Holyland

never expected a good, story about street fights like this one.
We follow a journey about a guy how have a lot of probelms. And that Mangaka find a good balance betwen fights and character's development.

Kamishiro, Yuu A good main character but no only he is important to that story. Izawa, Masaki, Midorikawa, Shougo, Kaneda, Shinichi all of of them are "unique"
Mori, Kouji art is beautiful. The expressions , the background, is "simple" but work almost prefect. One thing i appriciate is the use of humor simple but work. Is not that kind of annoying humor that is always used for break tension in this case is use to mark times in the plot.

Holyland is different from general sports manga in the way that it takes martial arts to the streets. This includes all kinds of fighting styles from karate to kick-boxing and from wrestling to kendo. The colorful range of styles gives an opportunity for all the characters to represent their own one and therefore be relevant to the story.

-Story and characters
As the story follows Yuu's journey to become a better fighter and that way find a place for himself among the streets he makes multiple acquaintances - usually through beating them first. These associates sometimes become important allies to him or even teachers in order for him to master a new style. This might sound like a formulaic way of doing things and for the first part of the manga it kinda is but later it becomes much more natural and expansive.

The story fortunately manages to include other themes of the street life than fighting which makes the later parts much more realistic and ugly in a good way. As someone who has had experiences in that environment personally I was able to appreciate the way the manga portrays it as multi-dimensional and not inherently negative. This was done very well especially with the last arc and the amazing end conclusion.

-Art
The art style evolves noticeably through the run of the manga compared to it only being 182 chapters long. At the beginning I feel like it's going for a bit more psychological approach with the rough edges and inconsistent shapes. It's not necessarily bad but I find the later art far more fitting to the detailed fights and the manga is quite full of them.

The fights are probably the aspect the author wanted to polish most thoroughly and that certainly shows. Every exchange of fists and kicks has an explanation behind it that is based on actual information about the martial art techniques.

-Enjoyment
The series has a slightly generic start story-wise but the fights are very entertaining and detailed and are what carry the manga. Later parts even involve some well-written characters and drama so it's definitely an enjoyable experience as long as the excessive amount of violence is not a barrier.

Overall 9/10

Well wow that was a really worthy lengthy ass manga that I read nearly all night (well I read it from 7pm to 4am yeah I’m dumb so what....?). I found it worthwhile to read because nearly all the characters (cmon who doesn’t like Shin, I need him as a bestie seriously!) grow on you and omg the fighting scenes are just so amazingly drawn man! You even get a description of each martial art moves that the characters would make and yeah I admit, they are pretty forgettable since this is of course, a 182 chapter manga so all I remember is just full on great gangster action. 😹

I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE ABRUPT ENDING THO, I DEMAND MOREEEEE😭😭😭😭😭😭😤😤😤😤

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected myself too. I am once again in a rut and scrambling trying to find new things to dive into. I’ve re read several mangas and tried and dropped several mangas, but I finally came across this one. In the beginning I wasn’t sure how much I’d like this story but I really started to get a feel for the characters and I actually kind of got attached to them. I love strong protagonists who continue to improve. I love the shocked and surprised look of people around them after they improve. I liked the lack of echi, but the hint of romance. Maybe some people will say a lot of this was predictable, but in that’s easy to say in hindsight. The ending was good too. There was closure. Maybe some holes regarding police and shougo or idk, but are they holes or just a possiblity for a sequel =D

This was awesome. The translation was good too. The explanations are thorough. I got really interested in all the fighting stances and moves.

I definitely suggest this manga!

REVIEW DOES NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS
Holyland is a battle driven seinen that mainly focuses on martial arts, the story isn't particularly complex making it an easy and enjoyabe read filled with action. The principal point of this manga lands in the characters' development and psychological growth as they all try to find, protect and maintain their so-called "holyland".
Our story follows Yuu, a seemingly frail teenager who is constantly harassed by his peers, resulting in him spending his time pitiably and temporarily quitting school. In order to escape from his depressing reality, our protagonist wanders through the night streets seeking a place where he truly belongs. Within the simplicity of the "if I am strong enough to shield myself they will leave me alone at the end" mentality, the legend of the "thug hunter" started from an infirm teenage boy throwing a couple of punches. By utilizing various moves adopted from the people he met to defend himself, Yuu is timidly introduced to street fighting, eventually becoming a skilled MMA fighter with remarkable potential. His development thorough the manga is outstanding, we watch him grow as he persistently faces extreme brutality and dispair, steadily trying to conquer the murkiness in his soul that will prompt his self-fulfillment.

It's no major issue since the mangaka has done a great job in terms of pragmatism and practicality, but the story can come off as a bit unrealistic at times. Some of the side characters are completely one-dimensional (we often see the stereotype of the high school girls who are solely interested in how hot the guys are, remaining vexingly indifferent to all the violence that occurs right before their eyes and the common street hooligans who usually lack depth in character) and in some cases the author's clarifications on certain techniques are slightly unfeasible for unfeigned combat with real life standards.

The only kind of negative thing I would like to call attention to about the story is that it can be quite dreary now and again. The "startingly determined protagonist manages to defeat a strong opponent without proper technique - following day he loses to an essentially weaker one due to his emotional incapacities" pattern, albeit somewhat necessary for his character development, seems to be repeating itself at the point of becoming a little tiring and predictable.

Another thing that I found rather interesting about this manga is the mangaka's outlook with the storyteller acting naturally and expressing his genuine thoughts or associating the events that take place with his own life experiences and personal growth. This causes his creation to feel nearer to the readers, allowing us to step into his world and recognize how his work impacted him as an individual.

I have read my fair share of manga and have never felt compelled to write a review on anything else until Holyland. A manga that I don't even view as the best manga I have read, but one that is without a doubt one of my favorites. The reason that I feel this way isn't because of the uniqueness of the art or panelling, because they aren't, or the way the story twists and turns and creates mystery, because it doesn't. I find this manga to be one of my favorites because of the emotion that it made me feel and because of the characters, which are some of the richest and deepest I have ever read. Excitement, awe, anger, grief, sadness. These emotions come in waves as you dive deeper and deeper into the world of Holyland, because Yuu's struggle to find a place in his world is so tangible.

In other incredible manga, being tied to the main character is something that the most skilled mangakas can do almost effortlessly. I have never had a goal as lofty as the Pirate King, yet Oda has made me a devout follower of Luffy's journey. I have never felt the inextinguishable desire for revenge that Thorfinn has, yet Yukimura had me binge read Karlsefni's adventure until I had no more chapters to read. I have also never been beaten and bullied every day of my life until it seemed like suicide was the only option, yet Mori has created circumstances where the only thing I want is to see Yuu succeeding, regardless of the atrocities he has to commit. I want him to find his Holyland. However, there was something different that I felt while reading this manga that I didn't share with any other. Anger. When Luffy got chased out of Sabaody or when Thorfinn lost his grudge match against Askeladd for the dozenth time, it made me upset. I wanted the protagonist to succeed, and therefore when they lost it made me feel as if I lost as well. Holyland is the same way. Even though Yuu can kick some ass like Thorfinn or Luffy, he also looses fights just the same. But when Yuu lost, I wanted blood. I wanted to jump into the story and make Yuu pick himself up off the floor and beat the brakes off his opponent. But why? The stakes are always high in every fight Yuu has because his reputation grows and grows, but whenever he looses a fight you can almost always assume what the next course of action will be. Every mangaka knows that they can't kill off their main protagonist before the manga is finished (except for Gantz but that piece of work is a whole different story) or else how could the story progress? Yuu never dies so you as the reader knows he always has a second chance at the opponent he just lost to, so why do I have such a strong feeling of anger and resentment whenever he does loose. I can't relate to the past hellhole of a life Yuu had to experience or to the unconventional and dangerous environment he lives in now, so the deep personal connection with the main character isn't something that I feel. But when Yuu does loose and I saw his reputation get tainted and people that believed in him start to turn their backs I couldn't not be upset. And the thing that irritates me the most is that I have no reason to have this anger in the first place. But because I do experience these strong emotional beats, it made the rest of the story feel like a genuine fight for survival.
Something else that I want to include quickly before I get into the issues I find are the characters. Yuu is a great protagonist. I think that you could understand this from what I previously wrote. The side characters, however, are where it's at. Unmatched is the only word and can really describe them as. They give advice and guidance to Yuu in the most brutally honest ways but are also equally compassionate and caring at the same time because they all want the exact same thing that Yuu wants. They want to get lost in the streets and find a place that they can protect, and they all do this together.

The reason I think anyone loves a manga and views it as their favorite is because they found something special within the story that they can grab a hold of. Something that makes their favorite manga stick out among the lineup of dozens and dozens of other stories they have read. But just because one manga is your favorite doesn't mean that it moves this manga into the objectively best manga category. If this happened then the Berserk elitists would be loosing their' shit. Everything has flaws, even our favorite manga. I believe that Monster is a better manga than Holyland when it comes to pretty much everything. I say pretty much because Naoki Urusawa isn't really strong in the art department. But that's not really the point of reading a piece of work by Urusawa, you read Monster or 20th Century Boys or Pluto to get your socks blown off by some of the most incredible stories ever written. It's for this reason that Monster is number 5 right now on MAL and Holyland is drifting around 120. Holyland isn't as tight of a story and it has more flaws than other manga that sit at the top of MAL. For example the repetition of the fights gets so bad that by the end of the series you can almost call what happens every page turn. I didn't find this a big issue personally but that doesn't mean others see the same way. Another big, glaring problem that I have is the dropping of a compelling conflict that I wanted to see more of and I thought would contribute greatly to the story because of how important it seemed. No spoilers I promise. If it were expanded upon I think that the story would have shifted greatly, maybe to the point where the entire manga as a whole would have changed. It was included in the beginning consistently so I was led to assume that it was a big problem. But it just ended up fading out.

Finally, I want to give my scores in the individual categories and explain why I gave the overall score I did. Story-9. Art-9. Character-10. Enjoyment-10. Overall-9. I'm not going to do the thing where I average out the scores and get a 9.5 and round up to a 10 because this manga isn't a ten. It's not even a 9.5. It's a 9. But when it comes to the raw emotion and thrill that you get while reading this manga, if I could put an 11 I could. I really wanted to put a 10 but I couldn't, because even though the best reviews are often subjective where opinions are thrown around like distasteful jokes at Thanksgiving dinner, objectivity still plays a role. You must look at a piece of art for what it is and take all of its pieces into account. That being said, I beg you, please put Holyland near the top of you next reads list if you haven't already. I promise you will find something that you can be happy with reading. Thank you, and have a wonderful rest of your day.

Really great read, you can tell the author has gone through hard times that I share or have felt in some ways. From that you see that expression onto the characters themselves. Characters change, grow and band together in a fantastic and uplifting way. Plot is pretty typical shounen stuff but like any underdog you just want to see him pummel dudes, not typically seen is the pain, rage, depression, suffering and loneliness of those who walk 'the streets'. Still seeing a scrawny lad plow through trained fighters with luck, skill and yuus repetoire of growing martial techniques is a fantastic time. The romance is a bit typical but actually more faceted than most other romances due to the unique characterization of the manga. A must read whether you like brawling or not, the insightful glimpses into the fighting world as the author creates the stage for matchups between the different schools of martial arts is icing on the cake for this moving work.

Well worth a 3 chapter read to see if its for you.

One of the best by far. It's a shame that this isn't as popular as it should be because oh my god. This such an amazing read. So unexpected too. The characters are easy to like. The story is very strong and well thought out. you can tell that the creator was very passionate about this. Art style isn't Berserk gorgeous, but it works very well to portray emotion, and boy does this story have emotion.
I myself have times where I can be really cynical or biased, and I came into this series after it being recommend it to me, very cynical. Expecting the usual main character tropes and story line. I am glad to say that I was pleasantly disappointed. I sometimes wished that the story was longer, Holyland is one of those things that you wish you could forget just to read it all over again.

In the streets... He was undoubtedly there...
Just finished reading Holyland and boy was it a fun read. I would recommend Holyland for many reasons. Holyland falls in a general enjoyment area for me because its story is fun and enjoyable, although it doesn't really grab you like cuum. The story is an average friends in high school getting through life story, but cut out the life part and just keep the relations and street fighting in. I love this story for the amazing point of view story telling. This story is really unique for its use of "second hand" storytelling, by that i mean the author is really there with you as the story goes on. I would say that is a great thing for this story, it creates this relatableness and understanding. Understanding the direction and point of the story is really easy to with the authors writing. I really love the cast in this series because they are so real, and lovable. The martial arts talk and techniques are definitely awesome as well. The ending, spoiler free, is a tad bit confusing and I guess that is good :D. I definitely recommend anyone read this if you love martial arts, coming of age stories, or reality esc thug life. P.S.$uicideboy$ goes well with a read of this

The first thing that drew me into this manga was... this story could actually be happening somewhere on the street.
No super power, no over the top and impossible fighting techniques, and nothing particularly unnatural in the story.
Just pure strength and martial arts, street fight, friendship, and a little touch of romance.
The mangaka succesfully portrayed the feelings of a constantly bullied high schooler, Kamishiro. Kamishiro didn't have any friend, he was timid, and lacked in confidence, he was a misfit and struggle to find a place where he belonged. He needed to confirm his very own existence, that was why he started roaming on the street at night.
Soon after, he was involved in street fighting. At first it was just to defend himself against bullies that picked on him, but even though he didn't want to admit it, the excitement of fighting, the fear, the anxiety, and the pain made the beast within him unable to resist the charm of street fighting.
With every battle he verified his existence, with every encounter with people on the street he gained friends and enemies, he gained experience and got stronger.
There, on the street together with his friends, he finally found a place he belonged. His holyland. And he would do anything to protect it.
The story went as Kamishiro fought people who wanted to destroy his holyland and how he got stronger with every battle.
The mangaka offered explanations about martial arts and even fighting techniques in a way the could easily be understood throughout the story. So you can pick one or two knowledges about how to become stronger by reading this manga. The story is really good, but it's a shame that the ending's not actually what i hoped for.
The art is good too, sometimes it's a little bit not proportional, but it's mainly realistic.
Overall this is a great manga and i really recommend this manga for you to read.

I'm not great at writing long extended paragraphs so I'll keep it in simple bullet points!

Pros:
- Great Story: bullied high school kid learning to fight is nothing new but I found the manga's focus psychological impact of fighting quite interesting. For its themes, the manga does a great job balancing the light-hearted moments to the darker ones.
- Relatable characters: aside from one or two "big bads" the manga does a great job of showing the goods and the bads of all characters, with their inner struggles that seems realistic and relatable.
- Realistic Martial Arts: my knowledge of martial arts and fighting forms are basic but the manga seemed to show moves in an educational way, in a realistic setting (something that manga such as HSDK abandons completely)

Cons:
- Average Art: Art style is completely subjective, however it was the only weak point of the manga for me. For instance body proportion of some characters seemed completely out of place, which was especially jarring for a realistic manga about fighting. However, it did seem to improve as the chapters progressed.
- Rushed ending: while I liked the ending I feel like it could have benefited greatly from 3~5 extra chapters, something that many manga suffer from unfortunately.

Overall: Focus on character is what makes most psychological mangas great as a genre and 'Holyland' managed also do so whilst avoiding the pitfalls of the genre by having the plot be entirely tragic and depressing. I read it reluctantly at my friends recommendation and ended up re-reading it around 3 times in the last few years. Highly recommended for all who wants to take a break from the trope-filled shounen battle manga.

My first review for a manga, it was just so great that I had to whip out a review for it. I stumbled onto this manga completely by accident and I never regretted it. The entire storyline was so addictive and captivating that I stayed up from 1 am to 3 am to finish the 43 chapters that were hosted on a site. Though I have not completed the manga, it has already left a very deep impression on me.

"Between the world of boys and men,
there lies holy land.
Where laws don't matter and the strongest rule
In that world, "he" roamed
Kamishiro Yuu, he was there"

Basically, the story is about a high school student who was bullied throughout his middle school life. The manga clearly depicts the suffering and pain that he went through and how he struggled to overcome it; which is by becoming stronger. His journey to find and protect a place where he could belong and grappling with his identity is realistic and not over the top. He eventually realizes that by getting stronger, he is able to belong in the night streets. But at the same time more people try to challenge him, threatening to take away his "holy land", the night streets.

Holy Land is somewhat like Kenichi, but has a much darker atmosphere and takes things more seriously. The main character Yuu is very well portrayed, and his growth throughout is remarkable. The manga also goes in depth about the inner demons in Yuu, that he actually feels a sense of euphoria when he knocks down anyone in his way though he tries to deny it.It is much more believable than Kenichi, where he just gets stronger and stronger because of just training. Holy land focuses on the psychological effects of bullying extremely well, allowing you to symphatize with the character.

The fighting scenes are also well drawn and fast paced, making shivers go down my spine each time I read them. I even went back and forth 2 or 3 pages sometimes to reread some particular parts over and over again. Yes, it's just that awesome. Sadly, this series is neglected, scans take forever to come out and it is also EXTREMELY underrated in my opinion.

Also, note that this series is NOT for everyone. It differs from people to people. Some people love it, while some hated it. It just depends on yourself.

I just finished this manga and I had to write this review to say how much I loved it. It's without a doubt the best manga I’ve read so far with constant entertainment and is, I’m pretty sure, the only manga I’ve read where there have been no points where I’ve felt the urge to walk away and I had trouble doing so when I’ve tried.
I’d say the overall story of the weak victim finding the strength and drive to change is a theme that will have been used a lot in all forms of fiction but the way it was done was brilliant so the following of Yuu’s story as he battles himself as well as his adversaries is something I will never regret as it was time well spent! The fact that during the story we are periodically given basic information, in the form of the author’s narration, on fighting in general and in specific forms of martial arts that have actual practical use is a bonus added to this already great read.
In terms of art I gave this a nine as though I found the art amazing and a great way to depict the changes in the characters throughout the story and during fights; I found it took a while to appreciate as I was unsure about it as I started. This will probably be due to the realism of the drawings that, though some people may find a positive, some people may think that it detracts slightly from the aesthetics of the work.
The characters have definitely been a major factor in my enjoyment of this manga. The characters are portrayed, not always positively, with weaknesses and problems and issues that add to the realism of the story showing they’re not just the perfect images some may view them as but have problems just like anyone else that they have to work passed. Watching these characters struggle with the their problems individually and together has only made them more endearing allowing the readers to empathise with them and feel more connected with them, especially if they’ve experienced some of the problems themselves which is highly likely.
The overall enjoyment of the story has been a definite ten out of ten. The moments when Yuu manages to overcome challenges and pass his limits really feel like you’ve achieved something too when you’re there right alongside him. In general, the fights of this series are brutally realistic showing you what can really happen on these streets but at the same time knowing that Yuu will always get back up despite everything because, that’s just the kind of guy he is, is just a great feeling. To be honest the series seems to have just gone by so quickly but I’ve been left feeling utterly satisfied with what I’ve read, from the epic fight scenes, to the heart-warming friendships and even some romance. This may be because I’ve just finished the manga and still feeling the aftereffects of its brilliance but to me, at this moment in time, this story is outstanding and definitely deserves its ten out of ten!

Holyland is the first real long manga that I have ever completed. I normally prefer anime to manga but I definitely enjoy reading manga even though I read very slowly. Well in simple terms Holyland completely blew me away from start to finish. The story is very relatable and the characters are memorable. The entire thing is just so fantastically put together that I can't help but love it.

Holyland is a 182 chapter martial arts psychological manga that is written by the mangaka Mori Kouji. This manga was published for 8 years. The running time was 2000-2008. The actual manga was serialized in Young Animal.

At first glance the story of Holyland isn't really that special. So we have the kid with really low self esteem and he gets bullied a lot. He proceeds to learn martial arts so he can get stronger and to protect himself. Don't be fooled though, the execution of this story is the closest thing I've seen when it comes to perfection. One thing that sets the story apart is how the manga ka implements his own experiences into the heart of the manga.

Street fighting and martial arts are such a massive part of this story. The mangaka really helps with providing explanations and diagrams to try to make sense of the action that is actually happening in the story. The action is also quality with a great amount of realism and martial arts with street fight grit being implemented.

The story is also very relatable, Yuu's dilemmas are something we can probably all relate to in one way or another. And many of the situations in this story are real life issues such as bullying and drugs. The raw emotions that are projected are extremely well done. Another notable point is how this anime portrayed the streets. This is done in a raw and realistic fashion that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The characters in this are fantastic. All of them have their own flaws and strengths and they play off each other perfectly. The main hero is Kamishiro Yuu who isn't really a hero after all. He got bullied and kind of shut himself away from the world. He finds his home on the streets and meets many new people. Yuu's whole mind set of fitting in and finding a place to belong is something many people can resonate with including myself. He has a very steady rate of change throughout the story.

Shin is yuu's first friend and ends up becoming his best friend in high school. He isn't really a strong fighter but he is always there to remind yuu that he isn't alone through all of the hell he faces. Shougo is also a friend of kamishiro but he has a major psychological complex that damages his relationship with Yuu in the story.

Possibly the most interesting character is Masaki. He is the overseer of the streets and faced hell like yuu did. He managed to rise from the ashes to become a new person. There are also many interesting side characters in this story

All of the psychological attributes of this story are smartly implemented and something the reader can thoroughly understand. Many of the themes present are also great and something everyone can relate to. There was also a old dash of romance but I wish it could have been developed more.

The art in holyland is pretty well done. The grit really bulges through and is very noticeable and I appreciated the gritty realistic style.

So overall this manga was amazing. I lived nearly everything about it and this manga is something that everyone should experience especially if you love manga in the seinen demographic. So overall this manga is great and you should read it.

Sometimes a story just hits you hard. By some miracle, it came at that perfect, serendipitous time in your life when the narrative itself can resonate with your innermost thoughts. This manga did that for me. Not because I have anything particularly in common with any of the characters themselves, but because their stories touched me on a deep emotional level. I cried - for longer and harder than I care to admit - when I finished it. I think it filled a hole in me that I even didn't realize was there.

I feel like its a bit pointless to repeat what so many other reviewers have praised about this manga, so I will keep this brief:

Read it.

I don't know if it will affect you like it did me, but there's something really special about Holyland that you can't really appreciate until you experience this work of art for yourself. You won't regret it.

Story: 5/5

Art: 4.5/5

Character: 5/5

Holyland has multiple techniques that made it stand out among other Martial Arts mangas. It utilizes these skills to make a unbelievable tale.

Story:
As the Journey begins with a simple student life, it gets complex as each page unfolds itself. Kamishiro Yuu, the protagonist goes through many hardships and battles to find his "Holyland". Each move a character use is carefully analysis keeping the reader informed on the unknown moves of martial arts. Each battle creates a intensity in the atmosphere forcing the reader to continue reading the manga. As Kimishiro tries to defend his holyland, he will be tested multiple times, if he got what it takes to stand above all. There is multiple story twists that keeps the readers on their feet at all times.

Art:
The author uses a dark atmosphere over the manga the entire time which help support the story as it goes. Each setting, battle, and character is created with the utmost concentration. Every wound is carefully shown in the drawings to show the pain of the characters and how weaken he/she is really. The art could have been a little better on certain places, but it was strong enough to create the world of Holyland

Character:
Every main character develops as the story continues, making them grow on the reader. Various characters goes through many hardships that changes them completely. The emotions that is shown through characters kept me attached to these people, almost making them real.

This realistic setting keeps me wondering if this could actually happen in real life.

First Review, Hope You Guys Like it!!! ^_^

This review will be written in english / spanish.

English review:

Might contain light spoilers, I'll try to make it SFW.

The teenage years may be the hardest in the life of a person. The treatment you receive, the friends you have, the popularity in the high-school, mark you and define how you will be in the near future. As someone who had a hard time, I have to say that being a teenager is fucking hard, and trying your best to fit in a place, with some people you like or want to be part of, isn't easy. Bullying, humilliation and systematic denigration can leave a deep wound in your personality and transform you into something you never thought. So, this manga tries so hard to explain what the 'holyland' is: a place to call ours.

First of all, 'Holyland' isn't only a great fucking name for a manga but the definition of a concept that doesn't have an entry in the dictionary. A 'holyland', as explained in the first page of every volume, is a 'place between the adult world and the children world, where a human being wants to belong in order to grow as a healthy person without being discriminated'. Explained the concept, let's go into matter.

The story is awesome, not because its complexity or constant plot-twists. It doesn't need those things to keep your attention. From beginning to end, we have Kamishiro Yuu, a 16yo guy that goes into the streets looking for the holyland he never had. At night, the streets become a kill or be killed scenario where teenagers fight for the territory. Among those teenagers, we have Izawa Masaki aka 'Charisma of the Streets', a retired boxer that got a name in street fighting because of his ferocity and hability. Kamishiro is constantly bullyied by some thugs, but thanks to a boxing movement he learned in a book (the basic One-Two, a left jab with a right straight), he somehow manages to defeat them. After that, and like if someone was 'hunting' the thugs in the streets, he is called the 'Thug Hunter'. Basically, the story is Kamishiro Yuu building his Holyland with friends, foes and the respect from those that are by his side, fighting and learning, and a desperate cry for help in order to manage his dysfunctional life.

For some people, the art in Holyland is mediocre, bad, and one of the weakest points in it, but I think Mori Kouji manages to create an awesome illusion of savagery, especially in Kamishiro. As time goes by, we see how Kamishiro goes crazy if someone threatens his holyland (friends), and can't control his inner violence. His facial expresions are scary, realistic and make me understand how Kamishiro is feeling in that moment.

The character building is really, really one of the strongest points in this work. Not every character is equally built up, but the main ones have a past, a present, a future, a reason to behave like they do, and memorable stories. Obviously, Kamishiro Yuu is the star as the main character. His evolution is wonderfully coddled, from a shy teenager to an indomitable beast that transforms when he's fighting. Kamishiro is always doubting, and his past wounds usually make him uncapable of going forward (for example, when Mai declares, he believes he's a dirty human being and that he does not deserve to be happy), but, with his fists, we always find the answer. Through the fighting, he knows Izawa Masaki and Midorikawa Shougo, a young karateca. What I think that Mori Kouji tries so hard to say with this manga is that everyone has a past, and you are not the only human in this world that has suffered, or is suffering. You have to keep going, find your place and fight for it. You are not alone, you are strong enough to keep going, to build your own holyland, and the characters are there to portray this reality.

I gave this manga a 10, and I can sincerely say this was a hell of a read in every sense. I felt happy at the ending, angry at the beginning, I wanted to cry because of the unfair moments every main character had, and it gained a place in my favourites as the great manga it is.

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Spanish review:

Puede contener ligeros spoilers. Intentaré evitarlos lo más posible.

La adolescencia puede ser una de las etapas más duras en la vida de una persona. El trato que recibes, los amigos que tienes, la popularidad en el instituto, te marcan como ser humano y dibujan cómo serás en un futuro. Como alguien que tuvo una mala experiencia en la adolescencia, tengo que decir que esa época es una mierda jodidamente dura, y esforzarte para encajar con gente que puede que te rechace no es nada fácil. Cosas como el Bullying, humillaciones y denigración sistemática pueden dejarte una marca profunda en tu personalidad y transformarte en algo que nunca pensaste que llegarías a ser. Por eso, este manga trata de explicar lo que es la 'Holyland': un lugar al que llamar nuestro.

Primero de todo, 'Holyland' no solo es un nombre increíble para un manga, sino que también es una definición para un concepto que no goza de una entrada en el diccionario. Una 'tierra santa (o holyland)', explicado literalmente como en la primera página de cada volumen, es un 'lugar entre el mundo de los niños y el de los adultos, donde un ser humano busca permanecer para crecer como una persona mentalmente saludable sin ser discriminado'. Explicado el concepto, entremos en materia.

La historia es increíble, no porque sea compleja o tenga muchos 'plot-twists', ya que no necesita de eso para mantener tu atención. De principio a fin, tenemos a Kamishiro Yuu, un joven de 16 años que va a las calles buscando esa 'tierra santa' que él nunca tuvo. Por las noches, las calles se convierten en una especie de matar o morir en el que los adolescentes, junto con sus bandas, luchan por el territorio. Entre esos adolescentes está Masaki Izawa, conocido como el 'Carisma de las Calles'. Izawa es un boxeador retirado que se hizo con un nombre en la pelea callejera gracias a su ferocidad y habilidad. A Kamishiro siempre lo amenazan, pero gracias a un movimiento de boxeo que aprendió en un libro (lo que viene siendo un 'Un-Dos', un jab de izquierda seguido de un directo de derecha), se las apaña para derrotarlos. Tras eso, y como si estuviese 'cazando' a las pandillas, se gana el apodo de 'Cazador de Pandillas'. Básicamente, la historia se centra en Yuu construyendo su 'tierra santa' con amigos, enemigos y el respeto de los que están a su lado en la calle, luchando y aprendiendo, y un grito de ayuda desesperado para ordenar su desastrosa vida.

Para algunos, el dibujo de Holyland es mediocre, malo, y el punto más débil del trabajo, pero yo creo que Mori Kouji consigue crear una increíble ilusión de salvajismo, especialmente en Kamishiro. Según va pasando el tiempo, podemos ver cómo Kamishiro se vuelve más y más loco cuando amenazan su tierra santa (amigos), y es incapaz de controlar la violencia que tenía guardada. Sus expresiones faciales dan miedo, son realistas y hacen que consiga entender cómo se siente Kamishiro en ese momento.

La construcción de personajes es, probablemente, lo mejor que tiene este manga. Obviamente, no todos destacan por igual, pero los principales tienen un pasado, un presente, un futuro, una razón para su comportamiento e historias memorables. Pero lógicamente, Kamishiro Yuu es la estrella. Su evolución está mimada con cariño, donde le vemos crecer de un tímido adolescente a una bestia indomable que se transforma cuando pelea. Kamishiro duda, y sus heridas hacen que sea incapaz de avanzar (por ejemplo, cuando Mai se le declara, él piensa que es un ser sucio y que no merece ser feliz), pero, con sus puños, siempre encuentra la respuesta. En las peleas callejeras, conoce a Masaki Izawa y a Shougo Midorikawa, un joven karateca. Lo que yo interpreto con estos personajes, es que Mori Kouji quiere transmitirnos que todos sufrimos en nuestra vida, y que no hay una sola persona que pueda decir que esta es perfecta en todo y que no lo ha pasado mal. Lo importante es dejar eso atrás, seguir adelante, encontrar tu lugar y luchar por él. No estás solo, tienes la fuerza suficiente para construir tu propia tierra santa, y estos personajes están ahí para retratar el mensaje.

Para mí, este manga es un 10, y puedo decir sin lugar a dudas que fue una increíble experiencia. Fui feliz con el final, me enfadé al principio y quise llorar por las injusticias que les ocurrían a los personajes. Así que Holyland se ha ganado un lugar en mis favoritos como el gran manga que es.

I'm writing a review for this manga because I feel the need to encourage manga readers to try this manga. It's a great, great manga that deserves the top list of every manga reader.

Story:
Great plot, very focused and does not venture too much on uninteresting side stories. The plot may be a bit unrealistic but you'll surely want to go out and prove your self like the main character, Kamishiro Yuu. The story develops on an engaging phase and you won't have to wait 50 or more chapters for a single arc to finish. There's also a bit of romance so you won't get burned up with the too much action.

Art:
Great art! cleanly drawn and you can clearly follow the flow of every fight scene.. blow by blow.

Character:
I enjoyed this manga a lot because of the characters. They may not be too many of them like the mainstream manga but that's why this manga is so great. It focuses on its main characters and cleans up every single story about each of them. Does not introduce too much characters that will get you bored later on.

Enjoyment:
Very enjoyable! the fight scenes are so tight, very detailed and realistic and does not take 20 chapters for a single fight to finish. I read about 50 chapters on a single night because the thrilling phase was sustained all throughout the series. You'll feel like you're one of the crowd watching the fight.

Overall:
Overall it's one of my favorite manga. It's engaging and relating. It helped me be myself more and it changed my outlook on certain things. Read it for yourself and enjoy..

From the start to the end, this manga was thrilling, it was superb. Time flew in lightspeed as I dove more and more into the "Holyland" - the world in the night streets, the world of thugs, gangs and street fight. I read a quite a few good long mangas and in the most cases the mangaka had a hard time finishing the manga in style. But, this mangaka is different. He delivered till the end.

The story is the most attractive part of the manga. Its fictitous but it's totally realistic. Because the Mangaka (author) went through similar stages as the protagonist which he revealed in the ending volume of the manga.

The story involves so much around street fighting that at some point I wondered why didn't the mangaka just titled it as "street fighting"? But, in the last volumes I understood that these fights were just part of a bigger picture, the "Holyland", the land where the protagonist discovered his meaning for life, found friends, rivals and found his path in life.

The mangaka is a martial artist himeslf and as it appears from his writings in the manga itself, he is a former street fighter himself. If not so, then at least he got to fight with different types of martial artist: Boxing, Karate, Kickboxing, Wrestling, Judo, Kenpo, Kendo. He gives so much detail about different moves and techniques which is in itself a great attraction point of manga.

Yes, the title "Holyland" and the cover picture given in the MAL made me thinking that this might be a mediocre manga at first. But hell was I wrong!

The art is just beautiful. This is a martial art manga and it is everything about good art. Otherwise you can't bring out the feeling in a fighting. The mangaka did an excellent job with the art.

The characters are the most interesting part. There are so many of them and each one has an intersting and thrilling part to play in the story. Specially the opponents in the street fights.

I enjoyed this manga so much and the more the manga advanced the more enjoyable it became. And the finishing was just great. Although I was getting gloomy for such a good manga to end but the end was satisfying and definitely unique. The mangaka made the manga unpredictable till the very last chapter. It was damn a happy ending, but not your cliche happy ending. It was the real deal. The last chapter really brings out the significance of the title "Holyland". Oh! It was just awsome.

I am a very picky reader. I dropped more mangas than I finished. So, for me to go on and on about this manga made myself realize how great the manga was!

Thank you, Mori Kouji sensei for this great work! It was a real honor to be part of the holyland. Although I was in my room staring at my laptop, but my conscience was definitely roaming the night streets. I was with Kamishiro Yuu! I, definitely, was there!

I've never been a MA (Marcial Arts) manga fan but this one let me say that is amazing. I loved how the autor brought a story that gets you hyped and also that makes you think in introspetive, Kamishiro is someone that wants the change and we see it but mos important is how he do it, something i think made it difficult to read was the notes from the autor who wanted to give a lot of information that the characters could have explained, but over all this manga is going to teach some things that should be used in ourselves; In my case was the topic of loving yourself which is difficult for me but im going to try it because of this "asian doodles". Wish me luck and remember "WE CAN CHANGE"