Peacemaker Kurogane Volume 1Artist: Nanae Chrono
Publisher: ADV Manga
Genre: Action
Firstly, I had no clue as to what this manga was about when I picked it up, and neither had I heard of the mangaka (
artist) before. Yet, it somehow interested me after I read the description on the back of the book; something to do with a revolution, murder, revenge and mysterious characters. I was certainly in for a ride once I started reading. For those new to this manga, just like me, this is actually a follow-up series from a previous one entitled "
Peacemaker".
The cover was somewhat misleading for me, just like Tokyo Tribes but on the opposite end of the scale. It shows Tetsunosuke, one of the main characters, when his samurai sword stained in blood. There is red stitching on his clothes, and while the rest of him is shaded out, only the stitches are in colour, appearing he has blood covering his clothes and dripping from his mouth. His eyes are in the same blood red colour, therefore portraying violence immediately. The manga is not violence all the way, but is actually more plot based.
After reading in depth the introductions and almost everything (
and I really do mean everything) the book had to offer, the plot is interesting once you know something about it. The story is set vaguely in the revolutionary days of Japan during the 19th century. The two main characters, Tetsunosuke and Tatsunosuke are orphans after having their family murdered by rebels. Hence, they decided to join a samurai group which is called Shinsengumi gain revenge. The Shinsengumi are sworn enemies of the rebels.
The first volume doesn't delve too deeply into the history of the characters, mainly because there was an entire series that covered it before. However, we still get to know some characteristics of the main two characters. For example, we can derive that Tetsunosuke is the younger brother, and is naive by the way he is treated and portrayed in the first chapter. His personality somewhat reminded me of Edward from Full Metal Alchemist. On the other hand though, Tatsunosuke is visually older and seems wiser by the way he talks, although Tetsunosuke is equally curious and smart.
The artwork is sharp and clear, and true to its theme. I felt that the artwork matches the personalities of each character, from the mysterious Hajime to the serious Tatsunosuke, all of the characters are given their personalities straight from the drawings. I found no complaint in Nanae Chrono's work here, and even though it's not original in any way at all, it still felt refreshing. I have seen quite a few artists struggle with the angles when it comes to fight scenes, often creating confusion in the reader's mind. However, Nanae's work here leaves no doubt as to what is happening, and all the fighting scenes are clear.
The first volume leaves much to be covered later on in the series plot-wise. However, it still was a good read and unique compared to the themes of other manga based on ninja/samurai. I feel that because it is based during the revolutionary days, the manga has an edge over others of its type as it feels more authentic. There isn't a special extra feature in this book, only a small omake from the artist explaining intentions to create Peacemaker Kurogane and saying thanks to the purchasers.
For new readers, the manga is still interesting (
as it was for me) and I will keenly follow this title as new volumes are released. The charm of it is most likely the fact that it appears to be fact rather than fiction, since the plot is loosely based around the revolutionary days. Unfortunately, it seems that the previous series was not released in English, and therefore readers will have to research on their own, or read extremely carefully this volume to find out everything. This doesn't make it less entertaining in any way.
Review Written: Saturday 1st January 2005 by Shabbir
