King of Hell Volume 1

The reason that I read King of Hell is because of a steal that I got at another bookstore, I got the first 10 Volumes for $25. But after reading these first 10 Volumes, I wish that I had started to read this manga sooner. Our story starts off simple enough, our "hero" Majeh is standing at the gate separating the regular world with the next world, but upon entering things begin to get crazy between Majeh and his boss the King of Hell. Majeh appears to be but a young boy with a wicked looking sword, but there is more to him than meets the eye. Anyway, from there Majeh moves on to take the soul of a man who is on his deathbed where some rather funny exchanges take place between the dying man and the spirit envoy Majeh. Afterwards, things start to get interesting as Majeh begins to battle a monster, showing some seriousness to this manga (though with the occasional comedic exchange, especially the flipping of the middle finger which is a common theme in this series). After a couple of other scenes where Majeh fights more monsters, our hero encounters an extremely powerful creature that manages to easily defeat Majeh, but instead of destroying him, he lets Majeh live. We even see some insight as to how Majeh came to be an envoy for Hell. The book ends with the start of a battle between what appears to be some mysterious old man, his student, and Majeh. Well, I'll admit, this is one of those mangas where it helps if you have the kind of sense of humor that is used in the book (fortunately I have such a sense of humor, lol). Anyway, this isn't the greatest starter in a series of manga that I have ever read, it seems like there is an almost even mix of comedy and action in this book, which isn't bad because I like a good comedy (personally, in my reading, I tend to be more of an action fan). Anyway, this is still a really good start to the story (and yes, it gets better from here with lots more action (and wtill with plenty comedy thrown in at just the right moment). This is one manga that should at least be given a chance.

Don't judge this series on volume 1. I also found volume 1 a bit corny and slow but it sure picks up after volume 3. Volume 1 tells who the characters are and how this story is structure. Volume 3+ Begins to show some great fights and good story telling. Volumes 8+ begin to get into more world problems were our main character will finally have to revert back to his old self to stop these things from happening. Trust me stick with this series. A weak first volume *Give it a 3/5 for volume 1* builds up to a much better series and by volume 5-6 you'll be thanking me that you read this.

This is a great new manga. The art is some of the best I have seen in manga today. The story is electifying, expecially if you are into feudal Korea and its lore. If you like action packed manga and great art, then you will want to pick this up. If you like intense fighters slaying demons with a side of humor (yes, Im talking to you Inu Yasha fans out there) then you will definetely want this manga. The best part is that it is new and there are only 6 volumes to collect so far. This means you dont have to go out and collect 26 of these things right off the bat. Conclusion, get this.

I will be the first to admit that this is not the best manga I've ever read, however, I'm not really writing this review based on the first volume of the series. It definately has its flaws, but I have a problem starting a series and not finishing it. In this case, that turned out to be a good thing. Yes, the main character was abrasive and I didn't fall in love with him in the first volume, but remember this is just setting up the premise not telling the whole story in one fell swoop.The following volumes explain events that make the MC understandable and even likable. It is no better or worse than any martial manga. Perhaps it is a little better than some because the MC is proven to have a brain in small ways, unlike other manga MCs who are never redeemed from the realm of the lovable idiot savant with the golden heart.Therefore, the four stars are not for a single volume of King of Hell but for the totality of the series thus far. I really do enjoy characters who are not what they seem to be, just as this first volume is not representative of the whole.