Strain.

You must ask yourself... What in the hell is this? Who read this series? There are like 300 other people on this website who've apparently read this. [There are thousands of people reading Naruto and One Piece and Bleach -- almost hundreds of thousands]


Strain brings together the writer behind Fist of the Northern Star and an artist who's brought his realistic [but stylized] and gritty art to other manga I can't correctly name [If you read the manga, you might see various "Meet the Author" things]. Does the combination do this Seinen manga a favor?


It does. The best way to describe this manga is that it's pretty close to the pulp cop/crime drama it wants to be. It plays out like an ambitious crime movie from the 80s. It's full of serious moments and the unintentionally funny moments that are endemic to B movies that try really, really hard [or don't try].


The synopsis will provide the set up for the story, but to summarize it a second time; mysterious Malaysian hitman Mayo [not short for Mayonnaise] -- who draws horses in his free time -- is willing to kill anyone for five dollars. You could buy a burger, soda, and fries for that. [Apparently all he needs is to bang a hoe for sustenance.] [Ma, with a certain pronunciation, is Chinese for Horse]


The story proceeds to throw a host of evil doers with unique quirks, intrigue, and plot twist as our dear protagonist tries to make sense of it all, firing his own fair share of bullets along the way.


Since the manga is only 5 volumes [40 chapters in all], it's pretty brief. The manga rarely ever takes a breather, constantly throwing new developments at the reader.


It's a blast to read and it attains an awkward balance of cool/silly while boasting a bundle of nude scenes. For those who care, penises are apparently invisible, save for 2-3 panels.


It really is a violent and vulgar manga, though I find it to be worth it. Please consider investing some time into the first couple of chapters and see if you like it. I can't promise a perfect manga but I can guarantee a pretty positive experience if you give it a chance.


Thanks for reading and have a good day.