This is one of the most violent mangas I know. A first quick reading might lead one to think that Shamo is just a praise to hatred and non-morality. Or an exposition of horrors to untertain a thirsty audience. I think that Shamo is none of that. To me it is a masterpiece.

First, this manga has two huge forces; it benefits from the narrative and drawing assets of the manga.

Mangakas are incredibly prolific, so they have time to dwell on the characters and the story. It also allows them to expand their creativity and to utterly dedicate to the beauty of the drawings. I am crazy about those pages that stun me by their power, I can stare at them for a few minutes just to dissect every features. In Shamo some of them are as wonderful as etchings (old japanese paintings). In addition, I think that the lack of colours just increase the touch and the impact of the sketches. It looks pure and genuine. A bit like the old movies, once you are used to it, it brings an other atmosphere. Shamo’s drawing is precise and rich in details (great city landscapes). It has clean moves, and a capacity to modify the speed of the action (especially during fights, where there are tremendous accelerating phases). It is sometimes mysterious, rough and very dark.

What also makes Shamo so special is that it manages to pass through the great usual manga stories steps but succeeds in avoiding its hazards. Thus the story has great elements like the training phase, the huge big fight, or the evolution of the main character’s personnality… But it keeps its exceptionnal style (though the last episodes tend to lose this originality)!

Eventually, beneath the dingy lifes, the terrible fights, the murders and other horrors, there are some strong witful messages. The “redemption” of Ryo (the main character) through the discipline of Martial Arts, and his non-hypocrisy. He does not hide from the atrocities he commited and he still stand in front of the crowd to achieve his goals. Shamo also conveys some criticizes of our society, such as the excesses of the show industry (Ryo can be seen as a gladiator who fights until death) and our lack of challenges/risks.

Thanks Tanaka Akio & Hashimoto Izo.