King in Limbo Omnibus 1

King in Limbo Omnibus #1-2

by Ai Tanaka

From the creator of Apple Children of Aeon comes a gripping, six-volume thriller manga about trauma, healing, friendship, and what it means to be "sick" or "healthy." A must for fans of suspenseful, complex manga like Naoki Urasawa’s Monster and The Promised Neverland .

Eight years have passed since the sickness known as "the Sleep" ended millions of lives. Now, after a dangerous procedure that involves diving into patients' memories has ended the pandemic, Petty Officer Adam Garfield wakes up in a hospital to find an IED has taken one of his legs. But Adam's plan to retire from U.S. Navy service and cash in his pension to goof around with his younger siblings is shattered when he receives secret word that the sleeping sickness has returned, and it's his job to coax back the mysterious man who helped cure it the first a man known by the codename "King."

Omnibus edition includes Parts 1 and 2.

Genres: Manga, Science Fiction, Comics, Graphic Novels, Josei, Action

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 16, 2024

About the author

Also known as 田中 相.

Reviews

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow what an amazing volume. This is a dystopic story with a sleep disease at its center. We have an amputee that has been paired up with a man known as the "king of limbo" who helps cure the sleep sickness. With a new and vicious strain upon them, they have to rely on one another as they find the source of the new strain. They are a rag tag team for sure, and there is so much mystery still left to uncover. Can't wait to see what future volumes bring!

[Anna Quilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A future looking not so different from our own...a sleeping sickness/virus that seemingly had been cured has seemingly returned.
US Navy Veteran/Amputee Adam is recruited as a Diver..a person who dives into an infected persons memories...he's partnered with King...an experienced Diver who's slightly off..maybe even damaged.
Lots to like here...a plot that moves forward and characters to be intrigued by.

[Irene ➰ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

- Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me a copy through NetGalley. -

In this manga I have to recognize the originality of the story.
While the drawings in here weren't my favorites and I did struggle sometimes to really understand some of them, the plot felt pretty interesting and captivating.

I don't know if I will find V2 to go on to be honest, it wasn't my cup of tea visually speaking.
I can't lie tho, when I say the story did for sure get my attention. It was ineed the strengh of the series so far.

Speaking of characters, they were okay, not too many faces appear, but the ones used were enough for the story, and the set of characters felt complete anyway.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's important to note that this was originally published in 2017, before the Covid pandemic. That makes this feel just a teensy bit prescient, although it's probably no great feat to predict conspiracy theories surrounding a global pandemic. But it definitely reads differently today than it would have when it was first published.

Assuming you're up for reading about a pandemic, this is a really fascinating story. It's not surprising that it comes from the same creator as Apple Children of Aeon, because it blends science fiction with other genres in creatively twisting ways. Taking place in California in 2086 (and yes, that date's important), the story follows Adam Garfield, a naval petty officer who loses a leg in a bomb mishap. Adam's career should be over, but his ability to lucidly dream means that the armed forces can use him in...other ways. It all leads to a story of government coverups, dangerous technology, and the question of what it means to be a whistleblower and how to go about it. It's a lot, but that's how it has to be, and I'm curious to see where it's going.

[Jinghay (these.blank.pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the year 2086, eight years have passed since the sickness known as "the Sleep" ended millions of lives. Now, after a dangerous procedure that involves diving into patients' memories has ended the pandemic, scientists are discovering that the sleeping sickness has returned.. and the new strain is harder to cure than before

-

Wowie! First manga of the year definitely decided to pop off! Couldn't put it down for the life of me
(You know it's a good series when you get the urge to excitedly retell the plot to your siblings)

I didn't anticipate just how dark the story would get, what with the government and army's involvement, but the similarities with the COVID-19 pandemic was honestly a bit disconcerting at times.. It's wild to think that this came out in 2017, just a few years before a real pandemic hit :/

The story itself is definitely well written and thought out but I wasn't a huge fan of the art-style since it became hard to read/understand at times. I'm not sure if that's simply because of the ARC I was reading, but it definitely took away from the enjoyment a little (and gave me a headache to decipher..)
However, I think the story would translate really well into an animated series, and I'm looking forward to continuing the manga in the future!

Please be sure to check out the trigger warnings before reading!


Rating: 3.75/5

— Thank you to Netgalley and Kondansha Comics for providing the eARC for review. All opinions are my own

[Morgan Le Fay ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s odd that this reminds me so much of two rather different works, but I’d say this feels like a mix between Iron Widow and Banana Fish.

The world building is very Iron Widow, as in two people are paired up in a compatibility test and made to pilot together. Instead of giant mecha alien suits, Adam and Rune (The King) pilot into the dreams of people who have caught this sickness.

The sickness being a sleeping disease that was thought to be cured 8 years ago by The King himself. One previously known to only infect patients once as well, but not any longer. This all being very similar in handling to Banana Fish’s drug issue that the manga tackles. It also has art that definitely is unique, but just has enough of a certain style to also give me a bit of the BF vibes.

A pretty intriguing start in these two volumnes.

[Remxo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instant fav! This was excellent on every level. The story takes some elements from Moto Hagio's Otherworld Barbara and the art reminded me of Taiyo Matsumoto's earlier works, but King In Limbo really is its own thing. Immaculate pacing, the way that the story unfolds is really engaging. I just could not put it down.

[IvyInThePages · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.83 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 4/5
-Cover (+art): 2/5
-Story: 4/5
-Writing: 5/5
Genre: Comedy, Scifi
-Comedy: 3/5
-Scifi: 5/5
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yeah

Hated|Disliked|Meh|It Was Okay|Liked|Really Liked|Loved

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

The story was good and I like the aspect of the MC's job. What really threw it off was the art. I don't know if it was just a shitty scan job but at points, and a lot of them at that, it was just too hard to make out.

[Mersi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. It was classic, and the story was actually anxiety-inducing in places. If you think about the plot.....it could happen. The king and Adam are an incredible duo, and I can't wait to see where they go next.

[Tib · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what I was expecting going in, but I really enjoyed reading this. Luckily I have volume 2 so I can continue soon!

[el · Rating 2 out of 5]

it’s fun but not for me

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most original manga stories I've read in ages.

[Elaine White · Rating 3 out of 5]

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

King in Limbo, Omnibus 1
by Ai Tanaka

★★★☆☆
336 Pages

Content Warning: mentions of pandemic, death, grief, PTSD, gore, violence, amputation, disability, kidnap of a child, threat of death to a child, military warzone, blackmail, medical experimentation


King in Limbo is an interesting concept that just didn't come together, for me.

The story is interesting: a sleeping pandemic that locks people in their worst memory until their brain literally can't take it any longer. The story taking place in 2086 allows for a lot of back history for this sickness, which was a great idea. And the fact this was written pre-COVID kind of made it feel prophetic while a little creepy, which was a good mood for the serious plotline.

In terms of characters, Adam Garfield is a Petty Officer who was recently injured on duty, in a coma for two weeks, and woke up with one leg amputated below the knee. Now, this was a great choice for character development and realistic portrayal of a disability, but as a disabled person myself, I felt that his amputation was used as a tool rather than a genuine disability – and the speed with which he was provided a prosthetic, and then didn't need it in the dream-world of his work only added to my discomfort in how that was handled.

King was a mystery right from the start, and while he's the key to curing the sleeping disease, he discovers that there may be more to this recent wave than expected. For me, he remained a mystery right to the end of this omnibus. He wasn't a likeable character, but I believed his presentation more than the always-affable Adam.

The art on the cover was part of the reason I signed up to read it, but that is the only place and time that the art looks that way. Inside, the art is very...sketchy. It's not as well rounded, it's not consistent, and there are times when it switches to an almost comedic style of art that doesn't work in such a serious book, handling such serious topics. At some points, the art looked like it had been badly photocopied, with patches missing or lines appearing in random places. Like static on the page.

Another issue I had was the serious topic part – it felt heavy, and there was zero warning about the contents of the story. I did not expect to see military personnel releasing captive POW's, just so they could shoot them for fun. In fact, this will probably be triggering for a lot of people, as various wars in our history actually did this, just think Killing Fields. The fact that it lasted for a few pages, was very detailed and vivid, only made it worse.

Overall, I feel like the potential for a great story was there, but the grainy, sketchy artwork was hard on my eyes, and the storyline was so heavy that I never really had a moment to process what was going on. It was very fast-paced, though oddly the world still felt under-developed. Maybe that will come in future volumes, but I don't think I'm going to keep reading.

For fans of sc-fi who-dun-its and conspiracy theory stories.

[Kay Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got an eARC of this book from NetGalley

This is a really difficult one to review, because the ARC copy was, excuse the swearing, absolute shit. Half the pages were in binary - meaning that it was scanned or saved in such a way that all grey tones were converted into black or white, with huge pixels. The only saving grace was that the lettering was always clearly visible, even when the art was just a big black blob. It was like reading a book where all the words are blurred out except for anything in quotation marks, or an audiobook where everything is mumbled awfully but the speaking roles were clearly enunciated.

I am going to try not to hold the horrible ARC formatting against the book in this review.

Adam is our main character, and we follow him throughout the book. Adam was an soldier that we're introduced to after he wakes up from a coma with a missing leg that he lost in active battle. He seems like a very happy-go-lucky kind of a guy and doesn't really react to the fact that he's missing a limb with any big emotions, and adapts very quickly. I really like that the author chose to have their main character use a wheel-chair, crutches and a prosthetic throughout the book.

At times Adam's expressions were a bit too comedic for the serious tone of the rest of the book - especially since there weren't many jokes to go with the comedic expressions, so it did feel out of place a lot of the time. The story also starts out VERY slow, and it was only around chapter 3 or 4 that I really started to get invested.

The story is set in a future where a mysterious sleeping virus (with some vibes and visuals that felt similar to the Sandman and Minority Report) had once been thought cured but has now come back and is spreading rapidly. King was the one to help stop the virus initially, so in the first half of the book Adam is tasked with convincing King to come back to try and cure this new wave, and the two of them have to go into the minds of people who are struck with this virus to try to bring them out of it. This part of the book has some really cool visuals and horror elements that I really enjoyed, and brought a lot of action to the plot.

Near the end of this volume there's a theory on what causes the sleeping virus, which I found VERY interesting and really enjoyed the concept of, and the book ends on a great cliff-hanger that has me invested in wanting to find out what happens next.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:

Petty Officer Adam Garfield woke up one day to find his life changed forever. His team was unlucky enough to find an IED - the hard way. Thankfully, he was the only one injured. Unfortunately, this injury is enough to force early retirement.

He’s offered a lucrative deal as a companion to dream divers. It’s not the sort of job he wanted…but with pensions the way they are…there really wasn’t much of a choice. Naturally, this is only the beginning.

Review:

Oh, I really like the premise of King in Limbo Omnibus 1. Sleeping sickness, dream divers, desperate characters, it’s got a bit of everything. This series is absolutely worth reading if you ask me.

I know the whole “sleeping disease” bit isn’t the most original foundation in the world, but King in Limbo did a great job of making it unique here. Having people dive into the minds of sleepers, military involvement, etc. It made for a very different feel.

Stories like this hit so much harder after the pandemic. I know that it was written before the pandemic, but the tone can still change. So readers should probably keep that in mind before diving in (see what I did there?).

My biggest drawback for King in Limbo Omnibus 1 is that I just didn’t love the art style. That sounds fussy, but it kept me from getting too invested in the story. Something about it just felt so low-res/low-quality.

Highlights:
Healing & Friendship
Josei
Sleeping Sickness
Dream Diving

Will I continue the series? Maybe

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[Ya Boi Be Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ai Tanaka spins a neat yarn here albeit one I sorta wish took a different turn. It's still a great read as Tanaka does wonderful story telling and gives strong paneling especially for dream sequences or when she really goes for something unique to convey what is happening to a character or to portray an event in the story.
I really enjoy the message she gives as well about trauma and PTSD through King's power. While the code erases the trauma and works it also hurts the person. Instead of dealing with trauma they essentially have the person block it out. And while the effects IRL are different we see the hardships that gives those who survived the Sleeping disease in that manner as they struggle with basic relationships (seen through the guy who forgets his family) and at worse barely live as they ignore more and more of their trauma (as seen by the girl who got cured three times by the code). Meanwhile when the Sleeping Disease victim is reliving their trauma King asks them to remember it. He talks to them. He shows them they are more than their trauma. Its a beautiful message. And Tanaka's inclusion of when you look at something long enough that memory is brought up adds to that. It allows us to see how and what King and other divers care about giving us more info on both the Sleeping Disease patients’ life and the values or attitudes of the divers.
But it's clear Tanaka wants to write a mystery with government corruption. It's still a great story and a nice direction that she handles well I just wished their was more of a focus on the diving. I thought Tanaka could explore some really cool trauma stuff there. I respect she wants to explore something else but I find it less interesting personally on the intrigue end. Its good but not as engaging as the trauma exploration would be to me.
Regarding her artstyle it isn't my favorite. Its not bad though just an acquainted taste. To me it felt very blank and at times sketchy. But her paneling and composition are very gorgeous.

[Eu · Rating 4 out of 5]

The year is 2086, and the world is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the cure for ESV or "the Sleep," a deadly pandemic. Adam Garfield, now ex-Navy, lost his father to ESV and is currently recovering from a bomb detonation in which he lost a leg. Rather than retire at the age of 28, he is instead recruited to join CNAS, an organization within the military that researches ESV. Adam is to be a "Companion" to the genius "Diver" Rune Winter, aka King, who is one of the most successful--if elusive--people to treat ESV patients: he "dives" into their minds (called "limbo") and heals them. However, Adam and Rune quickly realize that there may be more to ESV than meets the eye...

In a story reminiscent of Satoshi Kon's Paprika, with a gritty USA setting similar to Akimi Yoshida's Banana Fish, tough bro vibes (and loveable dog) like Cowboy Bebop, and a dash of Junji Ito's horror, Ai Tanaka weaves an intriguing and intricate world not so different from our own. The premise is interesting, though it may at times brush the limits of the reader's suspension of disbelief. Originally published in Japan in 2017, parts of the series may also feel prophetic, especially to English readers in 2024. Still, readers will be quickly sympathetic to Adam and Rune. Fans of action, (psychological) suspense, and high-tech sci-fi won't be disappointed. This is a series that I will likely read to its conclusion and am definitely looking forward to volume two!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

(TW: military violence against unarmed POWs, depiction of PTSD, brief body horror, discussion of a pandemic)

[alexander shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I confess I thought this was a yaoi manga, and that was 50-60% of why I wanted to try it out. So if that's why it's on your shelf, let me warn you that you will be disappointed. This is very much a colleagues/work bros situation, which (maybe?) moves into friendship by the end of the series.

The concept of sleeping disease, what it is, how it affects people, how it's spread, how society deals with it, what it looks like inside someone's brain... all of that is really neat. And I think limiting the series to 6 volumes helps keep it free of filler and melodrama; there aren't volumes upon volumes across which to stretch this plot (unlike some other manga series I've read). But I found the execution of the story a bit difficult to follow. I'm not always able to tell who is speaking, or why they're saying what they are. The dialogue is choppy and changes topics unnaturally, without logical connection between those topics at times. Adam is prone to yelling at people but half the time he's yelling "Hey!" at people for reasons I can't fathom, and often times his outbursts go completely ignored by the characters around him? This applies to dialogue as well—statements or questions are in spoken dialogue boxes and yet don't get addressed; scene and location changes happen without explanation or transition.

I was on the fence through the whole volume as to whether or not I wanted to read the next one, but in the end I was interested enough to give the next one a try. It's a bit stilted and awkward to read and follow, but is a quick enough read despite that.

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, thank you for the review copy!

Tl;dr version of it is that I LOVED it. We rarely get josei titles licensed, so I am thrilled to read a story that mixes scifi and thriller! Here’s an excerpt from an upcoming review:

“ At first glance, apart from the fictitious disease and the treatment method, the world these characters inhabit isn't at all different from our own. Tanaka doesn't rush to dump every little detail on the reader from the get-go and takes their time to introduce us to the setting. The duo's first dive is a bit heavy on explanation, but I think it's necessary information regarding the dive; what exactly are they searching for in the patient's memories, the do's and don'ts, and the consequences of both the diver's and their companion's actions. ”

“ The idea of entering into someone else's mind is nothing new, not only in science fiction but in anime or manga as well. However, I found the way it's handled, the intricacies of the process of diving, and Rune's talent and approach smart and thought-provoking. Tanaka places its theme in the center of a web woven by military, medicine, and politicians together. ”

[Siina · Rating 4 out of 5]

King in Limbo is super interesting! It's josei and full of mystery and scifi elements. So refreshing. Adam Garfield is our main character and we live in a world where a sleeping disease has ended millions of lives just eight years before. The only way to save the patients is to dive into their memories. Garfield is an an officer who's lost some of his limbs and now needs to retire. But instead he's now part of a diving program with a guy named King, who ended the disease the last time. They try to solve the new disease wave and the setting is so well constructed and awfully realistic too. The manga moves slowly enough to grow the story, which is awesome. The characters have their own personas and we only get what the characters get, so much mysteries left unsolved!

The art is quite stiff, which bothers me a little, but I like the realistic approach and how this actually looks quite Western in many ways. But, since the story is so good, you end up being OK with the art too. I'm also glad this isn't based in Japan, it's refreshing too. So different this one!

[Chad Cunningham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Eight years ago an illness called "The Sleep" was conquered. Individuals called Dives would enter the memories of the victims and erase the plague. It was a harrowing time and the world was glad the plague had ended. Except now it's coming back.....and it's worse.

This is a plot-driven manga focusing on two characters: Adam Garfield, a soldier who recently lost a leg, and "King", the man who ended the plague eight years prior.

The story and art move along at a crisp place and there are many twists and turns in the plot. This volume is setting up the rest of the series, so there are still questions to be answered. The pacing is a little off in the middle, and the character development is exposition-based. It's a good read, but not a great one.

I am interested to see where the series goes. I think there's some potential.

[_starsinkedpages_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never heard about this manga but after reading it I was suprised by it and I can't wait to read the next volumes, so I'm going to patienly waiting the second volume to see how the story continues.
For sure the start was a little bit slow but It's understandable becuase it needs to explain the world is setting in. So it takes time to explain the world around. It has some few scientific terms that it can be confusing if you don't know them but they are easy to understand with the contest together. The plot it's really get interesting almost at the end of the volume because is wel buld up before. The characters are good and we get to know and liking them slowly within the story.
So this manga is perfect for people who like sci fi and distopian stories because has few aspect on it tha remind past sci fi stories.
I cn't wait to continue this serie and to know more of the plot and the aswers to the questions I had reading it.

[Kiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Prior to reading this manga I read "Apple Children of Aeon" and really enjoyed it. Seeing that author Ai Tanaka had another series being published I had to give it a read.

This story is about a sleeping sickness that makes a comeback after plaguing the world in the distant future. Petty Officer Adam Garfield is enlisted to help with curing the disease upon awakening after an accident that leaves him without a leg. He and the man who originally "cured" the disease team up to solve the mystery of the resurgence.

I really like the characters, especially Adam. He's a golden retriever of a guy and I enjoy his humor. I also found the story to be engaging and am interested in seeing where it goes.

[Kain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok I went into this blind as I had never heard of it before and having noticed it half asleep on the bookshelf on my way home I snagged it liking the synopsis. I did love this, there are a few things that niggled me considering the size of the book, why was his shock of missing a leg completely tossed out the window in 5 seconds? He never seems to notice he has it and struggles with it perhaps once, which seems a bit unrealistic and almost makes the idea of introducing it pointless. Otherwise brilliant book and will be reading the second one, I do love the sleeping sickness idea and mind diving. Wish we had a bit more introduced about the companion/diver connection, it was bigged up as being so strong and important then brushed past and not revisited the entire book. I will give it the benefit of the doubt (and lots of hope) that it will be revisited in the next volume!

[Felicia Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little unsure of this at first as it started kinda slow but I'm glad I pushed through. I really liked Adam and his funny and light personality through all the trauma he is going through and putting him King definitely made for a great dichotomy.
I will say that while I absolutely adored the character the story could get a bit exposition heavy in place. I feel like Tanaka felt like he needed to explain everything about his world all at once and it made the story drag in places. There is definitely things we could have learned in later volumes. Overall though this is a really cool concept and the character work really well. I definitely want to read the next volumes and see where the story goes.

[Chyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

King in Limbo is a gripping tale about two guys and their journey to stop a disease from resurfacing and wiping out the population. I am hesitant to read most sci-fi titles since it isn't my favorite genre. However, these first two volumes had me intrigued to read more. I like the partnership between the main two and how they want the best for each other. I did have technical issues reading this e-arc and I saw that others did as well. If I continue with this, I will purchase a volume to compare. Outside of that, I think the worldbuilding was easy to follow if you are like me and don't read a lot of sci-fi. I would recommend checking out this title if you haven't already it will definitely be worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the e-book copy!

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic! In this we follow our main character Petty Officer Adam Garfield, right after he wakes up in a hospital. He has lost his leg and two weeks of his life while in a coma. He plans on retiring from the Navy and cashing in his pension to hang around with his siblings but he is soon brought into the intriguing world of divers. These people will go into the mind of someone infected with sleeping disease to try and save them. It's been eight years since anyone has caught sleeping sickness but now it's back and it's mutated into a stronger strain. Adam is recruited by CNAS to try and find the man that cured sleeping sickness eight years ago, King. Can he find him and convince him to help again?

I loved this omnibus and I will 100% be reading the next volumes.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating 3.5

I am so intrigued by this. I really liked the idea of a sleeping disease/pandemic and the sci-fi nature of the treatment.

However, I do not really understand the cause and why this is happening. I feel like they want me to suspend too much reality to enjoy the story.

I also was expecting more explanation because this is an omnibus edition. We got 2 volumes, but I still feel like we could have had more.

I did like the more suspenseful and horror elements here, so I am curious as to what will happen next.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[MaguiWorld · Rating 3 out of 5]

King in Limbo Omnibus tiene una estética bastante interesante y que me chocó al principio. Por eso me costó un poco apegarme a la historia y continuarla. No estoy diciendo que el arte del manga es malo (NO), sino que no estoy acostumbrada a ese estilo y que, personalmente, eso hizo que me costara un poco más conectar.

La trama me gustó mucho, los personajes son complejos (aunque no pude empatizar con ninguno, ni me sentí muy cercana a ninguno), tiene momentos muy vertiginosos y había momentos en los que sentía que no entendía nada.

Pero me gusto! Buscaré leer la continuación.

Gracias Kodansha Comics por el ejemplar que leí en NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, but felt that it would translate better into another format, like anime. At times, I found it difficult to follow the conversation, especially when examining the back story. Perhaps in a future volume, Tanaka has a time line of events for readers to match up with what information we have. That was my only complaint. Otherwise, I agree with the "suspenseful, complex" vibes this gives off. I was left eagerly turning each page.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC. The above is my honest review.