“Yosuke Suga is an average aimless teenager drifting through life, whose only real purpose is to cheer on his childhood friend Miyako as she chases her dreams of becoming an idol. But one day, Yosuke and the rest of his classmates are abducted while on a school excursion and forced to participate in a battle royale in the name of fostering young love. It's shoot to kill. Kill to woo. Can Yosuke fend off his fellow losers and protect Miyako's future as an idol?” (Mangamo)
“KILL Her to Get Her” is Available Exclusively Through the Mangamo App
*This review covers the first 12 chapters of the series.
The survival game genre, and to a lesser extent, the battle royale format, is a staple of manga and anime for good reason. It is a scenario that is simple in construct and a quickly accessible way to tap into the intensity of fighting for one's life. This, generally, ensures high octane action, as well as emotional turmoil in abundance, as the characters are faced with the inherent tragedy/drama that comes with conflict. Yukitaka One's “KILL Her to Get Her” does not do anything to reinvigorate or improve on the genre, but it does offer up a playful twist that makes it a welcome addition to the overcrowded genre.
Utilizing a rather lewd twist to the regular formula, in “Kill Her to Get Her” killing a participant makes them smitten with their killer, and the two are teleported off into, what is assumed to be, a place of romantic bliss (at least from the man's perspective). The inspiration behind the ‘battle royale' is loosely based on the real-life issue of declined interest in romance in Japan. However, the reasoning becomes moot in the fantastical elements and the dishonesty (even disgust) in coupling beautiful women with mouth-breathing otakus. The social commentary is a vague entry into the action-heavy manga.
Instead, readers are left with a well-constructed piece of high drama, as protagonist Yosuke Suga has to fight to save his crush from horny teenagers while standing in moral opposition to the entire event. This is, essentially, where the strength of the story lies as the fight brings him out of his shell and forces him to stand up for those he cares about. What could have been a mindless teenage fantasy, gains depth through the pronounced personas on both sides of the fight. Notably, the girls are not one-dimensional and are able to put up a fight, being far from useless.
There is an inherent absurdity to the whole premise, which brings in a slightly comedic tone despite the seriousness of everyone involved. In addition, the action sequences are executed with competence which further pushes this from being a work that is just ‘one note'. Essentially, pitching this manga on premise alone may make it seem like trivial fluff but Yukitaka One offers a thoughtful balance of character and story to dig deeper than its absurd premise.
The art direction in “KILL her to Get Her” lands slightly flat and there is a notable lack of definitive panels to really draw the reader in. This is where the series lacks the most, yet at the same time, Yukitaka One excels in a few areas that manage to keep the title from being mundane. Notably, the action sequences flow clearly and the exaggerated features of the “love-sick losers” give way to humorous moments. Overall, the art direction is serviceable to the story–a more detailed artistic approach would have been welcomed but the lack thereof does not ruin the enjoyment of the work.
“KILL Her to Get Her” certainly has its charm and is a welcome addition to the survival game format. The story does enough to pull readers in and build intrigue into the romantic relationship between Yosuke and Miyako, as well as the mystery behind the peculiar government-run event. Additionally, it is another good example of Mangamo picking content perfectly catered to bite-sized reading as the series does enough to keep readers interested in the chapter-by-chapter release format but not so in-depth that the reader will feel lost not reading several chapters/volumes in one go. Fans of survival series should take note of “KILL Her to Get Her”, it is a good companion to the other survival game exclusive from the app which offers a similar absurd twist on the familiar genre, Tokyo Death Game.
