![\"Citizen](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/J0lWBZz.jpeg\" "\\"Citizen")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nCitizen Evil [Volume 1] \u2013 M.A.S<\/h2>\nGenre<\/strong>: Fantasy, Romance, Comedy, Manga<\/h4>\nPublisher:<\/strong> Self-published<\/h4>\nRelease Date:<\/strong> 2021<\/h4>\nFormat read:<\/strong> Electronic (PDF)<\/h4>\nBuy:<\/strong> citizenevil.com<\/h4>\nSource of book:<\/strong> This book was provided in exchange for a paid, honest review.<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\nMy Thoughts<\/h2>\n
I believe many people have a general awareness of manga by now. But, for the uninitiated, it refers to a uniquely Japanese style of comic that has reached international popularity. Manga (\u30de\u30f3\u30ac) are often published in multiple volumes, featured hand-drawn illustrations in a distinctive style, and can come in a wide range of genres and stories. The manga style is so popular that creators are now creating manga outside of the Japanese language, and so this is where we get to the subject of this review \u2013 Citizen Evil, written by M.A.S., collaborating with a series illustrators [Apeng, Virand, Galihmsantoso, and Hieumayart].<\/p>\n
Citizen Evil is a comic presented in the same style, conventions, and format as a proper Japanese manga including a right-to-left reading direction. Therefore if you\u2019re already well versed in reading manga you\u2019ll be right at home here. In particular, this is a story written in the style of classic dark fantasy manga. But, for all the English-speaking foreigners (\u82f1\u8a9e\u3092\u8a71\u3059\u306e\u5916\u4eba) in the audience, there\u2019s no need to fear, as this is a solely English-language story created using manga style and storytelling. (This is good news for me, as my Japanese is not great \u2013 \u65e5\u672c\u5f8c\u3092\u3061\u3087\u3063\u3068\u8a71\u3059\u7089\u3053\u3068\u304c\u6765\u3001\u3067\u3082\u3042\u3093\u307e\u3044\u8aad\u3080\u3053\u3068\u304c\u51fa\u6765\u306a\u3044 \u2013 and don\u2019t worry, I will minimise my Japanese usage for the remainder of this review.)<\/p>\n
Citizen Evil is a multi-volume work, with all the published content so far being available through the Citizen Evil website citizenevil.com. This review is of the first volume.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Storyline & Plot<\/h3>\n
The action starts immediately from the first few pages. Citizen Evil starts with minimal exposition, but it tells you what you need to know. Damien, the protagonist, is obsessed with his crush Rin and we go to the ends of the earth (and hell) to secure her affections. It is Damien\u2019s attempts to try and win Rin over that lead to the ongoing chaos that begins almost right away, as Damien calls upon paranormal assistance in his quest.<\/p>\n
I like stories that get straight to the point with no fluff in the beginning, but I will confess this one is a whirlwind with a lot going on. M.A.S. doesn\u2019t mess around and immediately introduces us to side plots as well as our Damien & Rin main quest, which brings up a lot more driving questions about what is going on in this bizarre world. While I usually do rereading while I conduct my reviews, it was particularly needed for this one to ensure I understood everything correctly.<\/p>\n
Introducing side plots so early is a bold move, but I can see that the intention is to start trickling in lore to explain the wider universe. It seems, beyond the main pair\u2019s adventures, there\u2019s a greater battle of dark forces at work. And by the early introduction of these plots, we will see an interlinking between them to reveal how Damien\u2019s interactions with the demonic forces will impact the world as a whole.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Characters<\/h3>\n
Volume 1 of Citizen Evil focuses on our two main characters, Damien and Rin. I appreciate how M.A.S. has provided simple characterisation to start off with but with clear directions for future character development.<\/p>\n
Damien \u2013 The Awkward Protagonist<\/strong><\/h4>\nDamien is a rather typical awkward, bumbling teenage boy with only one thing on his mind; his crush Rin. We don\u2019t get a sense of there being much else in his life so far outside his obsession. He drags his friend along for missions to spy on Rin, he is a user of the dark web but only as a means to an end of winning Rin\u2019s affections. He\u2019s got a lot of room to become well-rounded and mature through his adventures. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve seen a character so determined and single-minded as Damien in ages, and I want to watch this guy come into his own.<\/p>\n
Rin \u2013 The Mysterious Love Interest<\/strong><\/h4>\nBy contrast, Rin gets more layered characterisation. She\u2019s a cool, stoic girl with a difficult and mysterious past. Again, following common manga tropes, I suspect she\u2019s a tsundere\uff08\u30c4\u30f3\u30c7\u30ec\uff09- a girl with a tough exterior who will gradually soften over time. Our first glimpse of this is the fact she intervenes in a bullying incident, and our second is the sweet interaction we see with her younger brother. Beneath the hard shell is a heart of gold. For this reason I already like Rin. While she is here primarily as a love interest, she is shown as having her own life and personality right out of the gate.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Other Characters<\/strong><\/h4>\nOur side characters are not given much depth to work with in the first volume, but with a lot of hints for future revelations. In particular it is unclear who, or what, is \u201cCitizen Evil\u201d when they are introduced. As the mysterious third entity, we are given enough to know that they are not exactly human, and not here for good reasons.<\/p>\n
I was immediately reminded of Death Note as soon as the dark notebook appeared, but besides the dark fantasy genre and the presence of a notebook, the similarities end there. There are no instances of \u201cdeath by writing names\u201d in this volume. Instead, this notebook is closer to a physical embodiment of a spirit (possibly a kami \/ \u795e \u2013 a Japanese spirit or god). On the \u201cfictional object possessed by a magical spirit\u201d spectrum I would place this closer to a Horcrux from the Harry Potter series, although that is still not the best comparison.<\/p>\n
Writing<\/h3>\n
The writing on the page of Citizen Evil is limited to dialogue and Damien\u2019s inner monologue. M.A.S.\u2019s word choices are based on the usual vocabulary of manga & anime and rely on conveying each character\u2019s unique voice. He was very successful (maybe even too successful?) with conveying the extent of Damien\u2019s crush. His unending stream of consciousness has absolutely no filter, which means that everyone within hearing distance hears about the extent of his devotion. This perfectly shows, without any other description needed, the true extent of his awkwardness and lack of social grace.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Rin\u2019s dialogue fits her mysterious personality. She says little, but speaks with impact, which is a great contrast against Damien\u2019s word salad. The sheer difference between how the two communicate establish how they are coming in as completely opposing personalities. This lays the foundation for what I expect to be a successful opposites-attract relationship built over time.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Illustration<\/h3>\n
As this is manga, the final important aspect is the art. I want to commend the Citizen Evil illustrators for maintaining visual consistency across the work. Each story (the main quest, as well as the side plots) has slight variations depending on the tone being expressed. For example, a comedic side story has a slightly looser style with more rounded edges. This is important because art style is required to communicate tone in areas where language is not there to describe it for us.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a lot of key visual moments whereby the still drawing itself could be an artwork. A personal favourite is a moment we get of Rin with a guitar in hand, while one of the school bullies cowers behind her. The drawing depicts her from a low angle, as if she is looking down onto the reader, with a determined facial expression. She commands the entire page, telling you she means business and is not to be messed with. You could show just that image alone, with no further context, and the viewer would already gain a lot of perspective on her character.<\/p>\n
Action is portrayed well, with lots of dynamic movement, lines, and shading. What I like about the action is a thoughtful combination of explicitly shown action and implied action. We do see some violence, nothing gory, but enough to see injuries. But M.A.S. and the team know it\u2019s sometimes more effective to create emotion by not showing everything. Without giving too much away, the very last page ends a well-executed moment where threat, danger, tension, and drama are expressed well without a single word of text. It\u2019s one of the best pages overall and an excellent way to end a first volume.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Final Thoughts on Citizen Evil<\/h3>\n
Overall, I would recommend Citizen Evil based on this first volume. Its action and well-established main characters hook you in early and start off an intriguing plot. It\u2019s very suitable for existing manga fans, or those who are already interesting in comics\/graphic novels in English but have yet to attempt manga. And personally, I want to know what happens next!<\/p>\n
Publisher:<\/strong> Self-published<\/h4>\nRelease Date:<\/strong> 2021<\/h4>\nFormat read:<\/strong> Electronic (PDF)<\/h4>\nBuy:<\/strong> citizenevil.com<\/h4>\nSource of book:<\/strong> This book was provided in exchange for a paid, honest review.<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\nMy Thoughts<\/h2>\n
I believe many people have a general awareness of manga by now. But, for the uninitiated, it refers to a uniquely Japanese style of comic that has reached international popularity. Manga (\u30de\u30f3\u30ac) are often published in multiple volumes, featured hand-drawn illustrations in a distinctive style, and can come in a wide range of genres and stories. The manga style is so popular that creators are now creating manga outside of the Japanese language, and so this is where we get to the subject of this review \u2013 Citizen Evil, written by M.A.S., collaborating with a series illustrators [Apeng, Virand, Galihmsantoso, and Hieumayart].<\/p>\n
Citizen Evil is a comic presented in the same style, conventions, and format as a proper Japanese manga including a right-to-left reading direction. Therefore if you\u2019re already well versed in reading manga you\u2019ll be right at home here. In particular, this is a story written in the style of classic dark fantasy manga. But, for all the English-speaking foreigners (\u82f1\u8a9e\u3092\u8a71\u3059\u306e\u5916\u4eba) in the audience, there\u2019s no need to fear, as this is a solely English-language story created using manga style and storytelling. (This is good news for me, as my Japanese is not great \u2013 \u65e5\u672c\u5f8c\u3092\u3061\u3087\u3063\u3068\u8a71\u3059\u7089\u3053\u3068\u304c\u6765\u3001\u3067\u3082\u3042\u3093\u307e\u3044\u8aad\u3080\u3053\u3068\u304c\u51fa\u6765\u306a\u3044 \u2013 and don\u2019t worry, I will minimise my Japanese usage for the remainder of this review.)<\/p>\n
Citizen Evil is a multi-volume work, with all the published content so far being available through the Citizen Evil website citizenevil.com. This review is of the first volume.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Storyline & Plot<\/h3>\n
The action starts immediately from the first few pages. Citizen Evil starts with minimal exposition, but it tells you what you need to know. Damien, the protagonist, is obsessed with his crush Rin and we go to the ends of the earth (and hell) to secure her affections. It is Damien\u2019s attempts to try and win Rin over that lead to the ongoing chaos that begins almost right away, as Damien calls upon paranormal assistance in his quest.<\/p>\n
I like stories that get straight to the point with no fluff in the beginning, but I will confess this one is a whirlwind with a lot going on. M.A.S. doesn\u2019t mess around and immediately introduces us to side plots as well as our Damien & Rin main quest, which brings up a lot more driving questions about what is going on in this bizarre world. While I usually do rereading while I conduct my reviews, it was particularly needed for this one to ensure I understood everything correctly.<\/p>\n
Introducing side plots so early is a bold move, but I can see that the intention is to start trickling in lore to explain the wider universe. It seems, beyond the main pair\u2019s adventures, there\u2019s a greater battle of dark forces at work. And by the early introduction of these plots, we will see an interlinking between them to reveal how Damien\u2019s interactions with the demonic forces will impact the world as a whole.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Characters<\/h3>\n
Volume 1 of Citizen Evil focuses on our two main characters, Damien and Rin. I appreciate how M.A.S. has provided simple characterisation to start off with but with clear directions for future character development.<\/p>\n
Damien \u2013 The Awkward Protagonist<\/strong><\/h4>\nDamien is a rather typical awkward, bumbling teenage boy with only one thing on his mind; his crush Rin. We don\u2019t get a sense of there being much else in his life so far outside his obsession. He drags his friend along for missions to spy on Rin, he is a user of the dark web but only as a means to an end of winning Rin\u2019s affections. He\u2019s got a lot of room to become well-rounded and mature through his adventures. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve seen a character so determined and single-minded as Damien in ages, and I want to watch this guy come into his own.<\/p>\n
Rin \u2013 The Mysterious Love Interest<\/strong><\/h4>\nBy contrast, Rin gets more layered characterisation. She\u2019s a cool, stoic girl with a difficult and mysterious past. Again, following common manga tropes, I suspect she\u2019s a tsundere\uff08\u30c4\u30f3\u30c7\u30ec\uff09- a girl with a tough exterior who will gradually soften over time. Our first glimpse of this is the fact she intervenes in a bullying incident, and our second is the sweet interaction we see with her younger brother. Beneath the hard shell is a heart of gold. For this reason I already like Rin. While she is here primarily as a love interest, she is shown as having her own life and personality right out of the gate.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Other Characters<\/strong><\/h4>\nOur side characters are not given much depth to work with in the first volume, but with a lot of hints for future revelations. In particular it is unclear who, or what, is \u201cCitizen Evil\u201d when they are introduced. As the mysterious third entity, we are given enough to know that they are not exactly human, and not here for good reasons.<\/p>\n
I was immediately reminded of Death Note as soon as the dark notebook appeared, but besides the dark fantasy genre and the presence of a notebook, the similarities end there. There are no instances of \u201cdeath by writing names\u201d in this volume. Instead, this notebook is closer to a physical embodiment of a spirit (possibly a kami \/ \u795e \u2013 a Japanese spirit or god). On the \u201cfictional object possessed by a magical spirit\u201d spectrum I would place this closer to a Horcrux from the Harry Potter series, although that is still not the best comparison.<\/p>\n
Writing<\/h3>\n
The writing on the page of Citizen Evil is limited to dialogue and Damien\u2019s inner monologue. M.A.S.\u2019s word choices are based on the usual vocabulary of manga & anime and rely on conveying each character\u2019s unique voice. He was very successful (maybe even too successful?) with conveying the extent of Damien\u2019s crush. His unending stream of consciousness has absolutely no filter, which means that everyone within hearing distance hears about the extent of his devotion. This perfectly shows, without any other description needed, the true extent of his awkwardness and lack of social grace.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Rin\u2019s dialogue fits her mysterious personality. She says little, but speaks with impact, which is a great contrast against Damien\u2019s word salad. The sheer difference between how the two communicate establish how they are coming in as completely opposing personalities. This lays the foundation for what I expect to be a successful opposites-attract relationship built over time.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Illustration<\/h3>\n
As this is manga, the final important aspect is the art. I want to commend the Citizen Evil illustrators for maintaining visual consistency across the work. Each story (the main quest, as well as the side plots) has slight variations depending on the tone being expressed. For example, a comedic side story has a slightly looser style with more rounded edges. This is important because art style is required to communicate tone in areas where language is not there to describe it for us.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a lot of key visual moments whereby the still drawing itself could be an artwork. A personal favourite is a moment we get of Rin with a guitar in hand, while one of the school bullies cowers behind her. The drawing depicts her from a low angle, as if she is looking down onto the reader, with a determined facial expression. She commands the entire page, telling you she means business and is not to be messed with. You could show just that image alone, with no further context, and the viewer would already gain a lot of perspective on her character.<\/p>\n
Action is portrayed well, with lots of dynamic movement, lines, and shading. What I like about the action is a thoughtful combination of explicitly shown action and implied action. We do see some violence, nothing gory, but enough to see injuries. But M.A.S. and the team know it\u2019s sometimes more effective to create emotion by not showing everything. Without giving too much away, the very last page ends a well-executed moment where threat, danger, tension, and drama are expressed well without a single word of text. It\u2019s one of the best pages overall and an excellent way to end a first volume.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Final Thoughts on Citizen Evil<\/h3>\n
Overall, I would recommend Citizen Evil based on this first volume. Its action and well-established main characters hook you in early and start off an intriguing plot. It\u2019s very suitable for existing manga fans, or those who are already interesting in comics\/graphic novels in English but have yet to attempt manga. And personally, I want to know what happens next!<\/p>\n
Format read:<\/strong> Electronic (PDF)<\/h4>\nBuy:<\/strong> citizenevil.com<\/h4>\nSource of book:<\/strong> This book was provided in exchange for a paid, honest review.<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\nMy Thoughts<\/h2>\n
I believe many people have a general awareness of manga by now. But, for the uninitiated, it refers to a uniquely Japanese style of comic that has reached international popularity. Manga (\u30de\u30f3\u30ac) are often published in multiple volumes, featured hand-drawn illustrations in a distinctive style, and can come in a wide range of genres and stories. The manga style is so popular that creators are now creating manga outside of the Japanese language, and so this is where we get to the subject of this review \u2013 Citizen Evil, written by M.A.S., collaborating with a series illustrators [Apeng, Virand, Galihmsantoso, and Hieumayart].<\/p>\n
Citizen Evil is a comic presented in the same style, conventions, and format as a proper Japanese manga including a right-to-left reading direction. Therefore if you\u2019re already well versed in reading manga you\u2019ll be right at home here. In particular, this is a story written in the style of classic dark fantasy manga. But, for all the English-speaking foreigners (\u82f1\u8a9e\u3092\u8a71\u3059\u306e\u5916\u4eba) in the audience, there\u2019s no need to fear, as this is a solely English-language story created using manga style and storytelling. (This is good news for me, as my Japanese is not great \u2013 \u65e5\u672c\u5f8c\u3092\u3061\u3087\u3063\u3068\u8a71\u3059\u7089\u3053\u3068\u304c\u6765\u3001\u3067\u3082\u3042\u3093\u307e\u3044\u8aad\u3080\u3053\u3068\u304c\u51fa\u6765\u306a\u3044 \u2013 and don\u2019t worry, I will minimise my Japanese usage for the remainder of this review.)<\/p>\n
Citizen Evil is a multi-volume work, with all the published content so far being available through the Citizen Evil website citizenevil.com. This review is of the first volume.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Storyline & Plot<\/h3>\n
The action starts immediately from the first few pages. Citizen Evil starts with minimal exposition, but it tells you what you need to know. Damien, the protagonist, is obsessed with his crush Rin and we go to the ends of the earth (and hell) to secure her affections. It is Damien\u2019s attempts to try and win Rin over that lead to the ongoing chaos that begins almost right away, as Damien calls upon paranormal assistance in his quest.<\/p>\n
I like stories that get straight to the point with no fluff in the beginning, but I will confess this one is a whirlwind with a lot going on. M.A.S. doesn\u2019t mess around and immediately introduces us to side plots as well as our Damien & Rin main quest, which brings up a lot more driving questions about what is going on in this bizarre world. While I usually do rereading while I conduct my reviews, it was particularly needed for this one to ensure I understood everything correctly.<\/p>\n
Introducing side plots so early is a bold move, but I can see that the intention is to start trickling in lore to explain the wider universe. It seems, beyond the main pair\u2019s adventures, there\u2019s a greater battle of dark forces at work. And by the early introduction of these plots, we will see an interlinking between them to reveal how Damien\u2019s interactions with the demonic forces will impact the world as a whole.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Characters<\/h3>\n
Volume 1 of Citizen Evil focuses on our two main characters, Damien and Rin. I appreciate how M.A.S. has provided simple characterisation to start off with but with clear directions for future character development.<\/p>\n
Damien \u2013 The Awkward Protagonist<\/strong><\/h4>\nDamien is a rather typical awkward, bumbling teenage boy with only one thing on his mind; his crush Rin. We don\u2019t get a sense of there being much else in his life so far outside his obsession. He drags his friend along for missions to spy on Rin, he is a user of the dark web but only as a means to an end of winning Rin\u2019s affections. He\u2019s got a lot of room to become well-rounded and mature through his adventures. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve seen a character so determined and single-minded as Damien in ages, and I want to watch this guy come into his own.<\/p>\n
Rin \u2013 The Mysterious Love Interest<\/strong><\/h4>\nBy contrast, Rin gets more layered characterisation. She\u2019s a cool, stoic girl with a difficult and mysterious past. Again, following common manga tropes, I suspect she\u2019s a tsundere\uff08\u30c4\u30f3\u30c7\u30ec\uff09- a girl with a tough exterior who will gradually soften over time. Our first glimpse of this is the fact she intervenes in a bullying incident, and our second is the sweet interaction we see with her younger brother. Beneath the hard shell is a heart of gold. For this reason I already like Rin. While she is here primarily as a love interest, she is shown as having her own life and personality right out of the gate.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Other Characters<\/strong><\/h4>\nOur side characters are not given much depth to work with in the first volume, but with a lot of hints for future revelations. In particular it is unclear who, or what, is \u201cCitizen Evil\u201d when they are introduced. As the mysterious third entity, we are given enough to know that they are not exactly human, and not here for good reasons.<\/p>\n
I was immediately reminded of Death Note as soon as the dark notebook appeared, but besides the dark fantasy genre and the presence of a notebook, the similarities end there. There are no instances of \u201cdeath by writing names\u201d in this volume. Instead, this notebook is closer to a physical embodiment of a spirit (possibly a kami \/ \u795e \u2013 a Japanese spirit or god). On the \u201cfictional object possessed by a magical spirit\u201d spectrum I would place this closer to a Horcrux from the Harry Potter series, although that is still not the best comparison.<\/p>\n
Writing<\/h3>\n
The writing on the page of Citizen Evil is limited to dialogue and Damien\u2019s inner monologue. M.A.S.\u2019s word choices are based on the usual vocabulary of manga & anime and rely on conveying each character\u2019s unique voice. He was very successful (maybe even too successful?) with conveying the extent of Damien\u2019s crush. His unending stream of consciousness has absolutely no filter, which means that everyone within hearing distance hears about the extent of his devotion. This perfectly shows, without any other description needed, the true extent of his awkwardness and lack of social grace.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Rin\u2019s dialogue fits her mysterious personality. She says little, but speaks with impact, which is a great contrast against Damien\u2019s word salad. The sheer difference between how the two communicate establish how they are coming in as completely opposing personalities. This lays the foundation for what I expect to be a successful opposites-attract relationship built over time.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Illustration<\/h3>\n
As this is manga, the final important aspect is the art. I want to commend the Citizen Evil illustrators for maintaining visual consistency across the work. Each story (the main quest, as well as the side plots) has slight variations depending on the tone being expressed. For example, a comedic side story has a slightly looser style with more rounded edges. This is important because art style is required to communicate tone in areas where language is not there to describe it for us.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a lot of key visual moments whereby the still drawing itself could be an artwork. A personal favourite is a moment we get of Rin with a guitar in hand, while one of the school bullies cowers behind her. The drawing depicts her from a low angle, as if she is looking down onto the reader, with a determined facial expression. She commands the entire page, telling you she means business and is not to be messed with. You could show just that image alone, with no further context, and the viewer would already gain a lot of perspective on her character.<\/p>\n
Action is portrayed well, with lots of dynamic movement, lines, and shading. What I like about the action is a thoughtful combination of explicitly shown action and implied action. We do see some violence, nothing gory, but enough to see injuries. But M.A.S. and the team know it\u2019s sometimes more effective to create emotion by not showing everything. Without giving too much away, the very last page ends a well-executed moment where threat, danger, tension, and drama are expressed well without a single word of text. It\u2019s one of the best pages overall and an excellent way to end a first volume.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Final Thoughts on Citizen Evil<\/h3>\n
Overall, I would recommend Citizen Evil based on this first volume. Its action and well-established main characters hook you in early and start off an intriguing plot. It\u2019s very suitable for existing manga fans, or those who are already interesting in comics\/graphic novels in English but have yet to attempt manga. And personally, I want to know what happens next!<\/p>\n
Source of book:<\/strong> This book was provided in exchange for a paid, honest review.<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\nMy Thoughts<\/h2>\n
I believe many people have a general awareness of manga by now. But, for the uninitiated, it refers to a uniquely Japanese style of comic that has reached international popularity. Manga (\u30de\u30f3\u30ac) are often published in multiple volumes, featured hand-drawn illustrations in a distinctive style, and can come in a wide range of genres and stories. The manga style is so popular that creators are now creating manga outside of the Japanese language, and so this is where we get to the subject of this review \u2013 Citizen Evil, written by M.A.S., collaborating with a series illustrators [Apeng, Virand, Galihmsantoso, and Hieumayart].<\/p>\n
Citizen Evil is a comic presented in the same style, conventions, and format as a proper Japanese manga including a right-to-left reading direction. Therefore if you\u2019re already well versed in reading manga you\u2019ll be right at home here. In particular, this is a story written in the style of classic dark fantasy manga. But, for all the English-speaking foreigners (\u82f1\u8a9e\u3092\u8a71\u3059\u306e\u5916\u4eba) in the audience, there\u2019s no need to fear, as this is a solely English-language story created using manga style and storytelling. (This is good news for me, as my Japanese is not great \u2013 \u65e5\u672c\u5f8c\u3092\u3061\u3087\u3063\u3068\u8a71\u3059\u7089\u3053\u3068\u304c\u6765\u3001\u3067\u3082\u3042\u3093\u307e\u3044\u8aad\u3080\u3053\u3068\u304c\u51fa\u6765\u306a\u3044 \u2013 and don\u2019t worry, I will minimise my Japanese usage for the remainder of this review.)<\/p>\n
Citizen Evil is a multi-volume work, with all the published content so far being available through the Citizen Evil website citizenevil.com. This review is of the first volume.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Storyline & Plot<\/h3>\n
The action starts immediately from the first few pages. Citizen Evil starts with minimal exposition, but it tells you what you need to know. Damien, the protagonist, is obsessed with his crush Rin and we go to the ends of the earth (and hell) to secure her affections. It is Damien\u2019s attempts to try and win Rin over that lead to the ongoing chaos that begins almost right away, as Damien calls upon paranormal assistance in his quest.<\/p>\n
I like stories that get straight to the point with no fluff in the beginning, but I will confess this one is a whirlwind with a lot going on. M.A.S. doesn\u2019t mess around and immediately introduces us to side plots as well as our Damien & Rin main quest, which brings up a lot more driving questions about what is going on in this bizarre world. While I usually do rereading while I conduct my reviews, it was particularly needed for this one to ensure I understood everything correctly.<\/p>\n
Introducing side plots so early is a bold move, but I can see that the intention is to start trickling in lore to explain the wider universe. It seems, beyond the main pair\u2019s adventures, there\u2019s a greater battle of dark forces at work. And by the early introduction of these plots, we will see an interlinking between them to reveal how Damien\u2019s interactions with the demonic forces will impact the world as a whole.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Characters<\/h3>\n
Volume 1 of Citizen Evil focuses on our two main characters, Damien and Rin. I appreciate how M.A.S. has provided simple characterisation to start off with but with clear directions for future character development.<\/p>\n
Damien \u2013 The Awkward Protagonist<\/strong><\/h4>\nDamien is a rather typical awkward, bumbling teenage boy with only one thing on his mind; his crush Rin. We don\u2019t get a sense of there being much else in his life so far outside his obsession. He drags his friend along for missions to spy on Rin, he is a user of the dark web but only as a means to an end of winning Rin\u2019s affections. He\u2019s got a lot of room to become well-rounded and mature through his adventures. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve seen a character so determined and single-minded as Damien in ages, and I want to watch this guy come into his own.<\/p>\n
Rin \u2013 The Mysterious Love Interest<\/strong><\/h4>\nBy contrast, Rin gets more layered characterisation. She\u2019s a cool, stoic girl with a difficult and mysterious past. Again, following common manga tropes, I suspect she\u2019s a tsundere\uff08\u30c4\u30f3\u30c7\u30ec\uff09- a girl with a tough exterior who will gradually soften over time. Our first glimpse of this is the fact she intervenes in a bullying incident, and our second is the sweet interaction we see with her younger brother. Beneath the hard shell is a heart of gold. For this reason I already like Rin. While she is here primarily as a love interest, she is shown as having her own life and personality right out of the gate.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Other Characters<\/strong><\/h4>\nOur side characters are not given much depth to work with in the first volume, but with a lot of hints for future revelations. In particular it is unclear who, or what, is \u201cCitizen Evil\u201d when they are introduced. As the mysterious third entity, we are given enough to know that they are not exactly human, and not here for good reasons.<\/p>\n
I was immediately reminded of Death Note as soon as the dark notebook appeared, but besides the dark fantasy genre and the presence of a notebook, the similarities end there. There are no instances of \u201cdeath by writing names\u201d in this volume. Instead, this notebook is closer to a physical embodiment of a spirit (possibly a kami \/ \u795e \u2013 a Japanese spirit or god). On the \u201cfictional object possessed by a magical spirit\u201d spectrum I would place this closer to a Horcrux from the Harry Potter series, although that is still not the best comparison.<\/p>\n
Writing<\/h3>\n
The writing on the page of Citizen Evil is limited to dialogue and Damien\u2019s inner monologue. M.A.S.\u2019s word choices are based on the usual vocabulary of manga & anime and rely on conveying each character\u2019s unique voice. He was very successful (maybe even too successful?) with conveying the extent of Damien\u2019s crush. His unending stream of consciousness has absolutely no filter, which means that everyone within hearing distance hears about the extent of his devotion. This perfectly shows, without any other description needed, the true extent of his awkwardness and lack of social grace.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Rin\u2019s dialogue fits her mysterious personality. She says little, but speaks with impact, which is a great contrast against Damien\u2019s word salad. The sheer difference between how the two communicate establish how they are coming in as completely opposing personalities. This lays the foundation for what I expect to be a successful opposites-attract relationship built over time.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Illustration<\/h3>\n
As this is manga, the final important aspect is the art. I want to commend the Citizen Evil illustrators for maintaining visual consistency across the work. Each story (the main quest, as well as the side plots) has slight variations depending on the tone being expressed. For example, a comedic side story has a slightly looser style with more rounded edges. This is important because art style is required to communicate tone in areas where language is not there to describe it for us.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a lot of key visual moments whereby the still drawing itself could be an artwork. A personal favourite is a moment we get of Rin with a guitar in hand, while one of the school bullies cowers behind her. The drawing depicts her from a low angle, as if she is looking down onto the reader, with a determined facial expression. She commands the entire page, telling you she means business and is not to be messed with. You could show just that image alone, with no further context, and the viewer would already gain a lot of perspective on her character.<\/p>\n
Action is portrayed well, with lots of dynamic movement, lines, and shading. What I like about the action is a thoughtful combination of explicitly shown action and implied action. We do see some violence, nothing gory, but enough to see injuries. But M.A.S. and the team know it\u2019s sometimes more effective to create emotion by not showing everything. Without giving too much away, the very last page ends a well-executed moment where threat, danger, tension, and drama are expressed well without a single word of text. It\u2019s one of the best pages overall and an excellent way to end a first volume.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Final Thoughts on Citizen Evil<\/h3>\n
Overall, I would recommend Citizen Evil based on this first volume. Its action and well-established main characters hook you in early and start off an intriguing plot. It\u2019s very suitable for existing manga fans, or those who are already interesting in comics\/graphic novels in English but have yet to attempt manga. And personally, I want to know what happens next!<\/p>\n
Damien is a rather typical awkward, bumbling teenage boy with only one thing on his mind; his crush Rin. We don\u2019t get a sense of there being much else in his life so far outside his obsession. He drags his friend along for missions to spy on Rin, he is a user of the dark web but only as a means to an end of winning Rin\u2019s affections. He\u2019s got a lot of room to become well-rounded and mature through his adventures. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve seen a character so determined and single-minded as Damien in ages, and I want to watch this guy come into his own.<\/p>\n
Rin \u2013 The Mysterious Love Interest<\/strong><\/h4>\nBy contrast, Rin gets more layered characterisation. She\u2019s a cool, stoic girl with a difficult and mysterious past. Again, following common manga tropes, I suspect she\u2019s a tsundere\uff08\u30c4\u30f3\u30c7\u30ec\uff09- a girl with a tough exterior who will gradually soften over time. Our first glimpse of this is the fact she intervenes in a bullying incident, and our second is the sweet interaction we see with her younger brother. Beneath the hard shell is a heart of gold. For this reason I already like Rin. While she is here primarily as a love interest, she is shown as having her own life and personality right out of the gate.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Other Characters<\/strong><\/h4>\nOur side characters are not given much depth to work with in the first volume, but with a lot of hints for future revelations. In particular it is unclear who, or what, is \u201cCitizen Evil\u201d when they are introduced. As the mysterious third entity, we are given enough to know that they are not exactly human, and not here for good reasons.<\/p>\n
I was immediately reminded of Death Note as soon as the dark notebook appeared, but besides the dark fantasy genre and the presence of a notebook, the similarities end there. There are no instances of \u201cdeath by writing names\u201d in this volume. Instead, this notebook is closer to a physical embodiment of a spirit (possibly a kami \/ \u795e \u2013 a Japanese spirit or god). On the \u201cfictional object possessed by a magical spirit\u201d spectrum I would place this closer to a Horcrux from the Harry Potter series, although that is still not the best comparison.<\/p>\n
Writing<\/h3>\n
The writing on the page of Citizen Evil is limited to dialogue and Damien\u2019s inner monologue. M.A.S.\u2019s word choices are based on the usual vocabulary of manga & anime and rely on conveying each character\u2019s unique voice. He was very successful (maybe even too successful?) with conveying the extent of Damien\u2019s crush. His unending stream of consciousness has absolutely no filter, which means that everyone within hearing distance hears about the extent of his devotion. This perfectly shows, without any other description needed, the true extent of his awkwardness and lack of social grace.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Rin\u2019s dialogue fits her mysterious personality. She says little, but speaks with impact, which is a great contrast against Damien\u2019s word salad. The sheer difference between how the two communicate establish how they are coming in as completely opposing personalities. This lays the foundation for what I expect to be a successful opposites-attract relationship built over time.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Illustration<\/h3>\n
As this is manga, the final important aspect is the art. I want to commend the Citizen Evil illustrators for maintaining visual consistency across the work. Each story (the main quest, as well as the side plots) has slight variations depending on the tone being expressed. For example, a comedic side story has a slightly looser style with more rounded edges. This is important because art style is required to communicate tone in areas where language is not there to describe it for us.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a lot of key visual moments whereby the still drawing itself could be an artwork. A personal favourite is a moment we get of Rin with a guitar in hand, while one of the school bullies cowers behind her. The drawing depicts her from a low angle, as if she is looking down onto the reader, with a determined facial expression. She commands the entire page, telling you she means business and is not to be messed with. You could show just that image alone, with no further context, and the viewer would already gain a lot of perspective on her character.<\/p>\n
Action is portrayed well, with lots of dynamic movement, lines, and shading. What I like about the action is a thoughtful combination of explicitly shown action and implied action. We do see some violence, nothing gory, but enough to see injuries. But M.A.S. and the team know it\u2019s sometimes more effective to create emotion by not showing everything. Without giving too much away, the very last page ends a well-executed moment where threat, danger, tension, and drama are expressed well without a single word of text. It\u2019s one of the best pages overall and an excellent way to end a first volume.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Final Thoughts on Citizen Evil<\/h3>\n
Overall, I would recommend Citizen Evil based on this first volume. Its action and well-established main characters hook you in early and start off an intriguing plot. It\u2019s very suitable for existing manga fans, or those who are already interesting in comics\/graphic novels in English but have yet to attempt manga. And personally, I want to know what happens next!<\/p>\n
Our side characters are not given much depth to work with in the first volume, but with a lot of hints for future revelations. In particular it is unclear who, or what, is \u201cCitizen Evil\u201d when they are introduced. As the mysterious third entity, we are given enough to know that they are not exactly human, and not here for good reasons.<\/p>\n
I was immediately reminded of Death Note as soon as the dark notebook appeared, but besides the dark fantasy genre and the presence of a notebook, the similarities end there. There are no instances of \u201cdeath by writing names\u201d in this volume. Instead, this notebook is closer to a physical embodiment of a spirit (possibly a kami \/ \u795e \u2013 a Japanese spirit or god). On the \u201cfictional object possessed by a magical spirit\u201d spectrum I would place this closer to a Horcrux from the Harry Potter series, although that is still not the best comparison.<\/p>\n
Writing<\/h3>\n
The writing on the page of Citizen Evil is limited to dialogue and Damien\u2019s inner monologue. M.A.S.\u2019s word choices are based on the usual vocabulary of manga & anime and rely on conveying each character\u2019s unique voice. He was very successful (maybe even too successful?) with conveying the extent of Damien\u2019s crush. His unending stream of consciousness has absolutely no filter, which means that everyone within hearing distance hears about the extent of his devotion. This perfectly shows, without any other description needed, the true extent of his awkwardness and lack of social grace.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Rin\u2019s dialogue fits her mysterious personality. She says little, but speaks with impact, which is a great contrast against Damien\u2019s word salad. The sheer difference between how the two communicate establish how they are coming in as completely opposing personalities. This lays the foundation for what I expect to be a successful opposites-attract relationship built over time.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Illustration<\/h3>\n
As this is manga, the final important aspect is the art. I want to commend the Citizen Evil illustrators for maintaining visual consistency across the work. Each story (the main quest, as well as the side plots) has slight variations depending on the tone being expressed. For example, a comedic side story has a slightly looser style with more rounded edges. This is important because art style is required to communicate tone in areas where language is not there to describe it for us.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a lot of key visual moments whereby the still drawing itself could be an artwork. A personal favourite is a moment we get of Rin with a guitar in hand, while one of the school bullies cowers behind her. The drawing depicts her from a low angle, as if she is looking down onto the reader, with a determined facial expression. She commands the entire page, telling you she means business and is not to be messed with. You could show just that image alone, with no further context, and the viewer would already gain a lot of perspective on her character.<\/p>\n
Action is portrayed well, with lots of dynamic movement, lines, and shading. What I like about the action is a thoughtful combination of explicitly shown action and implied action. We do see some violence, nothing gory, but enough to see injuries. But M.A.S. and the team know it\u2019s sometimes more effective to create emotion by not showing everything. Without giving too much away, the very last page ends a well-executed moment where threat, danger, tension, and drama are expressed well without a single word of text. It\u2019s one of the best pages overall and an excellent way to end a first volume.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Final Thoughts on Citizen Evil<\/h3>\n
Overall, I would recommend Citizen Evil based on this first volume. Its action and well-established main characters hook you in early and start off an intriguing plot. It\u2019s very suitable for existing manga fans, or those who are already interesting in comics\/graphic novels in English but have yet to attempt manga. And personally, I want to know what happens next!<\/p>\n