All You Need Is Kill 2014 Review:

Oh man, have I got something crazy for you. I was in a bookshop and decided to check out the comics and graphic novels and I found the gem that is ALL YOU NEED IS KILL. I read it and decided to make a spoiler free review.

The Premise:

Written by Ryosuke Takeuchi, illustrated by Takeshi Obata and published by Viz Media, ALL YOU NEED IS KILL follows a guy called Keiji Kiriya who's been recruited by the military to fight aliens. After fighting on the battlefield he realises that not everything is as it seems as he dies and comes back to life.

I don't want to spoil too much but if you like a dark story with a ton of combat you should check out this book.

The vibe is like a mix of Groundhog Day and Starship Troopers.

Speaking of the story, the world building in this manga is so interesting, I have a soft spot for stories that leave me wanting more and I get that feeling from this manga every time that I read it. Despite things constantly happening throughout the story it is expertly paced never leaving me bored or confused about what's happening.

The internal monologue of the main character is so interesting, as you get to read his thoughts as he changes throughout the story and get to see his perspective shift when major events happen. All while the story blends sci-fi, mystery, action and even more in a book you can read in one sitting. It's sick not gonna lie.

Adaptations:

Funny enough while reading I realised there's a movie based on the manga called Edge of Tomorrow with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt and while I think the manga is a million times better, I think the movie is also worth checking out. Maybe you'll like it who knows.

And I've also come to learn that there was another movie adaptation of All You Need Is Kill in 2025 this time animated and in a completely different style to the original.

Artwork:

This manga became one of my favourites and gained a place in my rotation. It looks amazing, reads like a dream and each panel feels well thought out and perfectly executed. Just take a look at the panel below and see how well balanced it is despite so much is happening in the panel.

The giant weapons swinging through the air carving anything in its path, the clash of the armour with chunks of metal and debris flying about, the fast movement of these heavy exo suits flying around effortlessly, all conveyed in one image.

Oh my!

The combat suits, the action scenes, the backgrounds, the level of detail. I can go on all day about how incredible everything looks. Like how you can see every part of the characters exo suits, or the use of motion lines to give weight to the movement in the panels.

Not only that but I appreciated how smooth and seamless the reading experience was. The more I read it the more I can appreciate all the well placed panels, flowing dialogue and images that speak 1000 words.

If I had to rate this manga I'd easily give it a 9/10. A biased opinion sure but it's a fantastic pickup. I'd reccomend this manga to anyone who wants a casual read and enjoys dark stories, and if I haven't convinced you check it out for yourself.

Aight, In a bit.