“Joe Tazuna has always been the most selfless person Sara Chidouin has ever known, someone she could count on to take a bullet for her. But that trust is put to the test when they wake up restrained to some strange tables and discover Joe holds a key that can set only one of them free. Thus begins a mysterious and sadistic game that will require all of their wits and faith in each other to survive…!” (Yen Press)
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Death games seem to be a dime a dozen in the modern manga landscape, but the genre remains beloved by many due to its ease to tap into that sense of uncertainty and the idea of ‘what would I do?'. “Your Turn to Die: Majority Death Game” is a title that has gained notoriety being released as a visual novel game previously. Thankfully, Tatsuya Ikegami manages to make the manga enticing by hitting the key notes that make the niche-genre a joy to so many fans.
Notably, Ikegami captures four key components that have come to define the genre; an eccentric and varied cast, a sense of confusion, competition and gruesome deaths. While the character design is drawn directly from the videogame, the artist transitions them well into the world of manga, giving them a strong sense of personality through their over-the-top fashion and temperamets. While the death toll remains low in the world building of the inaugural release, the opening sequence which sees a young girl crushed is both bloody and disturbing in a way that familiar readers will enjoy. Ultimately, Ikegami takes inspiration from the game while bringing his own sense of identity through his art.
The narrative itself feels a tad overly familiar, although this is not necessarily a detriment to readers who have certain expectations within the micro-genre. Consequently, each set-up is certainly tense and unorthodox but in a format where that is the norm. The story won't surprise many with its twists and turns, but they are undeniably well executed this early within the series. Given that their is still time to develop, the possibility of “Your Turn To Die” feeling more established and unique in later volumes is a possibility.
Furthering the point that the story is still in development, there is a lack of greater connection with any of the players. In part, this comes from the game in the establishing phase focusing on rules and the initial confusion. Certainly, their is a defined protagonist, but with little in the way of development to make them intriguing or someone to root for. Admittedly, the biggest take-away from volume one is that there is not enough content yet to make a definable judgement on the series, though the potential is undeniably there.
Ultimately, “Your Turn to Die” is a serviceable entry in the death game genre, hitting all the proper notes; eccentric cast, ghastly scenarios and deaths, and a constant sense of mystery and uncertainty. Undeniably, for those already fans of the format, the release will be a great addition. However, if the reader is new to the concept of ‘death game' they would be better served starting with different game, which captures either the psychological or gruesomeness of the scenario in a more definable way. Arguably, “Your Turn To Die” does have potential to evolve in later volumes, but for now it exists to tow the line.
