Mechanical Buddy Universe 1.0 01

by Takuji Kato

240 pages, Paperback

Published January 13, 2026

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a lot of ways, I enjoyed this version of the manga more than the original volume. More organized, strealmined, the art is more refined and detailed, and it's identity feels more solid than the original volume. Fan-service was kept to a minimum compared to the original volume, with a heavier focus on the story and less of a "slice-of-life feel". I do miss the slice-of-life feel of the first one, which I believe is still worth reading as it goes into some of the character's backstories in more detail. Although, this volume seems to be a retelling of the original story and details differ, so I'm not sure if they'll end up retconning the original.

I still believe the story could use a more "seinen" than "shounen" feel, but the current mood still works good! I do hope we see more in-depth character interactions and especially a more nuanced reason for the villains introduced at the end for being evil than just "We were born this way" in later installments.

I am eager to see more from this author as the book being set in a post-apocalyptic post-war future seems very interesting. Maybe we can get some history on the war and how sentient androids exist?

4/5 stars!