D.Gray-man
a review by 6ixhundreds
a review by 6ixhundreds
A strong favourite, and it's not even finished yet! From what I've heard online (or atleast what others claim), D. Gray-man is still halfway throughout the story. It's still crazy to think about, especially while writing this review, that it's not nearing it's end any time soon. And with the release schedule being notoriously long, I can’t help but feel both impatience and excitement for the unpredictable future ahead.
Aside from that, this manga truly carries something undeniably poetic: with the main character and it's relationship with the whole cast, the setting, the comedic relief, the fights, and their quite infamous plot twists, these elements magically weave together to a narrative tapestry we all know as D. Gray-man. Man, reading this with music was such an immersive experience, which reminds me that I should've done that with every other manga I've read.
Maaaaaan ngl, it took me three tries to continue D. Gray-man, I think I picked it up once every year, and dropped it every single time. Not that the plot was bad at the start (albeit it's slow pacing im ngl) but it's more like it wasn't as appealing back then. Now looking back, maybe I should've continued reading, or not. Doesn't really matter, in the end, it's a reading experience that i cherished very much this year.
Now onto the actual part of this review...........♡
Seriously, this guy, Allen Walker, Beansprout, The Destroyer of Time, and many more names to associate him with (which I obviously won't name for MASSIVE spoilers reasons wink), what a character. A child, who wanders on the battlefield between humanity and akumas, facing neverending danger. We are introduced to our protagonist, who follows a very strong moral code, disregarding who is infront of him. He does not kill, he relieves souls who are under the Millenium Earls control. His strong relationship with the whole cast is also something beautiful to touch upon, whether it be people from the black order or with the antagonist side, there's so much to talk about, ranging to the complexity of his dynamic with
Throughout the story, fragments of his past slowly surface, layering his character with subtlety, especially where it culminates in the two latest arcs (SFAW and GAW) of the story (as of ch. 246). The internal conflict over his identity and the external conflict against the akuma blend beautifully, which makes his character all the more alluring. His psyche is also insanely well developed and consistent throughout the whole story. The whole motif behind his character is very crucial: "I'll keep on walking as long as I live", a promise made to his adoptive father gains weight as the narrative begins to unfold, fully recontextualizes the meaning behind it. I mean come on, it's in his name.
Speaking of Pandora Hearts, you know what they also have in common? The plot twists. Like no seriously, the reveal of both these critical plot points were fascinating. (although it was confusing)
I wanna keep the review kinda short, its late in the evening. I would LOVE to write more, but I can't find the brain capacity for it right now. There is ALOT of substance that I will leave in the dust for now. All in all, this manga is definitely something profound, a hidden gem I would say. Not that its niche or anything, but the scarcity of it's recognition it actually deserves dur to its sheer brilliance truly baffles me. I hope my friends will stumble upon this manga one day ♡
11.5 out of 13 users liked this review
