Madness

Madness

By Shimatsuki Kairi

Overall: Pretty Much Awesome
Smex Factor: Chaste
Art: Different
Status: 2 Volumes; Complete

Review: Madness is about the most crude, rude, idiotic bunch of outlaws (+1) in the wild, wild, post-apocolyptic future.

It's so terrible. So terrible. I love it.

The plot is totally incoherent, partially because Shimotsuki tries to cram as much ink as is humanly possible into a single page, and in a very Murakami-esque writing style, seems to draw first, think later. The plot is BAM-BAM-BAM! It introduces plot points and characters unceremoniously, like it expects you to know what's going on. You'll ask yourself, "Wait, who's that guy? What's going on?" And then you'll give up and keep reading.

What doesn't help is the fact that Shimotsuki's art style changes from panel to panel. The only way you will be able to tell if the woman on each page is Miyabi is the fact that Miyabi is the only woman in the whole manga.

That being said: I have no idea what the demographic for this manga is. It's got yaoi, that's for sure, even if Izaya looks more feminine than the only woman in the manga. But... It's also got violence! Don't read this if you don't like seeing people's faces sliced in half. It's got fan-service! Her name is Miyabi and she wears black panties and has breasts each the size of a 9-months pregnant woman's belly (depending on the panel, she could be carrying twins in each breast of hers). So...What? What kind of BL manga provides the man-lovin', the gore, and the T&A? Madness, evidently. (It's aptly titled.)

Madness is about Kyou. He's crazy, homicidal, and a total asshole. He's also the (former) leader of a bunch of crazy invincible murderers...well, until he "died," killed by his lovely confidant, Miyabi. Then a young, innocent light (Izaya) walks into his life, and they go on an adventure in which they pick up the former members of Madness to join their merry little hyper-dysfunctional party. Along the way, they discover a weird conspiracy that they have to defeat, and somehow it's all Izaya's brother's fault. (I swear to god, I just summed up the plot to Samurai Deeper Kyo. Kyou and Kyo are pretty much the same character, right down to the random molestation of the Damsel in Distress!)

At least, that's what I could glean from it. Don't think too hard about it. That's my advice.

Izaya is terrible. He's weepy, he's annoying, and he literally doesn't know what an erection is. (I couldn't make this shit up, I swear.) After all, he's a PRIEST. A PRIEEEEST. And he's BYOOTIFUUUUUUL. He is the dumbest thing I have ever seen, and sometimes I have to stick my cat's head into her food dish for her to figure out that it's there. Izaya is SO DUMB. Also, his name is "Airishuu Izaya Luke." I don't even. He's required to cry every single time anything happens ever. The good thing about all of this is that occasionally, the other characters will realize that Izaya's retarded and will barf their guts out. But mostly Izaya occupies the role of preachy Damsel in Distress. ("Nooooo, you CAN'T kill them! It's WRONG! We should just let THEM kill US!")

Making up for everything that is (hilariously) wrong with this manga is previously mentioned fan-service BAMF, Miyabi. Miyabi is a BAD. ASS. MOTHER FUCKER. You know why she fights in a halter top and mini-skirt? Because she knows that she's gonna end up naked by the end of the battle, and she doesn't want all that cloth flying up and obstructing her vision while she SLAUGHTERS ASSASSINS. IN THE FACE. Despite the author picking on Miyabi and getting her sliced to ribbons every time a baddie happens past, Miyabi kills everyone while she is wearing a SINGLE PAIR OF PANTIES and has TWO PINTS OF BLOOD left in her body. She can also hold her own against Kyou and is very adorable around Izaya.

And I guess Izaya and Kyo are a pretty good couple, if you're into that. But--

Miyabi.

Is.

The best.

(And I love her.)

ANYway, I love this manga. I mean, it's called "Madness" for a damn good reason.

HEY, WAIT--

Upon thinking about this and comparing it more, this bears more than just a passing resemblance to Samurai Deeper. This basically is Samurai Deeper! I mean, the ending is exactly the same! Maybe this is why I like Madness so much.