Writer & Artist: Hajime Segawa
Translators: Motoko Tamamuro & Jonathan Clements
Letterer: Cale Ward
Publisher: Titan Manga
Price: $12.99
Release Date: December 17, 2024
Tsutsuki Tsuranuki is sick and wants to go home. But zombies roam the streets, and their bite is worse than his cold. His father told him and his sister that, in an emergency, they should reunite at the Tokyo Dome. Sadly, the junior high school boy got separated from his sister, and an explosion made many of the roads impassable. Can Tsutsuki reunite with his family? And what has transformed Tokyo into a nightmare world? Let’s grab our weapons, leap into Corpse Blade Vol 1, and see!
Story
A month after the explosion, Tsutsuki needs medicine. The hospitals are closed. Perhaps he can find a cure for his cold. But it's harder to find food, as the dwindling survivors have raided the shops. With the undead roaming the streets, Tsutsuki knows it's just a matter of time. If he doesn't die from exposure or his fever, one of the walking corpses will eventually bite him, and Tsutsuki won't worry about finding medicine anymore.
Tsutsuki was always grateful he had a sister. He thought it would be weird to grow up as an only child. But looking back, Tsutsuki supposes his family was different from others. Despite Japan’s firearm and sword control laws, his father had a firing range in the basement. His father commended Tsutsuki on his accuracy. As the young teen searches for medicine in Corpse Blade Vol 1, he carries an automatic rifle. But if he shoots in self-defense, Tsutsuki alerts the other zombies to his presence.
Tsutsuki’s life changes when he meets Karina Karina in Hajime Segawa’s story. Yes, Karina is her first and last name. But that’s not the only thing that surprises Tsutsuki when she saves him from a crowd of pursuing zombies. Tsutsuki may be proficient with a gun, but Karina slices and dices zombies with her katana. The high school sophomore explains she has been scouring the city for him. Tsutsuki’s father hired Karina to find him. But that was before the collapse, and Tsutsuki lost his sister.
Art
Clad in his hooded jacket and pants, Tsutsuki walks the streets with his head lowered in Corpse Blade Vol 1. A backpack weighs him down, as does his rifle. Bullet casings fly when Tsutsuki looks through the gunsights and fires on the zombies. But exertion quickly tires him, and sickness empties his stomach.
Karina wears a jacket, scarf, skirt, and boots that rise above her knees. Unlike Tsutsuki, she looks calm and collected when attacking zombies. But that changes when they meet a zombie commander. Sewn together from different people, the giant zombie sprouts a third arm, and spikes jut from its head. When threatened, a blade sprouts from his hand, and he can wield it as effectively as Karina.
Direction lines accompany the action as the kids battle their undead aggressor. When Karina gets wounded, Tsutsuki helps her stumble along. Then black tears stream from her eyes like the zombies. Her head tilts to the side as Karina regards him. One eye resembles a button. And a blade sprouts from her hand.
Cale Ward fills Corpse Blade Vol 1 with large uppercase text in boxes and balloons. Motoko Tamamuro and Jonathan Clements’s translation overcomes cultural differences, helping readers relate to the young teens while they bond over mutual interests. Thoughts appear in burning stars, while sound effects accompany the action. The direction lines and sound effects don’t obscure the drama or action as the teens battle crowds of undead and the zombie commanders who control them. Thanks to Titan Manga for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
Unexpected crises can make us prey to fear. Seemingly insurmountable odds often force us to choose between preserving our lives and protecting others. As Tsutsuki and Karina struggle to survive, the teens wonder what happened to their families and how Tokyo became a city of the undead. But as Karina suffers an ongoing metamorphosis, the biggest question in Corpse Blade Vol 1 is whether Tsutsuki is safer on his own or while protecting his friend.
Rating 9.4/10
To look inside see my preview of Corpse Blade Vol 1.
