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Helck #1
Helck, Vol. 1
After the demon lord is slain at the hands of a lone human warrior, humans rejoice over the end of his reign of terror. But an intense tournament of powerful fighters hoping to be crowned the next demon lord has drawn in the unlikeliest of contestants—Helck, who claims to hate humans but is one himself! How will Helck change the course of the war between demons and humankind?
Three months have passed since the demon lord was struck down, and the Demon Realm is holding a tournament to select his replacement. The leading contestant is Helck, a human hero who claims to hate his own kind. Some aren’t happy with the idea of a human becoming the next demon lord—especially Vermilio the Red. She wants nothing more than to protect demonkind and prove Helck to be their enemy, even if she has to rig the competition to do it!
Three months have passed since the demon lord was struck down, and the Demon Realm is holding a tournament to select his replacement. The leading contestant is Helck, a human hero who claims to hate his own kind. Some aren’t happy with the idea of a human becoming the next demon lord—especially Vermilio the Red. She wants nothing more than to protect demonkind and prove Helck to be their enemy, even if she has to rig the competition to do it!
208 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
January 15, 2023
With the Demon Lord defeated by those pesky humans, the top spot is open and the competition is fierce. Or should I say the tournament? Unfortunately, this has also attracted a very human lump of muscle named Helck and he can’t seem to stop running away with the whole dang thing…
Boy, this is very, very silly. If you had told me this came out in the late 90s or was an homage to anime of that era, I doubt I would have blinked twice. Our lead character is actually poor Vermilio, aka Vermikins, who has lots of rage fuelled by seeing the threat posed by Helck and also being the only demon who apparently notices.
She’s also coming complete with a hapless lackey and a running gag where she causes rather large explosions when she gets mad, which is pretty basic Saturday morning cartoon (or even Samurai Pizza Cats) levels of buffoonery.
It works though! Partly this is because the story is well drawn and the mangaka knows how to both pace and write a joke, even a dumb one. The timing and facial expressions make this work far better than it should - even with such one-note characters.
There’s also an excellent sense of when a joke needs to escalate just that little bit more to work, such as the race segment, where it starts silly, goes dumb, then gets better/dumber, punctuated by Vermilio’s tirades about the rules.
Oddly, however, the one character I don’t think much of is Helck himself, who is too ‘hewn from the side of a mountain’ buff and not much else. He does have a pretty impressive skill set, I give him that much, but he’s super boring when he isn’t engaging with a ridiculous bromance with one of his competitors.
The plot proper has some nods towards developments to come, such as Helck’s backstory (my guess - humans suck), but the whole premise is mostly an excuse for goofing around. The next great fantasy this is not.
But it’s still a ton of goofy fun and reminds me of antics that wouldn’t seem out of place in Slayers or other titles of similar lineage. That one character who spends the volume so wounded he not only reopens every wound but spews blood when he’s talking made me laugh on a deeply primal level.
3.5 stars - let’s just go and give it the nudge up since it really got better as it went and was pretty amusing. Memorable characters, silly gags. Sometimes that’s all you really need.
Boy, this is very, very silly. If you had told me this came out in the late 90s or was an homage to anime of that era, I doubt I would have blinked twice. Our lead character is actually poor Vermilio, aka Vermikins, who has lots of rage fuelled by seeing the threat posed by Helck and also being the only demon who apparently notices.
She’s also coming complete with a hapless lackey and a running gag where she causes rather large explosions when she gets mad, which is pretty basic Saturday morning cartoon (or even Samurai Pizza Cats) levels of buffoonery.
It works though! Partly this is because the story is well drawn and the mangaka knows how to both pace and write a joke, even a dumb one. The timing and facial expressions make this work far better than it should - even with such one-note characters.
There’s also an excellent sense of when a joke needs to escalate just that little bit more to work, such as the race segment, where it starts silly, goes dumb, then gets better/dumber, punctuated by Vermilio’s tirades about the rules.
Oddly, however, the one character I don’t think much of is Helck himself, who is too ‘hewn from the side of a mountain’ buff and not much else. He does have a pretty impressive skill set, I give him that much, but he’s super boring when he isn’t engaging with a ridiculous bromance with one of his competitors.
The plot proper has some nods towards developments to come, such as Helck’s backstory (my guess - humans suck), but the whole premise is mostly an excuse for goofing around. The next great fantasy this is not.
But it’s still a ton of goofy fun and reminds me of antics that wouldn’t seem out of place in Slayers or other titles of similar lineage. That one character who spends the volume so wounded he not only reopens every wound but spews blood when he’s talking made me laugh on a deeply primal level.
3.5 stars - let’s just go and give it the nudge up since it really got better as it went and was pretty amusing. Memorable characters, silly gags. Sometimes that’s all you really need.
April 24, 2024
Breezy start with some fun(ish) characters.
A big danger here is it becoming repetitive..with the same kind of situations and responses..hope it doesn't go down that road.
A big danger here is it becoming repetitive..with the same kind of situations and responses..hope it doesn't go down that road.
December 22, 2022
What if the best contender for the demon throne was human? That's the question this action comedy asks, and it's a fun one. Helck himself is by all appearances a muscle-bound do-gooder with ludicrous skills, and the overall air of wackiness really works. It's good dumb fun, and that's something that there sometimes just isn't enough of.
January 12, 2023
This was fine. I don't think I learned enough about any of the characters to really care about them though. Overall it was underwhelming and kind of boring. I don't think I'll be continuing this series.
November 6, 2025
3.5/5
This one was an interesting one. I thought I might not be interested plot wise but it’s a funny easy manga to read, perfect for me to read in between novels.
I think plot wise, I definitely need to keep reading to see what happens, it’s not that I was disinterested it’s more like I need to know more of what the heck is going on hahah. I loved the comedic aspect though so I will continue reading!
This one was an interesting one. I thought I might not be interested plot wise but it’s a funny easy manga to read, perfect for me to read in between novels.
I think plot wise, I definitely need to keep reading to see what happens, it’s not that I was disinterested it’s more like I need to know more of what the heck is going on hahah. I loved the comedic aspect though so I will continue reading!
July 10, 2020
Una historia que algunos llamaran "clásico Shonen", pero esta épicamente mejor.
Yo no sabia nada de este manga. No lo mencionan en ningún circulo o foro que frecuente.
Vi una imagen de Vamirio y me gusto mucho.
Busque el manga, lo encontré, lo comencé a leer y ya no pude parar.
Historia inicial.- Comienza con la caída del "Rey demonio" a manos de un solitario Héroe Humano. Los pueblos de humanos reciben con alegría esta noticia. Sin embargo los demonios ahora deben elegir a un nuevo Rey demonio. Para esto llevaran a cabo un torneo para elegir al individuo mas fuerte. Vamirio una de los Cuatro Reyes Celestiales del imperio debe ser Juez en este evento. Al ver a los participantes descubre que el favorito para ganar es un Héroe Humano, algo inaudito ya que el es de la raza enemiga. Sin embargo Él comenta "Odio a los humanos". Y así arranca nuestra historia. Vamirio lo quiere eliminado del evento y desarrolla todo tipo de evento ridículo para sacarlo.
Comienza algo cómica
Arte personajes.-Muy bueno para mi gusto, entre nostalgia de los 80s y 90s.
Expresiones faciales.- Bastantes y muy buenas.
Arte Fondos.- Cumplen su cometido. Te dicen en donde están los protagonistas. Sea un bosque, un castillo o una isla.
Arte dinámico.- Excelente. La peleas son majestuosas y bien ilustradas.
Diálogos.- Siendo una historia de diferentes razas aparte de la humana, hay lugar para discursos sobre segregación, esclavitud, racismo y genocidio. Realmente la historia escala a muy grandes niveles y se avientan diálogos muy profundos en contra de las injusticias.
Desarrollo de trama.-Ahí es donde la historia brilla. Si bien comienza siendo una comedia, esta se torna en toda una carrera de batallas épicas a escalas monumentales. Ya que la humanidad a desaparecido de las ciudades. Ya no hay humanos. Por que todos o ascendieron a Héroes o se convirtieron en guerreros monstruosos sin mente. Y ahora Helck y los demonios deben salvar a toda nuestra raza.
Desarrollo de Personajes Secundarios.- Gracias a los "omakes" o extras, sabes mucho sobre el desarrollo de todos ellos.
Desarrollo de Personajes Principales.- Increíble. El pasado de Helck "El héroe que odia a los humanos" es una historia muy interesante. Pues leemos sobre su infancia y su hermano, y como eran denigrados en las ciudades humanas por ser pobres y huérfanos. Su hermano se convirtió en uno de los hombres mas fuertes y queridos del reino y Helck solo quería vivir una vida pacifica. ¿Entonces porque el odio a los humanos?
Desenlace.- Fue un desenlace agradable, con la promesa de mas aventuras.
Valores.- Igualdad, superación personal, amistad, Respeto por la vida, Equidad, Amor y Perdón. Son algunos valores que resaltan en esta historia.
Portadas.- Me gustaron mucho. Un personaje de la historia junto con un cuadro sobre algun lugar de su mundo.
Universo/mundo creado.- Seria dar Spoiler, Pero digamos que el autor si trabajo mucho en esto. Porque a lo largo del viaje nos muestra diferentes aldeas con vestimentas y costumbres diferentes al de los protagonistas.
Un deleite de historia para mi. Deseo que lo animen algún día.
Yo no sabia nada de este manga. No lo mencionan en ningún circulo o foro que frecuente.
Vi una imagen de Vamirio y me gusto mucho.
Busque el manga, lo encontré, lo comencé a leer y ya no pude parar.
Historia inicial.- Comienza con la caída del "Rey demonio" a manos de un solitario Héroe Humano. Los pueblos de humanos reciben con alegría esta noticia. Sin embargo los demonios ahora deben elegir a un nuevo Rey demonio. Para esto llevaran a cabo un torneo para elegir al individuo mas fuerte. Vamirio una de los Cuatro Reyes Celestiales del imperio debe ser Juez en este evento. Al ver a los participantes descubre que el favorito para ganar es un Héroe Humano, algo inaudito ya que el es de la raza enemiga. Sin embargo Él comenta "Odio a los humanos". Y así arranca nuestra historia. Vamirio lo quiere eliminado del evento y desarrolla todo tipo de evento ridículo para sacarlo.
Comienza algo cómica
Arte personajes.-Muy bueno para mi gusto, entre nostalgia de los 80s y 90s.
Expresiones faciales.- Bastantes y muy buenas.
Arte Fondos.- Cumplen su cometido. Te dicen en donde están los protagonistas. Sea un bosque, un castillo o una isla.
Arte dinámico.- Excelente. La peleas son majestuosas y bien ilustradas.
Diálogos.- Siendo una historia de diferentes razas aparte de la humana, hay lugar para discursos sobre segregación, esclavitud, racismo y genocidio. Realmente la historia escala a muy grandes niveles y se avientan diálogos muy profundos en contra de las injusticias.
Desarrollo de trama.-Ahí es donde la historia brilla. Si bien comienza siendo una comedia, esta se torna en toda una carrera de batallas épicas a escalas monumentales. Ya que la humanidad a desaparecido de las ciudades. Ya no hay humanos. Por que todos o ascendieron a Héroes o se convirtieron en guerreros monstruosos sin mente. Y ahora Helck y los demonios deben salvar a toda nuestra raza.
Desarrollo de Personajes Secundarios.- Gracias a los "omakes" o extras, sabes mucho sobre el desarrollo de todos ellos.
Desarrollo de Personajes Principales.- Increíble. El pasado de Helck "El héroe que odia a los humanos" es una historia muy interesante. Pues leemos sobre su infancia y su hermano, y como eran denigrados en las ciudades humanas por ser pobres y huérfanos. Su hermano se convirtió en uno de los hombres mas fuertes y queridos del reino y Helck solo quería vivir una vida pacifica. ¿Entonces porque el odio a los humanos?
Desenlace.- Fue un desenlace agradable, con la promesa de mas aventuras.
Valores.- Igualdad, superación personal, amistad, Respeto por la vida, Equidad, Amor y Perdón. Son algunos valores que resaltan en esta historia.
Portadas.- Me gustaron mucho. Un personaje de la historia junto con un cuadro sobre algun lugar de su mundo.
Universo/mundo creado.- Seria dar Spoiler, Pero digamos que el autor si trabajo mucho en esto. Porque a lo largo del viaje nos muestra diferentes aldeas con vestimentas y costumbres diferentes al de los protagonistas.
Un deleite de historia para mi. Deseo que lo animen algún día.
June 12, 2023
this isn’t a bad manga but I just was not interested in anything that was happening.
August 22, 2019
~Helck is an odd one, and not just the character, but give it enough time and it stands as an easy top Action manga with a story more solid than Helck’s muscles.~
This review is for the series overall and will be spoiler free.
The story covers the aftermath of the Demon King’s defeat by human heros, and a tournament of the strongest is held to crown a new one. Our central character, Red Vamirio arrives at the apex of the tournament to replace the original overseer who was injured during the tournament. The Hero Helck, a human in a demon tournament, moves up the bracket of the tournament much to Vamirio’s vexation. As he is being interviewed, Helck declares that he hates all humans and will vanquish them all. Vamirio tries multiple ways to have Helck lose the tournament, which includes a race and card stacking match. The human hero wins over the crowd and Vamirio, attempting to get rid of this human, is forced to set aside her prejudice and accept the wins and she disguises herself to greet Helck as Anne from Management. The finalists are tasked with retaking a recently captured Urum Castle. Using this as a means of getting rid of Helck and to find out what the enemy could have taken the castle, this starts the events that takes us on a journey to figure out Helck’s true motives, the secret to the recent surge of human power and the mystery of the new creatures that are attacking demon land.
Characters
Red Vamirio (Anne from Management) - a calm and logical demon king of the southern region of demon lands, until she gets angry. Able to easily manipulate large magic spells at an early age, she is as feared as she is respected. She despises humans and often calls for the elimination of the human race, but on her journey with Helck, she sees that not everything is black and white.
My favorite deuteragonist in manga history, she has all the Tsun with none of the dere. While her story is not critical to the overall plot, her reality grounds the protagonist Helck and vice versa. Helck and Vamirio have fantastic chemistry and are able to challenge each other’s philosophies without seeming unnatural.
Helck (The Hero Helck) - Your typical Superman who has all of the power and no drawbacks. Friendly to everyone and loved by many, he’s the quintessential good guy… until he declares death to humans.
I wrote Helck off very early in the manga and part of me is glad that I did because as I continued to learn more about him, including his struggles and fears, I felt as ashamed as Anne from Management does. While some beats may be trope-y, you would do well to push past your prejudices. I put him up there in my top ten protagonist in the "action" genre by the end of the manga.
Piwi (Bird?) - Piwi is essential to the story, he’s the main driving force that leads to its conclusion and the glue that holds the party together.
I’m partially kidding. This story is a very somber story and while it does have some comedic bits (outside the Omake), Piwi is the one that keeps the group from going crazy with depression and anger.
My thoughts
By the end of the run, Helck (the story) had me invested. I was hooked with the characters, hooked with the lore, hooked with the troubles and hooked with the relationships. I haven’t seen a completed action manga that managed to resolve most (if not all) of it’s story beats in such a manner. I was internally begging for more; the mangaka did a great job keeping me interested.
I will mention that I had trouble staying in the story with the releases of the Omake. I made the mistake of reading the Omake after every chapter, which made it hard for each chapter to keep its intensity, especially during the last volume. If you decide to pick this up, I would suggest to skip the Omake until you have finished the volume so you don't feel the whiplash that I felt.
This is a title that I definitely want to purchase if its physical copy is ever released in the west. It’s a story that deserves a lot more attention and would teach a thing or two about proper storytelling in manga.
This review is for the series overall and will be spoiler free.
The story covers the aftermath of the Demon King’s defeat by human heros, and a tournament of the strongest is held to crown a new one. Our central character, Red Vamirio arrives at the apex of the tournament to replace the original overseer who was injured during the tournament. The Hero Helck, a human in a demon tournament, moves up the bracket of the tournament much to Vamirio’s vexation. As he is being interviewed, Helck declares that he hates all humans and will vanquish them all. Vamirio tries multiple ways to have Helck lose the tournament, which includes a race and card stacking match. The human hero wins over the crowd and Vamirio, attempting to get rid of this human, is forced to set aside her prejudice and accept the wins and she disguises herself to greet Helck as Anne from Management. The finalists are tasked with retaking a recently captured Urum Castle. Using this as a means of getting rid of Helck and to find out what the enemy could have taken the castle, this starts the events that takes us on a journey to figure out Helck’s true motives, the secret to the recent surge of human power and the mystery of the new creatures that are attacking demon land.
Characters
Red Vamirio (Anne from Management) - a calm and logical demon king of the southern region of demon lands, until she gets angry. Able to easily manipulate large magic spells at an early age, she is as feared as she is respected. She despises humans and often calls for the elimination of the human race, but on her journey with Helck, she sees that not everything is black and white.
My favorite deuteragonist in manga history, she has all the Tsun with none of the dere. While her story is not critical to the overall plot, her reality grounds the protagonist Helck and vice versa. Helck and Vamirio have fantastic chemistry and are able to challenge each other’s philosophies without seeming unnatural.
Helck (The Hero Helck) - Your typical Superman who has all of the power and no drawbacks. Friendly to everyone and loved by many, he’s the quintessential good guy… until he declares death to humans.
I wrote Helck off very early in the manga and part of me is glad that I did because as I continued to learn more about him, including his struggles and fears, I felt as ashamed as Anne from Management does. While some beats may be trope-y, you would do well to push past your prejudices. I put him up there in my top ten protagonist in the "action" genre by the end of the manga.
Piwi (Bird?) - Piwi is essential to the story, he’s the main driving force that leads to its conclusion and the glue that holds the party together.
I’m partially kidding. This story is a very somber story and while it does have some comedic bits (outside the Omake), Piwi is the one that keeps the group from going crazy with depression and anger.
My thoughts
By the end of the run, Helck (the story) had me invested. I was hooked with the characters, hooked with the lore, hooked with the troubles and hooked with the relationships. I haven’t seen a completed action manga that managed to resolve most (if not all) of it’s story beats in such a manner. I was internally begging for more; the mangaka did a great job keeping me interested.
I will mention that I had trouble staying in the story with the releases of the Omake. I made the mistake of reading the Omake after every chapter, which made it hard for each chapter to keep its intensity, especially during the last volume. If you decide to pick this up, I would suggest to skip the Omake until you have finished the volume so you don't feel the whiplash that I felt.
This is a title that I definitely want to purchase if its physical copy is ever released in the west. It’s a story that deserves a lot more attention and would teach a thing or two about proper storytelling in manga.
April 3, 2023
I really enjoy the concept of this series! Helck is a human “hero” who claims to hate his own kind and wants to become a lord among demons. To stop him, Elite Lord Vermilio will go to any length to see him knocked out of the tournament and unable to win the title. Vermilio’s antics are a bit silly and cliche, but I still enjoyed them. I’m definitely a bit confused about the world this takes place in, but I hope my questions will be answered as the series progresses.
Lady Vermilio herself is an incredible protagonist so far. Despite possessing a number of annoying cliche anime traits—such as destroying everything in her vicinity when angered—she is a fierce and loyal leader who will stop at nothing to protect her people. All of her subordinates respect her deeply and, from what I can tell, she has earned that respect. Hon is the best little lackey. What he lacks in brains, he makes up for in dedication and enthusiasm.
Lady Vermilio herself is an incredible protagonist so far. Despite possessing a number of annoying cliche anime traits—such as destroying everything in her vicinity when angered—she is a fierce and loyal leader who will stop at nothing to protect her people. All of her subordinates respect her deeply and, from what I can tell, she has earned that respect. Hon is the best little lackey. What he lacks in brains, he makes up for in dedication and enthusiasm.
January 19, 2023
I enjoyed this volume well enough. If you love a good tournament arc, then this is the manga for you. I love the concept of a human wanting to become the demon king. The fact that he actually could freaks out the higher ranking demons, and it makes for a fun competition.
June 24, 2025
Come for the sexy elf girls, stay for the plot that punches harder than Helck himself.
July 21, 2025
Didn't really gel with this manga at all. I think one of the reasons being the manga I read before picking up Helck was infinitely better, so it made this appear even worse. Don't really like the character art, and the plot is just meh. I have no desire to read any of the other books in this series.
February 21, 2023
Again another story that was just ok. It was slow for being a book that includes battles. It was ok, but not one that I will be continuing.
3 stars
3 stars
August 4, 2023
To be honest this is probably closer to 2 1/2 stars for me the story was interesting with the human hero fighting in a demon tournament to be crowned the demon king with the hidden past and wing soldiers attacking from a different side and human settlements basically just being abandoned but all in all I found mostly characters just to be kind of average too annoying one of the main characters is yelled way too much for my liking the artwork was pretty nice though there is an audience out there for it but I’m definitely not in that audience.
August 22, 2016
This seems different and amusing. An entire volume is filled with a superior officer trying to sabotage the election of an employee. This is a gross oversimplification but this is a middle grade book.
I just hope this won't be like one punch man where he won everything without effort either.
Vimirio's wariness towards Helck is understandable because of his species and history. However, I do hope Helck's brother is alive somehow. He's wayyyy cuter.
I just hope this won't be like one punch man where he won everything without effort either.
Vimirio's wariness towards Helck is understandable because of his species and history. However, I do hope Helck's brother is alive somehow. He's wayyyy cuter.
February 25, 2022
I picked this up on a whim, barely knowing anything about it. And I'm glad I did.
Helck is one of these stories that starts out so simple, at first one may think that it'll just be a fun episodic little story without a big continuity. But it ends up reaching heights that make this a real gem of a manga. And for me, what makes it all work so well is it's sense of simplicity.
The designs, the characters, the relationships, the plots. All simple, but so well done. Especially the character-designs are a standout to me. Many of them, you can look at and just from doing that you'll understand so much about who the person is. And it accomplishes this without making the character-designs visually busy at all. Quite the opposite in fact; They remain simple.
Of course I don't mean to suggest that the story doesn't have depth. It certainly does. What it means to give up. What persevering means and what it can do to those that persevere. Trusting others and how one manages to do so. These themes emerge naturally. The story neither forces some definite philosophy on the reader nor does it go on and on about it's themes. Instead it always follows it's plots, develops the relationships between the characters and fleshes out it's world. The depth of the text mostly lies beyond the written sentences. What's written is simple and compelling and what's left unwritten is enticing and thought-provoking.
There was only one part of the story that I had one issue with that I believe is a preferential thing anyway. I'll mark it as a spoiler and sadly, it really is a big spoiler, so I suggest not reading it if you're interested in the story at all.
Overall, it just feels like the author knows what they are doing here. If you're interested I'll recommend reading the chapter 0. It presents a short story that takes place long before the events of the actual story. It shows the writing style, the visual style -even though I think the actual story looks a bit better and keeps on improving- and it's comedic approach really well.
I'm looking forward to getting into the currently ongoing sequel "Surreal Sword Saga" now and I'll be on the lookout for anything else Nanao Nanaki creates.
Helck is one of these stories that starts out so simple, at first one may think that it'll just be a fun episodic little story without a big continuity. But it ends up reaching heights that make this a real gem of a manga. And for me, what makes it all work so well is it's sense of simplicity.
The designs, the characters, the relationships, the plots. All simple, but so well done. Especially the character-designs are a standout to me. Many of them, you can look at and just from doing that you'll understand so much about who the person is. And it accomplishes this without making the character-designs visually busy at all. Quite the opposite in fact; They remain simple.
Of course I don't mean to suggest that the story doesn't have depth. It certainly does. What it means to give up. What persevering means and what it can do to those that persevere. Trusting others and how one manages to do so. These themes emerge naturally. The story neither forces some definite philosophy on the reader nor does it go on and on about it's themes. Instead it always follows it's plots, develops the relationships between the characters and fleshes out it's world. The depth of the text mostly lies beyond the written sentences. What's written is simple and compelling and what's left unwritten is enticing and thought-provoking.
There was only one part of the story that I had one issue with that I believe is a preferential thing anyway. I'll mark it as a spoiler and sadly, it really is a big spoiler, so I suggest not reading it if you're interested in the story at all.
Overall, it just feels like the author knows what they are doing here. If you're interested I'll recommend reading the chapter 0. It presents a short story that takes place long before the events of the actual story. It shows the writing style, the visual style -even though I think the actual story looks a bit better and keeps on improving- and it's comedic approach really well.
I'm looking forward to getting into the currently ongoing sequel "Surreal Sword Saga" now and I'll be on the lookout for anything else Nanao Nanaki creates.
July 13, 2023
This is a comedy fantasy manga.
It’s told from the perspective of vermillo, a demon lord who is a sassy girl that uses fire magic, has a bad temper, and hates nicknames. When the story opens, she’s running a tournament to find a replacement for another demon lord who was just killed.
The leading contender is a huge human warrior named Helck who is good at everything and has a goofy personality — always smiling, friendly, and unassuming. Naturally, Vermilion suspects him of treason because he’s a human. Helck’s true identity and intentions remain a mystery throughout this volume.
Most of the book involves Vermilio plotting to thwart Helck’s tournament bid, and Helck winning with ease nonetheless. It’s repetitive and boring, with heavy doses of exposition and redundant dialogue. Vermilio is inactive — all she does is scheme from a distance, never even meeting Helck. And Helck’s exploits are glossed over without dramatization.
At this point, it’s two stars, but the manga picks up a lot when everyone goes on the road for the final round of the tournament, including vermilio in disguise and several side characters — a giant who likes chocolate, an ambitious and calculating elf maiden, and an elf dufus who strikes up a natural friendship with Helck. This section of the plot is a typical fantasy quest as they brave the wilds fighting monsters en route to the enemy stronghold where their goal is to defeat a squad of human-aligned angel warriors. This doubles as a test of Helck’s loyalty.
There is some decent interaction here as the characters start to take shape. Situational comedy largely depends on clearly defined characters with conflicting viewpoints and for the first time the book starts to work. Much comedy is derived from the tension between happy go lucky foolish types, and no-nonsense, driven types.
The art is uneven and mostly poor. Vermilio’s design is good. I dont think you could really say Helck’s design is good, but it is comically effective. The rest of the art is low detail, crude, and / or generic, though it does improve over the course of the book.
It’s told from the perspective of vermillo, a demon lord who is a sassy girl that uses fire magic, has a bad temper, and hates nicknames. When the story opens, she’s running a tournament to find a replacement for another demon lord who was just killed.
The leading contender is a huge human warrior named Helck who is good at everything and has a goofy personality — always smiling, friendly, and unassuming. Naturally, Vermilion suspects him of treason because he’s a human. Helck’s true identity and intentions remain a mystery throughout this volume.
Most of the book involves Vermilio plotting to thwart Helck’s tournament bid, and Helck winning with ease nonetheless. It’s repetitive and boring, with heavy doses of exposition and redundant dialogue. Vermilio is inactive — all she does is scheme from a distance, never even meeting Helck. And Helck’s exploits are glossed over without dramatization.
At this point, it’s two stars, but the manga picks up a lot when everyone goes on the road for the final round of the tournament, including vermilio in disguise and several side characters — a giant who likes chocolate, an ambitious and calculating elf maiden, and an elf dufus who strikes up a natural friendship with Helck. This section of the plot is a typical fantasy quest as they brave the wilds fighting monsters en route to the enemy stronghold where their goal is to defeat a squad of human-aligned angel warriors. This doubles as a test of Helck’s loyalty.
There is some decent interaction here as the characters start to take shape. Situational comedy largely depends on clearly defined characters with conflicting viewpoints and for the first time the book starts to work. Much comedy is derived from the tension between happy go lucky foolish types, and no-nonsense, driven types.
The art is uneven and mostly poor. Vermilio’s design is good. I dont think you could really say Helck’s design is good, but it is comically effective. The rest of the art is low detail, crude, and / or generic, though it does improve over the course of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2023
I first heard of this series on a list of overlooked/underappreciated manga on YouTube, and if it wasn't for the glowing review it got, I may never have given it more than a passing glance, myself. I'm not 100% sure what all the fuss is about yet, but I'm enjoying it well enough, so far.
The best way I can describe the appeal of Helck after this first volume is that it feels...vintage. The humor here feels very much out of the Slayers handbook: gags, wacky situations, villains that have a goofy side, etc. And it sticks the landing, more often than it misses the mark. Underneath all the comedy, however, there are definite hints of something darker going on: The vague, almost offhanded mention of "foes to the north;" the eerie desolation of the human towns the demons set off to investigate; the hints that the demons, themselves, may be a lot more vulnerable and sequestered than you'd expect. None of this is the focal point, as we follow Vermilio in her attempts to suss out Helck's true intentions, before he can win the tournament and become the next demon lord--but it's undeniably there in the background.
So far, Helck is a fun, silly fantasy romp...for the most part. There's something about it all that makes it feel like a mask that's just waiting to slip and give us a glimpse of something far different beneath the surface--particularly with how this volume ends. Of course, I could just be reading too much into this, and all my expectations could end up shattered. Only time will tell, but I will say with no reservations that this first volume did a sufficient job of holding my interest, at least until I discover what's actually going on behind the scenes. For right now, if you like old school fantasy-comedies like Slayers, El Hazard, or even Rune Soldier Louie, you'll probably enjoy Helck. I have a feeling there's going to be a lot more to it in later volumes, but for now, the jokes take center stage.
The best way I can describe the appeal of Helck after this first volume is that it feels...vintage. The humor here feels very much out of the Slayers handbook: gags, wacky situations, villains that have a goofy side, etc. And it sticks the landing, more often than it misses the mark. Underneath all the comedy, however, there are definite hints of something darker going on: The vague, almost offhanded mention of "foes to the north;" the eerie desolation of the human towns the demons set off to investigate; the hints that the demons, themselves, may be a lot more vulnerable and sequestered than you'd expect. None of this is the focal point, as we follow Vermilio in her attempts to suss out Helck's true intentions, before he can win the tournament and become the next demon lord--but it's undeniably there in the background.
So far, Helck is a fun, silly fantasy romp...for the most part. There's something about it all that makes it feel like a mask that's just waiting to slip and give us a glimpse of something far different beneath the surface--particularly with how this volume ends. Of course, I could just be reading too much into this, and all my expectations could end up shattered. Only time will tell, but I will say with no reservations that this first volume did a sufficient job of holding my interest, at least until I discover what's actually going on behind the scenes. For right now, if you like old school fantasy-comedies like Slayers, El Hazard, or even Rune Soldier Louie, you'll probably enjoy Helck. I have a feeling there's going to be a lot more to it in later volumes, but for now, the jokes take center stage.
January 28, 2025
Zugegeben, es hat eine Weile gedauert, bis ich in die Geschichte hineingefunden habe. Doch nach etwa einem Drittel des ersten Bandes war ich von der Handlung gefesselt. Ein menschlicher Held, der die eigene Spezies verachtet und ihre Auslöschung plant? Das Konzept ist sowohl faszinierend als auch nachvollziehbar.
Helck stellt sich den Dämonen entgegen, was nicht jedem gefällt. Vermilio, die auf dem Cover abgebildet ist, begegnet ihm mit Misstrauen und versucht, ihm Steine in den Weg zu legen. Doch gegen Ende des Bandes muss auch sie erkennen, dass Helck nicht so übel ist, wie sie zunächst dachte.
Nachdem ich mich eingelesen hatte, hatte ich wirklich viel Spaß! Die Geschichte bietet einen frischen Blick auf den Konflikt zwischen Menschen und Dämonen – diesmal aus der Perspektive der Dämonen. Das empfinde ich auf jeden Fall mal als willkommen Abwwechslung.
„Helck“ kombiniert geschickt Comedy mit Fantasy-Elementen. Nach dem Lesen einiger Online-Rezensionen bin ich gespannt darauf, wie sich die Geschichte weiterentwickeln wird. Der Zeichenstil ist ansprechend und ist teilweise sehr detaillierte und liebevoll umgesetzt.
Helck erinnert mich übrigens stark an He-Man :D
Der Manga ist in Japan bereits mit 12 Bänden abgeschlossen und bietet zusätzlich ein Spin-off sowie ein Prequel. Ich bin gespannt, ob Manga Jam Session diese Titel ebenfalls lizenzieren wird.
Wer einen unterhaltsamen Action Manga sucht, der sich (noch) nicht allzu ernst nimmt, sollte unbedingt reinlesen.
Helck stellt sich den Dämonen entgegen, was nicht jedem gefällt. Vermilio, die auf dem Cover abgebildet ist, begegnet ihm mit Misstrauen und versucht, ihm Steine in den Weg zu legen. Doch gegen Ende des Bandes muss auch sie erkennen, dass Helck nicht so übel ist, wie sie zunächst dachte.
Nachdem ich mich eingelesen hatte, hatte ich wirklich viel Spaß! Die Geschichte bietet einen frischen Blick auf den Konflikt zwischen Menschen und Dämonen – diesmal aus der Perspektive der Dämonen. Das empfinde ich auf jeden Fall mal als willkommen Abwwechslung.
„Helck“ kombiniert geschickt Comedy mit Fantasy-Elementen. Nach dem Lesen einiger Online-Rezensionen bin ich gespannt darauf, wie sich die Geschichte weiterentwickeln wird. Der Zeichenstil ist ansprechend und ist teilweise sehr detaillierte und liebevoll umgesetzt.
Helck erinnert mich übrigens stark an He-Man :D
Der Manga ist in Japan bereits mit 12 Bänden abgeschlossen und bietet zusätzlich ein Spin-off sowie ein Prequel. Ich bin gespannt, ob Manga Jam Session diese Titel ebenfalls lizenzieren wird.
Wer einen unterhaltsamen Action Manga sucht, der sich (noch) nicht allzu ernst nimmt, sollte unbedingt reinlesen.
August 2, 2023
After the prior demon lord is slain by a powerful human warrior, the search for a new demon lord begins!
To select the next demon lord, a tournament is held. Powerful demons from across the demon world compete against each other! As the tournament progresses though, an unlikely competitor rises to the top—a human warrior, known as Helck. Apparently, he hates humans.
But, can this powerful human warrior be trusted?
Vermilio the Red believes not.
A powerful demon in the elite ranks, Vermilio believes Helck must be up to something. Humans and demons are enemies, locked in an endless war.
Regardless of what Helck claims, Vermilio decides she will investigate this human and reveal his true intentions.
But, is this war between humans and demons truly what it seems?
So, this is an unexpectedly captivating read!
Ostensibly, this story is about a tournament to crown a new demon lord and the demon elite who oppose a potential human candidate. Beneath that surface though, this story is more about morality and what to do when your heroes are bad people—which is a thread I love to explore.
Definitely looking forward to reading more! If you enjoy manga series like Frieren or Mashle, I think you’d also enjoy this series. It’s an unexpectedly human fantasy~
To select the next demon lord, a tournament is held. Powerful demons from across the demon world compete against each other! As the tournament progresses though, an unlikely competitor rises to the top—a human warrior, known as Helck. Apparently, he hates humans.
But, can this powerful human warrior be trusted?
Vermilio the Red believes not.
A powerful demon in the elite ranks, Vermilio believes Helck must be up to something. Humans and demons are enemies, locked in an endless war.
Regardless of what Helck claims, Vermilio decides she will investigate this human and reveal his true intentions.
But, is this war between humans and demons truly what it seems?
So, this is an unexpectedly captivating read!
Ostensibly, this story is about a tournament to crown a new demon lord and the demon elite who oppose a potential human candidate. Beneath that surface though, this story is more about morality and what to do when your heroes are bad people—which is a thread I love to explore.
Definitely looking forward to reading more! If you enjoy manga series like Frieren or Mashle, I think you’d also enjoy this series. It’s an unexpectedly human fantasy~
August 29, 2023
Although the pace of the competition was a bit slow for my liking, the rest of this novel was spot on for gauging awesomeness. I like how much of a firecracker Vermilio is, and I definitely would take Helck to a pub for a pint and just get to hang out with him. He's a stand-up guy who hates humankind. If I'd read this book in high school, I'd have said, "Helck, my friend, I'm right there with you," because I hated almost everyone. Me being a romantic, I'd love to see a relationship happen between Vermilio and Helck. Talk about a grumpy/sunshine romance! All in all, however, I'd say my favorite part in this entire novel was when the cannons went off for the monster horseback race. The tiny kitten beastie was scared, but Helck didn't overlook her or leave her behind. I love a man who cares for animals, and being fictional heightens those like-you-so-much points. Will I read the sequels? Helck yeah! Get it?
September 8, 2023
This is the first manga I've read. I read the Fangirl graphic novels and a Sabaa Tahir graphic novel, but manga definitely has a different feel. I typically watch anime with my brother everyday, so I was curious about manga. The first three books of this series were at the library, so I picked them up. I'm not disappointed, I liked reading anime in its original format. I would say this was good, hence the three stars. I wouldn't say it was great or amazing because I need more from the characters and plot to feel connected to the story. This was fun and easy to read. Helk was a cinnamon roll. The trial where he pet and reassured his mount, then ran while carrying it through the course was very endearing. The other competitors had distinct personalities as well. The main woman, Lady Vermilio was a brat, but also considerate and fair. Azurda seems like a great character so far and I like how playful, stubborn, and considerate he is. Overall, I'm happy with this.
September 11, 2024
Rather silly, as far as manga goes, with a lot of jokes and blood and broad humor.
Demons and humans are traditional enemies, going back generations. But when the demon lord is slain by a single human, the demon world is thrown into a tizzy as they hold a tournament to choose the successor to the vacant throne. Even worse, the tournament (which is open to all warriors) is being won by a human(!), Helck, who professes to hate humans. To top it off, the crowds are actually cheering him on!
This is all too much for Vermilio the Red, the only one who seems to be bothered by this and who doesn't trust Helck. As she schemes to defeat Helck and protect the demon realm, Helck keeps (accidently?) thwarting her plans and winning each contest. Can Vermilio stop him and protect the realm?
It's all rather silly, so approach it as such. But there are some interesting developments which makes one wonder where the story is going...
Demons and humans are traditional enemies, going back generations. But when the demon lord is slain by a single human, the demon world is thrown into a tizzy as they hold a tournament to choose the successor to the vacant throne. Even worse, the tournament (which is open to all warriors) is being won by a human(!), Helck, who professes to hate humans. To top it off, the crowds are actually cheering him on!
This is all too much for Vermilio the Red, the only one who seems to be bothered by this and who doesn't trust Helck. As she schemes to defeat Helck and protect the demon realm, Helck keeps (accidently?) thwarting her plans and winning each contest. Can Vermilio stop him and protect the realm?
It's all rather silly, so approach it as such. But there are some interesting developments which makes one wonder where the story is going...
March 12, 2023
3.75/5
'Helck' Volume 1 by Nanaki Nanao is a manga with a fun premise that needs a little more time to stretch its legs.
The story focuses on a demon kingdom that is looking for their next demon lord by holding a tournament. The top contestant is a human, who are traditionally the enemies of the demons, which has led to skepticism from one of the tournament leaders, Vermilio. Suspecting an ulterior motive, she seeks to find the true reason for Helck entering the competition.
This volume throws you into the story kind of abruptly and so there isn't as much worldbuilding as I would have liked. I'm definitely starting to get invested in the characters but I think it will take at least another volume for me to decide if it is something that I want to continue with. The mystery setup is interesting and I do think there is a lot of potential.
'Helck' Volume 1 by Nanaki Nanao is a manga with a fun premise that needs a little more time to stretch its legs.
The story focuses on a demon kingdom that is looking for their next demon lord by holding a tournament. The top contestant is a human, who are traditionally the enemies of the demons, which has led to skepticism from one of the tournament leaders, Vermilio. Suspecting an ulterior motive, she seeks to find the true reason for Helck entering the competition.
This volume throws you into the story kind of abruptly and so there isn't as much worldbuilding as I would have liked. I'm definitely starting to get invested in the characters but I think it will take at least another volume for me to decide if it is something that I want to continue with. The mystery setup is interesting and I do think there is a lot of potential.
April 13, 2023
This was awesome! It's fresh while still hitting on the familiar battle royale tropes of Dragonball Z and the hilarity of One-Punch Man!
This volume did a great job at what first volumes do: we got solid introductions to our main cast of characters, got a sense for who they might be (Helck excluded), got introduced to the problems within the demon lands (enemies beseeching them on all sides, some more powerful than the humans, poisoned lands and a militia stretched thin), saw a few other mysteries (namely Helck), and I also got a great sense of the tone of this story. It's funny, action-packed and the art is so clearly drawn! I can tell exactly what is happening in every panel. And!! The art style is so pleasant to look at too!
A hit out of the park. 10/10 stars. I cannot wait to read volume 2!
This volume did a great job at what first volumes do: we got solid introductions to our main cast of characters, got a sense for who they might be (Helck excluded), got introduced to the problems within the demon lands (enemies beseeching them on all sides, some more powerful than the humans, poisoned lands and a militia stretched thin), saw a few other mysteries (namely Helck), and I also got a great sense of the tone of this story. It's funny, action-packed and the art is so clearly drawn! I can tell exactly what is happening in every panel. And!! The art style is so pleasant to look at too!
A hit out of the park. 10/10 stars. I cannot wait to read volume 2!
April 17, 2023
Demon Lord Tryouts
When the human Helck shows up at the trials to choose a new Demon Lord after the last one was defeated by a hero he shows he has the strength and talent to fill the shoes. However the hot blooded Vermilio won't be having any of that with him showing off his obviously heroric abilities in each contest leading us to the beginning of the finals by the end of the book. Real shame that Helck has captured the hearts of the rest of the demonic residents even if Vermilio thinks he is trying to destroy them from the inside.
Drawn pretty nicely the selling point for me is the characters themselves. Helk in particular is the Saitama (from One Punch Man) of the series capable of not only excelling in combat but every other skill based event and trap set to keep him from becoming the new Demon Lord all while staying positive and oblivious. Vermilio obviously means well and the conflict between her and Helk keeps the action interesting as contestant after contestant drops until only one rules them all.
When the human Helck shows up at the trials to choose a new Demon Lord after the last one was defeated by a hero he shows he has the strength and talent to fill the shoes. However the hot blooded Vermilio won't be having any of that with him showing off his obviously heroric abilities in each contest leading us to the beginning of the finals by the end of the book. Real shame that Helck has captured the hearts of the rest of the demonic residents even if Vermilio thinks he is trying to destroy them from the inside.
Drawn pretty nicely the selling point for me is the characters themselves. Helk in particular is the Saitama (from One Punch Man) of the series capable of not only excelling in combat but every other skill based event and trap set to keep him from becoming the new Demon Lord all while staying positive and oblivious. Vermilio obviously means well and the conflict between her and Helk keeps the action interesting as contestant after contestant drops until only one rules them all.
May 15, 2023
Honestly... Not what I was expecting. I think a lot of manga lately has been revolving around 'Super strong, unable to defeat 'good' guys' that it just winds up falling a bit short in the imaginative side of things. You have Saitama, All Might etc etc. Now Helck.. (not the character in this picture) is a human competing against demons for the spot of Demon Lord as he 'detests' humans. The demons stand no chance against Helck at all with all the different tournaments held to try and kick him out of the competition. The main character (pictured) is Vermilio The Red who is one of the Empire's Four Elite Lords overseeing this competition and is the main person trying to kick him out of the competition.
As for my thoughts.. It's okay for now. It's not overly drawing my attention to continue so far besides the ending. I don't really have an attachment to any said characters yet.
As for my thoughts.. It's okay for now. It's not overly drawing my attention to continue so far besides the ending. I don't really have an attachment to any said characters yet.
March 10, 2021
Me reading the epilogue:
This was another great comic. Slightly more than 100 chapters and already complete so I finished it in a day. I loved the characters so much and the story was so interesting. It did feel like a rather light read cause we didn't get to see how the characters developed their powers that much, we just got right into battle. Either way, such a great read!
Side note: I wish the book was included on Goodreads as one title with the volumes under it cause I don't want to add all 10 volumes to my read list or it'll skew my numbers.
This was another great comic. Slightly more than 100 chapters and already complete so I finished it in a day. I loved the characters so much and the story was so interesting. It did feel like a rather light read cause we didn't get to see how the characters developed their powers that much, we just got right into battle. Either way, such a great read!
Side note: I wish the book was included on Goodreads as one title with the volumes under it cause I don't want to add all 10 volumes to my read list or it'll skew my numbers.
December 12, 2022
I received a free digital ARC of this manga from Viz Media via NetGalley. The story follows a senior officer who is intent on getting a human thrown out of a competition to become the next demon lord - because they don’t want a human as the demon lord. This felt very rough. Helck has no personality and that may be the point, to keep him vague for now. The other competitors are not drawn out enough yet. The supervisor Vimirio is an ok character and funny, but there isn’t enough story to keep me invested. It just didn’t grab me, but continuing the series could bring about more depth…
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