New Manga Thoughts: Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha

Synopsis

The protagonist was an eternal copper rank adventurer who was exploring a labyrinth when he encountered a dragon. When he got defeated, instead of dying, he awakens to find himself turned into a bone man/skeleton monster. While agonizing over his new situation he recalls of the existence of monster evolution and aims towards gaining a new body by defeating the monsters of the labyrinth

The Good

There are different stories of fantasy characters being all kinds of different monsters or heroes; but there are very rare stories wherein the character ending up being some sort of skeleton monster or something similar to it. So far those who have turned into these types of beings have been overpowered but interesting characters. Here it seems that the character not only has to start from the bottom but they also seem to have turned into an enemy monster.

The overall concept and structure of the story gives a rather solid introduction. Given that there was very little revealed on the main character outside of why exactly he is in the role that he is in, there is not only plenty of room for development but also a potential mystery to give to the background of the character. It also helps that the exposition for the chapter was established well enough that it wasn’t too heavy handed as well. The art is also commendable in that it helps in the direction of the viewer’s focus.

The Bad

The whole underdog character ending up in a completely new situation that would lead them into getting stronger isn’t anything new. They style while giving focus the higher points of the story, is not all that different from the usual. As the first chapter, it is a little rushed in some areas and could have been stretched out more but at the same time there isn’t much to judge because of this so there is room for improvement and development of the manga’s tone and direction in plot.

Conclusion

As a first chapter, it gives a solid exposition and introduction to the story without being too heavy handed, so there is a point to the manga in that. While the art is not a complete standout, when focused on things like the monsters of the story, the attention to detail and slight uniqueness in design is commendable. The only thing that can really be said against the first chapter is that it could have been stretched out just a bit more to establish more things for the story and character.

Rating: 6/10