Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for the advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion. My opinions are not representative of any groups I am affiliated with.

I really liked Fungus and Iron #1. It took the tropes I've come to expect from dystopia and action manga books and turned them just enough on their head to make something new. The title felt silly at first glance, but it absolutely makes sense in a literal way after reading. My only real gripe is the heavy use of archetyping for character development in this volume, but I definitely can tell this is to give the reader a strong but familiar impression of each character without it taking too much extra space for a first volume. This helped make it the quick read that it is, and it's definitely worth the hour or two you'll spend on it.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fungus and Iron has one of the most interesting premises I've seen in a while, and I'm glad I had the chance to read it. Set in a dystopian world, Fungus and Iron explores abuse of government power, mortality, and strength in community through the eyes of the meek protagonist, Dante.

I would recommend this title to fans of Golden Kamuy, Parasyte, and Fullmetal Alchemist. This series contains depictions of gore similar to Golden Kamuy, and I would recommend it for mature readers.

Story and Art: Ayaka Katayama
Translation: Jacqueline Fung
Lettering: Darren Smith
Editing: Jordan Reynolds

An interesting story about a postapocalyptic world where a fungus has taken over the minds of humans and is forcing them into being emotionless slaves. It's a very violent manga, so if you're squeamish with blood and gore this book isn't for you. The main character is fun and the story is a good mix of silly and serious.