220https://i.pin.com/736x/63/a6/5a/63a65aad0b4133d5530df6ce2c8d50de.jpg oh fuck oh shit oh... GODDAMN If there were a genre called whiplash shoujo this would be its undisputed queen. What starts off looking like a typical protectiveromance manga quickly flips into a highdrama twistheavy rollercoaster where no one is who they seem and everyone has a tragic past ready to emotionally wreck you at any moment. The story is classic shounen in spirit with its everyone has a reason everyone is redeemable vibe nobody is truly evil everyones just extremely traumatized and the power of friendship trust and throwing punches with your feelings will ultimately overcome everything. Its classic shounen in spiritloud emotional dramatic and full of characters yelling their convictions midfight while the background explodes. And? It works. It really really works. Because yeah it is dumb sometimes. Gloriously dumb. And honestly thats the charm. 220https://i.pin.com/736x/01/ee/bc/01eebca620238972d579337a08bd7346.jpg The art adds a lot to the experience. Akabanes style balances soft slick with intense action sequences. The action choreography also deserves a shoutout too. The handtohand combat is tight snappy and full of weight. You feel every punch dodge and slam. While some panels can get a little chaotic or hard to parseespecially when the angles get experimentalit still still delivers that spectacular overthetop energy. Even in its messiest moments the art keeps the story fun and visually engaging. But its not all dumb funthere is one recurring issue that drags it down: the harem/sexual harassment bits. While the dynamic itself isnt the issue the way its handled definitely is. Girls kissing Ibuki out of nowhere or randomly getting all over him for laughs crosses into straightup sexual harassment territoryespecially since hes still a kid compared to Masachika. Its played for comedy but it lands weird and honestly sours the mood when the rest of the story is pulling off such impactful arcs. The manga doesnt need these moments and its disappointing that theyre there at all especially in this day and age. I know it might not be the biggest case for everyone but it did make me feel uncomfortable at times however if you can look past that then its golden. That said Akabane still shines when taken for what it is: an emotionally explosive twistheavy drama packed into a ridiculous actionromance package. Its not trying to be deep. Its the kind of series you pick up when youre burned out on serious stuff and just want to feel somethingeven if that feeling is confusion betrayal or pure joy at how dumb and dramatic everything is. 220https://i.pin.com/736x/44/3d/fd/443dfd8c8c6d28cffe3009e653bf9d64.jpg Also might be a personal wish but honestly this manga deserves an anime adaptation. It feels like a no brainer to be honest it has everything that makes for a great seasonal hit: highstakes action scenes that would absolutely shine with fluid animation dramatic twists that are perfect for episode cliffhangers and a cast of lovable characters who are just begging to be voiced. The handtohand fights are already intense on the pageanimated with good choreography and sound design theyd be insane. The emotional whiplash the betrayals the unexpected gut punches followed by dumb comedic relief? That chaotic tonal balancing act is exactly the kind of thing anime excels at when done right. Its loud dramatic heartfelt and completely unhinged in the best way. Give this story an opening theme that slaps a cliffhanger around episode 9 that breaks hearts and a beach filler episode that makes you screamand boom weve got the next hit or at least a sleeper hit on our hands. And honestly anything to replace the isekai slops. Fingers crossed for an anime adaptation 220https://i.pin.com/736x/35/24/d1/3524d16f6ecc4abf6ec9ce01a339efb7.jpg