A
small town in feudal Japan is the last chance for human survival in this shonen manga romp. The world has been infected with the “D-Virus,” a disease that turns people into demons upon contact. The “Dracules,” as they are called, have wiped out 67% of the world's population. To fight the Dracules, super-antibody carriers (called “Vius”) have organized to form a resistance. Using a combination of magic and martial arts, the Vius have become an army complete with sophisticated spells, weaponry and irreverent squad captains. The brash Issa Kazuma leads Zero Squad, a ragtag bunch of trainees—some with questionable fighting skills, others with questionable motives. Armed with a large sword and a fistful of fish sausage, Issa takes his team into battle. Fujiyama deftly builds the characters, uncovering their pasts at a pace that complements each fight scene. Despite the impending doom of mankind in this story, Dragon Eye
remains relatively lighthearted with a playful narrative, antiauthority captain and enjoyable team dynamic. Dragon Eye
has much the same appeal as Naruto
, but lacks the televised anime tie-in. (June)
