The Agent's Love For The Princess

Once again, I find myself writing a review for a manga that has none, and it makes me happy :)  

"Ultra Red" is a martial arts manga centered around Sen, a practitioner of Haikaiken, a martial art that focuses on dislocating joints.  

The story begins in typical shonen fashion, featuring a young boy with dreams of becoming the strongest and defeating his father. While the plot follows a familiar formula seen in many other manga, it didn't bother me. When I started reading, I wasn't expecting a masterpiece of literature or anything profound. The narrative was simple enough to enjoy without overthinking, and it was executed well. One slight disappointment was that the story concluded its first arc but didn't continue into a second one, which left me feeling a little sad.  

The artwork in this manga is quite impressive. The character designs are well-crafted, and I can usually distinguish who's who during the fights. Additionally, the fight scenes are beautifully drawn. I dislike when excessive visual effects obscure the action, making it hard to follow what's happening. This manga strikes a great balance by keeping the fights engaging while ensuring clarity.  

Character development is kept minimal. You receive a reasonable amount of information about the characters throughout the story, but this manga doesn't waste time detailing every character's backstory. Honestly, I don't care about those anyway. So, the level of character development suited my taste, though fans of deep backstories might be disappointed. That said, the characters themselves are lovable and enjoyable, and Sen's personality even makes the enemies likable.  

Overall, "Ultra Red" is an entertaining manga. It's a quick read for anyone seeking something straightforward. If you're into martial arts, the techniques showcased here are unique. While some artistic liberties are taken in the fight scenes, they remain mostly believable.

First of all, I would like to express sympathy for this series, as it is quite evident that it was abruptly discontinued. This situation reminds me a lot of how my favorite underrated manga, Double Arts, concluded. Additionally, Mx0 was another good series that faced the same fate.  
  
[Story:8]  
The consistency in the storyline is present, although there were certain moments where I wasn't entirely clear on who some characters were referring to when they said "he." Nevertheless, the story is straightforward, concise, and enjoyable. However, it's undeniable that the last chapter was cut short. Despite this, the ending still manages to be fairly satisfying since it doesn't feel excessively rushed. Yes, there are some unclear elements due to the abrupt conclusion, but even taking that into account, I would rate it an 8/10. Before the final chapter, this manga had the potential to score a 9/10 or even a perfect 10/10. It certainly showed promise.  
  
Since I'm not a martial arts expert, it's difficult for me to assess the accuracy of the moves depicted and explained in the manga. However, I found them intriguing. If memory serves, Karate Shoukoushi Kohinata Minoru also includes similar "martial art information pages."  
  
[Art:8]  
The artwork is predominantly clean, clear, and detailed. The characters are distinct enough that I can easily identify them at a glance. The action sequences are skillfully drawn, effectively conveying the intensity of the battles.  
  
[Character:7]  
In terms of character development, I believe it falls slightly short. For instance, the protagonist appears too powerful, particularly in terms of recovery. While there are certainly exaggerated examples, such as the Insane Hounds in King of Hell or numerous other shounen manga characters who seem nearly invincible, I feel that the explanation regarding how the main character recovers or grows stronger isn't adequately clarified.  
  
At times, other characters lack sufficient focus. Overall, the character development is decent, but it could benefit from more attention being paid to the main characters, especially concerning their past and training.  
  
[Enjoyment:9]  
This is an excellent work, albeit too brief to leave me fully satisfied. Moreover, I'm not particularly fond of excessive bloodshed. I felt that the manga occasionally featured unnecessary gore (considering it's just a high school tournament... the mangaka made some fights seem overly serious, yet all participants recover effortlessly somehow).  
  
[Overall:8]  
Given that the series was discontinued, an 8 is well-deserved. However, considering its potential and coherence, I believe this manga merits a 9 or 10. It's truly a great fighting manga.  
  
On a side note, here are some mangas and a webtoon I'd recommend if you enjoyed this series:  
- God of Highschool (It's very similar, especially with the tournament aspect, focusing on martial arts, though it's exaggerated and incorporates supernatural elements)  
- Double Arts  
- Mx0  
- Karate Shoukoushi Kohinata Minoru

Try "I Don't want to be loved" too.