A Company Man

This is going to be a heavy one.

Ji Hyeong-Do (So Ji-Sub) is a seemingly ordinary salary man; he starts his day with a balanced breakfast, he carries a briefcase and wears a suit to work. Everything about him from his hairstyle to his manner of walking makes him indistinguishable from the average Korean working man. However, Hyeong-Do's job is anything but ordinary. Working as a hit-man for a company specializing in assassinations Hyeong-Do has been with the company for a long-time. Having never failed a mission and always completing his assignments without question, his boss Representative Jeon (Jeon Guk-hwan) plans to leave the company in Hyeong-Do's hands. That is until Hyeong-Do falls in love with a woman named Su-Yeon (Lee Mi-Yeon), a single mom who is also the mother of Hyeong-Do's most recent target. Hyeong-Do is forced to choose between his duty and his heart. When he chooses wrong he finds himself hunted by the very same organization that trained him.

 

He was a model employee.

If you follow me on Twitter you're probably aware that I'm a huge fan of Asian cinema - Korean cinema and shows in particular. Undoubtedly my favorite Korean film (and one of my favorite movies of all-time) is 2010's The Man From Nowhere which has since become the standard by which I judge these films. While 'A Company Man' won't be taking the crown I'd put it right next to 'The Man From Nowhere' as one of the all-time greats given that this movie was filled with drama, suspense, action and very deep characters that made me care about them. The story hooked me in from the word go and I was captivated by this world and the very real sense of pain and loneliness that was felt throughout.

It's hard out here for a killer.

Actor/rapper So Ji-sub plays our lead Ji Hyeong-Do. With 20 years of acting experience under his belt he's no slouch and he does a fantastic job portraying Hyeong-Do. When we first meet Hyeong-Do he appears to be a ruthless assassin, even going so far as to kill an underling with no remorse despite the fact said underling has a family. Orders are orders after all. He is both feared and respected in his organization and his boss likens him to a perfect killer. He's almost mechanical in nature. However this is only on the surface. Beneath that Hyeong-Do is a very lonely man who feels isolated even when he's surrounded by other human beings and it seems his only human contact involves the people he's sent to kill. As time goes on and his missions become more and more complex, we see and understand why he's had enough of this life and wants to move on. He's a quiet character, but the nuances in his body language speak volumes about what he's thinking. Verbally or non-verbally, So Ji-sub commands these scenes.

Learning to be human.

Actress Lee Mi-Yeon plays Su-Yeon a single mother struggling to raise two children on a tailor's salary. Caught between a rebellious, teenage daughter who'd rather make a career out of running the streets and a son whose super secret job happens to be contract killing similar to our main character and Su-Yeon has a lot on her plate. When she meets Hyeong-Do, his support and quiet understanding eases her financial hardships, but more importantly the emotional weight she's carrying. He helps her rediscover what it means to dream again and even brings her closer to fulfilling said dreams. Su-Yeon in-turn helps Hyeong-Do rediscover his humanity and live for something other than killing.

 

Don't cross the boss.

Any corporate structure is bound to have a completed hierarchy and this one is no different. A Company Man has a large assortment of characters connected with the organization - some good, some bad. Jeon Guk-hwan (above right) plays Representative Jeon, the leader of the organization. He's easy-going and friendly, but don't let that fool you. It takes a special kind of crazy to operate a business where the main product is murder. He's the mastermind behind everything and there's no line he won't cross to keep the organization's existence a secret. Serving directly under him is his stooge Kwon Jong-tae played by Kwak Do-won. Do-won does a great job portraying Jong-tae as this character you love to hate. He's scheming, double-crossing, woefully inept, and is basically an amalgam of every bad boss you've ever had. Yoo Ha-bok plays Jin Chae-gook, who was Hyeong-Do's handler before tragic events force him to turn rogue and place him into direct conflict with our lead. There are other characters including Ban Ji-hoon (played by Lee Geung-young) who is a washed-up, old assassin who has nothing in his life but money with no one to spend it on and a fancy car with no one to drive around in. Ban Ji-hoon is particularly interesting because he is in many ways an uncomfortable picture of Hyeong-Do's future. The lives of these characters all intertwine to create a compelling crime drama told through tears, bullets, and bloodshed.

 

Giving one HELL of a two weeks notice!

Any Korean crime drama worth its salt better have some good action and 'A Company Man' is no slouch. The film does an excellent job of having fights play out in very close quarters which makes the action more visceral. Hyeong-Do knows how to throwdown and whether he's up against multiple opponents or people older and more experienced than himself he knows how to bring them down all the same. The fight scenes also have an emotional weight because many of Hyeong-Do's enemies are people he's known for years and in some cases decades. There are times when he asks them to stop fighting for their own sake and when they don't he has to put them down. In addition, there's an office shootout that will make fans of Max Payne 3 proud.

The film's impressive score is composed by Mowg whose resume consists of films from east and west including The Last Stand, I Saw the Devil, Memories of the Sword, The Fatal Encounter, and more than a dozen others. His music perfectly captures the tone of each scene and the ending track carries with it this real sense of finality.

What lay at the end of his road?

A Company Man weaves a powerful tale, but it's certainly not a light-hearted one. This isn't your typical bang, shoot em up action movie. It's a gritty romp through the dark world of contract killing where innocent lives are lost in a war between men who can only find peace at the end of a gun. From the opening hit to the final moment when the last shell casing drops, A Company Man gripped me from beginning to end and I highly recommend it.

Feng Shen Ji

More epic than Dragon Ball.

Eons ago the gods created the heavens, the earth, and the realm below. Having set the foundation of the world the ancient god Tian created humans in the image of gods. For centuries the Great Shang dynasty has prospered in service of the gods and relations have been amicable, until now. Emperor Zhou has grown tired of the gods treating human beings as their slaves. While he has great wealth and power, he understands that the gods use prosperity only to train humans as though they were dogs. What Emperor Zhou desires is not more wealth or power, but freedom for all people. When a messenger from gods informs the emperor that Tian wishes for him to conquer and enslave the surrounding kingdoms Zhou doesn't hesitate to express his discontent. He announces he will rebel against the gods and liberate mankind. The heavens have declared that there will be dire consequences for this act of rebellion. In the name of the Shang dynasty Emperor Zhou gives his royal decree - "Just Bring It."

 

Putting the fear of Man into the Gods.

Emperor Zhou fires the first shot against the heavens and while the gods mock him and regard him as a monkey, they quickly realize the status quo is about to change as Emperor Zhou turns one god into cold cuts and holds his own in a battle against five others - BY HIMSELF.

When Tian descends people die.

He puts so much pressure on the gods that Tian himself has to enter the fray to stop him, bringing Zhou's rebellion to a tragic and bloody halt. This isn't too much of a spoiler, because the story isn't about Zhou. This story is about his son Wu Geng who will later become known as Ah Gou - a legend in his own time.

Savior

I know the term epic has been essentially ruined by pop culture hipsters, but this is one of the few instances where the term is applicable. Zheng Jian He is a superb writer who clearly set out to make Feng Shen Ji more of a legend rather than a typical comic. This story is so huge that at times it makes Dragon Ball seem small by comparison. The story evolves through numerous plot twists, absolutely mind-blowing battles, and extensive development for its enormous cast of characters. There are all kinds of exotic animals and wildlife, and numerous myths in-universe about martial arts techniques, immortals, and even the origins of the gods themselves. There's even lore surrounding various weapons and locations. This epic tale spans more than 200 chapters and there are some huge plot twists that change the narrative only five chapters in.

Meet your new favorite character.

As mentioned above this is Wu Geng's story. After a series of extraordinary events which I won't spoil, Wu Geng finds himself trapped in the body of a previously dead slave named Ah Gou. This is the same slave who Wu Geng beat and tried to torture prior to the events of the story. Understand that Wu Geng was a terrible child who didn't inherit any of his father's love towards his fellow man. Once a proud and arrogant prince, Wu Geng now finds himself assuming the identity of Ah Gou - a slave and in his mind the lowest of all people. This is a humbling experience that changes him for the better. Wu Geng understands his old life is gone. He fully accepts his new identity as Ah Gou and learns to love and lead his fellow human beings after having suffered as they have suffered.

Step back Goku. Watch out Superman. Ah Gou is coming to town.

Feng Shen Ji follows Ah Gou from childhood, to adolescence and into adulthood so he grows a lot over the course of the story. His development is fantastic largely because he's so different from every other heroic character out there. After losing their parents, anyone else would be motivated solely by revenge and rightfully so. However, as a slave Ah Gou's first priority is survival. As he grows closer to those around him, he becomes less focused on his own survival and more focused on ensuring he's able to free his friends from servitude under the gods. Ah Gou isn't stupid. He's smart Maggle. Smart. Ever the opportunist, Ah Gou uses his captivity to make himself stronger, learn more about the gods and why they need humans to excavate bloodstones, and even work his way into the good graces of his owner so he can sabotage the entire operation. He uses his cunning to stay several steps ahead of his enemies and he ensures the survival of not only himself, but his friends.

 

To the window! To the wall!

After escaping captivity he trains with powerful teachers and also in solitude. At first Ah Gou can't even throw a punch, but as time goes on he becomes strong enough to do battle with the gods, even trouncing some of them with ease. While the gods initially scoff at him, they come to recognize him as a terrible threat and the Dark Ones - a race long opposed to both gods and humans acknowledge Ah Gou as their equal.

 

His evolution knows no limits.

Ah Gou is cocky enough to laugh in the face of the gods and he's resourceful enough to tear them from the heavens and take the throne for himself. He's similar to Yusuke Uremeshi, but 100x more badass. Thus he's not your typical, boring shonen character (Naruto, Ichigo, etc.) who always wins all the time in absurd ways. Ah Gou is the embodiment of epic, but he's not a Marty Stu. In a world where literally everyone is a badass and his enemies are the gods themselves, Ah Gou isn't ashamed to ask for help nor is he above using dirty tricks to take down his enemies. Even if said trick involves kidnapping the son of a slave owner to get what he wants. He'll do what he needs to do to get the win and he'll flip-off his enemies while doing it.

 

And so a child will lead them.

There are times when he lets his power go to his head and his inexperience at life does get him into trouble from time-to-time. There are also occasions where he becomes too cocky and even comes to blows with his uncle Zi Yu - the godslayer. His flaws make him an endearing character because it's his imperfections that make him feel more human. Despite his shortcomings he becomes a folk hero even as a teenager and he attracts followers of different races and species from all over the realms because of his charisma, power, intellect, frank manner, and rather eccentric personality. I could easily spend the rest of this review talking about Ah Gou, but he's just one of many in a manhua overflowing with fantastic characters.

 

The Dark Generals

The Dark Ones are an ancient race with centuries of bad blood with the gods. Led by thirteen generals who follow the command of Ni Tian Er Xing (far left) the Dark Ones have been looking for an opportunity to emerge from the shadows and take their revenge on the gods. A combination of Emperor Zhou's rebellion and Ah Gou declaring war on the gods brings them out of hiding and they provide a badass boon to mankind's coup d'etat. But don't think they're all on the same side. What's great about these characters is that not all of them get along just because they're from the same culture. The writing is more natural than that. They all have different personalities, beliefs, and feelings towards other races and each other. Many of the Dark Generals are actually enemies whose only reason for teaming up is the destruction of the gods. For example Si Wang Yen Shen (far right) despises the other generals, Er Xing in particular and makes it known that after the war is over all bets are off. Yen Shen also despises Ah Gou and the two have some tense interactions. In addition to having their own myths, the Dark Ones also have different styles of martial arts not seen anywhere else in Feng Shen Ji thus adding another layer of authenticity to their civilization.

They Descend

Don't think of the gods as being specist mind you. While the vast, vast majority of them do regard humans as animals some have different ideas. While none of the gods think humans can ever be equal, some feel that humans should be left to their own devices, others think the humans need to be led, and one god in particular couldn't care less because he just wants to party and hit on hot women. Similar to the Dark Ones and the humans, not all of the gods get along just because of their divine nature. There are differences in their personalities and even status. Also similar to the other cultures we see in this manhua, the gods have their own martial arts never seen in the mortal world and trust me when I tell you that the words "shock and awe" could not be more appropriate. And there are still other races and martial arts the reader encounters in Feng Shen Ji besides the ones I introduced.

 

The best battles you'll see anywhere.

The battles in Feng Shen Ji are simply mesmerizing. Saying they put DBZ to shame would be an understatement as animating even a handful of them would likely bankrupt a studio. There are your classic speed lines, special moves displayed in giant Chinese characters, entire cities being leveled brick-by-brick as these warriors deliver tremendous blows that shake the heavens and the earth. The battles just get bigger and more epic as the manhua goes on and some phenomenal artwork is on display. Cheng Kin Wo and Tang Chi Fai bring their A-game and firmly establish themselves as the best artists in China. Every fight looks and feels like it's going to be a cataclysmic conflict and it almost always is.

 

This is going to hurt. A lot.

Some of the fights take their cues from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure where opponents basically try to out-gambit (or out-Joestar) each other. On occasion  an enemy will be on the offensive, only for Ah Gou to say "AHA! I knew you'd do that so here is my real plan". To which an enemy will respond, "AHA! I knew that this was your real plan all along and I'm two steps ahead." Only for Ah Gou to finish with "AHA! I've been five steps ahead this entire time." It's awesome in this somewhat absurd, meta-way and it makes for some entertaining fights and reactions from the characters therein.

 

Siri did it to me again.

The world of Feng Shen Ji is massive and there are numerous moments where the characters themselves are just as amazed as the reader at what they discover. There are legends older than the gods themselves, civilizations even the Dark Ones regarded as mere fairy tales, and the reader bears witness to first contact between cultures. There's more going on in this world than even the characters themselves know about and you learn as they learn.

 

Uncle BADASS

The central themes of Feng Shen Ji are freedom, responsibility, and family. Regardless of where they're from the majority of the characters want the freedom to live their lives in the way they think will best suit them. Most of the cast has tremendous physical, spiritual, and even political power, but very few use it for the right reasons. The majority of the problems in this manhua stem from an authority figure abusing their power and it's not always the gods. The cast has to learn that if they don't wield their power responsibly they stand a very real chance of worsening the same problems they're trying to solve.

 

Family

Family also plays a role in Feng Shen Ji. Ah Gou forges a strong bond with his uncle Zi Yu who he sees as a teacher and father-figure. After proving his strength, the Dark Ones come to see Ah Gou as their brother and he is welcomed as one of their own by "most" of them. Ah Gou (and hopefully the reader) learns that blood isn't the only thing that makes a family, but also who you love, honor, and protect.

Ah Gou vs Tian: He will avenge his father or die in the attempt.

As you've probably surmised Feng Shen Ji is a truly epic tale. Any reader interested in this title should take note that it does require a substantial investment of your time. Recall that the story follows Ah Gou from childhood to adulthood and so you won't see any titanic battles for quite awhile. After the introductory chapters, the majority of the first part is Ah Gou developing as a human being not just a fighter. However, once he comes of age and begins to strut his stuff get ready to see some truly awe-inspiring conflicts. With fantastic artwork, superb writing, several plot twists, a great cast of characters and mythic story-telling that makes this world seem alive, Feng Shen Ji is a gripping tale from start to finish. I highly recommend this comic for anyone and everyone interested in a modern myth they won't ever forget.

Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu

Does it live up to the hype?

Monogatari (Japanese for “story) refers to a series of light novels written by Japanese novelist Nisio Isin and illustrated by Taiwanese artist Vofan. Published by Kodansha more than 20 light novels in this series has been released since 2006. Due to its success it was later given the anime treatment thanks to Studio Shaft and it basically prints money. The stories center on a high school student named Koyomi Araragi who after surviving an encounter with a vampire, becomes embroiled in a number of paranormal incidents revolving around ghosts, gods, mythological creatures, and other supernatural entities referred to collectively as ‘oddities’. The anime series much like the novels they’re based on introduce different characters who get wrapped up in the supernatural including Koyomi’s friends and family and he must use his powers and his growing knowledge of oddities to protect them. Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu is based on book two and serves as a prequel to the Monogatari series by showing us the incident that first drew Koyomi into the world of the supernatural. Minor spoilers ahead.

 

Shinobu is having a really bad day.

Koyomi meets the vampire Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade (we’ll call her Shinobu because I’m not typing Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade more than I have to) who was brutally attacked by a group of vampire hunters. Mutilated and dying, Shinobu pleads with Koyomi to give her his blood. After much resignation Koyomi saves her life by offering his own, but finds that instead of being killed by Shinobu he’s been turned into a vampire and Shinobu has reverted to the form of an eight year-old girl. Shinobu informs Koyomi that while the hunters are in possession of her limbs she has only a fraction of her powers and is stuck in this form. If Koyomi defeats the the vampire hunters and returns Shinobu’s limbs to her, she will use her power to turn him back into a human. However, in the world of the supernatural nothing is ever what it seems.

 

Shinobu having a somewhat better day.

Going into this review I must mention that while I’ve never read the light novels, I have been following the anime series since 2009. I point this out not for some imaginary, internet nerd-cred, but because having followed the series so long I started to get tired of it around Tsukimonogatari (2014). I wasn’t hyped for this movie, but I was quite pleased with it because it has a lot of elements from Bakemonogatari I liked, and many of the elements seen in later series which I didn’t care for are downplayed if not absent altogether.

 

Meme is still the Man!

Kizumonogatari’s art style, animation and overall direction differs from the post-Bakemonogatari series. Tatsuya Oishi directed Bakemonogatari and left successive series in the hands of Akiyuki Shinbou. While the series retained Oishi’s experimental art style, it didn’t have the same feel or influences as Oishi’s take on Bakemongatari. Tatsuya Oishi returned to direct Kizumonogatari and brings back the elements he’s known for. There’s a greater emphasis on the personal story, human interactions and the emotions that lay under the surface of a normal conversation. The slapstick humor, play on words, and over the top character traits are subdued. Almost every bit of dialogue is used to express something about the characters or their feelings toward their current predicament. And there are some scenes with absolutely no dialogue and everything you need to know comes across the characters’ expressions. The film has long scenes of silence, a lot of moving camera shots, and a peculiar use of 3D CGI backgrounds which – while not my thing – did provide a unique visual element.

 

BEST GIRL!!

The film opens in medias res where things have already hit the fan and then we get a flashback to Koyomi first meeting his schoolmate Tsubasa Hanekawa and it’s easily one of the best scenes in the movie and I’d go so far as to say the series as a whole. Tsubasa is very kind and more outgoing than she would appear. She’s admired Koyomi from afar, but never interacted with him in the past despite going to the same school and even having the same classes. She’s upbeat, but not to the extent of being bubbly or annoying and she gets Koyomi to open up to her with ease. Not only that, but despite the fact that something is clearly off about Koyomi she seems to accept him immediately. She really is the Best Girl. The scene is short but sweet, allowing them to learn more about each other before Tsubasa shares an urban legend about a vampire with golden hair – a “ghost story” if you will which is thematically appropriate.

 

Pre-Creep Koyomi

One of the biggest positives in the movie is Koyomi himself. Koyomi has yet to become the character we know him as in the anime series and to an extent I feel this makes him more interesting. If you’ve seen the Monogatari series you know Koyomi is somewhat of a morally ambiguous, chivalrous pervert. When he isn’t groping his sisters or beating up an elementary-school girl, he’ll give his all to protect his loved ones. True his odd behavior works for him, but as the series goes on his debauchery becomes less humorous and more by the numbers. Here in the film, those traits are muted if they’re there at all. Koyomi is a lot more down to earth and fairly normal. He’s socially reclusive and has a hard-time making friends as indicated by the fact he doesn’t have any and he has trouble interacting with Tsubasa. When he first meets Shinobu he outright objects to helping her and flees in sheer mortal terror, but eventually comes around largely in part because he feels that helping someone will make up for the fact he’s a bad person. Koyomi’s normality in the movie sharply contrasts his over the top series counterpart and this makes him a more interesting character. Some fans might not like this version of Koyomi, but I felt it made him a stronger character who was easier to relate to.

 

Vampire Hunters

The film isn’t perfect. With a run-time of only 63 minutes certain parts (like Meme’s introduction) feel rushed. The film also makes a big deal about the vampire hunters, but their menace falls flat to anyone who has seen the series. It’s obvious that no matter how strong or dangerous the vampire hunters are Koyomi and his friends will be just fine in the end because there’s 20 novels set after this. I understand that this is one of the caveats of prequels, but the big conflict looming over the film didn’t interest me nearly as much as Koyomi’s interactions with the other characters.

 

Lulz. Just lulz.

Most anime reviewers are singing the movie’s praises from the mountains and claiming “You’z guyz dis is the BEST VAMPIRE ANIME EVA. The hype iz real. Hype levelz over 9000”, but it’s not on the level of Noblesse, Hellsing: Ultimate, or Vampire Hunter D. It’s not the best vampire anime ever, but it is an excellent, dark story of a normal, unassuming young man who gets sucked into the horrifying world of the supernatural and who must overcome all obstacles to protect his friend(s) from a fate even worse than his own. Newcomers will find Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu to be a good jumping on point, while long-time fans of Monogatari will find that this is a promising start in what is sure to be a great trilogy.

City of Darkness

 

The epic begins.

Chen Luo Jun is a member of the Baoli (literally "violence group") arguably the baddest gang in all of Hong Kong. Despite being with the gang for only a year he's quickly become the strongest member of the group and is known and feared throughout the criminal underworld. In his quest to conquer ten territories for his boss he's crushed numerous gangs, often times single-handedly. One evening when Luo Jun is returning to his hide-out he finds the members of his gang slaughtered by the dozens. More unsettling is the party responsible for the attack turns out to be The Boss. Luo Jun goes after The Boss to get answers but receives a sound-thrashing and a price on his head. Luo Jun flees Hong Kong for his life but vows to return one-day and claim his revenge. He seeks refuge in the City of Darkness (Kowloon), a place so dangerous even The Boss won't set foot there.

Welcome to Kowloon, the City of Darkness.

Written by Yu Er and drawn by Andy Seto, Situ Jian Qiao, Yuyongliang, and the Chenjing Group, "City of Darkness" is a manhua (Chinese comic) taking place in 1990s Hong Kong and largely centered on a fictional version of Kowloon Walled City (not to be confused with the bustling, economic powerhouse Kowloon). The comic is a wuxia title and it may be one of the best wuxia to use a contemporary setting. For readers who may be unaware, wuxia (martial hero) is a genre of Chinese fiction centered on the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. The heroes of wuxia tend to follow a particular code which corresponds to the virtue they most often symbolize. Wuxia heroes are typically chivalrous outcasts similar to Robin Hood or western gunslingers. Another aspect of wuxia fiction is the the code of xia; eight attributes (benevolence, justice, individualism, loyalty, courage, truthfulness, disregard for wealth and desire for glory) which tie into Confucianism. There is usually a character which represents each attribute but some characters can embody several which leads us to our protagonist Chen Luo Jun.

The path he walks does not change with the times.

Like other heroes in the genre, Luo Jun experiences tragedy and endures tribulations that make him a better martial artist and more importantly a better person. The streets of Hong Kong are a dangerous place and Luo Jun knows how to survive largely because of his immense skill in battle and charisma. However, he's not an Arrogant Kung Fu Guy trope nor is he a generic shonen hero. He's a simple man who just wants to build a better life for his mother and he's doing so the only way he knows how. He doesn't boast about his power or show off and he's not interested in being rich or famous, but he just wants a better life than what the streets have to offer. He carries himself with a sense of pride, but he's never conceited. He walks his own path and these and other qualities draw others to him and even his enemies admire him. However, he is loyal to a fault and this "flaw" becomes the impetus of the story's conflict because one character who doesn't share Luo Jun's code of ethics is his employer - THE BOSS.

THE BOSS

The most powerful crime lord in Hong Kong, indeed the only crime lord in Hong Kong, the Boss has made a name for himself for being cunning, ruthless, and absurdly powerful. He surrounds himself with the toughest fighters in the criminal underworld, but he's not the type to hide behind his men. Wielding fear and respect as a weapon, he'll disappear a guy to make a point and he has no problems getting his hands dirty if the situation calls for it or even if he's just bored. He conquered 18 districts in Hong Kong and if that wasn't badass enough he killed a guy with a durian (a fruit). Luo Jun summed up the Boss quite fittingly: "If the Boss wanted rain he got rain. If he wanted wind he got wind." Power, violence, and deceit are the virtues of the underworld and the Boss thrives in this environment. Faced with such a foe Luo Jun doesn't stand a chance so it's a good thing he meets unlikely allies who join him in his fight.

The Kliq

Luo Jun meets a number of allies who agree to fight alongside him for various reasons. Some of whom have similar goals while others start off as foes, but forge some manner of understanding or mutually beneficial relationship.

 

Twin Fates

Similar to Luo Jun, Shi Er Shao is a gang leader working under the Boss. When the Boss has one of his violent mood swings, he burns Er Shao's district to the ground and critically injures his friend Jixiang. According to the Boss this event was merely a test, but there's little doubt the Boss is trying to keep the troops in line after Luo Jun's defection. Shi Er Shao does not take kindly to having his friends killed and neighborhood destroyed just so the Boss can set an example and this betrayal strengthens the friendship between himself and Luo Jun.

 

Swim with this loan shark and get eaten.

Xin Yi is Kowloon's resident loan shark and he and Luo Jun start off as enemies. Calculating and professional, Xin Yi is a business man through-and-through and he's as violent as he needs to be, but not ruthless. He has his own code of honor and when the Boss threatens to expand his territory into Kowloon, Xin Yi rises up to protect his community.

Jason Vorhees? Not quite.

Luo Jun and AV meet during a death match and Luo Jun's trip to Kowloon is almost a short one. It's an interesting meeting for both men as Luo Jun quickly finds out the Boss is not the only monster in China while AV is impressed that anyone could survive one of his punches. I won't spoil much, but as we learn more about AV and his past I found him to be one of the most interesting characters in the comic and he quickly became my favorite. He has so much depth and backstory that he could easily be the main character in his own right.

 

This Tornado travels by Benz.

As you can see the comic is gorgeous. Manhua utilizes a very broad color palette and City of Darkness is head and shoulders above other works in this medium. Everything from tire treads and motorcycle exhaust, to dust and even litter are drawn with loving detail. The artists went to great lengths to ensure that Kowloon in the comic resembles Kowloon Walled City and this shows in the tight alleyways, open living quarters, restaurants, and what passes for parks and gardens in a city cut off from neighboring districts. Characters are drawn with extensive detail right down to the wrinkles and creases in their clothing. The raindrops, skyline, sunset, everything here has a level of polish you don't see outside Chinese comics and you all know how much I enjoy speed lines. The art is a major boon to the fight scenes which are stunning.

 

Is that... NANTO SEIKEN?!

Martial arts in wuxia stories are based on real martial arts taken to exaggerated heights. Imagine boxers punching through brick walls or practitioners of Heihuquan tearing through cars with their bare hands. It never gets that off the wall, but it has all the mainstays of wuxia such as fighters possessing superhuman strength, endurance, and agility leading to some spectacular fights. The characters have different fighting styles too. Luo Jun is a solid, all-around fighter who knows a variety of styles while AV doesn't have any particular style and is all about brute force. Jixiang and Xin Yi prefer swords, but Shi Er Shao is skilled in both swordsmanship and judo. If there are any flaws in this comic they rear their ugly heads in part two.

 

A fight you won't soon forget.

When I read City of Darkness I could tell it was an absolutely amazing title, but I worried if it could keep its level of polish and momentum forever. In my view it didn't. City of Darkness 2 continues the story a few years after the first part and this is where some of the issues pop up. Many of the characters are out of character in part two and while I do expect them to change and be different after the trials they went through, many of the characters go about their lives as though they didn't learn anything from part one. Characters who sought an escape from the criminal underworld in part one seem to be happy with their lifestyle in part two. This - predictably enough - draws them into some fierce, but unnecessary conflicts. While the colors remain vibrant and the fight scenes are jaw-dropping, characters are noticeably less detailed than they were in part one.

 

You don't cross THE BOSS.

Also, there are a lot of names and faces to remember. In part one the conflict was simple: our heroes versus the Boss. However, part two has at least three factions (our heroes and their enemies), gangs under those factions, and several coup d'etat within those gangs. Even as someone who's been with the series since chapter one, this was a lot to keep track of. I feel that part two went a little too big for its own good and this made it fall short of its predecessor's greatness.

 

If he dies, he dies.

Overall City of Darkness is a superb comic. Despite flaws that show up in part two it is easily the best Chinese comic I've ever read and one of the best wuxia I've read as well. It has a great cast of characters, unbelievable art, and mind-blowing fights. It does a fantastic job of building suspense, exploring the crime life and showing it's never what it's cracked up to be, but also tells an intensely captivating human story of people just trying to survive and find direction in a chaotic world. I highly recommend this comic especially if you're a fan of martial arts and crime drama.