So I’ve finished Kokou no Hito (The Climber) a few days ago and I would like to give my review on it. This is a spoiler free review.

Story: The Story was compelling, gripping and captivating. It is about a student called Mori Buntarou who has a gift for rock climbing in order to be alone and escape from the world below, when he climbs he finds enjoyment and feels alive as he grows attached to these mountains and less from the outside world . Mori is a very different protagonist from most of the other protagonists who are talkative, reckless, witty, have friends etc. Mori is nothing like that and I appreciate the change Sakamoto went. The story is not just climbing mountains its so much more, focusing on the daily life of Mori and how he changes as a person to what he was from chapter 1 to what he was in the last chapters, similar to Ping Pong. Overall this story offers some comedy, drama and romance which is a nice touch. There is also a ton of imagery and symbolism used and covers many mature themes such as isolation, tragedy, growth, hardships etc. One criticism I have is the structure of the story, especially during the middle portion where it tends to jump forwards or backwards in time quite frequently as it can confusing at times but by the end it all ties up together.

Characters: This manga is heavily focused on the psychological development of the protagonist and the author did a great job of developing and changing him as a character. The side characters don’t receive as big of a development as Mori but they undergo a little bit which is fine as the manga is all about Mori Buntarou. One criticism I have with the characters is the author could’ve used more care with a couple of the side characters but the side characters are mostly all interesting, look very realistic, have their own distinct personalities and contribute to the story well.

Art: The artwork in this manga is amazing. From the double page spreads to the amazing background pages, hard to believe this was a weekly manga at one point as the art is very very detailed. In addition, it also stays consistently good so it suffers no inconsistencies or drawbacks. Kokou no Hito in my opinion has some of the most realistic looking people in manga which are on par with other mangas such as Vagabond. Volume covers look gorgeous as well. Not the best artwork in manga but its up there.

So Overall, if you want a dark, character driven and gripping story I would recommend this manga to you. I've immersed myself with the story, the main characters, the side characters, the artwork and it was a great read. Its a story filled with drama, isolation and death and it effectively portrays the hardships of life. Its not a Masterpiece by any means as it has a few notable flaws but its something you should definitely check out as it is an enjoyable read.