This was a great and strong start to a series! It was a bit slow at first and the beginning didn’t really hook me but the farther I read, the more I enjoyed it. The characters are quite likable and I want more character development. The art style is a bit simplistic, but in certain panels gets really detailed and I think that contrast in the style really adds to the vibe of the story. I enjoyed this first volume, and I even went out and picked up the physical copy to help support the creator and company. I highly recommend this first volume and can’t wait to see what this series has in store for the future!

After finishing this manga, I went back and re-read the description because I was left so befuddled by the events of this manga.
And I have no words still. If you are looking for an Action Shonen, it definitely fits that. But I found myself having to look past a lot of things, most of which are easy to look past because it's an Action Shonen, and that means things can't be normal.
WHAT I cannot look past is that this manga never once questions Musashi's use of a GIANT Scythe for mining. Apparently quite successfully too. Then also uses techniques meant for swords with this massive AF Scythe. Like the premises transfer as if they are super similar weapons.
Because of that insanity, I honestly can't recommend it.

Musashi and Kojiro are childhood friends who have grown up with a shared dream to become bushi - warriors who are tasked with ridding the world of evil demons. Bonding over their shared dream, and spending all their free time training to achieve their goals, the pair realise that bushi are not the revered warriors that they've always imagined, and are actually outcasts in their world.

Musashi begins to train to become a miner; allegedly the most esteemed occupation in their world. Musashi and Kojiro begin to drift apart as their lives move towards separate points, but events cause the two to converge again and their dreams align once more.

Though the majority of the story is current time, the manga is peppered with flashbacks to Musashi and Kojiro's childhood, showing their training and their school lives. It's really cool to see how their different backgrounds had an impact on the two characters, and how they were both influenced differently by the same events.

Orient does seem like a pretty generic shounen manga at this early stage and ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to shounen tropes. That said, it's not necessarily a bad thing. Orient does drama well, and the battle scenes are really exciting to read and have you rooting for the characters.

There are some really interesting titbits peppered through the manga, none of which I want to spoil in case it ends up being a bigger point than I anticipate at the moment but it definitely adds a layer of intrigue that makes me want to check out future volumes.

For a first volume, Orient does a fantastic job of world creation and getting the reader invested in the plot and the fates of the characters. It does often feel like too fast-paced and that too much is crammed in and one thing is happening after another in rapid succession without much time to process what has just happened. Though this does feel like an issue at times, it does also work for the manga because as at the end of the volume you do feel fully invested as a reader.

I really like Magi so when I saw this new series from that author I knew I wanted to read it. Thanks to Kodansha and netgalley I'm able to read it for reviewing purposes.

Musashi and Kojiro promise to become Bushi, warriors that are against the demon gods that have invaded earth, but they were ten year olds when they made this pledge. Now they are 15 and while Musoshi still has his purpose clear, Kojiro has lost interest and will need to be reminded of his dream.

I really love the art in this new series, it's just as amazing and detailed as it is in Magi and while we don't get much into plot yet, it really is an interesting first volume. I can't wait to read the next one.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I came across this book but I'm sure glad I did. I'm always looking out for interesting new manga and this book definitely got me hooked. This book was a pretty great start and even better I'm finding out that there is multiple books already out so theres no need for waiting for the next book. With how this book turned out I'm going to need to get the next because this was a pretty good book.

This overall is a good start to a series. The art is wonderful. And the story is solid. But the characters so far are a bit lacking. They feel a bit generic in this volume and don't seem to have much personality showing yet. It can hard to review a series based on one volume.

I definitely think this series has a splendid amount of potential. I think the makings of interesting characters and story arcs are there. I'm definitely interested to see where this series goes and I do plan to pick up future volumes. Magi was such a wondrous series so, I have no doubt this series can match it.

I really enjoyed this comic. It was face paced and filled with action. It included a backstory so we understood what was going on. The art work was great. It was like the original manga black and white drawings. I loved the whole idea of defeating the demons and the whole societal corruption, manipulation that was going on. I just really loved it.

I know the cover shouldn’t matter too much but the cover for this is just stunning! It’s so bright and colourful and I love that. It makes sense because the story inside is mostly one of those happy, heartfelt ones but still… stunning.

This manga is from the same mangaka that created Magi, and although that’s one I want to check out at some point I haven’t as of yet. I guess this helps because I didn’t have any expectations going in though.

In Orient we get the beginning of the story of Musashi and Kojiro, two best friends who ultimately want to save the world from demons. The big problem? The town they live in has been brainwashed into seeing the demons as gods, whilst believing that the Bushi (basically samurai) are evil because they want to get rid of the demons.

Kojiro is interesting because he’s from a Bushi family, and has basically been shunned by the village his whole life (with the exception of Musashi who believes the Bushi are good and wants to be one). Musashi is the red-headed boy we see on the cover though and he’s the typical super-endearing ‘I will do this’ type character that’s common for main characters in shonen.

Towards the end we meet a band of Bushi and I think the next volumes will be a lot more interesting with them in more. Orient 1 is still good but until the end it just seems like your typical shonen story. Having said that, Musashi’s attitude is very similar to Black Clover‘s Asta so there’s a high chance that after a few volumes I’ll start to really like his character!

I am not a fan of shounen, yet this work, while not necessarily breaking any genre tropes, brings in fierce energy and resolve with straight-to-the-point writing and exceptionally detailed art. These aforementioned qualities show that Orient has the potential to be a great title amongst its many contemporaries. It hits many of the typical shounen beats: the determined protagonist, the secondary character who acts as a foil to the main character, over-the-top action, screaming, giant monster or obstacle, a society that looks down upon the "noble" purpose, and many more. Yet even if these may hamper the experience of those reluctant to read such cliches, the sight of the demon god will leave anyone speechless. This behemoth is the show stopper and the protagonist, Musashi, accelerates this narrative with a borderline sickening yet admirable conviction. Not to mention, this work wastes no time in building the world and getting into the action. While the plot is not unique, I think the momentum is what leaves me looking forward to the next volume. For those who want to see a title Studio Trigger may adapt, I would definitely check this one out.

A solid start to a new Shounen title!

If you enjoy fantasy Shounen, or you enjoyed this author's previous work, Magi, then I think this will be a title for you.

When 2 young boys swear to protect their world from the demon gods currently ruling it, they choose different ways to train. When they come back together, it's like no time has passed in their friendship. An engaging Shounen!

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing an e-ARC of this manga in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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I was so excited to read this!

The artwork was stunning, dynamic and evocative.

The story follows Musashi, a young boy intent on becoming a bushi and defeating demons. The same demons that his village worships as gods and makes offerings of minerals to. Musashi works as a miner in his village, a position of high esteem.

I would have liked the pacing to be a bit slower in the beginning as I felt it was kind of rushed but it soon settled.

I really like Musashi's transition from wanting to blend into the crowd in order to protect himself to wanting to be true to himself and his friend, a boy who is shunned by the village for being the son of a bushi.

I really love the setting and how it seems to be an older era but then a gorgeous motorcycle pops out and I want to see more of this blend!

Plot-wise, this is similar to many popular shounen stories but the ideas are great and I'm excited to see where this goes!

This is definitely a great start to a new and exciting story from the mangaka of Magi!

Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5/5 stars

I'm so excited to start a new series by the author of one of my favorite manga series ever, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic. This art style is so enjoyable to look at, with interesting characters and cute illustrations. The story is fast-paced and engaging, and I read the whole thing in one sitting. Can't wait for the next volume!

Orient is a stereotypical shonen manga - aimed at teen boys, full of lots of reckless hothead action, and chock full of comically large weapons , hyper-detailed armor, and possibly magical powers. Basically, it will remind folks a bit of Bleach or Naruto. It's a story which follows young Musashi, and his best friend Kojiro, who dream of growing up and becoming Bushi, a class of warriors who fight powerful demons that subjugate mankind. The only problem is, Bushi warriors are outcasts in society, and humans have taken to worshipping the Oni (demons) who rule over them, because, well, probably because it's easier than being eaten. That's main gist of the plot - at 15, Musashi is primed to graduate and become a miner working to feed the demon gods metals, which is the opposite of his dream of killing them as a bushi warrior. He starts his first day at his new job, and then gets to hacking and slashing right away, with the help of Kojiro. Some other Bushi warriors show up. That's pretty much it - it's one of those manga that are probably great for your thirteen year olds, and even more fun when read serially, but in one complete volume, not much actually happens despite all the flipping and martial arts and action. The storyline might develop into something interesting eventually though.

4/5 stars

I received an ARC of this manga in exchange for an honest review.

Musashi and Kojiro are childhood best friends. They grew up together, practicing swordplay and learning about the Bushi. The Bushi fought against the demons even when the rest of the world gave up. The two best friends swore to become Bushi one day. However, as they grew older, Musashi hid his goal of being a Bushi and Kojiro started to believe in the lies of the world. When Musashi suddenly is presented with the opportunity to achieve his dream, he can't help but take it--and he's determined to take Kojiro along for the ride.

First of all, the art was absolutely spectacular! I've sadly never read or watched Magi, but the mangaka lives up to her reputation! I think Musashi has the potential to be a really awesome character, and his sword-fighting techniques were definitely interesting! This volume was mostly intended to set up the story, so it mostly revolved around one major fight scene. I'm hoping for more content in the next few volumes! This series has a lot of potential and I'm excited to see where it goes from here!

Cool premise, but was a pretty basic shonen. Protagonist takes on a super powerful character really fast without fear or worry, and they’re 15-16ish. The art was really great at some points, but something about it seemed weird? Not sure, that might just be me so definitely check it out and take my opinion with a grain of salt. It is a fast-paced story that I think will really catch some people’s eye, but for me the tropes and generic characters were a bit too familiar.

4/5

Trigger Warnings: Prejudice, Blood.

I received this eARC Copy from VIZ MEDIA and NetGalley in Exchange for an honest review. 

Shonen mangas can be a hit and miss with most people including me. How do you keep the same genre still relevant as the media evolved and the tropes no longer seems to work anymore? Sure you can keep having a hero destined to save humanity, give them a sappy sad story of vengeance, or their this epic prodigy that was born for this holy quest but it's all repetitive and bore at a time. So what about admitting that your hero knows absolutely nothing because of his rushed idiocy? Here we have a Shonen manga with a surprising good start! In a world where demons now rule as gods humanity is forced to worshipped them and provide metals as its substances. Only a handful of skilled and powerful warriors known as BUSHI are capable of facing them but alas none much are left thanks to the public antagonizing them.

Musashi and Kojiro both set out to fight the demons after years of oppression and at first it seems they know what they doing but it all crumbles down like a tower of dominos. The demon can regenerate fast, their so called katana are too frail against their skin and they are risking themselves so foolishly. Then we witness a true band of Bushi fighting together and thanks to Shinbou Ohtaka artwork it is a marvel. The demon desgins are fresh, the battle scenes are satisfying and they convey the emotion so majestically. I am exhilarated to see what she is planning with this new series considering Magi was one of a kind Shonen and one of my favorites for this exact reason why Orient prevail compare to other current running Shonens in the market currently. Don't miss on it, guys!

Orient is the latest series by Shinobu Ohtaka, who you may also know as the creator of Magi. They definitely have a similar feel and style, but I am not going to compare the two in this review because each series deserves to be judged on its own. For me, Orient is an exciting new release that, while still has some work to do to capture me in the story department, features an engaging premise and world and phenomenal artwork that keeps me reading.

Orient tells the story of two boys, Musashi and Kojiro, who vow at an early age to create the strongest Band of Bushi and defeat the demons who rule their world. As they both grow up, reality sets in and Musashi finds himself working as a miner and Kojiro has become cynical. Something occurs though that will bring these two together again to reaffirm the promise they made five years ago.

The first volume is setting Orient up to be a typical shonen series. In my opinion, this isn’t really a negative, because I enjoy the themes and tropes that are common to the genre. That being said, the story so far is a little too typical and I’m really hoping something occurs in the volumes to come that allows it to stand out and differentiate itself from other series. I can see it getting more involved in the chapters that follow as the main characters face hardships along the way and have more adventures, but for now, with the backstories and events of Volume 1, its story is good, but not the best.

As far as characters are concerned, I really like the personalities of the two main characters, Musashi and Kojiro. Musashi is more of your jump in, think later kind of guy that will reach his goals at all costs, whereas Kojiro is more cautious and analytical. While these are traits we’ve seen in other shonen characters, their spirit is infectious and their relationship makes them unique. As more characters are revealed within the story, the dynamics and interactions in this series are sure to only grow stronger.

Where Orient and Shinobu Ohtaka really blew me away though is the artwork that's showcased in the series. The weaponry, armory, and clothing are intricately drawn. Everything you see in Orient is so incredibly detailed and these more delicate aspects of the series are further emphasized by the bold linework that is featured throughout the pages. The panels are also done in a way that allows the story and dialogue to flow naturally.

The in-between moments and scenes are exciting to see, but the true standouts of this series are the massive panels that highlight the more epic, striking moments in the manga. Both the demons, which range from cutesy looking to absolutely terrifying, and the Bushi, which wear medieval-looking Samurai armor and ride on motorcycles, are designed in a way that makes them fascinating. The story of Orient may have felt a little too familiar, but it’s designs allow it to stand apart from the rest.

What I’ve seen and learned of Orient’s world thus far has me intrigued as well. There’s a lot that has yet to be explored, but the issues unveiled in the first volume already make for an interesting dialogue. With demons ruling the world, you naturally have those who live in fear and abide by their rules with some even going as far as to worship them, and then you have those, like the Bushi, that rise up to challenge them.

Over time, the narrative has been morphed to make the Bushi out to be the bad guys, but this of course is far from the truth. With such grand issues to tackle, I’m looking forward to seeing the characters of Orient grow even more as they face the demons, both figurative and literal, that plague this world.

The world in Orient is complex, which makes it compelling, but its people and overall feel are unique as well. You have this very traditional world, but with a twist, and a big twist at that. To me, Orient’s world is what you’d get if you meshed together the Medieval Period and The Age of the Samurai. But there are also more modern elements represented within the manga as well, like the motorcycle. It’s in a world of its own and just when you think it couldn’t surprise you anymore, it does.

Orient wastes no time getting into the action with gripping, monumental fights that are expertly navigated and drawn. You really feel the energy these characters are expending and the emotion behind their actions as well as they push to exceed their limits in battle. Most of the time, you need an anime adaptation to really get a feel for just how grand these fights are, but Shinobu Ohtaka does a great job at handling these more suspenseful and fast-paced scenes in the manga. There is, however, an Orient anime on the way as confirmed by Kodansha, so you can look forward to seeing these characters and scenes in action sometime in the future.

As of now, Orient’s story does little to separate it from the pack, but I don’t want to be too hard on it because of this, because it most likely just needs more time to develop. With that said, I still thought it to be an entertaining read and I’m already invested in the plight of its characters and its unusual world. It’s one I’ll definitely keep reading and one I’m excited to see evolve in the volumes to come.

Review Link: https://animecollective.com/orient-manga-review/

Orient was pure fun from the very first page. Musashi isn't your typical Shōnen hero in that he is over confident in his abilities, is laser focused on a goal of becoming the best, and only wants to be one the best if he can do it with his best friend. The relationship between Musashi and Kojiro is classic. You've got your childhood friends who set a goal only to grow up. One of them remains unwavering running towards said goal and the other Becomes cynical no longer believing the goal can be reached. Their dynamic is easy and enjoyable to read. Then enter the Bushi the men they one day strive to be pushing are protagonist even further in is zealous ways thinking only to achieve his goal. I will be preordering a physical copy of this series and keeping up with it as it progresses. With the same mangaka as Magi is it sure not to disappoint.

I'm not 100% sure I didn't let how much I love Shinobu Ohtaka's insanely detailed and slightly perplexing art color much of my opinion of this, but I can't help how much I enjoy his design and the way he sets up pages. No one does action sequences quite like Ohtaka-sensei. Even when I have to go back after I devour the action to try to figure out what happened where.
This is actually praising how well he paces the story and action that I don't actually stop and worry about not being entirely sure who is doing what or with what because I'm so enthralled by the story to stop and worry about little details like that.
This newest series focuses on a world that is somewhat familiar as feudal Japan, but entirely foreign in that 'demon gods' have taken over and are ruling over mankind while roaming bands of warriors know as Bushi travel the land to defeat them. We join the story as two childhood friends who dreamed of becoming Bushi finally start their journey.
It's action-packed, seems to have some serious world-building behind it, and the art is a visual delight. I'm definitely following this series.

Many, many happy thanks to NetGalley and Viz for the early read.

I chose this title because I have a good opinion of the author.
I like that there is an interesting historical thread in the story, although my honest opinion is that at this stage the manga is still not at the level of the author's previous work ("Magi"). The events take place in a very classic shonen style, with a huge amount of intense battles, which made me personally tired. It doesn't have a very good relationship with the characters, either.
I would recommend it mostly to fans of the classic shonen.