This manga left me breathless. There are only a few manga that have truly touched me, and even fewer in the shounen-ai/yaoi genre.
What makes this manga so exceptional? Why should you invest your time in it? The answer lies in the characters. The two main characters are incredibly human, which is deeply moving. Both teeter on the edge between sanity and insanity, their emotions constantly throwing them off balance.
You won't encounter stereotypes here. You won't always know what's coming next or how far each character will go. But it will captivate you, holding on so tightly that you'll be compelled to feel their anger, their madness, their desperation, and as a result, you'll appreciate the love all the more.
Bronze is not a cheerful story, but it is a mesmerizing one. The tragedy will linger with you, even after you've finished reading.
Like its predecessor, there isn't much to say about this one.
The most notable aspect of this manga is its art—though not in a positive way. The artwork is truly dreadful, painful to look at, and feels incredibly rushed, as if most pages were sketched in just 5 to 10 minutes. This isn't something that can be excused as a "style"; it's simply bad. Of course, it also exhibits the typical flaws found in poorly executed BL art, such as atrocious anatomy. Characters have absurdly large and pointed chins, unnaturally tall and thin bodies that resemble noodles, and disproportionately claw-like hands. To make matters worse, the drawings are inconsistent, straying so far from the original designs that it's hard to even recognize what the characters are supposed to look like.
The characters don't feel human; they come across as artificial, overly dramatic gay archetypes. Unless you're solely here for the BL content, there's nothing compelling about the story. In fact, the previously mentioned terrible art actively discourages you from reading further, making the experience unpleasant even if the story had merit (which it doesn't).
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this manga, even to fans of yaoi.
I haven't been able to read beyond chapter 64 since the rest hasn't been translated, even after all these years :( But despite that, I have NEVER EVER encountered anything that stirs the same depth of emotion as Bronze. The relentless battle between love and obsession is something I've never found elsewhere, and it's truly beautiful, captivating, yet heartbreakingly tragic. There's so much pain intertwined with passion among the characters, leaving what feels like an everlasting impression on my mind. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking to immerse themselves in the drama of a fervently toxic struggle between love, desire, and obsession.
<p>Even though I've tried, I haven't been able to find a story as tragic as Bronze. Bronze is all about desperate love, and I absolutely love it. At times, it really feels like the characters are insane. I've read many manga with better stories, art, and characters, but Bronze surpasses them all. Bronze is so rich in emotion that it can only be called a masterpiece. Bronze is better than its prequel, Zetsuai, but I still recommend reading Zetsuai first. Some aspects can be quite difficult to understand if you haven't read Zetsuai. Believe me, I know this firsthand since I read Bronze first and later discovered Zetsuai.</p>
So far, this is fantastic. It's progressing a bit more swiftly than "Zetsuai" did in the initial part of its series, but I'm only at Volume 3, so we'll have to wait and see what unfolds next. Some people claim that "Bronze" surpasses "Zetsuai," yet I don't concur with that evaluation. "Zetsuai" was a slow, agonizing ache, while "Bronze" feels like an incessant stabbing pain—unceasing, rapid, and relentless. Both possess their own merits and are masterpieces in their unique ways. I'm uncertain if this was the author's intention, but I can perceive the rationale behind the pacing of the two narratives.
(Next Part contains very minor spoilers, so skip if you'd rather not know)
In "Zetsuai," Izumi's soccer career and emotions are somewhat stagnant due to his past, which accounts for the slower pace of the story. Conversely, in "Bronze," Izumi's soccer career is advancing rapidly, so perhaps the narrative needed to keep up with his momentum, both metaphorically and literally.
Popular Reviews
What makes this manga so exceptional? Why should you invest your time in it? The answer lies in the characters. The two main characters are incredibly human, which is deeply moving. Both teeter on the edge between sanity and insanity, their emotions constantly throwing them off balance.
You won't encounter stereotypes here. You won't always know what's coming next or how far each character will go. But it will captivate you, holding on so tightly that you'll be compelled to feel their anger, their madness, their desperation, and as a result, you'll appreciate the love all the more.
Bronze is not a cheerful story, but it is a mesmerizing one. The tragedy will linger with you, even after you've finished reading.
However, you MUST read Zetsuai first.
The most notable aspect of this manga is its art—though not in a positive way. The artwork is truly dreadful, painful to look at, and feels incredibly rushed, as if most pages were sketched in just 5 to 10 minutes. This isn't something that can be excused as a "style"; it's simply bad. Of course, it also exhibits the typical flaws found in poorly executed BL art, such as atrocious anatomy. Characters have absurdly large and pointed chins, unnaturally tall and thin bodies that resemble noodles, and disproportionately claw-like hands. To make matters worse, the drawings are inconsistent, straying so far from the original designs that it's hard to even recognize what the characters are supposed to look like.
The characters don't feel human; they come across as artificial, overly dramatic gay archetypes. Unless you're solely here for the BL content, there's nothing compelling about the story. In fact, the previously mentioned terrible art actively discourages you from reading further, making the experience unpleasant even if the story had merit (which it doesn't).
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this manga, even to fans of yaoi.
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(Next Part contains very minor spoilers, so skip if you'd rather not know)
In "Zetsuai," Izumi's soccer career and emotions are somewhat stagnant due to his past, which accounts for the slower pace of the story. Conversely, in "Bronze," Izumi's soccer career is advancing rapidly, so perhaps the narrative needed to keep up with his momentum, both metaphorically and literally.
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