhat similar to us—just an ordinary human without any chakra nonsense. Kenichi has to endure trial after trial, testing his love for Miu, and that's what I love about him. He never gives up, even when he was nearly killed. He keeps going and tries his hardest. Unlike his peers, Kenichi isn't gifted, so he has to undergo grueling training to become someone great. Can't we apply that to our real lives as well? We need to keep pushing forward, even when we really want to give up, because in the end, it'll all be worth it. That's why I love Kenichi so much that I've read it three times.
First things first. My "reviews" system is explained on a blog entry, which can be found through my profile.
✦Story
Well, it's the typical battle shounen with some ecchi elements and a "wimpy" main character. We follow his growth as he meets new people, including his love interest. There are many cool battles and superb fanservice, all wrapped up with satisfying humor.
I honestly can't complain much about this manga. The story felt blissful and straightforward, with reasonable development and plot points. Our protagonist grows under the guidance of his overpowered masters, each with quirky traits. Despite having no talent initially, he relentlessly trains to become stronger, aiming to protect those he cares about, especially the woman he loves. Martial arts also deeply interest him.
In essence, this is a well-executed battle shounen. It's not overly complex or too simple. There's character growth, new abilities, and interesting characters. What more could you want from a battle shounen?
However, I did find some arcs, particularly towards the end, oddly "fillerish," feeling out of place. This is likely why I lowered the score a bit. Another issue for me is that manga, being text and pictures, doesn't deliver as much emotional impact for me.
Some villains' purposes confused me. For example, one "final boss's" plotline still puzzles me.
✦Art
The characters are cool, the girls are hot, there's nice fanservice, and some really cool fight scenes. I have no complaints.
Fanservice was present for both genders, though obviously, this is a shounen anime, so males get more attention. Women wear revealing dresses and tight outfits, while niche characters have their own serviceable choices of clothing. Suggestive angles and awkward moments add to the fanservice. On the male side, we see shirtless, buffed, and muscular bodies, different kinds of powerful physiques, lots of alpha male stereotypes. So there's plenty of "sexiness" going around for both sides.
To sum up, the art in this manga was superb. Cool battles, hot characters, great fanservice moments. Since the manga also had great humor, some reactions and moments had priceless facial expressions and other gag moments.
✦Character
There's an unreal amount of characters, many quirky or odd ones. That part I absolutely loved. As mentioned, the main cast's character growth was quite satisfying. Even some side characters got a little attention, some more than others, ensuring they had backstories, flashbacks, or presence even after their arc.
The biggest minus would be that some characters confused me a bit, specifically their reasons and backstories.
✦Enjoyment & Overall
I've seen the anime 2 or 3 times. Now, after a long time, I finally read this manga, and it was worth it. It's a straightforward battle shounen with a martial arts theme, great humor, and comedy touches. The visual appeal was superb, very cool, and I loved the fanservice in this manga. It was well done, fitting, and hot but not too arousing. Without fanservice, this manga would be duller or even ruined. (I can't comment on "male fanservice" as I don't really notice such details aside from what I mentioned previously.)
Some great gag moments and facial expressions will go into my "funny stuff" folder.
To sum it all up: "Great straightforward battle shounen with a martial arts theme and a touch of good fanservice."
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