March 18, 2024

After giving into Western comics for the last few months, I felt like I needed to get back to my roots. My first love was manga and I don’t think I’d ever quit reading these backwards books (you actually read them left to right) no matter what. I was looking for something new to add to my collection, and that’s when I stumbled on World Trigger. Many are probably already familiar with the anime but I have to say I’m partial to the manga because, as with most transition from the page to screen, stuff gets left out and the manga fills everything in, even if it descends into overbearing exposition and explanation sometimes.

World Trigger  published by Jump Comics, and is written by manga-ka Daisuke Ashihara. We follow Osamu Mikumo, a resident of Mikado City and an agent of Border, a group sworn to protect the world from enemy invaders known as Neighbors. Yuma Kuga, a humanoid Neighbor allies himself with Border and more so with Osamu, as well as a cast of characters that all fight for the same thing, but have very different motivations for doing so. I enjoy the fact that Osamu doesn’t start as a badass. He’s not a superpowered alien and doesn’t have any latent potential waiting to be unleashed. He’s average, and his most redeeming trait is his willingness to try. Very rarely does a character as flawed as this turn up in manga and it makes the whole thing feel brand new while still paying homage to several tropes.

 

What we get to see is several characters being the best the can be, and other character who are considered the best not being as flawless as the world thinks they are. Through Osamu we get to see how the actions of Border and their war against the Neighbors affects the average people around him. Through Yuma we get insight into the mysterious world of these invaders and how they interact with one another as well as humanity. It all ties together in thrilling chapters that combine action, suspense, and drama in way I haven’t experienced in many manga. Twelve volumes are out in the U.S. with more on the way. I would say if you’re a fan of manga, or looking to get back into it, World Trigger deserves a read.