Art: Gritty, tight, and detailed, the artwork is always great (excepting a few minor issues in the first few chapters). Though the style may be off-putting at first, and occasionally confusing (once you figure it out, it makes sense just why it was drawn that way), it is hard to imagine a better fit for the story. Both the Crapsack World of the Hole and the Cloud Cuckoo Land of the Magic Users' world come to life. The scenery is full and developed. The character designs are intriguing as well, and contrary to what some sources may say, it really isn't hard to tell the marked characters apart. Sadly, the art isn't conducive to reading it online, so to really absorb the story you need a hard copy.
Characters: Very interesting characters abound. The main cast are all fleshed out. The characterization is not in-your-face obvious, but rather gets revealed through actions and relationships as the story goes on. The protagonists exhibit great development: Kaiman and Nikaido as they get closer together, Kaiman again when he must come to terms with who he is. Others (En, Noi, Shin) experience less development (outside of flashbacks) but have well-rounded personalities to compensate. You can actually imagine how each character would react to a certain situation and get a good idea of their hobbies in the main story (as opposed to just in bonus chapters). While some characters may be one-note, they are (mercifully) either really cool or really minor.
Character designs are universally pretty awesome. You will find a character to like.
The fantasy elements are creative and interesting (Magic Users produce magic smoke and ride on brooms).
Story: Complex and very interesting with a side order of suspense, the story is (like everything else) excellent. While some might complain about slow pacing, this is actually a plus. While certain antics do not contribute to the main plot, they are either hilarious or give further insight into the characters. And this framework makes any confrontation that much more awesome. Fights are rather abrupt and brutal. There are few long, drawn-out conflicts, no I Am Not Left Handed moments. They start quickly, end quickly, but never really at the expense of being interesting. When they get drawn out, it usually involves running away or fighting multiple opponents.
Incredible!
Simply put, a fantastic manga.
Art: Gritty, tight, and detailed, the artwork is always great (excepting a few minor issues in the first few chapters). Though the style may be off-putting at first, and occasionally confusing (once you figure it out, it makes sense just why it was drawn that way), it is hard to imagine a better fit for the story. Both the Crapsack World of the Hole and the Cloud Cuckoo Land of the Magic Users' world come to life. The scenery is full and developed. The character designs are intriguing as well, and contrary to what some sources may say, it really isn't hard to tell the marked characters apart. Sadly, the art isn't conducive to reading it online, so to really absorb the story you need a hard copy.
Characters: Very interesting characters abound. The main cast are all fleshed out. The characterization is not in-your-face obvious, but rather gets revealed through actions and relationships as the story goes on. The protagonists exhibit great development: Kaiman and Nikaido as they get closer together, Kaiman again when he must come to terms with who he is. Others (En, Noi, Shin) experience less development (outside of flashbacks) but have well-rounded personalities to compensate. You can actually imagine how each character would react to a certain situation and get a good idea of their hobbies in the main story (as opposed to just in bonus chapters). While some characters may be one-note, they are (mercifully) either really cool or really minor. Character designs are universally pretty awesome. You will find a character to like. The fantasy elements are creative and interesting (Magic Users produce magic smoke and ride on brooms).
Story: Complex and very interesting with a side order of suspense, the story is (like everything else) excellent. While some might complain about slow pacing, this is actually a plus. While certain antics do not contribute to the main plot, they are either hilarious or give further insight into the characters. And this framework makes any confrontation that much more awesome. Fights are rather abrupt and brutal. There are few long, drawn-out conflicts, no I Am Not Left Handed moments. They start quickly, end quickly, but never really at the expense of being interesting. When they get drawn out, it usually involves running away or fighting multiple opponents.