Manga Review: Deadman Wonderland, Volume 2, by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou

Rating (Out of 5): ~4 (maybe 4.5)

Publisher: VIZ Media

Release Date: April 8, 2014

Volumes: 13

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

While on the hunt for the Red Man, Ganta is thrown into a battle exhibition called the Carnival of Corpses, in which he is matched up against the powerful Senji. The battle is intense, but even if Ganta wins, is he prepared for the consequences?

Reads R to L (Japanese Style) for teen plus audiences.

Review:

Color me surprised, but this series has now been added to my automatic buy list. I wasn’t expecting it to get so good so fast, but it did.

I was not expecting the development behind the deadmen, or there being others like Ganta. I’m not going to spoil it any more than that, though. I wasn’t expecting it, and honestly it’s a little horrifying. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by the direction it went, seeing as how the whole place is set up, but I was. It was a bit more horrible and graphic than I thought it would be.

We met some interesting characters this volume. I’m not sure if I’m going to like any of them, however. We’ll see how they develop, I suppose. We also got to know Yo a tiny bit more, and now I’m just unsure of him. He could go either way at this point.

Ganta is a little whiny, and he’s very much a wimp. I don’t understand how he’s surviving through this whole thing. I want him to toughen up, and I guess I can only hope it’ll actually happen.

Shiro, on the other hand, is my absolute favorite. How she just sneaks around the vents in the facility, and eats whatever she wants, and somehow no one seems to notice. She’s upbeat and fun, and adorable, and obviously hiding some very serious things behind it all. She’s amazing. I think I would stick around for this series simply for her. But also, that ending. She’s hiding some things. I cannot wait to find out what. 

I’m immensely intrigued by this series. We got some insight into how the whole place works, we saw some creepy things. I am intrigued and excited by it all. I honestly can’t wait for the next volume, because I really want to see what happens next.