Coming into reading "Duty After School" I was rearing for more action. I had been reading such heavy hitting action series, and I saw teens with guns as the picture for this series.
The description sold me, and even though it was listed as a drama, I was ready to watch some high schoolers battle to out, as I had seen in most all manga and anime series worth watching/reading.
"DAS" tells a story of Japanese high school students being drafted into the military to fight a war againts extraterrestrial purple orbs that have come to earth to eradicate human life. Sounds ridiculous, I know. However, that's just the background. The real story is about how each individual deals with life as a warrior.
Some strive on the battle field, some cave. Some find love, some find hate. Some keep their child-like innocence, most grow up too quick.
Most everything has a very grey tint in the comic, which adds a kind of somberness to the tone of the series. For good reason too. In war, there is a winner and a loser. But the soldiers on either side are always affected. The artwork is subtle. It's not over the top, there's no explosion of color. If there was, it would ruin the overall hue of seriousness that envelopes the series.
Now, again this is a drama. Do not be fooled as I was by pictures, and in dramas, unlike action, you have no idea who wins or loses. The story can end well, or it can end terribly. Spoiler alert: not everyone lives to tell their tale, but find solace in that every tale is eventually told.
1-10 stars, half stars can be awarded.
9/10
I gave this score because I wish the character names were easily remembered, and this is not a starter series. I suggest you read a few comic series before raging steadfastly towards this beautiful piece.
Some are too hard, some are too soft. This one is sadly, just right.
Coming into reading "Duty After School" I was rearing for more action. I had been reading such heavy hitting action series, and I saw teens with guns as the picture for this series.
The description sold me, and even though it was listed as a drama, I was ready to watch some high schoolers battle to out, as I had seen in most all manga and anime series worth watching/reading.
"DAS" tells a story of Japanese high school students being drafted into the military to fight a war againts extraterrestrial purple orbs that have come to earth to eradicate human life. Sounds ridiculous, I know. However, that's just the background. The real story is about how each individual deals with life as a warrior.
Some strive on the battle field, some cave. Some find love, some find hate. Some keep their child-like innocence, most grow up too quick.
Most everything has a very grey tint in the comic, which adds a kind of somberness to the tone of the series. For good reason too. In war, there is a winner and a loser. But the soldiers on either side are always affected. The artwork is subtle. It's not over the top, there's no explosion of color. If there was, it would ruin the overall hue of seriousness that envelopes the series.
Now, again this is a drama. Do not be fooled as I was by pictures, and in dramas, unlike action, you have no idea who wins or loses. The story can end well, or it can end terribly. Spoiler alert: not everyone lives to tell their tale, but find solace in that every tale is eventually told.
1-10 stars, half stars can be awarded.
9/10 I gave this score because I wish the character names were easily remembered, and this is not a starter series. I suggest you read a few comic series before raging steadfastly towards this beautiful piece.