Most of you probably know about this manga already but I feel like sometimes it doesn’t get the props it deserves. The author is clearly well versed in history and the story he is trying to tell is awesome, Kingdom presents a beautiful blend of fact and fiction that is a pure joy to read. I wasn’t actually feeling the anime after season 2 so I decided to jump to the manga instead. And boy am I glad I did so.
Welcome back to another edition of our manga recommendation series! This week we are talking about Kingdom. It is one of the best historical seinen mangas out there. There is a lot to talk about so let’s get started right away!
Introduction
Kingdom is written and illustrated by Hara Yasuhisa. It started its serialization on 26th January 2006 in Shueisha’s Young Jump magazine. It is still ongoing and also has an ongoing anime adaptation, season 4 is still airing at the time of writing so check it out if you’re interested. The anime is really good as well, it is just that something about the anime didn’t click with me.
So Kingdom is known for its rich story and world-building. The blend of fact and fiction presented here is honestly some of the best in the industry. It should come as no surprise then that this manga is the 11th highest-rated manga on MAL. The art style may not be for everyone but more people need to jump on this series. It is amazing.
Plot
Kingdom tells the story of The Warring States period of Chinese history. It mainly follows the journey of Xin a slave who because of certain reasons becomes a good friend of the future king of his country, Zheng. Through the course of the series, as wars happen, we see Xin’s growth from a normal soldier into a really capable general.
Yes, I am remaining ambiguous on purpose with this one. I even avoided a huge early spoiler in the story. Kingdom has a very deep story. It goes into a lot of detail about the wars and politics. It is so detailed in fact, that at times it feels overwhelming. All of the major events and characters in the series are historically accurate. The author only uses fiction for things on which historic accounts are ambiguous. Otherwise, he sticks to facts as much as he can.
Characters
Xin is a really good lead character. That said though, Kingdom is full to the brim with great characters. This manga really manages to capture the presence and impact of the awesome historical figures during that period. The character writing in this series is just awesome. Xin’s character development from just a musclehead to actually a capable general type is really well done. Aside from that, there are just way too many good characters in this manga.
Art
Now, this is where most people will have problems. This manga’s art style is a very make-or-break kind of thing. You either have to like it or you list learn to live with it. Most of us do the latter just because the manga is so so good that we can make that compromise. As for the art itself though, Kingdom does have pretty detailed art, the battlefields and fights look really nice. If you can live with the quirky art style, you’re in for a huge treat.
Why should you read Kingdom?
Quick pointers on why you should check out this manga:
- Great plot
- Historically accurate
- Great characters
- Great fights
- Great world-building
Conclusion
Well, that’s all for now. Let me know what you guys think in the comments. Kingdom is an awesome manga and seriously more people should check this out. With that said, I will take my leave here. I have to complete my Genshin dailies. See ya!!
