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더 복서 [The Boxer] #1
The Boxer, Vol. 1
"SHALL WE SEE WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF?"
While searching for a final prodigy to train, legendary boxing coach K stumbles across a bewildering scene―an apathetic teenager simply standing still as his bullies throttle him. But Coach K sees more than this, sees the precision, grace, and uncanny perceptiveness in the boy’s movements. He knows right away that this is the fighter he’s been waiting for. Yet when he tries to recruit him, the boy with the lifeless eyes only asks one question: “Is it any fun? Hitting people…Is it fun?”
While searching for a final prodigy to train, legendary boxing coach K stumbles across a bewildering scene―an apathetic teenager simply standing still as his bullies throttle him. But Coach K sees more than this, sees the precision, grace, and uncanny perceptiveness in the boy’s movements. He knows right away that this is the fighter he’s been waiting for. Yet when he tries to recruit him, the boy with the lifeless eyes only asks one question: “Is it any fun? Hitting people…Is it fun?”
232 pages, Paperback
Published December 20, 2022
15 people are currently reading
376 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
December 29, 2022
"There's nothing as simple and clear as a fist."
THIS IS SO SO SO GOOD!!!
I had skim read the first three chapters on WebToons and after reading just that little bit, I was ready to see Baeksan get the crap beaten out of him and needed to get this physically to see if that would unfold the way I *desperately* wanted. (Hello new character on my top ten list of characters I absolutely loathe…)
I was completely unready for not only the super satisfying ending, but also everything building up to the ending. There are many pages with Yu that were *extremely* impactful and felt JH did an incredible job of conveying Yu's emotions through very dark pages. I was trying to explain to my husband what I mean because some of them were just focusing on Yu's eyes with a very dark background, but the way the lines were drawn and the focus in his eyes, there is just this energy that resonates tangibly on page that I felt completely gripped by this story.
Ingae was a very compelling character and was extremely surprised by his character growth in this volume alone. I am VERY much looking forward to seeing what this young man will do next! Cheering you on Ingae!!
I'm not going to talk about Baeksan because I hate his character (and what is it with these new manhwa titles bringing out the ugly in me because of these characters?!) so let's talk about the art! The sense of movement was SO well done! When trying to convey power and the direction of hits/jabs, I had no issues with seeing how the moves were being played out. Even in the scenes that were supposed to reflect power that was more of an analogy of sorts, SUPER good!
Overall, I can't say I really had any expectations coming into this volume except seeing Baeksan get beat up at some point. I won't comment on that because I don't want to go into spoilers, but this volume blew me away! I am hooked AND invested in this series and glad I already preordered volume two before even starting this volume because I MUST know and see what happens next!! I need our underdogs Yu and Ingae be at the top and see them grow into incredible fighters!
Highly recommend if you like boxing/fighting, underdogs, and great action!
THIS IS SO SO SO GOOD!!!
I had skim read the first three chapters on WebToons and after reading just that little bit, I was ready to see Baeksan get the crap beaten out of him and needed to get this physically to see if that would unfold the way I *desperately* wanted. (Hello new character on my top ten list of characters I absolutely loathe…)
I was completely unready for not only the super satisfying ending, but also everything building up to the ending. There are many pages with Yu that were *extremely* impactful and felt JH did an incredible job of conveying Yu's emotions through very dark pages. I was trying to explain to my husband what I mean because some of them were just focusing on Yu's eyes with a very dark background, but the way the lines were drawn and the focus in his eyes, there is just this energy that resonates tangibly on page that I felt completely gripped by this story.
Ingae was a very compelling character and was extremely surprised by his character growth in this volume alone. I am VERY much looking forward to seeing what this young man will do next! Cheering you on Ingae!!
I'm not going to talk about Baeksan because I hate his character (and what is it with these new manhwa titles bringing out the ugly in me because of these characters?!) so let's talk about the art! The sense of movement was SO well done! When trying to convey power and the direction of hits/jabs, I had no issues with seeing how the moves were being played out. Even in the scenes that were supposed to reflect power that was more of an analogy of sorts, SUPER good!
Overall, I can't say I really had any expectations coming into this volume except seeing Baeksan get beat up at some point. I won't comment on that because I don't want to go into spoilers, but this volume blew me away! I am hooked AND invested in this series and glad I already preordered volume two before even starting this volume because I MUST know and see what happens next!! I need our underdogs Yu and Ingae be at the top and see them grow into incredible fighters!
Highly recommend if you like boxing/fighting, underdogs, and great action!
July 14, 2025
Thanks to Urbon for recommending me The Horizon by the same author, because it put me onto this series. great stuff.
February 14, 2024
I like to read webcomics only if it has at least one of two things, either the art style is gorgeous, or the story is well written. This one has both, because every page is beautiful, the use of colour, the lineart, the personalised style of each character- everything was done with so much care. So many artistic choices were made here that work amazingly well and were pulled off as if it never could’ve been done differently.
And of course the story too, it really makes you go through it ngl. You’ll be feeling every emotion known to man, you’ll be thrown around from hate or contempt for a character to understanding and sympathy, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Just read it and see for yourself.
And of course the story too, it really makes you go through it ngl. You’ll be feeling every emotion known to man, you’ll be thrown around from hate or contempt for a character to understanding and sympathy, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Just read it and see for yourself.
February 19, 2023
I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. Even though I don't watch boxing I still got sucked into the fight sequences in this story. I'm intrigued by all the main characters and cannot wait to see how their stories develop. The art was amazing and I love how stylized the panels get during intense moments. Highly recommend.
July 3, 2025
Honestly offended by how much I liked this
April 3, 2025
2.5
JAY MI CAMPEÓN
pd. k gusto me dió cuando le dieron su vrguiza al peli blanc0 x ojete
JAY MI CAMPEÓN
pd. k gusto me dió cuando le dieron su vrguiza al peli blanc0 x ojete
June 26, 2025
Me like. Fighting manhwas (with a good plot and characters) just do it for me
April 30, 2023
K, a legendary trainer of world champion boxers, has gone to a certain gym in search of his final student. At first, he thinks that person might be Baeksan Ryu, a naturally talented young fighter whose unpredictable and fluid movements allow him to hold his own against larger and more experienced opponents. However, then he sees a group of bullies beating up a boy outside, and something in that boy's empty eyes tells him he's looking at something above and beyond any fighter he's ever trained before. Unlike Baeksan, Yu doesn't feel any sort of need to dominate others or be better than them - he simply exists, and is bored with that existence.
I don't feel like I've seen enough of this series to really judge it yet. I'm not even sure how many of the characters in this first volume will be series regulars - the Yu of this volume was a teen, but in the cover image he appears to be an adult, so it's possible we'll never see Baeksan or Injae again.
I'm intrigued enough by Yu to want to read another volume, but he'll need to be more than just a mysterious empty vessel to really hook me. So far, we know almost nothing about him, other than that he's beaten up all the time and doesn't seem to care about anything, and that he appears to live alone in almost entirely bare surroundings. He's not one of the bullies, like Baeksan, but it's unclear whether that's because he simply doesn't care enough to try to harm others or because there's any sort of decency in him.
For a very brief amount of time, just a few panels, Injae did his best to befriend him and get to know him better. Yu did nothing to either encourage or discourage him, and there's no way to tell, at this point, whether his actions at the end of the volume were in any way inspired by Injae, or whether he was just curious about the things K told him earlier.
The artwork was good - the fights were reasonably clear and easy for me to follow, and you could tell who the characters were and what they were like at a glace. Injae: idealistic and determined (and completely unaware that his father, a former boxer, was trying to nudge him towards staying out of fights he was doomed to lose). Baeksan: a bully with a driving need to prove that he's stronger than everyone around him. And Yu: a terrifying void.
I'll give this another volume to see how it works for me.
Extras:
A 2-page boxing glossary.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
I don't feel like I've seen enough of this series to really judge it yet. I'm not even sure how many of the characters in this first volume will be series regulars - the Yu of this volume was a teen, but in the cover image he appears to be an adult, so it's possible we'll never see Baeksan or Injae again.
I'm intrigued enough by Yu to want to read another volume, but he'll need to be more than just a mysterious empty vessel to really hook me. So far, we know almost nothing about him, other than that he's beaten up all the time and doesn't seem to care about anything, and that he appears to live alone in almost entirely bare surroundings. He's not one of the bullies, like Baeksan, but it's unclear whether that's because he simply doesn't care enough to try to harm others or because there's any sort of decency in him.
For a very brief amount of time, just a few panels, Injae did his best to befriend him and get to know him better. Yu did nothing to either encourage or discourage him, and there's no way to tell, at this point, whether his actions at the end of the volume were in any way inspired by Injae, or whether he was just curious about the things K told him earlier.
The artwork was good - the fights were reasonably clear and easy for me to follow, and you could tell who the characters were and what they were like at a glace. Injae: idealistic and determined (and completely unaware that his father, a former boxer, was trying to nudge him towards staying out of fights he was doomed to lose). Baeksan: a bully with a driving need to prove that he's stronger than everyone around him. And Yu: a terrifying void.
I'll give this another volume to see how it works for me.
Extras:
A 2-page boxing glossary.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
January 8, 2025
“Is it any fun? Hitting people… Is it fun?”
So, this is a pretty propulsive, action-packed first volume.
In it, readers are introduced to K, a legendary boxing coach. While looking for some new talent, K notices a teenager getting bullied in the alley behind the boxing gym. Stoic and resolutely unintimidated, the kid takes every hit. K is enamored. Rather than seeing a pathetic scene, K sees a fighter in need of some motivation. It takes something more than talent or prodigious skill to be so powerful and self-contained.
Yeah, I liked this.
It does a lot of what you expect in the sports manga/manhwa genre. But, it’s a *little* subversive. I like how this story does a “bait and switch” in the first couple chapters, making readers think a different character may be the lead. I thought that was well-executed.
Also, I just like the style of this story so far. It’s a cool, fluid aesthetic.
Definitely recommend for fans of sports manga or sports-related stories~
So, this is a pretty propulsive, action-packed first volume.
In it, readers are introduced to K, a legendary boxing coach. While looking for some new talent, K notices a teenager getting bullied in the alley behind the boxing gym. Stoic and resolutely unintimidated, the kid takes every hit. K is enamored. Rather than seeing a pathetic scene, K sees a fighter in need of some motivation. It takes something more than talent or prodigious skill to be so powerful and self-contained.
Yeah, I liked this.
It does a lot of what you expect in the sports manga/manhwa genre. But, it’s a *little* subversive. I like how this story does a “bait and switch” in the first couple chapters, making readers think a different character may be the lead. I thought that was well-executed.
Also, I just like the style of this story so far. It’s a cool, fluid aesthetic.
Definitely recommend for fans of sports manga or sports-related stories~
Read
March 31, 20256/5 Stars. Action, Emotions, Characters. What a wonderful storyline.
I have read this graphic novel (manhua) multiple times.
It gives you so much roller coaster. You get to understand the characters deeper as you read. Feel for them, understand them. Etc.
It also isn't a long read and Jung Ji Hun made this series a wonderful condensed series that will always be my top of the list.
I have read this graphic novel (manhua) multiple times.
It gives you so much roller coaster. You get to understand the characters deeper as you read. Feel for them, understand them. Etc.
It also isn't a long read and Jung Ji Hun made this series a wonderful condensed series that will always be my top of the list.
May 15, 2025
it's always the deeply depressed borderline psychopathic characters that have you rooting for them.
this was such an explosive start to the series. the art is fast paced and, i was mostly expecting something bio-pic like, but this is anything but. the attention to detail, wonderfully mapped out imperfect characters, and the character arcs are stunning.
i feel like i have always been like the kind of person, who gets right into it, like: so, what's your story? and this series feels like the book version of that. every single character is the protagonist and not the protagonist at the same time, so there is no main character. there is just a story. and i love that.
yu and his cat, though. they kinda squirmed their way into my heart.
this was such an explosive start to the series. the art is fast paced and, i was mostly expecting something bio-pic like, but this is anything but. the attention to detail, wonderfully mapped out imperfect characters, and the character arcs are stunning.
i feel like i have always been like the kind of person, who gets right into it, like: so, what's your story? and this series feels like the book version of that. every single character is the protagonist and not the protagonist at the same time, so there is no main character. there is just a story. and i love that.
yu and his cat, though. they kinda squirmed their way into my heart.
July 22, 2023
4:0⭐️
Esto es demasiado bueno.
Esto es demasiado bueno.
February 10, 2024
Punch strong
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2023
Not for me, but I get the appeal. There seems to be strong background knowledge of boxing, but the reader doesn't need to know anything to follow what's going on in this volume. I really liked the swerve very early on, from the standard shonen protagonist to the loner who is apparently going to be the real star. Where this fell short for me is the characters. I couldn't form an attachment to any of them. Baeksan isn't just a bully, he's so over the top that it's starting to strain disbelief. His lackeys are entirely uninteresting. Apparent main character Yu is such a blank slate that I couldn't summon up any feeling for him at all. The only characters who might be interesting are the coach who sees promise in both Yu and Baeksan and Injae, a schoolmate of both boys and frequent bullying target. The coach is largely offstage in this volume, and I'm not sure if Injae is going to stick around. Maybe the focus of the book will eventually shift to him? I know more about him than I do about Yu.
December 21, 2022
That was bad-a**. This is the second book from JH i have checked out and I believe him to be a pretty remarkable talent. Easily my fav Manhwa creator. Really excited to see how this one develops.
January 4, 2023
So stoked the creator landed a publishing deal!
July 21, 2023
Check out my full review here:
https://animeuknews.net/2023/04/the-b...
https://animeuknews.net/2023/04/the-b...
October 11, 2024
Review for the entire story:
I really enjoyed this story even though it was a bit tropey at times. For instance the first chapter with J meeting Yu when he was a kid and saying he’s gonna meet him in the ring later? A bit much, but the rest of the story makes up for it.
The pacing and setup of each arc is perfect, setting up and humanizing the opponent Yu will face, emphasizing the point that he is the monster in the story.
The way punches are portrayed with the bullseye is really clever and allows you to visualize how the punches are thrown without taking away from the characters.
I felt like the story should not have ended with J’s hug. It was made apparent that J was an analogy for Jesus and Yu the devil, but K was the real monster throughout the story so it should not have mattered whether or not J forgave Yu. I personally feel that had Yu killed J, then he would have been humanized, for Jesus death was what cleansed us of our sins and allowed us to be human, thus humanizing Yu. However J was always questionable to begin with. Why just leave Yu homeless when he first met him in chapter one?
I would have liked to have seen more from Injae throughout the main story but his arc was good in its own way.
My favorite character was Yuto and his arc was also my favorite. The dichotomy between pure talent and pure passion, and how those traits are represented in people (talented being bored/stoic, and passion being optimistic/energetic) was amazing.
Super excited for the adaption!
I really enjoyed this story even though it was a bit tropey at times. For instance the first chapter with J meeting Yu when he was a kid and saying he’s gonna meet him in the ring later? A bit much, but the rest of the story makes up for it.
The pacing and setup of each arc is perfect, setting up and humanizing the opponent Yu will face, emphasizing the point that he is the monster in the story.
The way punches are portrayed with the bullseye is really clever and allows you to visualize how the punches are thrown without taking away from the characters.
I felt like the story should not have ended with J’s hug. It was made apparent that J was an analogy for Jesus and Yu the devil, but K was the real monster throughout the story so it should not have mattered whether or not J forgave Yu. I personally feel that had Yu killed J, then he would have been humanized, for Jesus death was what cleansed us of our sins and allowed us to be human, thus humanizing Yu. However J was always questionable to begin with. Why just leave Yu homeless when he first met him in chapter one?
I would have liked to have seen more from Injae throughout the main story but his arc was good in its own way.
My favorite character was Yuto and his arc was also my favorite. The dichotomy between pure talent and pure passion, and how those traits are represented in people (talented being bored/stoic, and passion being optimistic/energetic) was amazing.
Super excited for the adaption!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2025
This is so unhinged. I love it. The story goes in both expected and unexpected directions, so you have the fun of the underdog sticking up for himself, as well as the fun of the psychopathic bully enjoying his reign of terror- until someone more psycho ruins it for him, the fun of the sage taking on 'one last student'... etc etc. Engrossing from the first chapter to the last. The art is perhaps not the most sophisticated I've ever seen, but it does the job and creates a strong vibe that works very well for the story. And it really sells the crazy eyes.
I have absolutely no idea where the story could go from here, because there's not a lot of overarching plot work in place yet. The only real motivation for our MC so far is discovering that punching someone is fun. He's starting the story pretty much full dead inside, so presumably, the only way from here is up.
Naturally, this kind of story requires all sorts of suspension of disbelief to accept that this level of violence just exists in a normal high school/sporting world. Two of the main characters are mysteriously fast and strong with no realistic justification for that level of power; no self-respecting gym would train someone as violent and psychopathic as the albino(?) kid; no school would tolerate that kind of bullying, blatant enough that it would be impossible to ignore.
Overall, we're not reinventing the wheel here. This is a violent, sports action comic with intriguing characters and the potential for an interesting underdog arc... or, something completely different.
I have absolutely no idea where the story could go from here, because there's not a lot of overarching plot work in place yet. The only real motivation for our MC so far is discovering that punching someone is fun. He's starting the story pretty much full dead inside, so presumably, the only way from here is up.
Naturally, this kind of story requires all sorts of suspension of disbelief to accept that this level of violence just exists in a normal high school/sporting world. Two of the main characters are mysteriously fast and strong with no realistic justification for that level of power; no self-respecting gym would train someone as violent and psychopathic as the albino(?) kid; no school would tolerate that kind of bullying, blatant enough that it would be impossible to ignore.
Overall, we're not reinventing the wheel here. This is a violent, sports action comic with intriguing characters and the potential for an interesting underdog arc... or, something completely different.
August 11, 2023
A standard sports story with three main characters: the gifted young boxer who cheerfully (violently) bullies everyone, the skinny bespectacled boxer's son who longs to become strong like his dad so he can stand up to jerks like that, and the dead-eyed incredibly apathetic guy who seems impervious to the hits he takes from bullies but might possibly be convinced to learn boxing if the coach can convince him "Is hitting people fun?" "Of course! Why do you think we do it/watch it?" (great messaging, coach -_-)
They might be going for the message of the bully finally meeting his match, but it's so buried under the awfulness of the guy joyfully, viciously bullying everyone for 90% of the book with complete impunity (teachers do nothing, the coach sees but does nothing [except be impressed by Apathy Guy's ability to take a hit & try to talk him into boxing...not for self-defence, but in a Dragonballesque 'find strong guy to get stronger!' way] - wtf, adults).
I quickly became bored with the story and its heavy bullying and the gorilla only-important-thing-is-getting-strong-for-strong-sake vibe and skimmed the whole way through. Would not recommend.
They might be going for the message of the bully finally meeting his match, but it's so buried under the awfulness of the guy joyfully, viciously bullying everyone for 90% of the book with complete impunity (teachers do nothing, the coach sees but does nothing [except be impressed by Apathy Guy's ability to take a hit & try to talk him into boxing...not for self-defence, but in a Dragonballesque 'find strong guy to get stronger!' way] - wtf, adults).
I quickly became bored with the story and its heavy bullying and the gorilla only-important-thing-is-getting-strong-for-strong-sake vibe and skimmed the whole way through. Would not recommend.
November 24, 2025
59%
In stories that have bullying like this one, it’s always crazy to me that there’s no teachers or adults that witness all this insanely violent behaviour and intervene. But idk, maybe Korea’s just like that🤷🏻♂️ I doubt it is, but who knows.
Anyway, I love JH’s visual storytelling in this volume - especially that imagery with Baeksan sitting on his mountain above every else, and then Yu standing behind him at like 200x his size. His giant eye right behind him is such a cool visual.
As for the negatives, I’m just not a fan of bullying storylines at all, for reasons as mentioned above. Plus, Yu as a character is kinda flat in this volume, but that’s probably due to how he doesn’t talk very much - I’m sure that’ll improve going forward. The boxing in this is also not very realistic, it’s more ‘anime-ified’ with how some attacks are shown, but that’s more nitpicky and less of an issue for me tbh.
I remember thinking this first volume was only decent and enjoying the second a decent bit more when I first read it back in 2024, so I’m intrigued to see if I feel the same going forward. This first volume isn’t a bad read, though.
In stories that have bullying like this one, it’s always crazy to me that there’s no teachers or adults that witness all this insanely violent behaviour and intervene. But idk, maybe Korea’s just like that🤷🏻♂️ I doubt it is, but who knows.
Anyway, I love JH’s visual storytelling in this volume - especially that imagery with Baeksan sitting on his mountain above every else, and then Yu standing behind him at like 200x his size. His giant eye right behind him is such a cool visual.
As for the negatives, I’m just not a fan of bullying storylines at all, for reasons as mentioned above. Plus, Yu as a character is kinda flat in this volume, but that’s probably due to how he doesn’t talk very much - I’m sure that’ll improve going forward. The boxing in this is also not very realistic, it’s more ‘anime-ified’ with how some attacks are shown, but that’s more nitpicky and less of an issue for me tbh.
I remember thinking this first volume was only decent and enjoying the second a decent bit more when I first read it back in 2024, so I’m intrigued to see if I feel the same going forward. This first volume isn’t a bad read, though.
September 8, 2023
Was actually surprised that I ended up really liking this book. I'm not really into boxing at all, but I picked it up to see something else by the same guy that did 'The Horizon', since I read a chapter of that and am still waiting to read it when we get it at our library. The Boxer is completely different, albeit that it is a little predictable at times and follows a lot of common anime tropes. The book is in full color as it is a Korean Manhwa (Korean Manga) which are originally 'Webtoons'.
This book makes you think the guy who looks like Bakugo from My Hero Academia is the MC but it turns out he's the setup for the MC introduction.
For the MC, I do like the character that no one knows anything about being naturally gifted, it starts off with him getting the snot kicked out of him in a school setting, but then you learn to find that he just is apathetic to the world, and has talent within him.
Overall a good read. I am looking even more forward to the Horizon, and plan to read more from this series as well.
This book makes you think the guy who looks like Bakugo from My Hero Academia is the MC but it turns out he's the setup for the MC introduction.
For the MC, I do like the character that no one knows anything about being naturally gifted, it starts off with him getting the snot kicked out of him in a school setting, but then you learn to find that he just is apathetic to the world, and has talent within him.
Overall a good read. I am looking even more forward to the Horizon, and plan to read more from this series as well.
October 23, 2024
I really loved this, but it's not perfect. Maybe this wouldn't be on the same level as some of the books I've read, but I still feel like it deserves 5 stars (of the manhwa I've currently read). And maybe it may change later.
But as of now, I'm giving it 5 stars even tho I'm hesitant about it.
Now, coming to the manhwa itself (I'll try to keep it brief). More than being just about standard boxing, the manhwa delves into themes of psychological trauma, perseverance, and the brutal reality of combat sports. Maybe other can interpret it differently, but one of the main takeaways I took from this story was the difference in talent and hard work and their respective perspectives and the introspective exploration people to compete succeed and endure pain. The art complemented the story well, too.
One more merit that can be attributed to this could be the fact that even though I had expectations for this manhwa being from the same author as 'The Horizon', it didn't disappoint. Yes, it's one of those rare cases wherein it went beyond my expectations.
But as of now, I'm giving it 5 stars even tho I'm hesitant about it.
Now, coming to the manhwa itself (I'll try to keep it brief). More than being just about standard boxing, the manhwa delves into themes of psychological trauma, perseverance, and the brutal reality of combat sports. Maybe other can interpret it differently, but one of the main takeaways I took from this story was the difference in talent and hard work and their respective perspectives and the introspective exploration people to compete succeed and endure pain. The art complemented the story well, too.
One more merit that can be attributed to this could be the fact that even though I had expectations for this manhwa being from the same author as 'The Horizon', it didn't disappoint. Yes, it's one of those rare cases wherein it went beyond my expectations.
August 16, 2025
This was so good. I have not been this excited to dive into a series in a long time.
I picked this up initially because the art was really exceptional. The way the artist shows the force behind movement and impact is really well done. A lot of the time in action scenes it can be difficult to even discern what's happening. But the artist has managed to make each punch feel impactful without it becoming a mishmash of blurry lines.
The story so far, well, I'll just say I immediately ordered the next 2 books because I was hooked. the characters are great. A great villain goes a long way into making the protagonist someone you can root for and this villain is both awful, with just enough humanity to make him feel real. The protagonist, well, one of them, hasn't really had a chance to shine until the very end. But the leg work done by the rest of the cast is more than enough to set up what I think will be an incredible story. Cannot wait to get through more of these.
5 stars. No notes.
I picked this up initially because the art was really exceptional. The way the artist shows the force behind movement and impact is really well done. A lot of the time in action scenes it can be difficult to even discern what's happening. But the artist has managed to make each punch feel impactful without it becoming a mishmash of blurry lines.
The story so far, well, I'll just say I immediately ordered the next 2 books because I was hooked. the characters are great. A great villain goes a long way into making the protagonist someone you can root for and this villain is both awful, with just enough humanity to make him feel real. The protagonist, well, one of them, hasn't really had a chance to shine until the very end. But the leg work done by the rest of the cast is more than enough to set up what I think will be an incredible story. Cannot wait to get through more of these.
5 stars. No notes.
February 26, 2024
A quick, good read and great introduction to a new series and protagonist.
I quite liked how it focused on the wrong person at first and by the end, you know exactly who the story is going to be.
The one deduction is the artwork, which is very simple. But it is minimalistically effective, showing what is needed. It will be interesting to see the artist evolve as this series proceeds.
One thing that really disturbs me is how prevalent bullying seems to be in Korean culture, virtually all the stories talk about it openly as if it is a given.
I'm invested and definitely will order the next volume.
I quite liked how it focused on the wrong person at first and by the end, you know exactly who the story is going to be.
The one deduction is the artwork, which is very simple. But it is minimalistically effective, showing what is needed. It will be interesting to see the artist evolve as this series proceeds.
One thing that really disturbs me is how prevalent bullying seems to be in Korean culture, virtually all the stories talk about it openly as if it is a given.
I'm invested and definitely will order the next volume.
October 8, 2025
المجلد الأول ١٠/١٠ 💗✨
”البشر مخلوقات ضعيفة تتوق للمعنى في حياتهم ،لذا لا يوجد شئ بسيط وواضح مثل القبضة ،تماما كما هو الحال في طبيعة القوة الوحشية هي أفضل وسيلة لأثبات هيمنتك “
”انت بشري ايضا إذن فلتكتشف قيمتك ! فالترى إلى أي مدى يمكنك بلوغه فالتصل لأعلى ما يمكنك ،افرد جناحيك وحلق مباشرة نحو الشمس الحارقة، اسحق اعدائك تحت قدميك ! هذا ما يعنيه حقا أن تكون حياً“
”القدر يقود كل شخص إلى مسار مقدر سلفاً ، تماما كما يتم اختيار البعض دون عناء لمسار العظمة منذ لحظة ولادتهم ،و اخرين يتم إلقائهم بسهولة ، في هذا الفيض المتهور والغير معقول من الحياة والقدر ... فقط حائط الشجاعة يبقى وهؤلاء هم فقط من يسيرون في الحياة و رؤوسهم مرفوعة “.
”البشر مخلوقات ضعيفة تتوق للمعنى في حياتهم ،لذا لا يوجد شئ بسيط وواضح مثل القبضة ،تماما كما هو الحال في طبيعة القوة الوحشية هي أفضل وسيلة لأثبات هيمنتك “
”انت بشري ايضا إذن فلتكتشف قيمتك ! فالترى إلى أي مدى يمكنك بلوغه فالتصل لأعلى ما يمكنك ،افرد جناحيك وحلق مباشرة نحو الشمس الحارقة، اسحق اعدائك تحت قدميك ! هذا ما يعنيه حقا أن تكون حياً“
”القدر يقود كل شخص إلى مسار مقدر سلفاً ، تماما كما يتم اختيار البعض دون عناء لمسار العظمة منذ لحظة ولادتهم ،و اخرين يتم إلقائهم بسهولة ، في هذا الفيض المتهور والغير معقول من الحياة والقدر ... فقط حائط الشجاعة يبقى وهؤلاء هم فقط من يسيرون في الحياة و رؤوسهم مرفوعة “.
December 2, 2025
Its not bad. I like the art and it kinda feels like Mob Psycho but with boxing. That being said, the black on black on dark blue panels were just painful to look at and while I get he's a dark broody character there are better ways to show that than just a black inked panel.
That being said is follows some pretty tried and tested troped that meh, make the plot go fine? There's nothing new here and really sorta seems unrealistic to have this many good high school aged fighters in one general area and literaly no useful parents, teachers, or like seriously caring adults.
But, the picture on the cover makes the main? character look like Pitch Black from Rise of the Guardian.
That being said is follows some pretty tried and tested troped that meh, make the plot go fine? There's nothing new here and really sorta seems unrealistic to have this many good high school aged fighters in one general area and literaly no useful parents, teachers, or like seriously caring adults.
But, the picture on the cover makes the main? character look like Pitch Black from Rise of the Guardian.
August 24, 2024
Don’t be fooled by the minimalist style of art, the way JH conveys emotions through perspective and choreographs the fight scenes made this one of the most hype first volumes I’ve read in a while. Add on to that a very solid character driven story and you’ve got me hooked, in this case we’re introduced to 3 different ‘Boxers’ each with their own motivations for taking up the art.
I enjoyed the introspection and care here in the little things. Depending on how things progress as more characters will undoubtedly be introduced this may end up being one of my favorites.
I enjoyed the introspection and care here in the little things. Depending on how things progress as more characters will undoubtedly be introduced this may end up being one of my favorites.
October 23, 2024
I'm a bit conflicted about the rating for this one, whether 3 or 4 stars. While I didn't like the art quite as much overall as his stark and heart-rending post-apocalyptic work "Horizon," that aspect was nonetheless still squarely in the 5-star territory, and there were a few instances (such as the use of pastels) that I enjoyed even more. Unfortunately, when it came to the story and characters, it was much closer to a rating in the middle. Nonetheless I still have hope that this could turn into something I love from top to bottom, so I'll continue on...
May 1, 2023
I love the build up this volume gives you. The proper protagonist doesn’t show his true skill to the end of it. There are 3 characters I assume we will be reading for. There is one person you will like and want to see become the best, mine is the nerdy loser. I will say the bullying in this first volume got a bit uncomfortable but hopefully as I continue to read that isn’t a thing that pops up anymore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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