Falsely accused of murder and thrown from the floating city into a sprawling abyss of garbage, Rudo is forced to fight for survival. Even though he grew up as an outcast in a city split between luxury and poverty, nothing could have prepared him for what he encounters in the Abyss. Massive monsters, toxic mists, and a whole civilization await him as do his strange new powers.

This was such a breath of fresh air! Yes, it leans into a few familiar shonen elements but I genuinely enjoyed this volume. The art style is expressive, raw, and perfectly suited to the world.

I’m not sure if it’s the unique premise, Rudo himself, the art, or the powers but I’m definitely hooked and excited to pick up the next volume. Rudo’s belief that well cared for and loved items will be imbued with souls is also oddly wholesome. That character-defining idea really makes me love Rudo.

(Random side note - Pretty disappointed that Rudo’s childhood friend, Chiwa, was so ready to believe he was a murderer.)

Thank you Kodansha Comics for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Okay, okay. I get why people like Sett… I still don’t like him and his past does not justify his actions, no matter how traumatic it was, but I get it. I did enjoy learning more about his childhood and his family; it does explain quite a bit. At this point, I do ship Sett and Nina together more than Az and Nina only because they have dialogue and understanding between the two of them. (If there was a third guy that was even slightly better than Sett or Az then I’d choose him.)

I’m so torn on liking this series. There’s so much BS that happens to Nina (and other women at this point) that it’s a rougher read. I do have the next couple volumes so I’ll be continuing. And I do like Nina, so that helps.

Yes!! I’m so glad we got to see Sei use her saint powers in a battle and also resolve the issues with Aira. I loved the entire journey into the Western Forest, especially the moments with Grand Magus Drewes and Commander Albert. Am I starting to ship Sei with Albert more? Yes. I’m really hoping we get some cute scenes between the two of them in the next volume.