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The Valiant Must Fall #1
The Valiant Must Fall Vol. 1
An action-packed and supernatural historical drama about a samurai-turned-rebel and a mysterious young woman--from the creator of the hit manga and anime Gunslinger Girl !
The Tokugawa shogunate has fallen, and former samurai Haruyasu is adrift in a strange new world, searching for a place to die. But when he attempts to assassinate a government official, hoping this will bring the eternal peace he craves, Haruyasu finds himself at the mercy of the official’s bodyguard, a young woman who claims she’s the daughter of an immortal. What will she ask in return for sparing his life?
The Tokugawa shogunate has fallen, and former samurai Haruyasu is adrift in a strange new world, searching for a place to die. But when he attempts to assassinate a government official, hoping this will bring the eternal peace he craves, Haruyasu finds himself at the mercy of the official’s bodyguard, a young woman who claims she’s the daughter of an immortal. What will she ask in return for sparing his life?
212 pages, Paperback
Published March 28, 2023
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88 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 10, 2023
Full review in Booklist Magazine.
Read more graphic novel reviews at The Graphic Library.
Read more graphic novel reviews at The Graphic Library.
May 3, 2023
The Valiant Must Fall is a historical fantasy in which old Japan has already lost its locus to the new, up-and-coming Japan it doesn't feel part of.
Haruyasu, a samurai in a time period that no longer wants him, has spent five years since the shogunate's fall longing for death as a release. During an ill-fated assassination attempt, he meets Shino, a young woman working who coerces him into changing sides to destroy the last remaining vestige of the old government, her immortal family.
I love a fish-out-of-water story and manga's usual appreciation for bittersweetness and melancholy makes these stories feel impactful. But I feel like these emotions are overshadowed by Yu Aida's love of history and settings. Even when he dwells on tender materials, like the suicide of women at Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle or a battle to the death with a historical figure, it feels more like a tour guide than a grounded story.
The characters also need to be further fleshed out; Haruyasu seems a bit too masochistic for a grown man, even one used to serving lords, and Shino, his determined companion, seems both naive in her goals and cynical in her reasoning. Cute girls doing horrible things is why we love Yu Aida, but there are limits.
The stand-out character for me was my boy Kyuko Kai, Shino's brother. He's a stand-out antagonist and is the reason I believe we can expect better from Yu Aida's series.
Specifically, he nails the melancholic viewpoint of a man out of time. I can imagine another time-lord telling Doctor Who the following:
He's a character who I can almost understand, but still is mysterious. And when he begins to spin out of control, Yu Aida continues to pump Kai up. I feel like, if this is ever turned into an anime, we'll see tons of tiktok reels with Kai going crazy. Man has the charisma of a serial killer
In addition to the over-complicated setting and weak character work I feel like this series currently lacks ambition. I don't know where this manga wants to go, or how long it wants to take to make this journey. I could imagine this manga finishing in a volume or two with its (currently) focused goal or alternatively meandering around Japan. Without any dynamism, I can't recommend this book as I don't even know what it wants to be.
I'll be reading the sequel this summer and hope the author will have more to offer as Gunslinger Girl was a series I cried through as a kid.
Haruyasu, a samurai in a time period that no longer wants him, has spent five years since the shogunate's fall longing for death as a release. During an ill-fated assassination attempt, he meets Shino, a young woman working who coerces him into changing sides to destroy the last remaining vestige of the old government, her immortal family.
I love a fish-out-of-water story and manga's usual appreciation for bittersweetness and melancholy makes these stories feel impactful. But I feel like these emotions are overshadowed by Yu Aida's love of history and settings. Even when he dwells on tender materials, like the suicide of women at Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle or a battle to the death with a historical figure, it feels more like a tour guide than a grounded story.
The characters also need to be further fleshed out; Haruyasu seems a bit too masochistic for a grown man, even one used to serving lords, and Shino, his determined companion, seems both naive in her goals and cynical in her reasoning. Cute girls doing horrible things is why we love Yu Aida, but there are limits.
The stand-out character for me was my boy Kyuko Kai, Shino's brother. He's a stand-out antagonist and is the reason I believe we can expect better from Yu Aida's series.
Specifically, he nails the melancholic viewpoint of a man out of time. I can imagine another time-lord telling Doctor Who the following:
He's a character who I can almost understand, but still is mysterious. And when he begins to spin out of control, Yu Aida continues to pump Kai up. I feel like, if this is ever turned into an anime, we'll see tons of tiktok reels with Kai going crazy. Man has the charisma of a serial killer
In addition to the over-complicated setting and weak character work I feel like this series currently lacks ambition. I don't know where this manga wants to go, or how long it wants to take to make this journey. I could imagine this manga finishing in a volume or two with its (currently) focused goal or alternatively meandering around Japan. Without any dynamism, I can't recommend this book as I don't even know what it wants to be.
I'll be reading the sequel this summer and hope the author will have more to offer as Gunslinger Girl was a series I cried through as a kid.
August 17, 2023
Japan is changing. Regional alliances have been winnowed into nothing. Historical family dynasties have been felled by their own blades. Federated police units enforce strict new public codes of conduct. A new government for a new era.
Also, the samurai is functionally extinct.
THE VALIANT MUST FALL v1 pulls readers into the travails of a purpose-driven warrior out of time and place in the age of the Meiji Restoration. Oniuda Haruyasu is ill-fated; he is one of a handful of lingering survivors of failed rebellions and who brandishes a now-outmoded loyalty to a decapitated household. Haruyasu is a talented swordsman. In battle, his nickname was onikuro, or "black demon." Now, however, he has no master, no goal, and no purpose. He has no one to fight for and no one to defend.
Enter Kyuko Shino, a child of mythos. She is a woman in need of a soldier, an ally, and a conspirator. She is also, incredibly, reluctantly, immortal.
THE VALIANT MUST FALL v1 is part historical fiction and part urban fantasy. Readers encounter beautiful, period-accurate renderings of busy street markets, clothes, buildings, and more, alongside dark and clever variations on humankind's perilous quest for eternal youth and power. Tales of a new government seeking to validate its influence over a curious populace collide and merge with inscrutable legends of a people, retainers, descended from mountain-folk who cannot be killed. Japan is changing. The samurai is functionally extinct. And a wandering, masterless swordsman falls into favor of an immortal woman with vengeance on the mind.
This manga is remarkable but patient. The plethora of period comics, and samurai content in particular, often shy away from the stoic and transcendent darkness of unyielding loyalty. Not so for this book. THE VALIANT MUST FALL v1 is an unsparingly serious and particular manga: swordsmen are not afraid to kill; corruption and abuse are rampant; madness is around every corner; and kindness and fealty are luxuries often afforded to those incapable of believing in themselves.
Haruyasu enters the employ of the young Miss Shino and is tasked to steal a darkness-infused blade from the Imperial Palace. The reason? Shino desires to end the lives of she and other immortals. Why? Because when blessed with ephemeral beauty or eternal youth or self-healing abilities, the garish faces of the government will surely find a way to mar such gifts. Haruyasu ponders this imbricated torment of torments, but agrees to help. And once more, he is a warrior with a purpose.
This is what a samurai manga looks like when its characters aren't effervescent goofballs, when the creative team actually studies the hand placement and footwork required to deftly wield a katana or wakizashi, and when the narrative is directly influenced by the politics of the time, rather than conveniently standing apart from or ignoring it. This is what a samurai manga looks like when taken seriously, and likewise blended with the steady, unblinking wonderment of a secret hidden in plain sight. Stories of immortal protectors of the palace? Held against their will? And of the humans who serve them as well? Also, perhaps, against their will?
THE VALIANT MUST FALL v1 is for readers who pay close attention to how the wrist bends when a sword is swung (e.g., Haruyasu is quick, but he also knows his limits). It's for readers who enjoy meeting characters who don't dither when circumstances demand quick action (e.g., Shino doesn't hesitate to command the death of a relative who interferes with her cause). And it's for readers who are tired of the impracticality of modern storytelling taking precedent (e.g., the comic focuses on older characters: Haruyasu is 33 years old; Hachiro, an old friend of Haruyasu's and a former shogunate retainer, is 31 years old; Shino, though she looks young, is between 29 and 44 years old). This is a samurai manga with the potential to pull readers into an insightful, new and dark direction.
Also, the samurai is functionally extinct.
THE VALIANT MUST FALL v1 pulls readers into the travails of a purpose-driven warrior out of time and place in the age of the Meiji Restoration. Oniuda Haruyasu is ill-fated; he is one of a handful of lingering survivors of failed rebellions and who brandishes a now-outmoded loyalty to a decapitated household. Haruyasu is a talented swordsman. In battle, his nickname was onikuro, or "black demon." Now, however, he has no master, no goal, and no purpose. He has no one to fight for and no one to defend.
Enter Kyuko Shino, a child of mythos. She is a woman in need of a soldier, an ally, and a conspirator. She is also, incredibly, reluctantly, immortal.
THE VALIANT MUST FALL v1 is part historical fiction and part urban fantasy. Readers encounter beautiful, period-accurate renderings of busy street markets, clothes, buildings, and more, alongside dark and clever variations on humankind's perilous quest for eternal youth and power. Tales of a new government seeking to validate its influence over a curious populace collide and merge with inscrutable legends of a people, retainers, descended from mountain-folk who cannot be killed. Japan is changing. The samurai is functionally extinct. And a wandering, masterless swordsman falls into favor of an immortal woman with vengeance on the mind.
This manga is remarkable but patient. The plethora of period comics, and samurai content in particular, often shy away from the stoic and transcendent darkness of unyielding loyalty. Not so for this book. THE VALIANT MUST FALL v1 is an unsparingly serious and particular manga: swordsmen are not afraid to kill; corruption and abuse are rampant; madness is around every corner; and kindness and fealty are luxuries often afforded to those incapable of believing in themselves.
Haruyasu enters the employ of the young Miss Shino and is tasked to steal a darkness-infused blade from the Imperial Palace. The reason? Shino desires to end the lives of she and other immortals. Why? Because when blessed with ephemeral beauty or eternal youth or self-healing abilities, the garish faces of the government will surely find a way to mar such gifts. Haruyasu ponders this imbricated torment of torments, but agrees to help. And once more, he is a warrior with a purpose.
This is what a samurai manga looks like when its characters aren't effervescent goofballs, when the creative team actually studies the hand placement and footwork required to deftly wield a katana or wakizashi, and when the narrative is directly influenced by the politics of the time, rather than conveniently standing apart from or ignoring it. This is what a samurai manga looks like when taken seriously, and likewise blended with the steady, unblinking wonderment of a secret hidden in plain sight. Stories of immortal protectors of the palace? Held against their will? And of the humans who serve them as well? Also, perhaps, against their will?
THE VALIANT MUST FALL v1 is for readers who pay close attention to how the wrist bends when a sword is swung (e.g., Haruyasu is quick, but he also knows his limits). It's for readers who enjoy meeting characters who don't dither when circumstances demand quick action (e.g., Shino doesn't hesitate to command the death of a relative who interferes with her cause). And it's for readers who are tired of the impracticality of modern storytelling taking precedent (e.g., the comic focuses on older characters: Haruyasu is 33 years old; Hachiro, an old friend of Haruyasu's and a former shogunate retainer, is 31 years old; Shino, though she looks young, is between 29 and 44 years old). This is a samurai manga with the potential to pull readers into an insightful, new and dark direction.
September 14, 2023
After the shogunate has fallen, former samurai Haruyasu finds himself feeling like a relic of the past.
He wishes he had died in battle. Living on feels like a fate worse than death for a warrior.
When his plans to assassinate a government official fail, Haruyasu hopes he will finally get his wish—but, the official’s bodyguard chooses to spare Haruyasu. Rather, the young woman claims she is an immortal being on a quest of her own—one that she wishes a skilled warrior like Haruyasu will assist her in accomplishing.
Will Haruyasu find a reason to live yet?
So, I enjoyed this first volume A LOT.
Usually, I dislike historical fiction but, add a dash of fantasy? You’ve got me. Also, this story is set during a time in Japanese history that, as a Western reader, I am very unfamiliar with.
This story reads so much like a movie, too. The illustrations and storyline are both so vivid and dynamic. There’s a degree of craft and thoughtfulness to this series not common with many commercial manga.
I’m definitely looking forward to reading more. I believe this series is a great choice for readers who enjoy historical fiction with a touch of the speculative and the fantastic~
He wishes he had died in battle. Living on feels like a fate worse than death for a warrior.
When his plans to assassinate a government official fail, Haruyasu hopes he will finally get his wish—but, the official’s bodyguard chooses to spare Haruyasu. Rather, the young woman claims she is an immortal being on a quest of her own—one that she wishes a skilled warrior like Haruyasu will assist her in accomplishing.
Will Haruyasu find a reason to live yet?
So, I enjoyed this first volume A LOT.
Usually, I dislike historical fiction but, add a dash of fantasy? You’ve got me. Also, this story is set during a time in Japanese history that, as a Western reader, I am very unfamiliar with.
This story reads so much like a movie, too. The illustrations and storyline are both so vivid and dynamic. There’s a degree of craft and thoughtfulness to this series not common with many commercial manga.
I’m definitely looking forward to reading more. I believe this series is a great choice for readers who enjoy historical fiction with a touch of the speculative and the fantastic~
July 15, 2023
To begin with, the art work in this story is wonderful. Also the attention to detail in regards to the setting, and making sure to show the awkwardness of the changing time period was very well done.
The plot, however, seems to be a short coming. The pacing felt odd to me and the protagonist's goal is a bit difficult to support.
The plot, however, seems to be a short coming. The pacing felt odd to me and the protagonist's goal is a bit difficult to support.
April 1, 2023
I was so excited to read this as I loved the Mangaka's other series Gunslinger Girl and it didn't disappoint!
A gripping storyline with stunning illustrations as always from You Aida.
Looking forward to Vol 2 and hoping this sparks a reprint of Gunslinger Girl. 🤞
A gripping storyline with stunning illustrations as always from You Aida.
Looking forward to Vol 2 and hoping this sparks a reprint of Gunslinger Girl. 🤞
April 7, 2023
A good historical, fantasy manga! I love the illustrations. They are beautiful. The pacing of the story moved quickly.
This story will probably have a tragic ending. I love me a good angst so I like it.
This story will probably have a tragic ending. I love me a good angst so I like it.
April 20, 2023
solid first book
Interesting story, nice art, lots of action, and a great history lesson about the end of the samurai era in Japan. The only thing keeping the book from being a five-star are the characters themselves, who are a bit bland. Still worth reading, however.
Interesting story, nice art, lots of action, and a great history lesson about the end of the samurai era in Japan. The only thing keeping the book from being a five-star are the characters themselves, who are a bit bland. Still worth reading, however.
March 31, 2023
Good if you like samurai action and a bit of history alongside fantasy in your manga.
May 28, 2023
Why not choose to try and rescue her mother instead of kill her?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2023
Very interesting start, then it tailed off a bit in the second half.
February 19, 2024
Beautiful art
May 9, 2024
I'm surprised I really liked this
October 31, 2024
The art style. The history. Masterpiece. Can’t wait to read volume 2!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews