as a writer, one of the basic rules is that your main character has to be either likable, sympathetic, or someone cool enough that readers will admire him. Shamo breaks this rule, and unlike other series *cough*Tenjou Tenge*cough* they do so on purpose. Ryo is a horrible, horrible person. A murderer, rapist, prostituting, violent, insane sociopath, he isnt likable at all. In the beginning he had some sympathy, with the condition of his life, but he quickly loses all of it. Ryo is a monster. his sole redeeming feature is how he does care for his sister and occasionally does random acts of charity, but while this seems to prove he is capable of redemption, he adamantly refuses. that being said, Shamo is great. looking past the incredibly dark and violent story, one can see it is very deep. recurring themes include society's cognitive dissonance towards violence, the justice and prison systems being counter productive, that parents shouldnt be pressuring and overbearing as they are in real life, and so on. So much is up to interpretation, including who is the villain. a lot of people would say Ryo, but i disagree, he's a byronic hero who fights because of a warped and sickened survival instinct. but then who is? Is it society as a whole? is it the chairman of the MMA association? is it the main characters parents who he murdered in the beginning? its all up to interpretation, but its incredible nonetheless. There is much more to it than the graphic content, but it still is pretty graphic. But, if that doesnt bother you, then I highly recommend it