Tower Dungeon by Tsutomu Nihei
Blurb:
Tsutomu Nihei, master of the mysterious architectural monolith, brings his genius to bear on the fantasy genre for the first time. Having established himself with hit series like Blame! and Knights of Sidonia, he has now created a gritty, dark fantasy world and populated it with evil sorcerors and unique undead horrors.
The ingenuous farmboy Yuva must accompany a contingent of knights through the increasingly dangerous floors of massive tower on the way to rescue the princess, Nihei bringing his unique sensibility to bear on a crumbling world of malformed creatures, wounded soldiers, and labyrinthine darkness.
An evil necromancer slays the king and carries off his daughter, secreting her in the legendary Dragon Tower. To save the princess, her steadfast Royal Guard assays the stronghold, but the way is blocked by powerful eldritch creatures… So, to supplement their forces in the face of mounting casualties, they press ordinary folks from the surrounding villages into service—including Yuva, a sturdy young farmboy with a strong back but no experience in battle, and only a battered old helm and wooden shield to protect him.
Master of science fiction Tsutomu Nihei (Blame!, Knights of Sidonia) turns his unique storytelling voice and architectural eye to fantasy for the first time, offering a dark, gritty tale of swords and sorcery, bravery and adventure, great heroes and ultimate evil.
Gird your loins, heft your blade, and enter the Dragon Tower.
Review:
Its been a while since I’ve read any manga, in my time away, I forgot how much beauty manga possesses in its artwork and the worlds brought to life.
Tower Dungeon Volume 1 reminded me just what manga is capable of. The story follows a commoner in a kingdom facing a terrible threat. The princess was captured and taken to the Tower Dungeon by an unknown and monstrously powerful entity. The kingdom is trying to get the princess back but is failing, losing scores of men in the process. So begins the process of conscripting from all the villages across the land. Then Yuva steps in and volunteers on behalf of his village.
Yuva isn’t extraordinary. He doesn’t have crazy powers with magic or the blade. He doesnt have super strength and agility. He is a normal guy, and I think that was why I liked Tower Dungeon so much. So often we get stories with busted characters that can win any battle from the get go. We dont get much (such are the lengths of manga volumes) but I do really like Yuva’s character and I’m very excited to see where he goes.
The other characters were interesting though of lesser import, aside from a couple. They all had very unique and intriguing designs and there are also dragon shifters which sounds awesome, though we have not seen any yet. Some other, nonhuman creatures get involved with the rescue force, grotesque but kind of… likable? As in theyre so outlandish you cannot help but like them, or maybe I’m just crazy.
The story isnt reinventing the wheel, but it is making a pretty good one that stands apart from the rest. I love dungeon crawls, and while a lot of the levels are glossed over and Volume 1 features as much if not more character work than fight scenes, Nihei really nailed it. The atmosphere is perfect, and like I said earlier, hints at a much bigger world I cannot wait to explore.
I think one of the most beautiful parts was about Yuva is weak, and useless, and should go home. Not much is said in return and I don’t want to spoil too much, but his response, and that of those around him… Fantastic, and really just hits home. Do I wish Yuva spoke more/we got more dialogue from him with others? Yeah, but I think Yuva is a great MC and hes one you really can’t help but root for and love. There should be more people like Yuva out there. Maybe the world would be a better place.
My only complaint is in the beginning some of the panels feel disjointed. As in other panels should have come in between or there should have been a transition. I say this because at times I was thinking “did I miss something? Where are we? How did we get here?” I think it happened maybe three times, but it also just might be a me issue.
I also wish it was longer. Thats the sign of a story you loved, right? I did not want to part with it at all. The good thing is that (I think) the rest will be translated soon. Though I might just not wait and read the japanese versions. Who can say.
Because I haven’t been reading much manga, I don’t have many manga recommendations pr comparisons. It's also not what people expect from me or maybe sffinsiders, but let me say this. If you loved Berserk, you will love Tower Dungeon too. Its a wonderful story of growth and intrigue that features a lot of adventure and fantastic artwork. Cannot wait to read Volume 2.
