Shimazaki in the Land of Peace

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Finished: 11/14/24

I don't read many manga in this genre with the darker themes but it grabbed me nonetheless. It was mysterious, heartbreaking, and brutal.

I loved the end of this volume, showing Shimazaki's photographs he took. I loved all the interesting angles and composition of the photos.

I'm intrigued enough to read volume two, and learn more about the characters.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. It’s definitely more actioned oriented than slice-of-life like I interpreted the marketing on NetGalley.

Nothing intriguing in the first part to keep you hooked and going. The art doesn’t standout to pull you in either.

Right on target. Very fun read! Surprisingly mature compared to what i was expecting, the art is very sleek and elegant.

Shingo Shimazaki was kidnapped as a child and forced to join a terrorist group called the League for Economic Liberations' or LEL for short. Now, 30 years later, he's living back in Japan and trying to assimilate to every day life.

This manga is a good mix of serious storytelling, action, and humor. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much without the touch of humor. Shimazaki is well written and I'm enjoying learning more about him though each chapter. I also really enjoy the art style.

My thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha/Vertical Comics for an eARC of this book to read and review.

Ok, this one has potential for future volumes I feel. It leaves me wanting more, not because it is so suspenseful, but because it leaves too much dangling in the breeze. The jump-cuts are too sudden, the storyline doesn't make much sense as what is revealed needs more information to make the reader say "Aha!" instead of "Whut?".

I guess it makes sense for the MC to be all stone-cold with no visible or obvious emotions, but would it hurt to show the guy have a real and not feigned smile/tear/emotion? He's just a blank slate. We KNOW he's been through a LOT, but there is this wall, a disconnect between knowing it and FEELING it.

This might sound like I didn't like it and won't read the next volume, BUT. I have hopes that this will pick up a bit in the next volume. I want to know more about the characters and how they are able to transition from where they were to where they are now. I want a HEA dang it! So I'll give it one more volume to see if it was worth my hope. We shall see.

Also, no honorifics were used at ALL and that really threw me. Not a deal breaker, it was just unexpected.

If you like violence in your manga and mysteries that aren't revealed until further into the series, then this may be the series for you.

2, not bad but I need more in the next volume to continue with the series, stars.

Shimazaki just wants a quiet life, but his past refuses to let him go. The artwork is fantastic, and it handles PTSD in a very realistic way! Not sure if all keep reading this series but I enjoyed this one.

Forced to join a terrorist organization when he was a child, Shimazaki had to go through life-threatening missions against humanity. Finally making an escape to Tokyo, Shimazaki is trying to live his best life and learn about everyday Japanese society in his own way. While this type of plot has been vaguely seen before, there is somehow grim vibes but also the hope that Shimazaki is treasuring his time here. I enjoyed this volume and plan to read the next ones.

Shimazaki just wants to live in peace after escaping the LEL, an international terrorist organization that kidnapped him as a child and turned him into an elite covert operative. Back in his native Japan, Shimazaki attempts to navigate the ups and downs of a normal life while avoiding his past. A very well written slice-of-life manga.

Unfortunately, not for me.

I absolutely enjoyed similar storylines from The Way of the Househusband or Spy x Family, but I couldn't manage to connect with the characters here. :(

My thanks to Kodansha and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions my own!

This is for the John Wick fans.
I absolutely loved Shimazaki and cared for him in a way that had me closing this book and wanting to read the next immediately.
While the story itself has been seen before, I still enjoyed the author's take on it and how much care it went into creating these characters and world.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for this DRC.

I picked this up because I was intrigued by the premise and I felt the art style was nice. Unfortunately, the plot, pacing and characters didn't really keep my attention in this first volume. While this could have been building up to something interesting, I found that I wasn't invested in most of what I was reading here.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gouten Hamada, and Vertical Comics for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this title!

As a child, Shing Shimazaki was captured and forced to join the League for Economic Liberation's revolutionary army, undergoing intense military training, completing secret missions, and otherwise becoming a human weapon of destruction against his will. Thirty years later, he returns to his native Japan to try and assimilate into the land of his childhood. While he struggles with ordinary tasks, reading his home language, and fitting into a life without war and the horrors it entails, his prior training and willingness to change will serve him well as he tries to regain what was lost.

This was a choice a little out of my wheelhouse, but I overall enjoyed the concept and will probably seek out further issues of this novel. The idea of a 40-something-year-old with Green Beret-level training trying to make it as a restaurant server and part-time graphic novel artist while avoiding his past was really interesting, and while this was not a silly goofy good time, I think there were some poignant moments here regarding regret, the trauma of war, the hard work it takes to break out of a mold you've been cast in, and the perspectives of what it means to live and how what you did in the past doesn't have to be what you do in the future. This is definitely a manga meant for adults so read with care!

My Thoughts:
This is not really right for my audience, but this is definitely disturbing. It starts off with a violent air hostage situation by some radical Japanese militants. They kill most of the innocent hostages, but take some of the children to brainwash them into their own political cult. Shingo Shimazaki, one of the boys that were kidnapped, is raised to be a covert operative for these international terrorists. This book starts 30 years from the initial kidnapping and Shingo has escaped the organization and headed back to Japan to try and live a peaceful life.

Of course Shimazaki is highly trained and people will come for him, but he does get to blend in for a little while. The other volumes will continue to see how long he can stay in Japan and try to live a normal life. However, he is a weapon, so there will be violence for sure.

From the Publisher:
Seamlessly mixing secret agent-type action with slice-of-life vignettes and fish-out-of-water comedy, "Shimazaki in the Land of Peace" is the charming alternate history political thriller you never knew you were dying to read. Utterly unique, with stunning artwork, this hit series promises to keep the thrills and surprises coming even as it warms even the coldest heart.

Shingo Shimazaki was kidnapped as a boy by the LEL, an international terrorist organization who turned him into an elite covert operative in their war against the international community. After thirty years, he has finally escaped their clutches and returned to his native Japan. All he wants now is to live in peace…but what will happen when his past catches up to him? The acclaimed, action-packed slice-of-life adventure begins here!

Publication Information:
Author: Gouten Hamada
Illustrator: Takeshi Seshimo
Publisher: Vertical Comics (November 26, 2024)
Paperback: 200 pages

I think I’m just found my new favorite manga. The plot is amazing. I love the pacing and the flashbacks. The little details we collect about out main character feel so authentic to actually getting to know a person in real life. Would highly recommend.

This manga had me on the edge of my seat while reading, with the page unable to turn fast enough. I normally gravitate towards a romance manga, but love keeping my options open and boy am I glad I did!! I really enjoyed this action packed manga, the author really did a wonderful job. This book definitely has a serious tone, but it was very interesting. I also loved the art style and cannot wait for book 2 to release and see how the main character will live peacefully being back in Japan under watch.

Thank you for letting me read this. This manga was very overwhelming and I had hard liking the main character even though he has been through alot. Now he able to change his life now since coming back home to his home country. But this story is hard to follow.

This is the story of a man who was trained from a young age to be a weapon—but now, all he wants is to live a normal life.

Despite his past and the target on his back, he can’t ignore people in need. Whenever someone requires help, he puts his skills to use, even if it means putting himself in danger. His struggle to balance a peaceful life with the weight of his past makes for a compelling and action-packed story.

The artwork perfectly complements the tone of the story, bringing its intensity and emotion to life. A must-read for fans of action and redemption stories!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the arc.

I don’t particularly like this genre of manga and usually never read books so graphic and dark, but something kept me reading and actually enjoying (at times) this manga. I really liked the scene with the main character naming his photographs/artwork. The characters are so complex and well developed. You even have an understanding of the background of a character that only shows up in one chapter/arc. Please do not read if you can’t handle darker themes like torture, etc.

I probably won’t continue this manga, but I’m glad I read it.

Shimazaki in the Land of Peace reminds me of SakaDays, but this story has a more serious outcome that is interesting.
Definitely a story to keep an eye on.