Kamisama no Iutoori

Jun 1, 2015

Tampampam

Recommended

Well, this manga is an odd one.
It sounds just like another survival manga, the kinda "Everyone around me is dying" type. I can't say that it's totally original, but there's something special here- like the amount of cultural references, maybe it's the bizarreness level of this manga, or maybe it's just the fact that it's so unexpected! I mean, I don't know what this is about this manga, but it's absolutely awesome. Go read
NOTE: Because of the many cultural references, there are so many translator notes, so if you're not up for reading those, don't start.

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May 12, 2013

Aincrad2013

Recommended

"Oh my god. My life... is boring."

We have all had this thought at some point throughout our lives, and thanks to the high level of technology today, we are able to escape from our boring life into the amazing world of video games, movies, anime and countless other mediums. Yet we realize that they only provide a momentary relief from our boring life and we soon wish that our life was akin to our favorite movie/book/show or that we could somehow be truly a part of that world. But what if one day you were suddenly thrust into a world of fantasy and ... adventure, yet it is not the one you had hoped for? The old adage holds true: "Be careful of what you wish for."

And so it was for our average black haired MC, Takahata Shun, an average Japanese high-schooler leading an average boring life. That is, until one day his teacher's head blew up during class. And thus the games begins.

The synopsis will tell you a lot about the manga already and thus this review will go into the things that aren't mentioned in the synopsis while (hopefully) being spoiler-free.

While the genre has steadily gained popularity over the past decade with the rise of the Saw franchise and Hunger Games in the West, and bigshots such as Gantz and Battle Royale in Japan, the survival games genre sees its latest incarnation in Kami-sama no Iutoori as a shounen manga. And readers beware, it is a true SHOUNEN manga. With the typically average male MC somehow magically turning into the most suitable person to survive the events happening to him while simultaneously attracting every woman within a ten mile radius, this manga is not suitable for haters of the shounen genre.

The story begins by following the typical formula, the MC steadily picking up allies and rivals as he beats the challenges one by one while the minor characters become expendables... or so we think. Yes the story has unexpected twists and turns up until the very end, which makes the story highly enjoyable, especially for fans of the genre. Keep in mind that this is but the first part of the series, as it's sequel is already out. So do not expect for everything to be explained or for closure of any sort.

The characters are definitely the worst aspect of the manga as they are for the most part generic at best. There is practically no character development with the exception of the MC who actually becomes quite traumatized by the experience. To make up for that, the characters seemingly act out of character to create the appropriate setting needed to move the plot forward.

The art is nothing special. Rather, the first few chapters were somewhat poorly done (especially the facial expressions) yet it improved as the chapters went by. Some might be put-off by how detailed the repulsive parts are compared to the rest but overall, it manages to convey the story well enough.

Now let's all take a breather and realize that as I am writing this review, the views presented here are fairly subjective. Feel free to check my profile to see whether or not this review can be trusted or not. That being said, I highly enjoyed reading this manga and with only 21 chapters it is definitely worth reading. The only question that remains to any of you that decide to read this is the same one asked whenever one delves into the survival game genre:

"Who will survive?"

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Jun 8, 2017

IAintAllBad

Mixed Feelings

A survival manga that tells the story of a mass murder that started in a high school, only to be found out on an international scale. Only a few students survive games -revolving around the Japanese culture- thus going to the next stage, in search for the "next god".

Unfortunately, the manga ended in the middle of a game because of a major plot twist. We didn't get to see lots of interesting events or what happened in the actual end. It wasn't satisfying, to say the least.

The characters stayed the same during the story minus minor character developments.

The thrill is there, but so much ...

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Apr 12, 2016

Javier_Gimenez

Recommended

This manga taught me something. Something that is easy to ignore. Don't let your opinions on life close your mind to different possibilities. This is a Manga that does something that most mistery comics fail inmensely to do. If you want a good mistery story you should put all the pieces of the puzzle in front of the reader/viewer, but subvert all of the pieces so they think that the puzzle goes in a way they weren't expecting. hiding information is not a good way to make your readers feel that the other guy is smart, they will fell cheated. You don't even have to ...

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Apr 30, 2017

Flarzy

Recommended

Kamisama no Iutoori is an underrated manga that one would read only by sheer luck, it's not well known but it's better than most popular manga out there.
Having discovered the manga by recommendation, i would never cross paths with this unique and bizarre take on the survival genre. You are not prepared for what the manga brings to the table, but you'll enjoy it more going in blind. So if you are in doubt about reading it, let this review clear some things up.

The story is what keeps you going, a high school survival manga with just enough weird elements that grabs your attention. A ...

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Apr 27, 2021

Joricardo

Recommended

I thougt the manga very fun.
Thus, the characters are not very charismatic and do not undergo any major development, but they are pleasant because they look very human and in general are not exaggerated (like having an extremely exaggerated psychopath) as in other stories of the genre they usually have type Mirai Nikki. By the way, it is cool that even when the characters die they are not forgotten by the story, always having their presence marked on top of the surviving characters.

It history that can be quite intriguing because of the games (since the author uses Japanese games) and the mystery that surrounds the ...

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Sep 16, 2023

Kinglink

Mixed Feelings

I could write a long piece on Kamisama no Iutoori, but... I think I can summarize it like this.

Take the Squid Game tv series, but make it all seem like alien or otherworldy entities have done it. Then play the killing games on a growing scale, rather than a shrinking one. Avoid giving any explination or any hint of what's really going on, and end it with a completely unsatisfying ending in the middle of the story.

Then reveal there's a second series coming.

Kamisama no Iutoori isn't a bad manga, and if someone told me they liked it, I would understand, in ...

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Feb 12, 2019

DavidJoestar

Not Recommended

So how I can put this? Well... let's make a quick resume of the plot.
We have a lot of high school students who are trapped in a game... a survival game... make by... God, 'cause He doesn't have much to do at all, apparently. And... they survive? At least someones, others are just completely thrown out before we can give a shit for their. Well, everybody who survives actually are some kind of nuts or perverts... or both, and everybody who's just a sane person just die horribly.
So, surprisedly or not, I actually liked pretty much this manga... at least the first ... 80% of its. The characters was interesting (even if some of they die too soon and I thought they can be more used), the plot was clever, the games was exciting and everything was fine. It wasn't my favorite manga ever, but I was having a pretty good time reading.
BUT! I begun to realize that something it was NOT ok when we saw the creepy otaku's backstory and... THAT THING came. THAT!
The 2-D girl!
I thought "... Wait, what?! No. Nonononononononono. No. Y-You're kidding, right?". It was so pathetic, because I kind of can feel when something like that it's just a joke and when it takes really serious, and HE WAS SERIOUS. Look, I wouldn't freak out just by that if it was a comedy manga or a serious manga who sometimes decides to make a joke (like Bungo Stray Dogs, one of my favorites anime ever), but this is not the case. "Kamisama no Iutoori" have its comic relieve, but nothing like this.
And, how I imagined, its was going worse, when the author included the "Ikuko", who even her name is translated like... "A girl about to come"... Do I need say more?!
At this point, I just wanted to end this manga sooner as possible. I can't just stop now because I spent too much time on this shit for just give up and I was already on the final arc.
What makes me given a pretty bad score for this manga was the end, because I was waited at least something to compensate this... And it was the WORST END I EVER SEE IN MY WHOLE LIFE (by a manga)! Nothing makes any sense, the author just threw on a lot of bullshit, the climax (who was pretty good, I have to say) was ended by a way so frustrating that makes me think the author created a problem who he didn't know how to solves and just give up. And he didn't even give anyone a end, like, their stories are just end on the middle of the way and die there.
And I know it has a "continuation", but by the synopsis, it's a whole new story with differents characters and I don't give a shit anymore, because I'm tired of this author who can't even finish his story properly.

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Oct 7, 2023

bergars

Mixed Feelings

A new contender on my strange list of “What am I even reading?”.

Short manga, death games, gore, batshit insane characters. An author that tortures audience expectations to the point of insensitivity. You get what you ask for, but I just can't get along with the ways it's laid out. Specially since the beginning, we know everything can instantly die at the turn of a page, or right on the next panel. So, it should be a fun, “turn off your brain” sequence of gory events that tickle that monkey bone.

A ball with a face lands on a classroom, and starts killing people in the ... name of a mysterious game. No rules, you gotta figure out how to survive in the very first pages. It's unrelenting, no breaks, no breathing room, nothing. Right from that get go, it feels like an ADHD written story. It tries to get your attention by introducing this new, brutal aspect that gets discarded soon after. It keeps your attention long enough as to tell another, alien invasion story, and we go back and forth really fast to the gore. Maybe this is the kind of juvenile story that loads of people put themselves into, and try to think “¿Would I survive?”. That's where the novelty wears off. Only insane people survive, or the main character, whose insanity is slowly put in the spotlight to analyze, but without meaning.

It feels like a meaningless story, at least as of now. This is the only thing I'll mention about the ending, in that, there's not an ending. The narrative ends in a climax after one of the most important death games finishes. It leaves the audience in a cliffhanger that doesn't really interest me to follow for more. Some allusions are given to the real “something” behind it all, but it's so empty that there's nothing to look forward to.

We don't care for the characters, since the author never gives us time to love anybody. The main character is just this vaguely insane guy, doing mildly intelligent observations to allow his survival without much else. I don't think we're supposed to relate, but we don't care either. Survival isn't something that matters that much when that's all there's to it. Maybe I should've expected that from the premise, and it was entertaining, but not much more than junk food.

I don't think this is a great manga, and the art goes hit or miss. However, I wasn't bored, so I'll give it points for succeeding in the ADHD fueled, and sometimes comedic, gory aesthetic that doesn't exaggerate with its characters. It's not edgy, which is welcomed.

5.5/10. Tolerable, but it doesn't bring anything to the death game table. Mindless entertainment.

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Nov 6, 2023

Lainsbearsuit

Recommended

A Survival Game with a Twist, or maybe a Half Twist

Right off the bat let's note that this is Part 1 of a Two Part (so far) manga series with the same name, except part two is called Part 2. Pretty simple.

If you enjoyed Kaiji, Squid Game, Battle Royale, Alice in Borderlands, or any other Survival Game, and thought to yourself "I wish they spent less time on the plot and characters, and just spent more time on the games, maybe add in some supernatural elements" then you are absolutely going to love this manga. Otherwise, you will be like most people and probably ...

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Dec 31, 2021

abystoma2

Not Recommended

If you’ve read literally any other work of the death game genre, Kamisama no Iutoori will offer no extra benefit to you.

The story is very, very basic. Very little is actually explained about what is going on, so it seems that the main attraction really is just “people dying stupidly”. Said people being generic mob, with very shallow personalities – and that includes the protagonists too. I was given absolutely zero reason as to why should I care about any of them. There is at least some attempt to differentiate between characters by varying character designs, but that too falls flat as most of them ...

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