Kill Blue, Vol. 1 (Review)
/By Ashley Williams
Juzo Ogami has never led a normal life. He was picked up by a criminal organization as a child and grew up to become a legendary hit man. But everything changes when he’s bitten by a mysterious insect and becomes a teenager again! Can this battle-hardened assassin handle the rigors of middle school life?!
Juzo Ogami’s a legend. Even among hit men, his name sends shivers down spines. There’s never been a job he couldn’t handle—that is, until the day he wakes up as a teenager! But how has his body transformed? To find out, he’ll have to infiltrate the one place he thought he’d never find himself in again…school!
Tadatoshi Fujimaki, the author of *Kuroko's Basketball*, introduces something different altogether with *Kill Blue, Vol. 1*. While sticking to sports is not his thing here, he combines action, comedy, science fiction, and school life in a tale that's rapidly paced, young, and unexpected. The first volume is a wacky but entertaining ride that's exciting and also humorous, if not always going the extra mile in achieving deeper feelings.
The plot follows Juzo Ogami, a 40-year-old assassin who lives off being the best killer in the business. While on one of his assignments, he gets stung by a magical wasp and is instantly turned into a 12-year-old boy. To maintain his cover and uncover the reason for this, Ogami disguises himself as a middle-school boy. Now, he must contend with pop quizzes, classmates, and humiliating moments—still all while killing targets as a professional hitman. This bizarre combination of deadly missions and high school experience is an interesting and compelling narrative.
One of the greatest things about *Kill Blue* is how it combines genres. There are a lot of bloody fight scenes and dangerous missions, but there is also some comedic relief where Ogami attempts to get through middle school. Most of the comedy comes from Ogami remaining so serious even when he is confronted with mundane school issues. This contrast between his adult mind and child body makes a lot of the comedy.
The artwork is also great. Fujimaki has wonderful action pages full of energy, but also wonderful facial expressions and comedy pages. Whether the scene is an epic battle or a goofy classroom sequence, the artwork makes each sequence understandable and thrilling.
Ogami is a decent main character. He's intent and calm, but watching him attempt to blend into the world of a child is humorous and sort of depressing. He is so obviously not supposed to be in a classroom, and you can see that he realizes that he doesn't quite belong, even if he does not complain. There are also suggestions that he's reflecting on the life he'd left and how odd to begin anew. Some of the supporting characters, such as Umino—an intelligent classmate who harbors a few reservations—generate tension and suspense, but most of the supporting characters have yet to be fully fleshed out.
While the pace of the story is quick and entertaining, the combination of intense action with bizarre school life at times falls short in its balance. One chapter will close with an enormous battle, and the next one will be a description of lunch duty or a school festival. A couple of readers might get a little confused or lose track of things. And the emotional aspect of the story, such as how Ogami responds to being a kid again, is touched on at best in this book. It's more of an introduction volume for the plot and getting to have fun doing cool stuff rather than examining feelings.
Overall, *Kill Blue, Vol. 1* is an original and fun beginning to a new series. It's got great art, a compelling story, and plenty of energy. Fujimaki demonstrates that he is capable of more than sports manga by offering readers a humorous and action-filled tale at a frantic pace. If the upcoming volumes delve deeper into the characters and find a better balance between the action and the humor, this could be a great series. As it stands, it's worth reading, particularly for action manga fans with an edge.
