Manga Review: SAMURAI 8, VOLUME ONE

SAMURAI 8, VOLUME ONE: THE TALE OF HACHIMARU by Masashi Kishimoto, writer and Akira Okubo, artist (VIZ Media LLC, March 2020) Paperback, 192 pages.  ISBN # 1974715027 / 9781974715022 

Summary on the Goodreads website . . . . 

Becoming a samurai seems like an impossible dream for Hachimaru, a boy who can’t even survive without the help of his father. But when a samurai cat appears before him, his whole life changes! A legendary manga creator and a rising star come together to bring you this science fiction samurai epic!

Only the most powerful warriors are able to transcend their human bodies and become something even greater—samurai. Samurai carry special souls within themselves and can travel through space as easily as walking the earth. Hachimaru has always dreamed of becoming a samurai, but he’s as weak as they come. He’s so sickly that he can’t even eat solid foods. Being too weak to leave the house may have turned Hachimaru into an expert at video games, but with enough heart, could he become a true samurai?  

My Three-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

     Every once in a while, I dip my comics reading toes into the Japanese manga waters, but it's usually only for a dip. I still don't desire to swim in these waters.

     I just haven't found anything in this comics-telling format to really grab me. Samurai 8, despite being written by the creator of the fabled Naruto and paired up with a promising young artist, didn't wow me like I was hoping. 

     I'm used to the format of reading from back to front now, so that no longer pulls me out of the story. The art is indeed very good, and really shines on the half-page and full-page panels. However, Akira Okubo's art has a lack of clear lines and shading, so it makes it really difficult for my eyes to understand what is going on in the smaller panels. It doesn't help that I'm reading this in a digest format which really compresses the complex and highly detailed art. I'd love to view this in a good magazine sized hardcover. 

     The story is well-done but is written more for a middle-grade and young adult audience, who should find this more appealing than I do. A sickly young boy, shut-in and hooked up to equipment to keep him alive, gets a life-changing chance for a more active and fulfilling life when he meets a samurai cat who offers to train him. 

     The primary character, young Hachimaru, should be sympathetic but because he is selfish and ungrateful I didn't empathize with him. He's especially inconsiderate of his father who dedicates his life to providing for him and trying to improve his health.  Still, there's enough inventive battles and sprinkled samurai wisdom throughout to entertain younger readers who are interested in this type of story.

     I think I need to look for manga that is more adult in themes, perhaps explore the horror titles, and also look for something other than a digest-sized presentation. I read this as part of a monthly book club selection.