Livingstone volume 1 written by Tomohiro Maekawa and art by Jinsei Kataoka and published by Kodansha Comics


The goal of my blog is to share the joy and love I have for unknown comics, animation and underground artists.

Today we are looking at "Livingstone" written by Tomohiro Maekawa and art by Jinsei Kataoka and published in the United States by Kodansha Comics.

The volume I bought is the first volume out of four. The comic is a shorter series but it has a very deep plot. Now, if you are not aware, Jinsei Kataoka-San is the creator of the Deadman Wonderland franchise and her art is gorgeous. Oh that's right, Kataoka-san is a woman. A woman manga-ka who is so amazing at art that it will stop your heart beat. Now, this is a co-created franchise because it is written by Tomohiro Maekawa. The story is very compelling and lets go into some details.


The story revolves around two guys. The first one is Sakurai-san who is the composed man who tends to over think everything and brings some organization to other's lives. The second one is... Amano-san. Amano-san is... yeah he is just a heartless douche who has no soul. Literally he has no soul. The theme of the series is that the soul is a stone and these two are sent out to protect souls. They bring either salvation or death but only for the benefit of the soul. 


Now the art work is extremely detailed and it gives off a very Deathnote vibe. It feels as dark as Kataoka-san's previous series Deadman Wonderland but it also feels more down to Earth. This story fits in that category of "just barely fiction that is pretty believable in its own sense" and it makes the story flow very fluidly. The book I acquired seems to be a collection of different events and the plot seems to be different moments in life. It mainly revolves around Sakurai-san and his tendency of trying to help other people. It is a pretty deep story and worth picking up for the story alone.


I finished this book and felt compelled to read more. The plot is very thought out and feels like it is building up to something dynamic. There does not seem to be a hint at a main protagonist so it is interesting to see the story develop this way with no real villain. It is a psychological thriller and the story and art are very detailed and organized. The story only has four volumes and it is complete. If you want a thrill that is different from your Naruto and Deathnote, pick this up and expect to be shook.


Score time:

Art: 7 / 10
Story: 6 / 10
Flow of book: 8 / 10
Impression after reading: compelled to read more


Reviewed and shared by Harry Kohles of Metairie, Louisiana. Former art student with a fetish for corny realism. Helping to share comics and mangas you never knew existed~

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