Tangled Hearts - The Alpha's Baby Mama

best book ever

I honestly feel bad for Amos.  He was tricked when he was at a vulnerable incognizant moment by her sister who looks like her.   He’s a victim being treated like a villain.

One of the greatest warfare manga/manhwa I’ve come across. The major characters are incredibly well-crafted, with both the protagonist and antagonists being likable and believable. Their personalities are distinct, and their backgrounds are compelling.

What I particularly admire about the main character, Ares, is that he isn’t some overly idealistic figure afraid of killing, expecting to win through peace and friendship while making allies along the way. He’s the kind of person who will eliminate anyone he needs to without hesitation. Perhaps it's because I've been reading too much shounen manga lately, but I find it incredibly refreshing to have a protagonist who doesn't rely solely on the power of friendship to save the day.

Another highlight is how powerful the main characters are. They can take down scores of enemies single-handedly, and it feels absolutely epic when they do. If you enjoy watching strong characters in action, this is definitely worth checking out.

Additionally, I love the frequent character deaths. Being a seinen manga, deaths are expected, but some occur unexpectedly, amplifying their impact. The story doesn’t linger too long on any one death. Many characters pass throughout the narrative, sometimes with only half a chapter dedicated to them, or just a panel or two, before moving on. This creates a stark sense of expendability, reminding us that no matter how strong someone may be, they're still just one individual and unlikely to turn the tide of a battle alone.

The twists and turns in this manhwa are fantastic, keeping you hooked and eager to discover what happens next.

Lastly, the art style deserves mention. This is undoubtedly the most divisive aspect, as Ares doesn’t boast a "beautiful" art style. Readers expecting something akin to Kingdom or Vagabond might be put off by its uniqueness. Personally, I adore the art style. It’s unlike anything else, and I believe it perfectly complements the story. It’s difficult for me to articulate why, but after reading all 207 chapters three times, I can’t imagine this story rendered in any other visual style. It truly is distinctive, and there are some breathtaking panels.

This is an outstanding warfare seinen manga, featuring excellent character development, backstories, personalities, plenty of combat, and solid world—or should I say continent—building. If you’re into warfare stories in any form, I highly recommend giving this manga a try. It’s one of my personal favorites, and I frequently revisit it. Having completed three full reads, I’m certain it won’t be my last!

Ares is an entertaining, action-packed manga filled with great surprises.  

The characters are fun, charismatic, and possess a certain depth. However, the author doesn't develop them properly, attempting to impose that depth artificially to influence their fates. For me, this approach didn't work, preventing me from forming a connection with them.  
Even those who play more significant roles in the story lack deeper insight. Nevertheless, their charisma manages to keep the story engaging.  

The protagonist, Ares, is the typical dimwitted character. Yet, his purity creates some of the best moments in the narrative, so he does have his merits.  

The story is good, managing to surprise at various points, from battles to character revelations. The way the author crafts antagonists and their conflicts is commendable.  
However, the story falls short in elaborating on the details of its central theme—the war. For instance, the author emphasizes the war's impact on people's lives, portraying it as raw and merciless for the characters. The issue lies in the fact that the author only mentions it, failing to delve into the characters' pain over losing loved ones or showcasing someone whose perspective changed due to the war consuming their life.  
That said, as an action-driven work, it still excels. It consistently evokes emotion and delivers well-constructed fight scenes.  

The art is the weakest aspect of the manga. While isolated fights can occasionally deliver with solid choreography and action sequences, large-scale army battle scenes become confusing and unclear.  

Ares was an enjoyable read, offering great battles and a lively story. However, it fails to provide more depth and connection to its characters.

Adventure stories are often thrilling narratives, their success hinging on several key factors that elevate them to greatness—or not. These include the stakes within the universe, the intricacy of world-building, the depth of character development, the progression of events, and numerous other subtle elements.

For "Vagrant Soldier Ares," I am proud to say it ticks all these boxes. It’s an outstanding manhwa, and perhaps one of the finest adventure stories I’ve ever encountered, or at least one that left me most exhilarated.

The story unfolds in a world ravaged by territorial wars and intricate geopolitical conflicts. The author plunges us into a complex and harsh realm governed by the law of the strongest. Through the eyes of young teenage mercenaries, we embark on an adventure that blends multiple genres and ideas.

Firstly, the world-building in this manhwa is exceptional. As mentioned earlier, the author has made a commendable effort to present compelling and engaging stakes. We quickly grasp the challenges of this universe and their implications for the characters. This aspect draws us deeply into the narrative. Over its 26 volumes, the evolving geopolitical dynamics consistently deliver surprises—a remarkable feat.

Another standout feature is the character development. The cast of "Ares" is truly impressive. We meet characters with endearing personalities, often more complex than they initially appear. Unlike works that rely on stereotypes, "Ares" delves deeply into its characters' growth as they confront various trials. The author cleverly subverts expectations by exploring themes of heroism and anti-heroism, war and its aftermath. There's a profound elevation of the adventure genre here, with a genuine examination of soldiers' psychologies and the impact of warfare.

Lastly, I must highlight the artwork. I've become a huge fan of the author's style. There's an undeniable charm in its imperfect yet expressive nature, where line thickness accentuates emotions and postures. It recalls Taiyou Matsumoto's work, though the paneling isn't as sophisticated. Nonetheless, it exudes a unique allure. If I were to create my own manga, I’d aspire to adopt a similar aesthetic.

"Ares" was indeed an extraordinary journey. I cherish the memories it left, largely due to the aspects discussed above. In today's landscape, few adventure stories match its depth and psychological exploration. I was genuinely captivated by the narrative. Years from now, I’ll likely revisit this tale with great anticipation.  

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Rather than rant about the obsessive steps I took to acquire and read this series from start to finish, I just wanted to say… “Wow.” Or more like “Holy cow… What an incredible manga series this turned out to be.” Well, at least for me… but, it’s a complete game-changer for me. Rarely do I find myself genuinely enjoying combat-oriented manga/anime series… yet… Friends, this was certainly no ordinary series to overlook. It has all the makings of a splendid series, perhaps even bordering on epic. The plot and story are absolutely clever and creative, the characters are very genuine and personal, and the art and developments (in the story) are marvelously detailed. Gah! I am still practically speechless from the sheer enjoyment I derived from this series. Really, encountering this series was a fantastic experience for me. It's just that amazing of a series… Honestly, I’m surprised more people haven’t discovered how awesome it is. :P

Anyway, here's why I became so fanatical about this particular series…

The Story~

For once, as it is a rare case for many as well as myself, I was hooked onto this series after just reading the first few chapters. The plot was already incredibly intriguing. I couldn’t help but want to see what would happen next… From the beginning, meeting the three “main” protagonists, I just wanted to know what kinds of incidents and encounters they would face later in the story.

I’m not too familiar with the original plot idea or anything, but basically, it seemed to revolve around something akin to the mythic ages of ancient Mesopotamia and Minoa and whatnot… The story of Troy, however, wasn't a major plot factor… What’s somewhat amusing, as it is in many other series, is the use of anachronisms throughout the plot. Who would have thought the people would dress like they were from the modern age, right? Anyway, the story initially takes place during this tumultuous era but within a period of peace that several countries experience. Regardless, one finds that the main characters try to join the Mercenary squadron of the military… Although their goal is to earn money by defeating wanted criminals and bandits, they soon confront a much more dire situation…

From the start, the Adventure sets off the story. Then, as the plot progresses, drama becomes another complementary factor that adds more details and background about characters and settings. These details, along with multiple cliffhanger scenes, drive the story forward. Although maybe somewhat subtle and hidden, one can see that the “Fights” and battles occur for specific reasons. The manhwa artist skillfully uses his characters to illustrate themes and feelings that readers can relate to personally. Tension, distress, and joy are all provided with efficient and illustrative details from the art, narrations, and dialogues. From beginning to end, I felt that nothing could replace the absolute creativeness and appeal that this series demonstrated to me.

The Art~

To be honest, I was hesitant to start this series because I didn’t particularly find the cover art very appealing. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a try since the plot summary was at least a bit intriguing to my tastes. And so, after becoming so engrossed and fascinated with the plot itself, I don’t know exactly what my reaction was to the art… I either became very accustomed to its unique and somewhat crude style… or, I just started to love it because it was different. I mean, the details in the “sketching” part of the manhwa are quite impressive. I don’t recall reading any other sort of manga/comic that contained so much detail in fight scenarios. Personally, I would find it tedious to draw so many “panels” (I don’t remember the exact term for each scene displayed in a manga) of repeated armor, weapon, wound, and background setting designs. But the manhwa artist worked quite thoroughly to make many shapes and figures symmetrical and rather precise. The general layout of characters was more or less proportional and yet somewhat rigid and lanky-looking… Regardless, I found that there were no major distortions drawn, which made the art style appropriate and genuine for reading alongside the story.

The Characters~

Ah… Well, outside of the art realm, the characters were almost human. I mean, come on, there are always exaggerations and other hyperboles that every author loves to use, and well, the manhwa author/artist is no exception. Nevertheless, for the most part, I could understand why the characters reacted the way they did because of their very “personal” traits. When something really triggers you to just want to punch something or someone, you’d really go and do it, right? Well, that’s the same reaction each character possesses in this story. What truly infuriates certain characters makes them go berserk. It’s quite a relief, or maybe just something “good,” to actually “sense” the emotions that the characters possess at certain times. Not every good book has realistic characters, right? But, this is an exception. Each person in real life has some sort of history or reason for why he or she does things, right? Of course, there are those spontaneous people, but spontaneity isn’t completely motive-free. And well, in this story, those statements hold true. The character development and revelation of history and background provide effective information to really understand and appreciate each character. I don’t mean that the author goes around Flash-backing left and right… but, it’s much more integrated with other people within the story… and then, there are connections to actual events and situations that may not always be relevant to the main storyline, but are at least intriguing and touching to read about. Altogether, I enjoyed reading about the transformations and progressions of characters. Each character possessed entertaining traits that I always loved to read more about.

Enjoyment Factor?

Ermm… Each chapter ended… with a major cliffhanger… I couldn’t resist reading more. Chapter after chapter… I found the plot developing… the characters revealing their personalities and histories… and well, the art style was just so enticing… Practically everything about the manhwa was amazing. Then again, my final impression of the story left me slightly sore because of, well, the climax of the second main story… I shan’t spoil it any further… I urge you to read and find out what I mean… Each of the seemingly endless battles reaches a pinnacle point so many times that the manhwa writer finally decides to settle it at the end of the series. Really, once one starts this series, there’s no turning back.

(P.S. It’s my terrible habit to start off with my extremely random and trivial commentary when writing reviews, as perhaps seen previously… It’s just that I have to express my high interest level in a more personal way in order to get going on the actual details of why I like a series or whatever. I’m sorry for the Fluffiness, in other words. :P
P.S.S. I don’t want you to feel like this load of Fluff was for nothing… Please, do give Ares a try. This is one underappreciated series that deserves more credit than it has been given thus far.)

If you enjoy war themes and combat, this is the type of manhwa that might appeal to you. Although it deals with a serious subject, the characters and their dynamics prevent it from becoming as bleak as some other manga. However, this does shift as the narrative advances. It's oddly invigorating to encounter a story that occasionally romanticizes war. I must mention that the author excels at creating suspense, which was a primary reason I continued reading.  

The main aspect I didn't care for was its reliance on some very predictable tropes later in the story, and certain parts felt unrealistic.  

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Many people say don't judge a book by its cover, well... I did. But after reading the summary, I found it surprisingly interesting. Although the artwork isn't typically my style, the story more than made up for any dissatisfaction with the art. Not only is the story fantastic, but the epic battles and wars depicted are breathtaking. With unexpected twists in the plot, it's impossible not to want to keep reading even more.