A Armadilha da Coroa

Finally came back and re-read till end. start is 10/10, mid is 5/10, ending is 0. 5/10. . . Translate get worse as chapters goes on and the ending kind of bad in my book. This could have more chapters, it seem like the author is rushing to close this novel.

Como te quedo el ojo chata (Feng Rushuang) creías que la tropa sangre de hierro le iba a dar lealtad fallo miserablemente. Por fin  Feng Ruqing  se gano la lealtad de la tropa. (Esos nombres chinos me tienen cabezona) capítulo 197 se esta poniendo caliente la escena de Feng Ruqing y Nan Xian todo gracias a la borrachera y la serpiente habrá un +18 en el siguiente capítulo(?).

Strain.

You might be wondering... What on earth is this? Who actually reads this series? There are around 300 people on this site who claim to have read it. [For comparison, there are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, reading Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach.]

Strain unites the writer from Fist of the Northern Star with an artist known for his realistic yet stylized, gritty art in other manga titles I can't recall right now. [If you've read manga, you've probably seen those "Meet the Author" sections.] Does this combination serve this Seinen manga well?

It does. The simplest way to describe this manga is that it closely resembles the pulp cop/crime drama it aspires to be. It unfolds much like an ambitious crime film from the '80s—full of serious moments and unintentionally humorous ones that are common in B-movies trying too hard—or not hard enough.

The synopsis gives the basic setup, but to summarize again: enigmatic Malaysian hitman Mayo [not related to mayonnaise]—who sketches horses in his spare time—is willing to kill anyone for five dollars. That’s enough for a burger, soda, and fries. [Apparently, all he needs is to entertain a lady for nourishment.] [Ma, pronounced a certain way, means Horse in Chinese.]

The story then introduces a variety of villains with distinct quirks, intrigue, and plot twists as our protagonist navigates through, firing plenty of bullets along the way.

Since the manga spans only 5 volumes [40 chapters total], it's quite short. It rarely slows down, constantly presenting new developments to the reader.

It's a thrilling read, striking an odd balance between cool and silly while featuring numerous nude scenes. For those interested, penises are generally invisible except for 2-3 panels.

It truly is a violent and crude manga, but I believe it's worth it. I encourage you to try the first few chapters and see if you enjoy it. I can't promise perfection, but I can assure you of a fairly positive experience if you give it a chance.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day.

From the team that brought us the iconic Sanctuary, Strain serves as an epic political/gangster thriller on a smaller scale.  

Author Yoshiyuki Okamura, also known as Sho Fumimura and Buronson (named after Charles Bronson, which makes perfect sense), dives into socio-economics this time, enriching the story with visceral violence from the backstreets of late 90's Malaysia.  

His talent lies in blending topical insights into Asia's global standing; the relationship between the criminal underworld and legitimate business, along with more compelling conflicts like friendship and family, and how politics can drive people to clash violently.  

Strain focuses on the Japanese mega-corporation Kusaka and its efforts to solidify Asia's role in the oil industry. Buronson gives us a quick lesson in business: there are two main tiers in the oil industry—upstream (oil production) and downstream (distribution)—with Westerners comfortably at the top in the lucrative upstream position, while Asia lags behind. Just like Sanctuary, the main characters here aim to overthrow the established system and give Asia a chance to break free from its constraints.  

So while Kusaka Corp is trying to consolidate power by searching for oil in Asia to secure an upstream position, our protagonist Mayo is navigating his shady life in Malaysia, encountering lovable maniacs like Angel, a bisexual homicidal cop with a tragic past.  

Without delving too deeply into the plot, this manga delivers a fast-paced thriller about corporations seeking power, offspring questioning their existence, unlikely brotherhoods forming while others crumble, spontaneous violence from psychopaths, history and economics lessons, and plenty of excellent quotes from Buronson aka Sho Fumimura aka Yoshiyuki Okamura. (Pick one name already!)  

Ryoichi Ikegami's art deserves mention; the artist continues his brilliant realistic portrayal of landscapes, characters, and action. Everything looks sophisticated and mature, but more importantly, it’s beautifully staged. His pay-offs are exceptional—they don’t require double-page spreads to make an impact; he can deliver satisfying panels unexpectedly.  

Strain is a fantastic thriller that occasionally transcends its pulpy nature, offering a great story and action. It enlightens the reader while providing drama. Although some twists might be too much for some readers, focus on the characters' actions rather than logistics; it’s thematically consistent and highly entertaining. It keeps the narrative fresh and engaging, never letting the pace slow down.  

Strain races to an ending that feels too brief but filled with poetic justice. Five volumes work well for pacing, but this manga could have reached Sanctuary's level if it were of similar length, showcasing the duo's mastery behind these incredible stories.

This manga was absolutely terrible, and I'm seriously considering gouging my eyes out. You know that feeling when you experience something so incredible it feels like a mental orgasm, where you meet Jesus and briefly step into Nirvana? Well, this manga gave me the exact opposite effect. It was as if the entire world ended, leaving me alone, staring into the abyss, only for the abyss to stare back and mockingly yell "cuck!" at me.

Honestly, I feel deeply disgusted after reading what Buronson has the audacity to call writing. His work is overly idealistic, dangerously nationalistic, and teeters on the edge of toxic masculinity—a problem men just can't seem to shake off. All of these elements are crammed together in one series, featuring characters who might have decent backstories but lack consistency because Buronson wields his pen like an obnoxious frat guy at a keg party, flailing it around like some kind of grotesque display.

There's so much wrong with this series that I'm actually glad it went out of print, sparing more innocent people from stumbling upon it. No one deserves to endure the suffering of reading this abomination of a book. <p>