When I first got into Undead Unluck, it was through the anime. My favorite band was doing the OP you see, and the oddity that I am, that was enough to convince me to stick with the series, even though I was frankly not too impressed by the opening. After all, any series that starts with its protagonist getting groped by a random stranger they just met? Yeah, I'd usually write that off as trash and move onto the next thing. Lucky for me though, I kept up with it. And by the time I'd finished the anime, I was hooked, and it didn't take long for me to pick up the manga, and from there I was caught up after maybe a week of binging. And man am I ever so glad I did.

Undead Unluck is a rare example of a manga that starts off just okay, but as time goes on, it gets better and better, each new arc adding interesting characters, higher stakes, developments that have you thinking "just one more chapter" over and over again, and overall is a fantastic read. I want to say "from start to end" here, but as stated, the manga has a rocky start. But don't let that deter you from continuing. This series showcases one of the most lovable ensemble casts I've seen in a while, and a power system that is just so much fun. I was always so excited to meet new negators and find out how their skills worked, and seeing how all the characters relationships developed over time was such a treat. This series has one of the most solid shonen romances I've ever read, too. What starts as a relationship you can't imagine going well becomes so tight knit and believable, I found myself rooting for Fuuko and Andy the whole way through. And that's not even mentioning the rest of the fantastic characters! It's hard to juggle a cast of this size, but the mangaka did so wonderfully.

It's very hard to talk about this series without spoiling a lot of what makes it so memorable and amazing, so I'm going to keep this short and simply say that this is a manga you don't want to skip out on. From a memorable cast to an ever expanding plot, this series really delivers. If you skipped out on it before because of its opening chapters, I highly recommend you give it a second try. I don't want to spoil things for newcomers, but trust me when I say this story goes places that you wouldn't believe. In my opinion, this is one of the best and most concise series to ever grace Shonen Jump. Its characters are strong, and you'll definitely find yourself attached to a good portion of the cast by the time you're partway through. It's a series that contains so much heart, passion, and pure fun that kept me coming back for more every week, and while I'm sad to see it end, I'm so happy that it got the ending that it deserved. I hope that more and more people will give this series a chance, either through the manga or the still releasing anime, because it more than deserves to be up there with the rest of the big shots of Jump.