Musashi and Kojiro have been friends since childhood and they kind of always wanted to be part of the Bushi group, which were people who killed demons. But now these demons are treated like gods, brain-washing pretty much every village.

Still, a 15 y/o Musashi doesn’t want to become a miner just like everybody else and when the time comes, he fights against a demon god. Kojiro helps him and eventually a band of real Bushi appears before them.

Now, this is the first time I’ve ever read something by the author, so I’m not really familiar with their work, though I think this was just like any shonen out there. The premise does seem interesting but so far we’ve only had the introduction of the characters, their main goal and random past scenes that kind of give us a little context, just to keep us interested.

I think this story would be perfect for fans that like samurai-themed manga or shonen in general. I do hope the next volume is far more entertaining though.

3.5☆ As a big fan of Magi I couldn't pass up the chance to read this. Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Musashi and Kojiro live in a world governed by demons. Everyone around them worships them as benevolent gods living their whole lives without even seeing what they really look like, but Musashi and Kojiro have always dreamed of becoming Bushi, legendary warriors who fight demons.

This was a pretty fun first volume. Musashi is the quintessential action manga main character: fiercely determined to achieve his dream despite the odds and impossibly optimistic. So obviously I loved him. On the other hand, Kojiro is less of a believer, comformed to his fate and even a bit of a cynic. They're a funny duo.

I wasn't expecting this much action for a first volume, but I was instantly caught up in it and Inow I'm intrigued by this story. I'm really looking forward to the next volume!

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

Orient, Volume 1, by Shinobu Ohtaka
★★★☆☆
194 Pages


Orient is a story of two boys who dreamed of saving the world from demons. It begins when they're kids, showing their determination and eagerness to train as warriors, then flips forward years later to show the world has accepted the demons as their Gods and their dreams have been shattered. But, through hard work, determination, and the strength of friendship, they find themselves in a situation that proves they really are needed as the warriors of justice they always wanted to be.

The story is super cute, a perfect shonen, full of action, adventure and friendship while fighting. It focuses on Musashi and Kojiro, how both have to battle inner demons as well as literal ones, to find their place in the world. At only fifteen years old, they're perfect protagonists for young boys. The story tackles some good teen-related issues like self-doubt, standing up for what's right, holding back from fear of losing friends, and learning to choose between what's popular and what's in your heart.

The art is cute, clean and simple, very similar to chibi and anime. Unlike some of the manga's I normally read, it began as a clean and clear story, not clogged with numerous expression/action terms that can often make the page feel crowded and displeasing to the eye. But, once it got into the action scenes, it became littered with them, and it was hard to keep track of the action. The images were so full of action the tags made it much harder to see what was happening, especially when the demons got involved, as they were all made of multiple intricate parts that made the illustrations busy and chaotic, at times.

While I enjoyed the story and the mix of action/adventure with a rekindled friendship, I found the ending disappointing. Not only did it end on a cliffhanger for the main character Musashi, but it ended on a bit of a sour note for him, as well. It wasn't a happy ending at all, which was disappointing after the big build up. I think I'd have been happier if the cliffhanger came without a resolution to the fight, so there was no clear winner until the next volume, because the reveal of the winner was deflating and devastating for Musashi.

Overall, while I liked the plot and the characters, the execution with the action tags and the abrupt ending left me feeling deflated. I might pick up the next volume, if it becomes available on Netgalley, but I'm not sure I'd want to make the commitment of buying the next issue, yet. I'd want some reassurance that the plot progresses further first.

The art style is lovely, and feels very reminicient of the manga I'd read in my youth. If you're unfamiliar with Manga generally, and are just enjoying my reviews (why, thank you, if that is the case); art style in Manga and Anime often change with the decades. In the 90's we had very big eyes and tiny mouths, as we've moved into the 2000's things became very angular, and in the 2010-s through to now I'd say things have become softer, not realistic by any stretch of the imagination, but if you compare the art on Sailor Moon vs Mahou Tsukai No Yome; you'll see what I mean. The art in this feels like a nostalgic mix of modern roundness and the blocky mid eyes of the 2007's.

It's set in a world where humans are ruled by demons, as Gods. Two plucky youths who were raised as 'Bushi' fight against their regime by fighting demons to free the humans enslaved around them.

The designs on the demons were wonderful, I loved it. They were really varied and interesting, and I couldn't help but chuckle at some of the 'egg with legs' designs. The demon God was badass - his design was amazing, so well drawn and detailed.

The motorbikes made me laugh. That was a nice, unconventional touch. traditional armoured warriors on the spikiest bikes I've ever seen, amazing.

The battle was great, we saw our hero getting knocked down, forcing his way forward, losing his way at the end - I was worried that he'd just manage it and be overpowered, so I'm happy we're not facing a super overpowered, barely trained kid, as I feel I'm a bit tired of those stories.

I'm looking forward to reading more, and hope future volumes will be on Netgalley. I've gone for a 4 instead of a 5 as I wish there'd been a touch more lead in when approaching the story, it felt very fast and right into the action. It would have been good to have a '150 years ago...' kind of thing to set the scene, to show where and how we reached this point. Instead we're thrust right in, and you can't help but wonder why no-one has noticed the miners are just slave food for demons. Why do we train people to do a job to just send them to be eaten? Surely someone would have noticed by now that it's not exactly a stable career choice. It just seemed odd to me, though that's Manga, quite often - and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I have to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this; it was enjoyable and I had fun reading the manga. I’m looking forward to future books. I enjoyed very much the 90’s vibe the illustrations gave out since mostly that’s the style of drawing I grew up in. If you all are looking for an exciting read please go ahead and take a look at this story.

Orient combines demons and samurai ideals in an interesting way. As kids Musashi and Kojiro made a promise to become bushi, hero warriors that would fight the demons. They live under a demon rule only to notice that the bushi isn't just a story and that the supposed benevolent demons are actually nasty monsters eating minerals and well, killing people. Musashi's determination is strong, but along the way Kojiro lost his will until a demon is about to use the miners as slaves for food. Obviously we'll see how these boys will become the best warriors, so this is your basic shounen adventure. This first volume moves fast and sets the story rapidly with awesome fight scenes.

Ohtaka is good at drawing the demons and fights and angles, but people's faces are the weak point. The humans look somewhat angular and they have this 1990s vibe to them. We don't really get to know our characters enough aside from the burning passion to fight demons, which makes this lacking in depth. I hope that'll get better though. An OK start, but nothing miraculous. Slowing down the pace would've made this better surely.

Orient Is a manga that swoops you into action from the very first chapter, which is something always appreciated in a shounen title. If you are into those, I'm sure you will absolutely dig Orient. The fights are intense and badass, the designs of the demons really epic and as a Magi fan, I have to admit that the main characters in this volume clicked with me far more than the main characters in Magi. I absolutely loved the dynamic between them and I'm really curious to see where it will go. Usually, shounens show main characters having to part ways with their childhood friends in some way or even kill them of for character development. It was a nice change.
The art style is lovely and very distinct for this author. The characters look great and the introduction of the new gang at the end makes me get a second volume quick. If you're a fan of typical shounen action series, I'm just you will like this one.

First things first wanted to thank netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book.
I have been a fan of her work for many years.
I throughly enjoyed Orient Vol. 1 it follows the life's1 of two best friends Musashi and kojiro and them wanting to be bushi.
Bushi in their time are they were warriors who fought against the demon lords. And their journey to adulthood. Definitely a good read and can't wait to continue the series.

First of all, wow. The drawings are so detailed and gorgeous. I really admire Shinobu Ohtaka’s talent. I had never read any manga by this author before, though I have heard a lot about her series “Magi”. That’s why I thought it could be interested to look at her new series Orient.

I liked it a lot, but for the moment it doesn’t classify as one of my favourites. The story is promising and I feel something is going to happen between our Musashi and Kojiro. Musashi seems to be a really determined young man while Kojiro is a bit doubting what he really wants to do with his life. There was a lot of action and the drawings of these scenes were impressive but as often, I feel like action scenes are difficult to follow, especially when there are many. It might be just a personal feeling; I remember I had the same problem with One Piece. I am sure I will enjoy the second volume more because for the moment, it just feels like a typical story where the hero fights the bad guys with his friend. I recommend this series if you like action.
3.5/5

Thank you netgally for giving me a copy!

Demons invading the world and demon hunters called Bushi who fights and kill demons? I'm in. Totally my cup of tea.

However, I didn't enjoy this that much. I felt that the characters, Musashi and Kojiro resembles and reminds me lot of Alladin and Alibaba in many ways. If you look closely to the character designs of both characters, you'll really see that they resembles each other (or is it just me). I just felt that that throws off the amazingness of this manga series.

I just hope that there is more character originality and everything would be okay. The art has improved a lot, it was much more better in this manga series and I really like it.

The art style of this manga is cute but I found the story really bland and wasn't into the characters. This is one of those series I might enjoy more as an anime.

7.75 out of 10 stars!
Cool and I'm certain younger audience will love it.

Keywords: manga, fantasy, samurai, demon, shounen

REVIEW
Orient is about two boys, Musashi and Kojiro, who dreamt to become a bushi, samurai warrior who defeat demons to keep mankind safe. But it turns out bushi were not respected and demons were revered in their village. Will Musashi and Kojiro strayed from their dreams?

Overall the concept of this manga is cool. I like the character and monster' designs. A band of samurai wearing armor and riding metal bikes? Two boys single-handedly defeating demon? That's pretty cool. I am sure my younger self would like this manga. I also like how the mangaka blend some of mythological aspects to the designs.

Alas I don't really like the pacing. It feels too fast and lack of emotional connection. Everything feels too abrupt or too loud. Perhaps it's just because I'm not the targeted demographic of this manga. A 20-something adult like me might not enjoy it, but teenager and younger will still love it.

Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for giving me an arc of this manga in an exchange of honest review.

I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the publishers and netgalley for a free eARC in exchange of an honest review!

This is a fun little shonen manga about demon hunters called Bushi. Our main character and his best friend want to become them when they grow up, but their society tells them Bushi are criminals. In fact they’re told that demons are gods that protect them. However when it turns out they’ve been tricked into becoming slaves they fight back and begin their journey towards becoming Bushi and fighting demons themselves.

The art is nice and detailed and pretty dramatic. I enjoyed the pacing and the friendship between the two main characters, though at times this was pretty repetitive and a lot of our Mac saying the same thing over and over. In some areas it felt a bit rushed but I still enjoyed it.
I don’t think I’d pick up the next volume but I enjoyed reading the manga and it was fun and interesting with a good cliffhanger and lovely artwork.

Ok ladies, gentlemen, and others what we have here is a classic case of 'It was good, but it was definitely not for me.' This could be for several reasons. One is that I am not the target demographic and thus I'm not necessarily supposed to like it. But that is a flawed argument. A more probable one is that it just didn't connect with me. The main character, in particular, is the type that I tend to clash with while reading, and sometimes you just don't figure that out until you start reading. Back to talking about the books in more specifics, I was quite intrigued by the premises. It sounded really cool and from what I read there is some major potential in here. The art was also really nice. Everyone was identifiable immediately and the demons looked really cool. I think other people will like this more and I encourage them to give this one a read.

The art is amazing. The plot is so good too.. This volume was really great start and I hope other volumes will be even better. This manga has a great potential.

4.25/5 stars!

When the demons overrun the planner and made humans subservient to them, a group of warriors called the Bushi stepped up to protect humankind. In one human town that is ran by the demons, the time for two childhood friends who promised each other that they will become Bushi has come. And their journey begins as they learn the truth of the world outside their town brings the battle to their doorstep.

The first volume introduced readers to the main protagonists of the manga series. It has action, friendship, and beautiful artwork by Shinobu Ohtaka. I wanted more of the series since this first volume focused on introducing the protagonists of the series, making it a slow but in-depth start of the overall story. Other than that, I look forward to reading more of the series because I know that Shinobu Ohtaka will provide a great adventure.


**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.**

Orient Vol. 1 is the start of a new shonen manga, created by Shinobu Ohtaka (known for Magi), and published by Kodansha Comics.

In a world where demons are real, what is a person to do? Well, there are a few options. They could lie down, and accept the lies that they are being told (that demons are gods, and worthy of worship). Or they can rise up and fight the demon overlords.

You can probably guess which option Musashi chose. He had always been enchanted by the tales of the Bushi, as told by his best friend, Kojiro's father. So it didn't take much motivation to convince him to take up the battle, and try to create his own Bushi clan.

Orient Vol. 1 is the story of two very different friends. One, Musashi, is stubborn to a fault, and determined to become a Bushi. No matter the cost. The other, Kojiro, feels the weight of his ancestors, as well as the perceived pain and guilt they dumped on him. He loved the idea of becoming a Bushi – as a child. But he has since grown past that point.

Or so he thought. His friend is stubborn, and apparently quite good at getting into trouble. That's really the entire premise of this first volume. There's a lot of backstory, hopes, dreams, and fighting to be found in Orient Vol. 1.

The artwork is pretty bold – which is no surprise, given the genre we're talking about. There's a ton of fighting sequences and dramatic poses. Sometimes expressions (and eyes) seemed slightly...off, and that was mildly off-putting. But overall I enjoyed the art style, and everything it had going for it.

All things considered, this was far from a bad introduction to the world or the characters. Though I'll confess that I'm not as fully invested as I had hoped I would be. Then again, some of my favorite manga took a few volumes before I was head over heels, so I'd be willing to read a bit more before I wrote off this series.

3.5 stars

I haven't read "Magi" so this is my first impression of Shinobu Ohtaka's work.

This is definitely targeted towards a shounen audience and has all the makings of one. Musashi and Kojiro are childhood friends and vow to become Bushi (warriors who defeat demons). However, in this world where demons rule and are looked at like gods, Bushi are not liked or welcome.

There are moments where there is surprising depth given to this concept, only to quickly fall into stereotypical shounen territory. I loved the moments of depth because they brought a refreshing amount of nuance to what would simply be just another shounen manga. Musashi also read as exceptionally over-powered which worked against this manga as this is only the first volume of the series.

While I didn't love "Orient" I will probably pick up the next volume, as the world-building was definitely what drew me in with this volume.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for giving me a free e-arc of "Orient 1" by Shinobu Ohtaka in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date: 5 January 2021

The world has been under demon rule for 150 years. The people have accepted their new role as slaves to the demons except for the bushi, a group of katana-wielding people who fight the demons. Musashi and Kujiro vowed to become bushi when they became old enough to rid the world of demons, and they're about to get their chance.

Review to come late December to my blog/Goodreads.

I received this book from Kodansha/Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

While I still have plenty of Magi to read (this is the same mangaka) and I still want to watch the show, I just couldn't resist it when I saw this one on Netgalley. The art looked so vibrant and since I really liked the first volume of Magi, I just had to give it a shot.

Meet Musashi, a boy who wants to be a bushi, someone who defeats demons. He trains hard, but people are seeing bushi as the bad people and he cannot state he wants to be one. So he just tries out for miner. With a scythe.

Yes. A scythe. Why is his pickaxe actually a scythe? I mean I recognise a scythe everywhere (because some of my favourite anime/manga characters have one). I thought it was a translation error because who the hell who mine ores with a freaking scythe? In the mean time the MC calls his pickaxe which is actually a scythe his demon-killing katana, aka sword. UMMMM? UMMM? HELLO? Someone points it out but they call it a pick-axe... are people dumb in this country or what?

I have to say that I was kind of wondering how the story would go on as I got to page 30. So far we have one idiotic but very genki MC with a scythe he calls katana and others call pick-axe. We have one white-heared dude whose father was bushi and who is being ignored by the townfolk. There are some other characters. But thankfully when the whole ceremony happens we find out some delightful shocking things. And haha, no, I won't spoil you, but it reminded me of some other manga and I was just clapping in delight. YAS.

Things get really heated up, and once again I will stick that our MC is the typical shounen boy. Nothing can faze him. Nothing can beat his genkiness out of him. Which on the one side was totally cool for me, on the other hand, dude? You are a total wreck, how can you still smile.
I did love that while Musashi was being a trainee miner he actually trained hard for his dream as bushi. He tried poses, he tried stances. Go dude!

We also get some background story on the characters and I always love that those are added.

The battles in this story are typical shounen style but I just love them. At least so far it hasn't reached Dragonball levels in which it takes a long long time for them to finally defeat a bad guy. :P Though they were, just like in many shounen books a bit too much at times. I mean these guys are just beginning and voila, look at what they achieve. The power of dreams is very much true in shounen.

Can I say that I am in love with the fact that this feels like old Japan, but in the mean time the bushi guys ride on freaking motorcycles that look like they came out of Yu-Gi-Oh!.

The rest of the manga just continues with plenty of action and I just couldn't tear my eyes away from the manga. Holy wow. Awesome art, great characters (though a bit shounen-typical), and I think I found a new girl to like. *points down to the image* She looks crazy and awesome, my kind of girl! 

I cannot wait for the next volume to come. I need to know more. What will be next for Musashi and Kojiro? What more awesome battles and art can we expect?