In a futuristic Neo-Tokyo, crime is rising rapidly in the wake of a new generation of super-drugs capable of enhancing the user's physical and mental abilities. Hajime Tsukomo is a new recruit on a federal task force trained to go after these powered-up criminals. Now he must team up with Zeroichi, a so-called Hanger looking to reduce his own jail sentence in exchange for helping to take down these chemically-boosted bad guys. This is volume 2 of the series.
**I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an Honest Review** **And since this is an ARC my feedback will likely be different by the time of publication** **This is 3.5 stars**
Thank you Netgalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and Tokyopop for letting me read and review this book!! ^_^
Before Thoughts: So the last volume had this terrible formatting in the Adobe Digital editions, so I'm hoping that this time the format will be a little more cleaned up.
Also I said this is an ARC but that's only in the fact that the English translation of the paperback edition of this book will be released soon in September so I will hopefully only need to help give feedback on any translation mistakes/grammar issues.
But I'll also give my feedback based on overall enjoyment of the book. (Like if its story improves from the previous volume or good development on characters and story)
So fingers-crossed that this volume is a bit of a step up from volume 1. I mean look at how much nicer the cover for this volume looks which maybe gives hope that this volume will only improve the previous content.
Review: Read On: 08/05/18 To be Published on: 09/04/18
Plot: So the plot is still the same with stopping the super drugs being distributed throughout the city of Neo Tokyo. And the Federal Task Force is still working alongside the Hangers to stop the super drugs.
And from the previous volume we learn a small truth about the Hangers that makes sense for why they have such long sentences to clear up, about why some of them feel frustrated about life, why some of them have memory loss, and why they are considered criminals in the first place.
Now the additions to the plot are: Zeroichi wants to trust Hajime as his Keeper, but because of Hajime's special condition he would require healing from the older technology and he could die any day from an injury due to the special condition. Whereas Zeroichi is pretty much immortal due to the powers of the super drugs. Not to mention the loss of his previous keeper prevents him from wanting to bond with Hajime.
And Hajime wants to prove that he can be reliable to Zeroichi as a keeper and his partner because of Zeroichi's lack of trust/faith in him. And of course Hajime could also easily kill the hangers with his blood. (That's more of a major development to the plot)
And a few ghosts of the past come in to haunt some of our characters. With that there's some action taken to stop those ghosts of the past.
Character(s): Hajime: He's an investigator/Keeper of the Federal Task Force. He is partnered to Zeroichi. His body has special properties to his body that can cancel out nano machines found in the super drugs. And in the previous volume we learned that he is in debt because of his deceased mother dying in the hospital.
Zeroichi: Hanger who is partnered with Hajime and he also has a case of amnesia. His sentence in prison is 500 years. He doesn't really remember his real name. He is cold and distant with Hajime due to the loss of his previous keeper. After his addiction to the super drugs he gained a symptom of Gluttony.
Other Hangers and Keepers:
Hashima: He's a hanger that was previously a high drug dealer. His sentence is at 300 years. His symptom of his addictions to the Super Drugs is Lust. His Partner/Keeper is Hibiki.
Hibiki: He's a keeper that is known for being hard working and serious. He's good with technology such as the information warfare. His main concern is helping Hashima lower all of his sentence.
Byakuran: She's/He's a hanger, her/his partner/keeper is Zemu. Her/his symptoms after her/his addiction to super drugs was she/he can change her/his appearance, she/he can restore nano machines, and she/he can multiply nano machines and use them to heal wounds. This hanger also has the ability to manipulate their nano machines when they have an open wound. (This hanger was originally a male and now since the super drugs he's been able to transform. Preferably into a female.)
Zemu: Byakuran's Partner/keeper.
Final Thoughts: The book is a little backwards again having you go from pg 218 of the Adobe Digital Editions to Pg 1. But at least the formatting is clean and actually able to be read which should definitely look good once it reaches publication into its paperback format.
Because of this volume I see just a little more potential for this manga to receive a proper anime adaptation or OVA in the future. Because the plot is actually attempting to go somewhere in this volume. Also I liked how there were a few new characters introduced and new development given to current characters. It really was quite a step up from the previous volume.
And there wasn't any translation errors or any problems with grammar as far as I could see.
Recommends to: If you like Fullmetal Alchemist you may like this simply for the similarities the Hanger's have to the homunculi from Fullmetal Alchemist.
It also has many similarities to Switch, Vol. 1 which focuses on Narcotics police unit.
It also can be compared to Psycho-Pass.
Hope you enjoyed my review!! Thanks for Reading!! ^_^ And go catch that good book!! ^_^
This continues to be a great manga, although I had slightly less of an emotional connection with this volume because there was less Hashima and Hibiki. They're still there and I love them, but honestly, I just want to read endless stories about those two. I do still very much like our main couple though and I'm eager to see more of how their relationship develops. I'm getting nervous that this story will not wrap up in the next volume as there's still so much to explore in both the world and the characters, which ordinarily would be great, but I don't see any sign of a volume 4? I hope volume 3 at least has a somewhat satisfying ending.
Ich habe das Buch schon vor ein paar Tagen beendet und mochte es genauso sehr wie Band 1. Bei dieser Reihe stimmt einfach das Gesamtpaket: Spannung, Action, vielschichtige Charaktere (mit Vergangenheit), kein 0/8/15 Plot, „Boys Love“ … Band 3 steht auch schon in meinem Regal, aber den werde ich mir noch ein bisschen aufheben, da für mich nicht ersichtlich ist, ob und wann die deutsche Fortsetzung erscheint. *sigh* Wäre so schade, wenn die Reihe nicht oder über einen (zu) langen Zeitraum fortgesetzt wird.
Again lots of action and angst and romance and drama!!! I love this!! 😂 Give me more! I'm hooked! I would love an anime of this series! I'd totally watch!!
I'm loving how plot-heavy this manga is. It's not just lovey-dovey stuff, it's honest to gosh sci-fi about terrorists and nano-technology and whatnot. And I find ALL the pairings here so interesting. Each of them is so unique that there could be a whole series about them. Love it.
With volume 2 of Hanger, I'm completely sold on this series. Volume 1 introduces us to the main characters and unique world of nano-tech infused drugs, but in this volume creator Kisaragi turns on the drama and action. Volume 2 introduces a truly creepy villain in the form of a religious terrorist organization called Nine Tails. Nine Tails is the group responsible for the death of Zeroichi’s first partner, Akisarto, a loss that still haunts him and colors his relationship with Hajime. There’s a flashback sequence to a time when Zeroichi and Akisato were together that's visually haunting. Woven into all of this is the mystery surrounding Hajime’s unique blood type, which proves to be both boon and threat. A new Hanger/Keeper pair is introduced in this volume, Gaido and Yuki, who have a disturbingly dysfunctional relationship. Gaido in particular is a tragic, if powerful, figure, whose drug addiction has a gory side effect. Pairing Gaido with the medically fragile Yuki is both surprising and a bit of a narrative risk, but Kisaragi pulls it off. Both play a key role in the confrontation with Nine Tails. Meanwhile, the relationship between Zeroichi and Hajime, while still two steps forward and one step back, ultimately becomes deeper and one I as a reader can start to relate to. Volume 2 builds up several sub-narratives even as the main plot device - the threat of Nine Tails to Zeroichi and Hajime both professionally and personally - comes to a boil. I can't wait to stay volume 3, which I have. I never would have thought I'd get so involved and care so much for these characters given volume 1. Volume 2 builds on the foundation from the first book and takes off with excellent story telling and excellent art.
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own* Yup, I couldn't help myself. When I saw this one pop up on Netgalley I immediately snagged it and dived in. I was happy to see that they had even fixed the formatting! So, I was able to see the artwork, which I think is pretty good, even if my favorite style.
The story is starting to pick up-- I think we see the main villain in this story. There are a few more pairing introduced and our main couple is making some progress-- even if what they do together makes little sense haha. I feel like I'm much more lax on this point with manga, because I'm used to it?? Anyhow, I look forward to volume 3!!
Even better than volume 1. Hajime and Zeroichi are making progress as partners and on a personal level and more characters are introduced who make the story even more interesting. Again, this is way more than a simple BL manga (as which it is labled by the german publisher). Often in BL the characters are pretty isolated from the world but here we have multiple characters, all with their own story and agenda and an interesting main story connecting them.
Hajime is looking for a way to fix the rift between him and his partner. The Hanger act like he does not trust him and believe he can easily be killed since he is a “ordinary human”. Zeroichi previous partner die in duty and he doesn’t want history to repeat itself. A terrorist group known as Nine Tails are creating chaos by bombing building and messing up with the nano-machine. Capturing them is the Government top priority, so all Hangers/Keepers are assigned to this task.
Zeroichi is set on revenge and try to dissolve his partnership with his keeper, pretending he will get in the way and is dead weight. (Classic acting mean to protect his love one.) Hajime is having none of it and literary scream at him and call him a coward. (I love him, he has so much temper and doesn’t give up.) The two men share a sad and tender moment when Zeroichi recall how Akisato, his previous partner have died. Hajime promise to never leave him.
New duo Gaido & Yuki are compediting against my favorite pair to catch Nine Tails and get 100 years off the Hanger sentence. Gaido is quite harsh, love violence and do not care who gets in the way. This create trouble when his partner goes missing and the nano-machines turns hangers into berserker monsters.
I have been waiting for this volume ever since I finished the first one. Guess I will do the same thing now with the 3rd volume, who doesn’t seem to exist yet… I am hook to this series, the characters are breathtaking, and all have strong personalities, but yet are all different. I love the science-fiction/futuristic setting. There is action, drama, little bit of romance.
I liked this volume of Hanger better than the first in the series.
This time around, there’s a little more substance to the plot. A serious antagonist is revealed—a terrorist called Nine Tails. Another Keeper/Hanger duo is introduced; Yuki, the keeper, has a chronic illness and is very self-sacrificing, both of which are taken advantage of by his scary Hanger, Gaido. (Although there may be hidden depths there.) The mystery surrounding the resistance of Hajime’s blood to nanomachines and the relationship between Hajime and Zeroichi are advanced slightly, too.
I still wanted more from the story. A lot of time was spent on the pursuit of Nine Tails, who would be a more interesting character if the reader had some sense of his motivations. Right now, he seems a rather generic evil villain. I’m still waiting for the author to dig deeper into Zeroichi’s past, too.
The author’s got me hooked enough that I’ll stick around for volume 3, though.
A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.
Content warnings: Drug use, violence, chronic illness, terrorism, cannibalism
The manifestations of the addiction in this series are a delight if you’re into deeply fucked up consequences of what is essentially magic. The different dynamics between all the partner-Hanger couples is so interest. No two are alike, and it’s cool to see the different chemistries and work styles.
The way this series explores grief in terms of identity and self-actualization is particularly effective. Zeroichi has to recognize Hajime as not his old partner. Some wounds take forever to heal and no amount of violence and wins can fix that. It’s great that the series addresses it, and I’m looking forward to more development there.
We get to see the villain in this one, and wow, what a formidable force.
I really like that in this volume we get to learn more about Zeroichi’s former Keeper and the terrorist organization that killed him (as well as many others). The terrorist organization took much of the focus for this volume since they’ve reappeared after some time and are causing the organization that Zeroichi and Hajime work for some issue, to say the least. A new dynamic between a new Keeper and Hanger duo was also introduced, as well as, Zeroichi and Hajime getting a bit closer after a rather tense conversation. I’m very curious going into this next volume due to the cliffhanger that this volume left off on.
This series puts little hearts in my eyes, and I have no regrets. I love the characters, I love the pretty original and interesting plot, I love the supporting cast, and I love the pacing of how excitement is unfolding. There's a good balance between action and character development, and the romance is really sweet without being ham fisted like yaoi manga tends to be.
Like seriously, this is my favorite yaoi managa series in like ten years, and I will go down with this ship.
Please, please, please let the third book come at some point.
I’m not sure how exactly to rate this series so far. I do enjoy it but I feel like sometimes I have trouble following all the different nano things and how they affect whoever.
These are labeled as BL but they’re more sci-fi/dystopia with lots of fights and explosions, and honestly I’m here for it. Hajime is a little too green for my liking, but the other characters’ backstories have really drawn me in so far.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The second installment in the Hanger series, this is an action-packed issue that revolves around a Hanger, a jailed convict that works with the police, and his Keeper, who also ends up as his lover. An interesting concept and an easy-to-read story.
Wow! I really enjoyed the first volume in this series but this was so much better. The plotting was tighter and was definitely more fast-paced! Everything I had issues with in volume 1 were nonexistent in this one. I need volume 3 to come out soon because I need to know what happens next and because that was a mean place to end that volume.
A good follow-up to the first volume. It furthers the plot and creates tension between our two main characters. Also, the open-ending prepares for an exciting and, hopefully, interesting new installment.
A very solid follow-on to the first volume! I liked Gaido and Yuki's storyline, the development of other hanger-keeper relationships, Hajime's development, and the further hints about Zeroichi's past.
Stop making me emotionally invested in this 3 volume manga series. All the characters have so much personality to them; I wish this series were longer so I had the opportunity to really get to know them!
Liked this one a bit more than the first. The tension is ramping up a bit. Characters are getting more interesting. The English translation still has some awkward dialogue.
Overall an entertaining yaoi manga that has an actual plot.
A strange but compelling series. Luckily I already have volume 3 waiting for me. Some gruesome parts - one character eats people - there's also a lot of violence.
I was on the edge of my seat with this one. I'm certain Hajime is starting to have feelings for Zeroichi. We're starting to learn a bit more about him too.