This book review was part of a podcast discussion.
Listen to the episode here.
Deadman Wonderland (vol. 1-5) by Jinsei Kotaoka and Kazuma Kondou
The horror genre has been a staple of literature since probably before the ancient Greeks. People terrify one another with tales of death, monsters, or the unknown. I decided to skew away from traditional western horror and take a look at post-apocalyptic horror manga Deadman Wonderland. I read the first five volumes, which is the point at which the anime ends. This manga follows the story of fourteen-year-old Ganta Igarashi after he is falsely accused of murdering his entire class. The courts send Ganta to death row in Japan’s only privatized prison, Deadman Wonderland, where he learns not everything is what it seems. What I liked about this story were the complex characters, the setting, and the mysteries laid before us. I did not so much like the anime tropes that appeared in the books, and Ganta was at times an annoying protagonist.
Deadman Wonderland has a fairly large cast of fairly complex characters. Each magic user, called a Deadman, has powers that reflect their personality or personal goals in some way, making each set of powers an insight into the character. Each of the main Deadmen had their own goal in the prison that they were fighting for while they were fighting to survive. The manga warns readers that most of the characters are insane and the manga may not be suitable for younger audiences, and it throws its characters into very dark situations. The prison itself provided the atmosphere to the manga. The prison exterior is an amusement park that tourists can explore, while the inside is a brutal death match between Deadman. In one scene, the prisoners ran a normally-safe obstacle course made deadly for a special event, and I liked how the author portrayed the audience. Most thought the slaughter of the prisoners was only a show. Those who noticed it was real didn’t care because “it was just prisoners.” The combination of compelling characters and the unique setting gave the authors an engaging setting for solving the mystery of truly murdered Ganta’s classmates.
My largest complaint about the series is that I very much hate some anime tropes, and especially that of ridiculously large-breasted women. The warden suffered from this trope, and I would love her character so much more if she was drawn different. Another weird character trait/trope that I found off-putting was Crow being afraid of women. My smaller complaint is that Ganta is kinda annoying in the beginning, but he grows much better over time.
I really enjoyed Deadman Wonderland, but it won’t be for everyone. The subject matter gets very dark at times and the amount of blood that is spilled is insane. I would say it follows Western horror more than traditional Japanese horror. This manga also has strong shounen themes like 1 vs 1 battles and friendship. If that sounds interesting to you, I recommend picking it up.
South Carolina
I am new podcaster who has been enjoying the fantasy genre for many, many… many years. I will read most any fantasy book but high and steampunk are my favorite subgenres.
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