We’ve all had those friends we’ve fallen out of touch with. Not necessarily for negative reasons, but oftentimes because life just becomes busy. You can’t help but wonder about that person. Sometimes you might feel the urge to reach out and try to make a connection again, other times you might run into them again because the world can sometimes feel small.
Don’t let the cute cover of this manga fool you, there is more to this story than a childhood best friends to lovers romance. Not in a negative way, but buckle up because this manga is an emotional journey.
While I used to read comics constantly while growing up, it's been a few years since I’ve read anything, especially when it comes to DC Comics. The most recent series I’ve been interested in reading has been their stand alone alternate timeline tales such as Dark Knights of Steel (2021) and to lesser extent DC vs. Vampires (2021). While the main universe titles have lost their luster for me due to terrible writing decisions (I will never forgive them for what they did to the Super Sons), the new Absolute titles from DC drew me in yet again for a tale from elseworld to end my comic drought.
I can count on one hand the number of stories that have gripped me in the first few pages. Some of my all time favorite series have taken me several chapters, even volumes before I became truly hooked on their stories. If you’ve read The Lord of the Rings you know what I’m talking about. Yet on rare occasions, something will resonate with you immediately and you’ll know, this is a story just for you. Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku is just such a story.
As we ring in the new year and update our calendars, it's time to look forward to what new video game titles will be released this year. With big anniversaries this year such as Castlevania and Zelda’s 40th, and Xbox’s 25th to name a few, video game fans know there will at least be something to look forward to this year.
Since I loved Kei Sanbe’s previous work, Erased, I immediately took note of The 13th Footprint being published by Yen Press earlier this year. Eager to see more of his writing, I went into this manga with higher than usual expectations for his new series.