Judge

I picked up this manga because i was bored and wanted some short series to read and i didn't regret it. At first it seems like any other "killing game" type of series but as series goes on you will just be mind blown (i am only telling what happend to me).
Story: It's just a classic "killing game" but i don't know why i really enjoyed it (8)
Art: I myself found this art really amusing (9)
Characters: We didn't really got some good character development, which is expected with only 32 chapters (7)
Enjoyment: I will just say i speed-runned this shit (10)
So in the end i really suggest you read this if you want some fast read.

This manga is a psychological survival, where the students are put into a "game" and are to vote to kill someone else who is involved in the group of strangers.

The psychological aspect of this game is that the players must deceive the other or work together to survive. The constant struggle of survival is a recurrent theme as everyone involved in this game has a reason to escape and complete what they must in the real world. Will the characters let go of their morality? or will they do what ever it takes to survive.

The STORY (9) has an excellent plot as it works at a psychological aspect. It is a survival-game type setting with suspense throughout. A great mix of plot twists here and there makes you always aware and on your toes because you'll never know what will happen next. The story has it's similarities in the psychological aspect to Doubt (the prequel to Judge), but has different twists and is more psychological in the way that inorder to survive, you must let go of your morality.

The ART (8) is nicely done and is very similar to Doubt. The artstyle also does a nice job of portraying suspense and shock throughout the manga.

The Characters (7) are very generic and there are no "out there" characters. You have your normal moral protagonist, you're main protagonist's buddy, a strategic older character, a hot head, a slut, an insecure geek, quiet useless female #1 and #2. Eventually the tension between these character get higher and higher as it gets harder to trust the people you're around as you can easily be backstabbed.

The overall ENJOYMENT (9) of this would have to be very high. If you are into psychological-killing-survival type of manga, and if you enjoyed Doubt, this will be a great read. I often find myself saying "oh s***" a lot while reading these because the plot twists are great and always keep you on your feet.

OVERALL (8) it's a great read and if you enjoy something that keeps you on your feet, with the psychological horror aspect. I would give this a (9), but I cannot truly judge anything truly without an ending. I have currently read up to chapter 17, and sadly Judge is being updated very slowly. The manga has huge a lot more in store.

This is how combine Saw and Circle (2015) and than flavour it with the theme of Se7en.

This manga is a perfect lovechild of these franchises, taking their elements and combining them into a great mix to pump you for a day or two with a little adrenaline.

The strongest aspect is the great story, that keeps up the tention perfectly.

The art is nothing special, but it has some cool moments, especialy the drawing of the symbolic, and quite iconic animal masks.

The characters are servicable, they are written well, they do their parts but don't expect anything groundbreaking.

My only big problem is with the ending. If you are familiar with the movies listed above you know that all of these have big twists in the end. Yeah, the thing they do here is illogical and improbable when you think about it.

Judge is very bingable, that leaves you wandering what will happen next. It definitely deserves an anime adaptation.

I'll try my best to write this review without spoilers. I'm on the fence as to whether or not I genuinely enjoyed this story. It definitely is a shorter manga, as it only has 6 volumes, and it leaves room for some necessary details that were left out, and a slightly rushed ending to get to a conclusion as to why people were paying for their sins, or crimes.

Story 6/10 : The back story to how the whole "Judge" game was really intriguing to me. All of the middle parts where characters are paying for their sins were kind of flat because we weren't really informed too much of what exactly a character was paying for, this only happened maybe once or twice. I was reading the story because I was only interested in what each character was being judged for and what they were in there for. I understand that this could've been used for the purpose of not giving too much away for later on, but it makes it seem like the author is holding too much back from the reader to understand anything that is going on. Then again that could be a tactic, to leave the reader feeling the same as the characters. Confused as hell as to what was happening and how. The only reason why I rated it higher than it should be is because of how the story starts and ends, the middle is a mess.

Art 7/10 : I won't fuss too much about the art, as I'm not too judgmental about it. For a shorter story the art works out just fine in the book and isn't an eye sore for a reader.

Characters 4/10: I understand that the writer of this manga tried to make the character's stories as clear as possible without expanding too much on un/important details, yet some of the characters stories were so flat that they were intentionally supposed to be unimportant in the story. Why not make us believe the story they tell to everyone else, and when someone pays for their 'sin' or 'crime', you can show us what really happened in their situation? I feel like this was attempted once or at least twice, and I felt that this should have been utilized every time.

Enjoyment 6/10 : I feel bad that the only volumes of this manga that I enjoyed was the first and and the last volume. I love how it begins and ends. The incidences in the middle just seem a little bit senseless to me and didn't really help figure out why they were truly there, but yet again, the characters didn't know either.

Overall 6/10 : I've read all 32 chapters and I can say that it is understandable as to why the author left character details out for the sake of the story later on. I just feel like it could have gone a different way than it did. The ending is interesting in how it all comes together, because I honestly felt clueless as to what was going on throughout almost the whole story. It's honestly okay to feel disappointed if you think the last volume was rushed, because it certainly felt that way when it was trying to tie itself up. It's hard to tell if the author's real intentions was to make you feel as clueless as the characters within the story, and then having the ending coming along quick, because it would almost feel that way if real people had to deal with a real situation like this. It's also understandable because it's quite a quick read, but nonetheless I still recommend it for the sake of the ending. I really depends on who is reading it and what type of genre you are into. I can't say I absolutely loved this manga, but it was a good read.

If you could - would you choose to save everyone? Especially if there was no guarantee they would save you?

Moral questions I couldn't instantly find the answer to present themselves again and again in this manga. And each one is more disturbing than the one before it.
Starting from the creepy masks right down to the reason why they all find themselves in that room. It all seems like a twisted game, and to be honest - that is exactly what it is.
Added to that is the question of the 'crimes' these people have committed. Given the hero's crime, it isn't exactly sure what kind of a 'Judge' selected these people.
The story seems to focus more on the interactions between the characters. Everyone reacts the way strangers who wake up in an unknown room would, that is until the judging begins.

Caught in a survival game, a group of strangers are forced to 'Judge' each other in a manner making the group seem more like a jury where everyone is on trial. And these decisions, as expected tend to follow the pattern of 'I want to survive, so what should I do?'

Lies, deceit, betrayal and twisted thinking follow as everyone tries to find out ways to survive, and this includes forming groups among themselves. But even then, the question of whether everyone in the group is loyal or not, remains uncertain. This manga tends to make you question every decision, and at points I found myself staring into the pages and screaming, 'No! Don't do that! It's obviously a trick!'

The one thing I learned from this manga was that it was foolish to trust anyone, and I mean just about anyone in this story. I tend to find myself cocking my eyebrows at the lead himself sometimes. But in so far, it has been played spectacularly. The author does a good job of showing everyone's desperation, and the lead's plea to try and save everyone is a breath of fresh air in a story where everyone seems hell bent on their own survival.

Being the sequel to the manga 'Doubt', I sometimes wonder how the two will match up with each other, or if at all. The art style is similar to 'Doubt's' and for those that haven't read either - The art style is good. I would give it a 7/10. And the author does a brilliant job of expressing everyone's emotions. At times, it makes me honestly feel for the characters.

The sense of isolation, the desire to survive along with the knowledge that your life depends on a stranger who probably cares for nothing more then their own survival; plot twists that make you question what which character knows and has kept hidden - and the overriding question of their crimes. The range of the characters is vast - you find the typical hero trying to save everyone, an overtly 'bad guy' character, the sneaky one, a school girl, a glasses character, the apparently 'good' character among others. In essence, it tends to bring together all the stereotypes and plays them against each other spectacularly.

The characterization is nothing I can particularly speak about at this point. Not all the characters have been dealt with in depth, and some of them seem far too obvious. I hope this will change as the manga continues. One part I find somewhat interesting is the way the lead himself is ever so slowly changing, though how far that will go I cannot say yet.

If you're a fan of horror/gore and like to keep guessing - this is a manga you should definitely try out. Though the most gripping part in this manga is the moral dilemma which every character faces. Exactly what is the right thing to do? And who should get to decide and why?

At this point, I'm up to chapter 15 in the manga, and honestly I'm impressed. Though I have to say that certain things could have been played better - like maybe humanizing some of the characters that seem to exist just to create tension. What really gripped me to this tale was the part which got me thinking of what I would do if I were a character in the game. I wasn't really happy with the answer I got, and that kept me reading.

Go on, what would you do?

Well, this will be short for a very good reason that you will see at the "Overall" section.

Story: (9)
Although it's not the most original idea, the execution of basing it off the conception of the old game "Mafia" was credible. This is very similar too it's prequel, even though it takes place with completely different people, for completely different reasons, with a completely different setting with a change of the antagonist's cause and intent.

Art: (8)
I honestly think the art is anything spectacular, but I do like it still. It really has enough credibility to be good but I wouldn't say it's outstanding. I do like the character design but some just seem typical enough that you might feel like at least a quarter of them, you have seen before in another manga and/or anime.

Character: (9)
I do like the characters the author chose to create. The main character may be the typical, makes a huge regrettable mistake, and as far as I know maybe can't let it go. But after being put in a death game where you literally have no choice but to make a decision, he chooses the path of redemption and survival by mostly good means. His goal is to keep everyone alive even when it is nearly certain that at least one must be sacrificed.

A characteristic I love about this is that everyone in the beginning of this death game begins with a mask. A mask of an animal. The animal they have on reveals either their personality or sin...Or both.

Enjoyment: (9)
For the most part, Judge had me going. It's intense, it involves psychological situation that would definitely cause mental damage, it brings out the true human nature of an individual. But I'll get to why this ceases at the end of this review.

Overall: (9)
Okay here is what disappoints me the most. As you can see, I believe this Manga has so much potential. I just lost all the world's hope when I made it to the end of Chapter 16. THIS IS NOT...I REPEAT NOT A SPOILER. This Manga is a completed Manga that consists of apparently 32 chapters. Many Manga sites had the 32 chapters most likely a couple years in the past. But this entire Manga will cut2 off when you make it to the end of 16. This current day of 7/18/2013, I cannot find the next chapter on any Manga site, whether it be a pricey or free site. It seems half the Manga ceased to exist. So yeah. I am forever stuck on the wait of Chapter 17 until maybe the one day that the sites will somehow return the rest of the Manga. As far as I know this seems like a licensing issue. Oh well. Good luck future readers out there.

To be fair, this manga is extremely average. It isn't the best and there are a lot of others mangas with the "you are locked up and playing a game that can kill you" setup.
The story is so so, It's very slow at the start and only deepens when talking about Hiro, the protagonist. In opposition, the last chapter tells almost the whole plot and the ending feels rushed. I felt a bit unconfortable about the author leaving all the explanations for the two ending chapters even though he had 32 issues.
The art is ok. It can be bland sometimes, but it has good panels.
There isn't much character development, one of the reasons that made me a bit disappointed. This is probably because the author didn't wanted to drop hints about the plot ahead of the time, but it ended up making the cast feel tasteless and easily forgettable.
I enjoyed reading it, even though it has a lot of flaws. If you don't have anything to read, give it a shot.

I'm sorry if the review has any flaws, english isn't my first language.
Thanks for reading! I hope it was useful.

"Rabbits get deeply envious, you know."

Story: following up as almost a sequel of Doubt (from the same author) if you liked doubt this one won't disappoint you and will get you equally interested, the ending was dragged a bit but still delivers a sense to it

Art: found it quite good myself

Characters: most of them are quite appealing, except for a few but in general they all keep a good thrill to the plot

Enjoyment: same way as Doubt, Judge engages well in telling the story in a way that makes you enjoy it specially if you like the genre

Overall: again in the same example this one could have an anime adaptation, it does have a solid developing and works from the premise, Final Score: 9/10

When I first started reading this manga I found that it was a lot like an anime I had recently watched (Dangan Ronpa) which put me of initially, however, I soon got gripped into this series! The characters develop smoothly and in a way that make you ask yourself, 'Who can I trust?' which is something I personally enjoy.

Would I recommend this series? Yes! The ending is extraordinary and the plot develops at a steady pace which leaves the reader wanting more.