If you are an avid manga reader like myself chances are you've heard of Kingdom. Though the anime adaptation isn't the best, especially seasons 1 and 2, it is one of the highest selling manga in Japan. It's amazing to me how there are no physical volumes translated in English but it manages to outsell a number of its peers.
Many people don't give it a chance because it has over 700 chapters. It faces the same issues as One Piece, Hajime no Ippo and other long-running series but it is worth the investment. You'll wish you had more chapters instead of less in no time.
Why have you never heard of Kingdom?
Well, this goes back to the point of the anime not having the best adaptation. The CGI in the earlier seasons is almost unbearable. It seems like a good portion of Kingdom fans in the west want to forget the anime existed in the first place.
Season 3 of the anime is actually pretty good. They tweaked the animation style and it's covering one of the best arcs in the manga. The new season has done pretty well and it's announced that season 4 will broadcast in the spring of 2022.
The story takes place during the Warring States period in China. Shin and Hyou are war orphans working as servants in a poor village in the kingdom of Qin. Through a series of events, Shin has to help the king unite all of China under one nation while he aims to become the "Greatest General Under The Heavens".
Shin is hot-headed and doesn't think things through but that's what gravitates people towards him. He shares a lot of character traits with Luffy and from what I've seen most One Piece fans tend to love Kingdom. We watch Shin mature and develop through his battle prowess, leadership skills and military rank, the most concrete proof of his growth.
The manga is very gruesome and is geared for mature audiences. It covers mature themes like the reality of war, revenge, the dark side of human nature, and crushing the dreams of others to achieve your own.
The real selling point of Kingdom is the actual battles. It depicts commanders going up against each other with different strengths, tactics and manipulation techniques. You never know which side is going to win until the very end.
Seeing how characters interact with their generals and their enemies is always entertaining. If you're a fan of Sun Tzu's "Art of War" you'll love Kingdom as it implements many of the teachings from the book.
There are also duels that add a different element to the war. When a duel occurs, the rest of the armies' soldiers tend to not interfere. This is where Generals fight with the enemy General 1 on 1. It adds another layer of tension to the overall war. When battles do happen the stakes are not the life of a few soldiers; instead a whole nation.
Another layer to Kingdom is the political side. You get to see how high authority people maneuver through the court to push their own agendas. There are assassination attempts, coup d'état and so many other things that happen in between wars.
If you have a short attention span the manga might feel boring because there is no action. The political side is there to push the plot forward so the exciting wars can happen.
The characters are very unique in their own sense. They have unique perspectives and wisdom to offer due to their experiences and relationships with war. Some of them are based on people in history and it's interesting to see how the author tweaks history to make the story more entertaining.
If there's one word I can use to describe Kingdom it's pure 'hype'. The high action and intensity ignite something in you. The chapters are so addictive because you always want to find out what happens next. It has some of the most emotional moments and lovable characters despite its dark themes.
If you've taken anything from this, it's give Kingdom a try you won't regret it.
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