“The neighborhood cock of the walk is more than just an ordinary rooster—he's humanity's greatest defender! His opponents may be ten stories tall, but nothing is bigger than his stout heart and his fearsome battle cry—cock-a-doodle-doo!” (Viz Media)
The Japanese entertainment industry's ability to embrace the absurd across all forms of media has proven to be a major draw for fans of film, tv, anime, and manga. However, just presenting the audience with an over-the-top concept is not a guarantee of success, the bones need to be strong and the execution approached in a way that gives a valid reason for the observer to keep being invested. Certainly, a chicken fighting kaiju sounds uproarious and entertaining in concept, but does it deliver the goods? Yes, it certainly does, and then some.
The first volume of “Rooster Fighter” packs a punch, with several duels between the cocksure cock and the giant kaiju-ish monsters that attack Japan. The rooster himself is the embodiment of honor and strength, with a clear sense of justice that pushes him to protect those less fortunate. At the same time, Sakuratani is still aware that he has chosen a rooster as the main protagonist and includes some bird-like behavior to keep things light–there is one panel of him drooling over food that feels like it is set to be future meme-material.
The humor lands consistently, mixing clever wit with silliness to perfect results. The book is a complete success within the genre, which makes the high-octane action an added bonus to the experience. The action in the book will feel familiar in structure to other series, as the little bird takes on several huge monstrosities but is able to take them down with a single blow–courtesy of his ear-piercing cock-a-doodle-do. It feels very familiar to “One Punch Man” (both in action and comedic timing), though in this case that is not necessarily a negative for fans of the bald-headed hero.
Overall, the art style of Shu Sakuratani feels tailored to this kind of content. In particular, the rather sporadic jumps between comedy and action are gleefully captured in the mangaka's aesthetics. Furthermore, the monsters that embody the negative emotions of humans are wonderfully contorted figures that reflect the insecurities of the behemoths. Much of the story and themes are best explored through visual storytelling, which is ideal when the main character is a (mostly) stoic rooster.
While the series is still in its infancy, the first volume is an extremely promising intro to the world of “Rooster Fighter”. It is a fast-paced series packed with action, comedy, drama, and even a bit of chicken “loving”. As long as the series is able to maintain the vibe set out in volume 1., it would not be surprising to see this get an anime adaptation in the future. In fact, the only detriment to the series for manga purists may come from how the work almost feels too tailored for the manga-to-anime route.
Ultimately, the series is worth grabbing early and prepping all the chicken-related puns you can in anticipation of the continued growth of the series. The subsequent volumes would need to stumble drastically in quality and story to derail the momentum of this series. It looks like Viz may very well have another hit series on the horizon that readers should be excited about.
