Centuria, Vol. 1

ケントゥリア [Centuria] #1

by Tohru Kuramori

自由を求めて奴隷船に密航者として潜り込んだ少年・ユリアン。他の100人の奴隷たち、とりわけ身重のミラは彼の事を気にかけて優しくしてくれた。しかし呪われた海域で彼らを待ち受けていたのは…!?　新時代ダークファンタジー、ここに開幕!!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Horror, Comics, Action, Dark Fantasy, Supernatural

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2024

About the author

Tohru Kuramori 暗森透 (Kuramori Tooru) is a Japanese mangaka.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un dark fantasy intriso di suggestioni lovecraftiane, con un'ambientazione davvero affascinante e suggestiva.
Peccato che i personaggi principali non siano all’altezza: poco carismatici e tutt'altro che interessanti, almeno per quanto mi riguarda.
Ed il modo in cui l'autore disegna le facce dei personaggi non mi invoglia affatto a continuare.
Peccato perchè da blurb e recensioni entusiaste varie mi aspettavo parecchio di più.
Detto ciò, la copia del primo numero mi è stata regalata da un amico quindi... a caval donato non si guarda in bocca, ma stavolta era meglio non guardarlo neanche in faccia😅

[Dreamcatcher (HIATUS)]

For Chapters 1-35(latest)

If Centuria gets popular in the future, just know that I've been here since chapter 5 and I told everyone.

I'm not gonna rate it yet since it's still pretty new but with the way it's going, Centuria will definitely make its way to my favourites. Can't expect anything less from any person associated with Fujimoto.

Also did I mention that the art is gorgeous? The hand proportion choice is... intresting but so many wallpaper worthy panels in just the first ten chapters alone. The way the eldritch-y monsters are drawn is breathtaking and honestly props to Kuramori for making them actually creepy.

I would describe the plot but... honestly you should just go read it yourself :)

[Apathetic Witch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it, read it, read it. Did I mention read it? If this ever becomes an anime, it's gonna kick so much ass. Do you like gore? Did you enjoy Berserk and Chainsaw Man? Do you like medieval dark fantasy? Do you like main characters that stay sweet regardless of the world's bullshit? Do you like found family?! Do you like tall and muscular women?! Read it.

[Mistborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's one hell of a prologue. The only way I can describe it is like a combination between Berserk and Vinland saga. So if you like those manga then you should check this manga too, you won't be disappointed. I love the cosmic horror and the unknown in this manga, the author had executed it really well.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

i fear i will not be continuing this... not feeling invested in the plot and the facial expressions are sooooo stiff ;-;

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is there anything better than slave owners getting torn to pieces and fed to an eldritch horror?

Wish that happened more IRL.

Anyway.

This is BRUTAL—and I LOVED it!

What a strong first volume—and a distinct one. I really appreciate that Julian isn’t your typical young, happy-go-lucky boy who believes in the inherent goodness of people. To me, that’s just not a narrative that resonates the same way anymore for readers.

Here, we see Julian persist not out of hope but because giving into the despair would be an injustice to all those who sacrificed themselves for his safety. He sees the horror of humanity up close. He’s bathed in the blood of his friends. Now, he’s told to survive. To live despite it all. It’s so cruel.

I’m really looking forward to where this story goes next. It has a lot of potential~

[Rosa BR · Rating 4 out of 5]

No está mal!

[The Wintermute System · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. So dark, but full of hope too.

[Jessy Morin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le premier tome pose des bases intéressantes, avec un univers riche et un visuel fort. Cependant, la narration reste confuse par moments : trop de personnages, trop de concepts introduits trop vite. On sent le potentiel, mais ça manque de clarté et d’émotion pour vraiment accrocher dès le départ.
C’est une lecture correcte, mais pas inoubliable. Si le deuxième tome améliore le rythme et la cohérence, la série pourrait vraiment décoller.

[Maharet · Rating 2 out of 5]

storia interessante ma dialoghi infantili e non ho trovato particolarmente coinvolgenti i disegni, pensavo qualcosa di più dark , delusione

[lauras_garden_of_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

„Du bist in einer grausamen Welt aufgewachsen, deswegen mag es schwierig sein, aber bitte verzweifle nicht. Ich möchte, dass du weißt, in dieser Welt gibt es auch Freundlichkeit und Liebe. Also gib die Menschen nicht auf.“

Tosende Wellen, peitschende Gischt, die dunklen Abgründe der Menschen, ihre grausamen und blutigen Taten, und die tiefe Schwärze des Ozeans mit all seinen Mythen und Monstern… - Das alles erwartet einen unmittelbar, wenn man diesen Band aufschlägt!
Von seiner eigenen Mutter als Sklave verkauft, sucht Julian nach einem neuen Leben und neuer Hoffnung und landet dabei inmitten eines grausamen Massakers auf hoher See. Als einzig Überlebender gelangt er durch das Auftauchen eines Kraken-Wesens zu besonderen Kräften und hält neue Hoffnung in den Armen; in Form der frisch geborenen Diana, das Kind einer Frau, die für ihn auf der Schiffsreise wie eine Ersatzmutter geworden ist. Ist es Julian möglich, Diana in ein besseres Leben zu führen, in einer Welt, die so voller Grausamkeit ist..?

Die Atmosphäre des Bands ist sehr düster und beklemmend und man fühlt sich regelrecht selbst den Launen und Kräften des Ozeans ausgeliefert. Grausamkeiten, Kämpfe und viele blutige Szenen beherrschen das Geschehen.
Erst im letzten Viertel des Bands wird ein neues Kapitel aufgeschlagen, das nun neugierig macht, in welche Richtung diese Geschichte weitergehen wird.
Beachtlich an Julians Charakter finde ich, dass er trotz der besonderen Kräfte, die er verliehen bekommen hat, es möglichst AUS EIGENER KRAFT schaffen möchte und sich hierin für Diana vollkommen aufopfert. Und ich bin gespannt, was diese starken Eigenschaften von ihm noch alles hervorbringen werden.
Die Zeichnungen sind ebenso rau wie die Story, größtenteils auch eher einfacher gehalten und wenig Panels pro Seite, sodass man relativ schnell durch die Seiten fliegt. Meine Neugier ist auf jeden Fall geweckt 👀👌

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ottimo. Davvero ottimo a livello visivo.
Ci sono elementi che per certi versi ricordano To Your Eternity, per altri Leviathan (il fantastico manhwa di Lee Gyuntak).

Strano come il trope "found family" stia dilagando sempre più anche nei prodotti jap. Una persona ben più seria di me si domanderebbe se non sia una risposta a qualche sintomo della nostra società bla bla bla...

Mira vince il premio "Rhaenyra Targaryen" quanto a figura materna con gli attributi da drago.

[Haylee Blystone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has such a strong start that I had no choice but to keep reading. I will say I teared up reading some of it, but i see that as a good thing. I've read so many series that it takes a really good one to make me feel so much emotion from the very beginning. I'm excited to see where this goes!

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

So. Good. Vinland saga + Berserk = this incredible manga. Be sure to jump on it before it gets big.

[malak]

i can see why people likened it to vinland saga and berserk, but as my sister said its pacing is a bit too fast to get the emotional parts hit as they should

[Xirimoya]

leyendo pal trabajo para ver q tal estaba, menos mal que lo sacaron con 2 tomos pq el primero se queda un poco tieso, vamos a darle un poco de chance

[Sol · Rating 5 out of 5]

j'ai trop aimé je suis restée un moment là bouche grande ouverte mdrr et c'était hyper touchant

[Alessandro Parisi]

Julian è un ragazzo che viene deportato come schiavo insieme ad altri cento prigionieri, uomini e donne, su una nave diretta verso terre sconosciute. Il suo passato è segnato dalla violenza: venduto dalla madre a un fabbro crudele, è stato costretto a uccidere il suo padrone per difendersi.

A bordo della nave, Julian stringe un legame profondo con Mira, una schiava incinta dal cuore gentile. Mira porta dentro di sé un dolore enorme: in passato ha già perso un bambino, ucciso da mercanti senza scrupoli. Julian cerca in ogni modo di sostenerla e proteggerla.

Tuttavia, il loro viaggio viene sconvolto da un evento atroce: il proprietario della nave, in cerca del pagamento dell’assicurazione, decide di compiere una strage, sterminando i suoi stessi schiavi. Durante questo massacro, appare un mostro misterioso che propone un patto: in cambio di potere, bisogna sacrificare la persona più cara.

È Mira a compiere il sacrificio, togliendosi la vita per salvare Julian e lasciare il suo bambino, Diana, nelle sue mani. In seguito al sacrificio, Julian ottiene poteri sovrumani e il dono di 100 vite.

Fuggito grazie a una scialuppa di salvataggio, Julian affronta mostri marini durante il viaggio, riuscendo a sopravvivere sebbene perda alcune delle sue vite. Una volta approdato sulla terraferma, Julian e la piccola Diana vengono accolti da due ragazze che si prendono cura di loro, fornendo cibo, vestiti e rifugio.

Nonostante la nuova sicurezza, Julian è tormentato dai sensi di colpa: sente che se fosse morto lui, Mira sarebbe ancora viva per crescere sua figlia. Il peso del sacrificio lo accompagna ogni giorno.

Sei mesi dopo, spinto dalla gratitudine per il dono ricevuto – la vita di Diana – e dal ricordo dei cento schiavi che hanno dato la loro vita, Julian trova la forza per ricominciare. Ottiene un lavoro e il suo primo incarico è liberare l’ingresso di una cava di ferro, ostruita da una frana. È il primo passo verso una vita in cui possa dare un senso alla sua sopravvivenza.

[Janina · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 Sterne. Ich habe leider nicht den Klappentext gelesen und hab mich so gefreut, dass eine weibliche Person im Fokus (habe mich von den langen Haaren verhexen lassen :( ) steht, dass ich enttäuscht war, als es wieder um einen Jungen ging. Ich bin ansonsten nicht ganz warm geworden mit der Geschichte und bin mir unschlüssig, worauf die Geschichte hinaus geht. Die Designs der Seeungeheuer haben mir aber gefallen.

tw/cw: Sklavenhandel, Tod, Mord, Verkaufen von Menschen, Gewalt

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Énorme coup de cœur sur ce premier tome

[Štěpán · Rating 3 out of 5]

Centuria is a blend of Berserk and Vinland Saga for 13-year-old boys and comes with all the flaws and praises one can expect. It is written in a simple way and sometimes quite on the nose and shows its inspiration very clearly, yet it lacks the subtlety its inspiration has. The issue is that it feels very formulaic, even though in the shonen genre feels fresh, as this approach to storytelling is more common in seinen. It feels a little bit stupid and naive, even though I admit that what it wants to do and what its intentions are - the beats of the story work well.

The main hook of this series is however the art. Kuramori might have some issues with proportions and perspective and I guess that the digital drawings sometimes let him forget the whole composition, but to me, it is just really fucking cool. Giant monsters, weird tentacle gods, blood sacrifices, weird goats and a giant woman in armour just scratch that weird fantasy itch I love enough to want to know more and see what the story will be.

[alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

it’s cliche but also interesting

[Sabrina Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙮 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙫𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙨 🖤🔥
The 𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙩 and 𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣. From the start, the world fully commits to 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙮 and 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧: 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙮, 𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩, with 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙘 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨.
This first volume mainly focuses on the MMC and on setting up the crew, but it already does a great job building curiosity for what is to come. The monsters are an absolute highlight, and I am very excited to see what else this world has in store.

The art style is rough, bold, and highly distinctive. While there are some flaws, a few panels feel off in terms of perspective and some faces appear a bit emotionless. Still, the overall atmosphere works incredibly well, especially when it comes to the monster designs.
Character wise, the spotlight is mostly on Julian, and it takes a bit of time until additional characters are introduced who actually stick around. That said, I really loved Angvall, and I am hoping we will get to see much more of her in future volumes.

I totally understand the comparisons to Berserk and Vinland Saga. At this point, it does not quite reach the same depth or maturity as Berserk, but it feels more like a younger targeted 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨 🦑😅

Overall, this is a strong and promising debut manga that makes me genuinely excited to continue the series. A very solid 4⭐ read for me!

unpaid ad | review copy


🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪

𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙁𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙑𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙨 🖤🔥
Das Pacing ist schnell und zieht einen sofort in die Geschichte hinein. Von Anfang an setzt die Welt konsequent auf Dark Fantasy und Horror. Sie ist blutig, brutal und arbeitet mit verstörenden Bildern sowie einigen Cosmic-Horror-Elementen.
Der erste Band konzentriert sich vor allem auf den männlichen Hauptcharakter und darauf, die Crew aufzubauen, schafft es aber trotzdem, früh Neugier auf das Kommende zu wecken. Die Monster sind ein absolutes Highlight, und ich bin jetzt schon sehr gespannt darauf, was diese Welt noch bereithält.
Der Zeichenstil ist rau, kantig und sehr markant. Ganz ohne Schwächen ist er jedoch nicht. Einige Panels wirken perspektivisch etwas seltsam, und manche Gesichter kommen eher emotionslos rüber. Dennoch funktioniert die Atmosphäre insgesamt extrem gut, besonders bei den Monstergestaltungen.
Charakterlich liegt der Fokus klar auf Julian, und es dauert ein wenig, bis weitere Figuren eingeführt werden, die auch dauerhaft bleiben. Besonders Angvall hat mir richtig gut gefallen, und ich hoffe sehr, dass wir in Zukunft noch mehr von ihr sehen werden.
Ich verstehe absolut, warum die Reihe mit Berserk oder Vinland Saga verglichen wird. Aktuell erreicht sie zwar noch nicht die gleiche Tiefe oder Reife wie Berserk, wirkt eher wie eine etwas jüngere Dark-Fantasy-Geschichte, allerdings mit einer ordentlichen Portion Blut und Tentakeln 🦑😅
Insgesamt ist das aber ein starker und vielversprechender Manga-Debütband, der definitiv Lust auf mehr macht. Für mich eine sehr solide 4⭐-Lektüre!

unbezahlte Werbung | Rezensionsexemplar

[Benjamin Bauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another new series by an alumnus of the Fujimoto assistant school. Centuria has been on my radar since I first saw folks posting about its extra-long debut chapter on X in 2024. Descriptors like dark fantasy and comparisons to the likes of Berserk and Vinland Saga piqued my curiosity. As more chapters were released on Jump+ and more words of online praise were typed, I found myself actively waiting for the (hopefully) inevitable English license from Viz. All this to say that my experience with this volume was perhaps marred by an overabundance of hype.

Centuria follows Julian, a blacksmith's slave caught stowing away on a slave ship. Through circumstances I won't spoil, he obtains power through a supernatural bargain and winds up the caretaker of a newborn, Diana. With this new power comes freedom, but with Diana in tow and the world being chaotic and cruel, Julian has quite the task ahead of himself raising Diana and surviving.

Despite my preface, I did enjoy my time with Centuria. It's dark, but not in an overbearing or edgy way. The art, for the most part, is excellent, and its exploration of survivor's guilt, family, and slavery is thoughtful and heartfelt. I'll even give Kuramori credit that some scenes made my heart feel as though it were sinking from the sheer pathos. I also liked Julian as a protagonist, despite initially finding him a mite irritating. Ultimately, I think the issue I took with this manga is how familiar it all felt.

Some of this familiarity can be pegged to Kuramori wearing his influences on his sleeve. Comparisons to Berserk and Vinland Saga are apt, because at times this felt like a tale cobbled together from elements of those series. Kuramori's past as Fujimoto's assistant is also obvious, from the two-page spreads to how at least one encounter echoed a fight from Jigokuraku (By Kaku Yuji, another Fujimoto assistant!). So, perhaps I'm suffering Fujimoto-fatigue, between this, Dandadan (Another assistant), Jigokuraku, and Fujimoto's own Chainsaw Man.

Maybe I'm also a sucker, because I think I'll check out volume 2. I did appreciate the more sedate pacing of the last two chapters, and would be lying if I didn't admit at being intrigued to see where Julian's attempts at building a life for himself and Diana go. We'll see what happens come May, when it's supposed to release.

[Shiritaku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hab tatsächlich anfangs nicht gewusst, worum es genau geht - wurde aber positiv überrascht. Alles beginnt damit, dass 100 Sklaven mit einem Boot verschifft werden sollen. Die Besatzung findet daraufhin einen blinden Passagier - dieser heißt Julian und ist noch ein Kind. Er wurde schon in jungen Jahren von seiner Mutter verkauft, weswegen er nur schlechte Menschen kennt.. doch plötzlich bringen ihm die anderen Sklaven viel Menschlichkeit, Herzlichkeit und Freundlichkeit entgegen und retten ihn so vor dem sicheren Tod. Als das Schiff dann allerdings in einen Sturm gerät, befiehlt der Kapitän Ballast loszuwerden und lässt die Mannschaft die Sklaven töten - lediglich Julian und die schwangere Mira bleiben übrig, da die anderen sie bis zur letzten Person beschützt haben. Als nun auch die beiden sterben sollen, taucht plötzlich ein Gott aus dem Meer auf und bietet ihnen einen Deal an: einer von beiden erhält außergewöhnliche Kraft, doch der andere muss dafür sterben.. und plötzlich steht Julian mit dem Baby Diana in den Händen da..
Die Atmosphäre ist rau und angespannt, der Zeichenstil recht markant und sketchy, die Charaktere sehr realistisch gestaltet. Auch der Plot ist spannend und interessant erzählt. Man spürt sowohl die Verzweiflung und Bösartigkeit, als auch die Freundlichkeit und Herzlichkeit der Charaktere. Julian hat einen starken Willen, auch wenn er immer wieder mal an sich zweifelt - doch er bekommt immer wieder Ansporn durch die kleine Diana. Ich bin gespannt, wie es weitergeht - ein interessanter Ansatz, der Lust auf mehr macht!

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Readers may disagree, but the story in Centuria Vol. 1 is a comforting read, IF you can tolerate monsters, violence, gore, and more* in your manga. The art is definitely unique and Kuramori knows how to use black screentone as an efficient storytelling tool instead of just being an aesthetic.

I'm sure it's a coincidence that they're releasing this volume during Black History Month as Centuria's story starts on a slave ship. Our hero( Julian) decided to stow away on a slave ship because he considered it a better option than his living situation and is soon discovered by the crew. What follows is not entirely predictable. There are The Horrors in what Julian escaped from, ended up with on the ship, and beyond, but there is kindness. In this unforgiving world, there are chosen families, and perhaps you can learn to forgive yourself. This volume does not end at a typical cliffhanger, but there is definitely a harbinger of more Horrors to come.

*If you're pregnant, got the pregnancy hormones, or have someone pregnant in your life, you may want to skip this volume.
[I received an ARC of this volume from the publisher via NetGalley.]

[Amadou Fall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Centuria is a Dark Fantasy shonen. In vol 1, you can expect a very tragic event that occurs relatively quickly to the main character, & a large cast we’ve just met. The main character, Julian, comes from a very tough background involving slavery, but he’s still a good person/un-jaded. He’s a kid, and you can tell he’s still curious about the world & looks for ways to understand it. While on a slave ship, he learns that others can be kind, & to not lose faith in humanity. When kindness is given without warranting repayment, true bonds can be created. This is shown quite clearly from the interactions he has with a pregnant slave on the ship named Mira.

Once again, this is a shonen manga, with Dark Fantasy aspects. As such, fighting is involved, & Julian comes face-to-face with an eldritch-like being from an abyss of the ocean. I’ve been a Dark Fantasy fan for 10+ years now, so I found this to be an enjoyable read. I feel like we should’ve had more time to get to know the large cast better; but in the end, chapter 1, & vol 1 overall, did a good job of setting this story up!

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

L’incipit della storia è coinvolgente e cattura subito l’attenzione. Alcune tavole presentano disegni davvero suggestivi e ben curati, mentre in altre, soprattutto nelle scene di dialogo, lo stile appare più abbozzato.
Per quanto riguarda la trama, in certi passaggi mi sembra un po’ forzata: ad esempio, il legame che si crea tra Mira e Julian si sviluppa in modo molto rapido, e risulta poco credibile che lui, che per gran parte della vita non ha incontrato nessuno disposto ad aiutarlo, trovi nel giro di pochi capitoli ben due persone pronte a salvarlo. Anche la scena in cui Mira partorisce da sola praticandosi un cesareo appare francamente eccessiva e poco realistica, rischiando di indebolire l’impatto emotivo del momento.
Nonostante queste perplessità, continuerò la lettura, perché il genere dark fantasy mi affascina e lo spunto narrativo da cui prende avvio la storia ha sicuramente del valore e delle potenzialità interessanti.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never in my life have I held anything of value. A slave is an outcast from birth. One who is denied the personhood or dignity of a human being and is permanently subject to the continuous violence and domination of others. One who owns nothing and shall never be allowed to possess anything.

Sometimes a new series comes along which you just know is going to be spectacular. This is one of those! Whilst looking for a third manga at Travelling Man Comics in Manchester, this new series stood out due to its tentacle, cthulhu-esk, back cover design. Clearly I was going to buy it, even without reading the blurb.

My hunch was spot on. This first volume sets the scene and features nefarious slave traders, a very Lovecraftian elder Sea god, female knights, and deal which will change our hero's life forever.

The artwork is raw and visceral, bringing the horrors to live. 5 stars.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dark, more horror specific manga which is the first volume featuring a slave ship where the main character has escaped to and becomes a slave where he meets a pregnant woman named Mira, but after a dark turn of events where the slaves are slaughtered, Julian ends up with Mira's baby, Diana, and has the powers/strength of those slaves who were killed. To move forward, Julian and Diana end up at another location where he can raise the baby, mourn the loss of those killed including Diana's mom, Mira, and find justice.

A tale that includes fantastical elements like the sea octopus/urchin, historical references related to slavery and abuse, and a poetic justice element to Julian ending up with Mira's baby trying to make it in the world.

It's unique.