Shintetsu no Agartha - Chapter 1

Usually, if I see something interesting (and I check almost every day), I read it immediately. Yet, somehow Shintetsu No Agartha got passed by. Even though it's been getting monthly updates since April, I somehow never saw it. Or, if I did, I decided to pass it up for some reason. Which I can understand, as the description did put me off a bit - it gave the impression that I would be coming into the story with the "group" already being established and the main character already being powerful. I much prefer a story where I progress along with the protagonist - that is, he starts normal and then gains power or whatnot as the story comes along.

I probably would have passed it up once again if I hadn't been bored. It's another sleepless night (going on 7am now), and I needed something to pass the time. So I decided to give Shintestu No Agartha a go.


Chapter 1 review

The Artwork
It's nice, but not quite detailed. Seems kinda simple. I would have liked more detail and some better shading, but meh. It's good enough that I can deal with and can even be pleasing at some points. But it does give the impression that the Mangaka is probably working solo on the art. Especially if he/she is using the quality that they are for this first chapter - most of the time, the artwork peaks at the first chapter, when the mangaka is trying to grab your attention so you'll want to continue reading. I really hope that isn't the case here, because if it gets any worse from this point, I'll just drop it. Personally, I'm hoping that the mangaka will be able to invest into some better art if this series becomes popular enough - though I know it's not very likely.

Not much in the way of shadowing, and the background is pretty vague as well.

The Protagonist
Trying to figure out who the protagonist was was a bit fuzzy in the beginning. At first you think it'll be Alma, like the description suggests. However, you're introduced to Tenkou pretty early on. I want to say that it'll be a dual-protagonist story, with a group of strong supporting characters, but I'm thinking the story will learn a lot more heavily on Tenkou. I mean, he's the vehicle we're learning about this world through, right? We're being introduced to the harsh reality of this plague and the horrible world it's created through him.

Tenkou himself is portrayed as a very caring person. Heck, he broke rules and traveled in this harsh world just to save a few of his fellow villagers from another disease. And, to pound in how much of a risk this was, he witnesses the slaughter of a whole village because of it. He even willing accepts his exile without any fuss, because he knows that it's for the best. And, despite those villagers who he was trying to save having already died, he still wants to give them the medicine he got from the slaughtered village. Tenkou is a cool guy, yeah.



Other Characters
Besides Alma, none of the other members of Shintetsu stand out. Dio is the only memorable one, but that's only because the name is used more frequently than the others. I know the author wants us to care about these characters, but we've yet to have a reason to do so. They're all strangers at this point. The only one that actually gets any real attention is Alma (at least in this first chapter).

Alma (check out the screen cap under "The Artwork" to see how he looks from a distance) is a pretty odd guy. But it's understandable. Right off the bat, he's seen doing a mercy killing of an infected person, and that sets his personality for the rest of the chapter (and perhaps the story) - someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to get rid of the Megane, even if it means slaughtering villages. It actually feels odd that Alma did what he did for Tenkou. I had the initial impression that he wouldn't take chances, no matter if Tenkou was having a "slow progression" of the disease. But that's probably due to me not knowing all the "rules" of this Megane plague.


Of yeah, he rocks some headphones as well. Or maybe they're ear muffs? Either way, they seem highly out of place with the setting of the manga (At least so far). I mean, it's kind of hinted that some previous civilization (perhaps ours?) fell because of the Megane plague, so maybe it's a relic from that. But when you're introduced to Tenkou's village with its ancient tree, it just seems even more wrong. It seems like the mangaka designed Alma with them just so he could be stylish. That's just personal opinion, I guess.

The Story
The story revolves around the "Megane" - humans who succumb to some sort of disease that turns them into "Corroding black iron" monster that live to consume humans. This is what made me think the story was interesting. It's an not a concept overly used and it's something that has to be a bit on the mature side. And honestly, I wasn't far off on that assumption, as right away you're introduced to a "Harsh Reality" type setting where people are dying in horrible ways.

Thankfully, the description was as misleading as I hoped it would be. Sure, the story does introduce you to Alma and his group of super-powered friends who are seemingly the only ones who can stand up to the horrid Megane. But, within the first 10 pages you are introduced to someone who is infected with the Megane curse, yet lives. Tenkou is the saving grace of this manga that allows us to grow with the story, by growing with him as he finds himself in group called "Agartha of Shintetsu."

Like I said, this is definitely a mature story. I'm wondering if this tone will stay with the whole series, or is just being pushed for this first chapter to set the mood. To early to tell for sure. But you are slammed with harsh reality left-and-right. Tenkou is the only survivor of the Megane invasion of the village - the rest being slaughtered by Alma and his buds.

From the start, Tenkou rejects the idea of having to be a part of Alma's group. So, instead of arguing the issue, Alma lets him return to his village - even accompanies him. However, this isn't as benevolent as it seems - Alma knows how Tenkou's fellow villagers will react. I've got to say that this bit seemed a bit forced. Instead of welcoming him back and celebrating those that fight the Megane, they treat them as diseased and threaten them.

It's around that time that Tenkou manifests his power, given to him by surviving the Megane plague. As you might expect, being a male protagonist, his power is OP and has to do with dragons. He "sees" a red dragon of flame. And, surprise surprise, the "Kouen" (Red Flame) are a well known thing and, judging by the sweat drops on the others faces, you can tell that it's some uber powerful thing that means Tenkou will end up kicking ass. It's at this point that I begin to realize just how much the mangaka loves foreshadowing in this manga. He's not really subtle about it, though. Just a few mumblings and ellipsis.

Towards the end of the chapter (And, like most first chapters, it's a long one with 40+ pages), the one who exiled Tenkou turns around and sacrifices himself. So, you get the sense that even though he exiled Tenkou, he really did it for the "greater good" and not to save his own skin or something cold hearted like you originally get the impression of. The last page is pretty ominious and is a pretty big cliffhanger. We're left with Alma musing, while holding an unconscious Tenkou, how they might have "finally found it" with "it" being the "Rajan" (or king), a guardian of the "Five Elements." So it seems my initial impression that Tenkou would be super powerful dude was right. Turns out he's the avatar - or so I think. Wont know until I read further.



Conclusion
First, I want to say that I was really surprised by the genre of the manga - Josei. Basically the female-equivalent of seinen. That is, mature content meant for older women. So I'm worried that the story will get into some boy-on-boy action. But, after reading some other user reviews, it seems like there's nothing to deep - definitely no sex or whatnot, just some boys getting close and some hinting. It's not that I'm against homosexual relationships - I just don't swing that way so it's kind of hard for me to relate, though not impossible.

The story itself is promising. I'm quite glad that my initial impression from reading the description was wrong. I do hope the artwork improves, although I wont stop reading if it doesn't. There are a few weak plot points, and some stuff seems forced. I mean, the mangaka could be a bit more subtle with foreshadowing and what not - I like to think when reading a manga. But all-in-all, it was interesting and I look forward to reading chapter 2.