Thursday, November 1, 2007

Black God Volume 1

Overall Rating: B-
Synopsis: Written by Dall-Young Lim and with art by Sung-Woo Park, Black God follows Keita Ibuki, an immature computer programmer who mooches off of his girlfriend, Akane Sano. One night on his way home from getting wasted, Keita meets a young woman named Kuro (who refers to herself in the third person) in a ramen stand. Feeling sorry for someone he mistakes as homeless (though technically she is), he gives her his soup. Unbeknownst to Keita, Kuro is a Mototsumitama (a godlike creature charged with maintaining balance in the world). When a fight between Kuro and a mysterious man breaks out, Keita is caught in the crossfire and loses an arm. He blacks out, only to wake up the next morning in his apartment, arm intact. Keita soon realizes that the arm attached to him is Kuro's, and that the arm now connects him to her. As long as she is near him, she is more powerful, but if they are separated, she weakens. Keita's life just got a lot more complicated!

I like giving new publishers of manga a shot, so I have been working my way through the new titles from Yen Press. After enjoying Zombie Loan, I decided to check out Black God. I was intrigued by the premise, and so far it hasn't disappointed. I like the characters, and the plot may not be ground-breaking, but it is solid. The only major drawback is the plot is seems to be taking it's time building up. Hopefully the second volume improves on that.

The second volumes of Black God and Zombie Loan come out in February 2008.

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