Forum - View topicREVIEW: Ubel Blatt GN 1
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Ali07
 Posts: 3333 Location: Victoria, Australia |
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I pre-order all my manga, and the synopsis/cover of this interested me. I like elves, and the story sounded interesting. But, then I saw the 'mature' warning, and decided to hold off and read reviews.
Glad I did. Sex scenes, be they rape or consensual, are one of the few things that I don't want to see in manga. I have no problem with it being implied and happening off screen, but it's just not something I want to see in manga that I read. And, having the MC be underage makes it slightly worse, in my book. |
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Sergorn
Posts: 81 |
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This is actually pretty close from the truth. Due the genre and magazine it was published, Etorōji Shiono felt kind of "obligated" to put sex and fan service, but then he realised he really didn't like this, which is why it's basically inexistant after the first volume. I don't think it was -that- personally in that respect. I mean it's no Berserk or Bastard!!! 
-Sergorn |
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Chrno2
 Posts: 6171 Location: USA |
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Holy crap, they're publishing this series. This manga is OOLD!! I remember when my friend used to read this book. I'm surprised that this title was even considered for a license.
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Mr_42
 Posts: 87 |
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Ubel Blatt has been available in French for several years, so anyone fluent enough in the lingo could have got it a lot sooner.
Unfortunately, I was not one of them. (Can't speak french to save my life.) So I'm really glad it's got an English language publication. I feel like throwing my Volume 0 "mini-review" hat into the ring as someone who's up to date on the series as it stands so here's my opinion Art: A Fantastic. Especially armour,weaponry and castle designs. Combat panels really have a feel of fast movement to them and the lines are very crisp and clean. The various monsters all look nicely detailed but some supporting and background characters look somewhat generic though not too badly so. Story: C+ At its heart Ubel Blatt is a revenge story though this is less evident in Volume 0 than from Volume 1 onward. In Volume 0 the story uses a couple of opening escapades to introduce you to the world's setting, its inhabitants and its limitations. Examples would be the Techno-magics and the weapons they power and the various species that live in the world of Ubel Blatt. I reckon that the story is the weakest element of Volume 0, but that's because it's used to set up the main story line which hasn't really started yet. Characters: B Volume 0's use of characters is, I think, actually quite good. For the most part the ones we meet in chapter 1 are throwaways who never come back to bother us but from chapter 2 and in we start to get characters that will prove very difficult to shake., even in a series with as high a body count as Ubel Blatt. Koinzell's character is perhaps a tad cliche. He's an avenger, motivated by his desire to see a wrong righted. But I like the fact that he doesn't really give a damn what he has to do to accomplish it, indeed he is almost intentionally cruel at times. Fortunately the goofier elements of his personality dwindle as the volume progresses, and by volume 1 he's a far more brooding, reserved personality. Overall: B+ Not the best volume in the world and the gratuitous sex scenes are, understandably, enough to put some people off. But I (and don't read too much into this) kinda like them. In a feudal world like the one depicted, those with power abused those without, often physically and such events re rooted in real life, conquering armies would pillage and rape their way through defeated villages, why should this world be any different? Yep, some of them are maybe a tad OTT and are they ALL necessary? No, but I don't think you should drop the series because of it. And anyway, the good stuff kicks of in Volume 1. Hopefully I'll see you there. 
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meiam
Posts: 3442 |
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I read the first two (maybe 3?, can't quite remember) and the manga has strong enough story that it could stand on it's own without the trashiness (excessive gore and sex), which is a shame since the trashiness really hold it down. Most of the time they don't really belong in the story, it just reek of desperation and trying to be edgy just to stand out.
Maybe I'll pick it back up, but I'm not super excited about it, there are other manga with good story/character without the excessive trashiness and there are trashy manga that actually have it as key component of there story. |
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Calsolum
 Posts: 898 |
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I have very mixed feelings about this manga, at first i was really excited to read it. It had an interesting MC young looking, but a badass fighter. it occurred its setting was in a pretty miserable place where rape, abuse, slavery and all that dark stuff was not at all unusual. And the MC was out for bloody revenge and that all got me intrigued. Probably cause it was so similar to berserk but it had its differences that made it worth investing in. Now would like to go into great detail about what i liked and disliked about this and the specific events that led to me dropping this like a brick but sadly that was 2 years ago and i was so disappointed in it that i wanted to scrub it from my memory. But from what i recall spoiler[the fan service got out of control:the rape/sex scenes became less shocking and (seemed)more for the purpose of showing off tits and underage tits to keep the readers glued. The sole villain who regretted his actions was killed off very anticlimactically and a few more reasons that i can recall off the top of my head. Oh right and then there was that lolicon/shotacon 'licking' scene that got me to say stop the train im getting off. no im not exaggerating at one point that lolicon fighter girl whose name i cant remember was injured and Koinzell had to share his elf blood with her to save her... by cutting his tongue and proceeding to lick every injured part(i presume) of her underaged body. ]
now im well aware that the manga isnt finished and perhaps the focus of the manga has changed since i last read it (around chapter 101 or so) but then again maybe not. once the series is over ill marathon it to get it over with because i hate just leaving a series unfinished since i wont feel like i really gave it a chance otherwise. but right now it feels like a very immature version of berserk that is heavily geared towards the male power fantasy and is just oozing with borderline bdsm hentai my advice to those of you with the patience to actually read this far of my rant: its ok to like this series for what it is and what it brings but pay close attention to where the story is going, the characters and the way the plot unfolds and the way the author choose to do it. was the way he did it necessary or was it played for cheap shock value? I truly enjoyed this series in the beginning, i though it was a 11 out of 10 but then it crashed and that disappointed me far more than if it was just bad from the beginning. |
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CrownKlown
 Posts: 1762 |
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We must be reading two different manga. Ubel Blatt at no point every crossed any line in terms of sex and nudity, its has about what you would expect in a dark seninen. On top of that most of the sex and nudity in this work are not exactly what I would call fan service either. They are generally situational, not particularly common, and usually off putting to most people anyway, keeping in line with the story.
Also I disagree with the others. I find Berserk to be so ungodly overrated. Vinland saga is boring as well, and its not even a comparable title as its supposed historical fiction versus dark fantasy. I personally prefer UB, Bastard, and Legend of Maian, and if we add LNs Legend of Legendary Heroes, and for lighter fantasy fare Id and Record of Lodoss War. |
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jr240483
 Posts: 4378 Location: New York City,New York,USA |
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well i wouldnt mind seeing this series get an anime version. though to please fans they would have to go down the same level as the new beserk movies or even hellsing ultimate when it comes to the graphic violence. though those other stuff is kinda inferior compared to Rin . now that OVA definitely took it to a whole new level. and dont get me started on the manga version of fate/zero. |
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Marzan
 Posts: 515 |
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Been reading this for a couple of years (in French). I have to say that after an entertaining first half it stalled a bit and now it feels like the mangaka is going through the motions.
Having said that, I think the right studio could adapt this and make a good series out of it. It just requires some tweaking here and there. You could almost market it as a 'Berserk light' |
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