Feng Shen Ji

Hello and welcome to the first iteration of Manga Reviews by Vonsopp. This will be a series showcasing Asian Comics that are off the beaten path of a Manga reader, and they will serve to enrich your Manga reading portfolio. This review will have multiple aspects of review and an eventual grading/raring system based on my opinion, which will also govern the series that are presented. There will be usually one of three types of series explored: Manga for Japanese series, Manhua for Chinese comics, Manwha for Korean series and webtoons. With all that said, let's begin!

Now, the series that will be explored today is a magnificent specimen named Feng Shen Ji. The author of the series Zheng Jian He, whose works included Wolf & Mary and primarily focusing on FSJ, artist is Tang Chi Fai, whose works also included Wolf & Mary and an incomplete series by the name Sea Tiger. It is a Manhua, which are Chinese comics. Feng Shen Ji, or FSJ going forward, is currently an ongoing weekly series with a chapter count of 116 that has many genre tags, but the important ones to take away are that it is a Seinen series, and it explores the dynamics seen in many Shonen books. What that means for the reader is that you get the best of both worlds. You get to see a character’s growth be explored in an uninhibited fashion where most Shonen typically are restricted with barriers they will not cross.

The premise of the Series is a universe where mankind lives in a world where they are in contact with gods and these gods oversee the humans and expect for them to harvest Bloodstones for them. The series starts with a human defying the gods and the retribution that soon followed by the opposing humans and subsequent assistance from the gods. Then, the story shifts to following the son, and this is where the series truly begins. The series, if it could be compared to anything, is God of War incarnate. The series follows a man bent on revenge, a dish served with a fist in the face....multiple times. The universe flows and maintains a consistency that many average Shonen fans would come to appreciate. With each chapter the plot and stakes seemingly escalate out of control. The key in FSJis the lack of predictability. One cannot properly make a conclusive statement on how things will resolve themselves. This is one of the best components. The series has actual depth in the structure of the characters and arcs in the relationships.

FSJ’s art style is a stark difference to most mangas, particularly because FSJ is all color. Every single aspect of the series is embellished in vivid colors allowing the reader to get the full spectrum of what is taking place in each panel. There are some who disapprove of color in Manga, but I am on the fence. For this series, it works wonderfully as the universe requires the colors to exemplify the diversity of each character and their myriad of abilities. The fusion of color spreads and the diverse quality of abilities makes for epic battle that only continue to rise in stakes. As a whole the series manages to maintain its sense of balance that many other series tend to lose when dealing with such unique content.

This series is teeming with mouth watering action. With that said, let’s talk about the diversity of the powers in this series. There are 4-5 main branches of abilities and within each branch is a plethora of individual powers. You see powers from Lightning to the conjuring of something like a megaman buster cannon. The battles range from simple hand-to-hand to earth shattering abilities and summons. There is a system of checks and balances even as the plot escalates. The beauty of the series lies in not knowing a person’s ability, or their level of mastery behind it.

The characters in the universe are fleshed out well, the dynamics flow well, and the characters have a lasting impression. Many times the “supporting” roles take the helm in plot importance and allow the reader to immerse themselves in not just the main characters growth but the other characters as well.

This series is very much worth the read. It has everything to please action driven readers. It is a series that I deem near perfect; the only thing stopping it from perfection is the fact the series is not complete.