A reformed professional killer trying their best to live a normal life while hijinks prevent them very much from doing so! Sounds familiar?

The “funny spy/assassin” subgenre has been around for a while and I feel like it is rather prominent as of late, with the most notable one being SPYxFAMILY. Within the MANGA Plus app itself, there are currently six ongoing titles within this subgenre! That’s a lot!! Personally, I have a soft spot for these stories, with my current favorite one being Sakamoto Days.

Among discussions relating to titles within this subgenre, one title was mentioned quite a bunch of times and touted by few as the best of its kind, and that is The Fable. I decided to give this series a shot, to see what it’s all about!

# So, what is it about?

This story revolves around Akira Satou, a legendary assassin that is referred to some as Fable. He, along with his “sister,” were given a mission to live peacefully in a city for a whole year, and absolutely no killing allowed. He may be unmatched as assassin, but lacking in everything else that makes up an average person. He is dense, not able to comprehend and reciprocate basic emotions, and has many other odd quirks. Now, he has to use his skills for killing instead to protect his peaceful life and the people that surround it. How will he fare?

# The Story

The story started out slow and at first, I was not sure how to feel about that. As I kept reading it though, I barely noticed the pacing and was able to go through it so smoothly that it surprised me. Unlike the other funny assassin titles, this one is very grounded and everything conformed to the realms of reality (so no super powerful punches or air kicks or such. They were even being realistic about how hard it is to acquire a gun!).

It is an action series but really, a huge chunk of the story is dedicated to our protagonist living a normal life, or at least trying to. What also makes up a huge part of the story is about the inner workings of the underworld and disputes that arise within it. It is a bit sparse with action scenes but that’s what makes it so exciting every time it happens! It has its slower moments but never have I felt bored reading it. I would also like to point out about how well written the antagonists are. Despite Satou being supposedly "unmatched", they pose as a serious threat as they could so easily crush his pretense of a peaceful life. Him not being allowed to kill makes it more suspenseful and exciting.

# The Art and Humor

The humor in this is simply sublime and so many of it stems from Satou not being able to blend in as an "average person". A lot of it is as simple as showing a funny expression, but they are done so smartly, not overdone and always at the right moments. Every time it happens, I always burst out laughing. I probably laughed at this more at many other well-known series known under the comedy genre. They also have moments dedicated to comedy such as Youko’s drinking game and the Christmas party, which really help lighten up the story despite the often-dark themes of it.

The art style is bordering on realistic and it really works in favor of the story it’s trying to tell. A solid art style that never felt like it’s trying to show off. Same with the character designs, everyone looks like someone you might just encounter in real life, even our protagonist looks just like an average guy! Though his personality and killing prowess are really what makes him. The art style really helps keep everything grounded, and makes the humorous expressions more hilarious.

# Conclusion

Overall, The Fable is such a delightful read, and well deserve the title of “best funny assassin series.” I did mention Sakamoto Days before (which I later noticed, took a lot of inspirations from this series! Fun fact!), because that is what this series reminded me of! It’s Sakamoto Days but without all the action shounen flair. It’s Sakamoto Days for dads. I greatly recommend this series especially if you’re looking for a mature story that’s hillarious all around and thoroughly entertaining.