Scarphase

I'd heard that the plot was almost impossible to follow, and whoever said that hit the nail on the head. The narrative shifts abruptly, making it quite challenging to keep up. It's not that the writing itself is complex; rather, the story simply lacks coherence. Viewing it as a series of random short stories within the same universe helps make it slightly more digestible. Given that this was his debut work, I can forgive some of its flaws.  

The artwork isn't up to Shirow's usual standard, lacking the detailed backgrounds fans have come to expect from him. There's even a panel where a character is inexplicably missing an eye.  

The characters remain largely undeveloped, with little to no backstory provided. I assume they're meant to be god-like figures, but it's difficult to say for sure.  

In the end, I enjoyed engaging with this piece, but I wouldn't recommend it to others.  

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This is Masamune Shirow's debut work, and as one might anticipate, it falls far short of his finest creations. It comprises a collection of loosely interconnected short stories set within the same universe, featuring a recurring cast of characters who occasionally make appearances. The backdrop blends semi-hard science fiction with exceedingly soft elements, further muddled by poorly defined magic/ESP components that only add to the confusion.  

The overarching plot is essentially unintelligible. A prelude and epilogue attempt to frame the series, yet they bear no clear relation to the rest of the narrative. Moreover, the epilogue itself is perplexing even when considered independently.  

Undoubtedly, the standout story involves special forces soldiers battling androids. Stripped of its magical elements and distilled, this tale would later evolve into the entertaining anime OVA of the same title.  

I would only suggest reading this for its historical significance in manga. Here, you can observe the foundational ideas that Shirow would refine and enhance in later works like Appleseed and Ghost in the Shell, offering insight into the evolution of his concepts over time.  

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It is lol, its like eating sugar, its bad for you but you eat it anyways

A translator tried to translate but got DMCA around chapter 100. Currently 'Yonder' has the official rights and it is also completely translated on Yonder. Only drawback- you can only read 1 free chapter per day, more are paid.

The end was kinda anticlimactic, rushed and overall just disappointing

Great, we got psycho mc...