“After his mother is murdered, Jinsuke runs away with his mysterious neighbor, Suzuki, who has a dark secret. Suzuki seeks to find a quiet life, Jinsuke dreams only of revenge as he decides to take matters into his own hands…” (Coamix Inc)
Read this Title on Azuki
Taking on a familiar structure of a “lone wolf and cub” relationship, Hirohisa Sato's “Suzuki Just Wants a Quiet Life” offers an explosive murder mystery tied together by the bonds formed between the titular assassin Suzuki and a young orphaned boy Jinuske. It is one of those series that knows how to instantly capture the reader's attention with a sensational premise, appeal to the desire to protect innocence, and a rewarding battle of ‘good vs. evil.' Still, while the initial volume impresses, it raises questions about whether the series can follow through in subsequent volumes.
The inaugural volume balances various elements under a sharp artistic direction that proves challenging to point to a single feature of the book that exemplifies its successes. One can point to the deeply touching and engaging relationship building between Suzuki and Jinuske–brought together through the murder of Jinsuke's mother as the story's strongest element. The way the two complement each other and grow together is fascinating under the extreme circumstances of their meeting. Alternatively, the action sequences and mounting mystery around Jinuske's family offer divine moments of brutal violence and intrigue. Both elements of the story are complimentary and either can be reason alone to check out the work, even before considering the visual prowess of the release.
Check also this video
Sato is also an exceptional artist, with not a moment in the book feeling dull or rushed. The panel work is intelligently structured, the backgrounds are considered, and the action flows in an intense yet simple-to-follow manner. As a visual work, there is space error for complaint beyond comparing this to Sato's horror work, which arguably is where the artist has a slight edge in skill over the action/drama genre. Still, this is the type of book you would want to own, if not for other issues facing the release…
Any praise towards “Suzuki Just Wants a Quiet Life” needs to be prefaced by the potential shortcomings of the series. Notably, the first volume juggles a growing and complex bond building between Jinsuke and Suzuki alongside trying to explore a grand conspiracy (possibly inspired by the 300 million yen robbery). Unfortunately, the potential of both these elements seems nearly impossible to resolve in a gratifying manner in the three-volume run. A sentiment that is only compounded when considering the mangaka's other notable work, “Shigahime” suffers from a similar issue of rushed pacing and degradation of the quality of the story in its five-volume run. One would like to be proven wrong in this regard, but a quick-cut finish that falls short of the book's potential seems inevitable.
Thankfully, the availability of the Azuki platform/app and its subscription set-up means this is a low-risk to take as opposed to collecting physical or paying for digital releases per volume. My excitement to finish the series has not diminished, knowing I can read it as chapters alongside other series that I am currently reading on the app. However, outside of this structure, it is difficult to recommend it to a broader audience with the suspicion of an unrewarding ending hovering over it.
You can sample the first chapter on the Azuki site to get an idea of whether the series interests you. Still, as an action-drama title, the inaugural volume delivers both in story and visuals. Even with the overall quality of the title left in question, “Suzuki Just Wants a Quiet Life” is certainly worth checking out.
