I’ve been recommended Ajin a lot of times now. To be fully honest, I never really got into anime because of the animation style. It is not something up my alley. I really couldn’t bare the animation style so I never really got past episode 1. But a friend of mine finally convinced me to pick up the manga and you know what? It is actually really good.
So welcome back to another edition of our anime recommendation series. This week we are talking about Ajin. Fair warning, this manga is not for everyone as it has a lot of gore in it. And sometimes the manga is a bit frustrating. If you do decide to continue though, this manga is quite the wild ride. So let’s get right into it.
Introduction
Ajin was published in the Good Afternoon seinen magazine from July 2012 to February 2021. The manga is written by Miura Tsuina and illustrated by Sakurai Gamon. It is 17 volumes or 84 chapters long and it also has an anime adaptation, which I don’t personally like. It is a gory supernatural horror manga. And it kind of reminds me of Tokyo Ghoul but both have very different premises despite some similarities. So let’s talk about that.
Plot
Ajin (in the manga) refers to people who cannot die. They were discovered 187 years ago and despite the fact that they can co-exist with normal humans, they are treated as objects. They are experimented on and treated as cash prizes by the bounty-hungry public. The protagonist is a normal high school kid but is identified as an Ajin after he survives an accident. Now he must run and somehow live in this hostile world.
Ajin has a rather interesting plot here. Like Tokyo Ghoul, it also aims for a “us vs. them” kind of mentality in which the MC is forced to choose a side. While Tokyo Ghoul executed this in a better way, Ajin is not far behind. The plot grows quite a bit more complex than you may expect toward the end. And the ending is actually quite good in my opinion.
Characters
Ajin has quite a lot of characters. And it quite astounding how many scumbags there are both on the human side and the other side. You first think that the humans are trash to the demi-humans and will have a few good people. But no, there are scumbags on each side. The author does a great job of making you hate both sides for different reasons. Kei really feels trapped between both sides and you can feel his predicament.
Art
Oh boy this is another area where this manga is kind of divisive. I personally like the art in the manga more than the anime. Like it doesn’t look unbearable like the anime. In fact, the art style looks quite fitting here. It is not the best thing I’ve seen but it is pretty cool regardless.
Why should you read Ajin?
Quick pointers on why you should check out this manga:
- Rather short
- Great plot
- Good characters writing
- Good art
Check out the manga on Amazon!!
Conclusion
Well, that is all for now. Let me know what you guys think in the comments. And yeah, I will take my leave here without much ado. It is quite late here and I am tired. See ya!!
