OwO This seems interesting. I need to continue Black Torch soon and read this manga
"Making screw-ups and mistakes was I ever really good at. Because everything I touch went to hell."Really liking the implicit connections between Roue and Chrome and what a cliffhanger to end off on.
Between this and Black Torch, Tsuyoshi really has a knack for creating interesting characters and setup so yeah I'm definitely in this for the long haul.
Chapter 3 is out. We get a new pretty cool character, and a confirmation that flesh-and-blood humans really have become a rare sight. Outside of that it's pretty heartwarming to see Kidd try to go beyond his programming to find a dream of his own.
And of course something tries to kill them at the end. Almost a routine at this point.
Still, if there are droids like Kidd who are pretty much human, you gotta wonder what makes Roue so special in this world.
Edited by Lyendith on May 2nd 2019 at 11:42:52 AM
The water vapor e-cigarette is one of those really good details that says so much about Kidd's character.
They're not being very subtle about this anti-war message, though rockets to missiles is a nice simple way to explain its effects on society.
I do wonder why they had Kidd built smaller than the human workers, it doesn't seem to have meaningfully affected his position or purpose in any way.
In-universe, that might be because it makes it easier to manipulate small delicate pieces of machinery?
Out-of-universe, well, that's because it's makes him cuter I guess.
New chapter out! Rabbit ears acquired!
Roue really takes being the last human on earth pretty well, doesn't she… And now we have this series' equivalent of Zalem I guess?
RIP UNNAMED HORSE FIRST CONFIRMED PERMA DEATH
tbh I thought that was going to set up Roue & Chrome getting faster transport or some robots domesticating animals, not someone's dedication to their duty.
Heaven Land sounds incredibly fishy given the too good to be true premise but it's not like they've got anything better to follow.
Chapter 5! Welp, so much for the human-conceiling device. And now Chrome is in Bersker mode or something…?
The art's definitely something in this series. Wow.
…I'm kinda surprised some robots have to eat to survive. Seems to defeat the point of being a robot in the first place.
Edited by Lyendith on Jun 4th 2019 at 7:48:01 PM
Chapter 6 is in some aspects very reminiscent of a chapter in Marry Grave (the one with the Golem). Hopefully this manga won't share the same fate…
Thankfully Roue's voice can apparently put a stop to Chrome's berserker mode. We also meet our first actual antagonist it seems, and I already like her. <=D
Time to boot up one existential_crisis.exe for Chrome. Roue's guise being revealed happened a lot sooner than I thought it would.
Wilhelm's sob story isn't quite as impactful as other backstories but he tried his best.
New robot gives me super strong A2 vibes in appearance.
Edited by Nouct on Jun 12th 2019 at 11:50:41 AM
Chapter 7! A pure slice of life chapter, and yet it might be my favorite one so far. Discussions about the many useless yet intriguing features of the human species around a nice fire and some warm tea while rain quietly pours outside… It was almost like reading Girl's Last Tour.
Volume 1 comes out on July 4th, please buy it if you like the series! Bookwalker or E-Book Japan make that easy.
Also, the author will replace the word "Droid" by "Gear" from the next chapter on, to avoid legal problems. I'd like to think they're overthinking it, but this is Disney we're talking about, so… yeah, probably a wise choice.
Chapter 8 is yet another slice-of-life piece, and while it does nothing to advance the plot I really don't mind. It was such a simple and sweet chapter, emphasizing the importance of such trivial things as hair growing.
A world with only immortal, unchanging beings is truly as Lush says: like a clock that lost its gears.
Also, Roue with twintails is a YES.
PS: The first volume is out, please buy it if you like the series, even if you don't read Japanese! It's less than 5 bucks, and every copy sold is important for a young series like this.
Edited by Lyendith on Jul 9th 2019 at 12:21:35 PM
Chapter 13:
My primary reaction on a visceral level was ROBOT BOOB CENTAUR GONE FROM THIS WORLD TOO SOON, what purpose did the boobs serve???????????
will this be answered in a volume or an artbook, this is the only question I now have for Tsuyoshi until the end of the series
it was such over-the-top fanservice that I actually find it charming in its absurdity.
Also Rock's great, I hope he gets to come along with Roue or films the things he loves.
Edited by Nouct on Sep 17th 2019 at 8:55:01 AM
I guess Centorea has to put food on the plate between two chapters of Monster Musume.
Roue being outed by something as mundane as a stomach growl was funny, but I doubt Rock will react badly anyway (except being jealous, maybe).
New chapter
A cute misunderstanding with Rock lets Roue hide her true nature for just a bit longer and Rock has an interesting epiphany.
Actual humans besides Roue may make their appearance next chapter, which is definitely not how I expected this to go.
It was a matter of time I think. Though a bit earlier than i expected
I absolutely cannot help but adore handsome 2D boysSo Rock has a "defect" that makes him start to question his own base program… That could make for an interesting traveling companion. I hope he survives this arc.
And yeah, I didn't expect it so soon, but Roue has to come from somewhere.
I think the reason this feels weird is because it's like they suddenly decided to cram ALL THE PLOT into Odin's arena which gives it much more importance currently than prior chapters.
There's:
- Roue and Rock hanging out, the former anxious about being separated for longer than usual and the latter having internal angst
- Hildr's defiance of Odin's system and the interrogation of combat robots
- Odin trying to take out two birds with one stone, while also complying with orders from a superior. This in turn feeds into the mystery of Heaven Land.
- Chrome doing his best to win for Roue
- And now they're throwing this human cold storage into the mix where they're getting fished out because find out next chapter
It's a lot more hectic than the chapters before this arc where they just mainly engage in Contemplate Our Navels, both robotic and human. Not to say this is bad, it's just something that got me off-guard with how this'll go.
New chapter
poor Rock unwittingly outed Roue's secret
also this is one hell of a cliffhanger to leave Chrome on for the next chapter
Edited by Nouct on Oct 18th 2019 at 1:24:24 AM
Looks like Chrome's lack of experience is really starting to bite him in the ass. And I doubt he can get away with his berserker mode this time − twould be a bit repetitive if he did, anyway.
Now I'm betting that it's Rock who'll save Roue somehow.
Hildr's backstory was unsurprisingly bleak yet it still gave me feels.
too bad he's definitely going to be FUBAR in the next chapter because it's Chrome rampage time.
Sure must be hard to find meaning in your life when you were designed to do one thing forever and can't even do that anymore. It must be the same for Roue actually. Sure she has "free will", but with human civilization long gone she can't really do much with it.
Basically, those Combat Gears had the capacity for free will but it was never really nurtured. So the moment they were given freedom from their mission parameters, they didn't have anything to fall back on except their original base programming — to fight and kill.
Disgusted, but not surprisedChapter 17…
Editor: Why do fighting robots need boobs anyway?
Author: Because it's… err… shock-absorbing material! Yeah, that!
Kinda glad berserk!Chrome was stopped this time though.
Edited by Lyendith on Nov 12th 2019 at 9:44:35 PM
Heart gear is the new manga by Takaki Tsuyoshi, author of Black Torch. And this time it's good ol' post-apocalyptic sci-fi!
Young teenage girl Roue lives a peaceful life with her "uncle", a droid named Zett. She spends her days exploring the ruins of the old world, destroyed by World War III two hundred years ago. During one of those explorations, she finds a strange cylindrical droid who calls himself Chrome, who for some reason doesn't have a "base program", which determines a droid's main purpose. Chrome may have to find that purpose himself in his new life with Roue and Zett…
Two chapters are up currently, on Shonen Jump + for the raws and on Mangaplus for the official English translations. The publication is bi-weekly apparently.
So far I love all the characters. The story has a lot of heart too, something that I think was missing a bit from Black Torch… A real pity that Tsundere Combat Maid Marie doesn't accompany them though. =(
…Also, despite the light-heartedness, there's some melancholy with the depressing implication that Roue might be the last, or at least one of the very few remaining humans. All of the other characters we've met so far have been droids…