What would happen if I were confined by the love of beautiful twin sisters?
“Tetsuya-kun. I’m sure you’re barely aware of it, but you’re being confined by us.”
“Starting today, this room of mine will be the love nest for you and us!”
Tetsuya Fudandori, an ordinary university student, wakes up one day in an unfamiliar room. There, he meets Sakuya Ryoten, who has shining silver hair, and Satsuki Ryoten, her twin sister who cooks incredibly delicious meals. Confined by these beautiful twin sisters whom he has no acquaintance with, Tetsuya is forced into a strange captive life just before summer vacation.
“I won’t lay a hand on you! Absolutely not!” Against the nightly aggressive attacks from the elder sister, Sakuya, the younger sister, Satsuki, eagerly awaits, ready to embrace him as if she had been waiting. The reason for their confinement is only revealed to be “Sakuya loves Tetsuya”… There seems to be some extraordinary circumstances behind it.
“Hey, let me hear the sound of your heartbeat…”
Now, the slightly stimulating and sweetly thrilling life of Tetsuya and the beautiful twin sisters begins…
Will Tetsuya be able to escape from this “cage of love”!?
Huh? Do I have to get out?
The unfortunate reality of Shonen Jump during that period was the cancellation of several series due to insufficient sales, and Gun Blaze West was one such casualty. This series was discontinued against the wishes of Nobuhiro Watsuki, the creator of Buso Renkin and the renowned seinen manga, Rurouni Kenshin ("Samurai X" in Europe).
Despite having all the elements for success, Gun Blaze West was eventually lost to memory due to poor sales among its supporters. I must admit, I wasn't familiar with the series at all, but out of curiosity, I decided to explore Watsuki's works—having purchased a volume of Kenshin that day—and realized that Watsuki is one of the few mangaka who ventured into uncharted territory, breaking away from Japanese clichés. When I refer to "Japanese clichés," I'm addressing the current trends in manga marketing that persist despite being overused. Gun Blaze West stands as the only western-themed manga I know of and the sole one edited by VIZ in the industry. Consequently, Watsuki remains an underrated author, with many identifying him solely as the creator of Kenshin rather than recognizing his other masterpieces that achieved significant success at the time.
Gun Blaze West ventures into a genre rarely explored by manga: cowboys. Although the synopsis refers to gunslingers (gunfighters in the VIZ edition), the story revolves around Viu Bannes, a boy determined to uncover the mystical land called "Gun Blaze West," a place accessible only to the strongest in the West. The narrative unfolds in the United States, where our hero resides in Illinois, in a village named Winston Town, in 1875. The story follows Viu's journey, marked by incremental growth achieved through immense effort. The manga adopts a narrative style reminiscent of One Piece, featuring a naive hero embarking on a quest to reach an unknown land in search of a great treasure, which, like in One Piece, remains shrouded in mystery. Along the way, Viu encounters Marcus Homer, akin to Portgas D. Ace in One Piece—an older brother figure who ultimately sacrifices himself for the protagonist. This element suggests that Oda may have drawn inspiration from Gun Blaze West, given its earlier publication and emotional depth.
Viu Bannes, the protagonist, is deeply loyal to his friends and consistently finds ways to overcome adversaries, much like characters in later shonen staples such as One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, Hitman Reborn, and Fairy Tail. However, Viu transcends these archetypes by fitting seamlessly into his role as a hero within the shonen framework. The western setting enhances his development both as a man and a skilled gunman. As Watsuki himself stated, "Viu came about from my strong wish to do a shonen-type main character."
In the second volume, new characters are introduced, showcasing Watsuki's talent for crafting original personalities without reusing characters from his previous works. He provides detailed explanations of each character at the end of every chapter. The volume resolves events from the first book, where Target Kevin sets fire to a house where Viu and his companions—Will Johnson and his sister, Carol Johnson—are staying. After everyone is saved, Viu plans to confront Target Kevin. The mayor invites him to participate in a game called "Deadly Target," requiring quick and precise gun handling. Following this challenge, Viu and Will Johnson meet Colice Satou, a new recruit; Robert Rodriguez, who trains Viu in gun usage; Uno and Dos, twin sons of Guallaripa seeking to aid their father; and Guallaripa, a former partner of Robert Rodriguez. These characters were intended to play significant roles, but the manga's cancellation left them underdeveloped. Despite this, the artwork remains exceptional, and the battles, though brief and focused, are compelling.
The third and final volume introduces three more characters: JJ, a determined armed man traveling to Gun Blaze West with his gang (Watsuki describes him as a "colder version of Marcus Homer"); Armor Baron, the first messenger of Gun Blaze West (a sort of judge); and Sarge Thunderarm, a soldier of the United States Cavalry Army who survived a cannonball strike and was rebuilt as a cyborg to locate Gun Blaze West. Ultimately, Gun Blaze West represents the promise Viu made at the beginning of the story. Despite some spoilers and repetitive lines, the manga concludes effectively.
It's regrettable that this manga was canceled, yet its ending features a remarkable plot twist, highlighting Watsuki's creativity in delivering a satisfying conclusion within limited time. Gun Blaze West ranks among my favorite short manga, alongside "Barrage" by Kohei Horikoshi, which is my all-time favorite. I can't assign a score lower than 9/10 to this manga. Its cancellation was deeply unfortunate, but even with recurring references to the same destination (Gun Blaze West), it offers value, allowing readers to experience diverse manga genres while enjoying a unique story rarely found in Japanese comics.
Story: 9 | Art: 10 | Character: 6 | Enjoyment: 10
Score: 9<p>
The narrative isn't particularly original. Its plot mirrors popular shounen series like One Piece and Naruto — the familiar "I'm going to be the best" trope we've encountered countless times. For many long-running shounen mangas, this isn't necessarily negative since subplots often compensate for a lack of an engaging main plot. However, this manga lacks enough chapters to delve into any compelling subplots. That said, credit must be given for its distinctive setting. The Wild West theme adds a unique touch that helps the manga stand out somewhat.
The artwork was solid, though I wasn't entirely fond of the specific style Watsuki chose for this manga. Personally, I preferred his art in Rurouni Kenshin. Nonetheless, it remains a visually appealing manga. While the style didn't resonate with me, there's no denying the quality of the artwork. Action sequences and backgrounds are well-rendered, and the character designs are passable.
It's tough to assess the characters because they never had the opportunity to fully develop. Viu Bannes is a likable protagonist, albeit a walking cliché. He's determined to be the best, partly driven by a childhood tragedy — does that sound familiar? Of course, it does. Mr. Bannes doesn't stray far from characters like Monkey D. Luffy and Naruto Uzumaki. The other characters aren't especially fascinating, but they're likable despite the lack of development.
I can't deny that this manga was enjoyable. The Wild West theme contributes to some highly entertaining action scenes. Although the story might not have room to explore intriguing directions, the potential it establishes makes the manga enjoyable to read. Overall, I'm uncertain if I'd recommend it universally, but if you're a fan of Nobuhiro Watsuki and enjoy shounen manga, then give it a try. Otherwise, proceed with caution. It's a fun read, but its untapped potential makes it difficult to wholeheartedly recommend.