Ral Ω Grad Vol. #1
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January 26, 2008
by: Adam Beck
Set in the world of Blue Dragon, Ral Ω Grad is what the video game should have been.
Manga Description: Promise
During a bloody war, a child is born at the cost of his mother's life. From this baby comes forth a huge and powerful dragon born of shadow that lays waste to the landscape. A quick-thinking knight locks the baby in a cage of darkness, where he grows to be a young man, knowing only the kindness of his young female tutor. Until the day the Shadows attack...
Manga Review:
Content: (This section may contain spoilers.)
I want to get this off my chest right off the bat: I am a fan of the Blue Dragon videogame and Ral Ω Grad is a manga title, written by Tsuneo Takano and drawn by the infamous artist, Takeshi Obata, best known for his work on Death Note and Hikaru no Go, that ventures into Blue Dragon's darker and grittier world. This is not Blue Dragon, no - this is what Blue Dragon wished it was. I’m not saying the videogame is bad, but it was aiming for a more friendly audience; Ral Ω Grad, on the other hand, is a dark, sexual, and murder filled world that will automatically appeal to any action junkie. This is technically a spin-off from the world, but the concepts from Blue Dragon are still intact. It is understandable why Viz wouldn’t title this under the Blue Dragon franchise; one being that the video game is far less popular here in North America, and secondly, anyone who has seen the videogame may get the wrong impression, instantly ignoring the idea. What is a bit of a disappointment though is that, I don’t think there is any blood in this manga series; this may be an action-filled violence-fest, but it is either monsters being cut-in-half with just a black effect or blown up in a rain of fire. Don't expect a bloodbath that is similar to Berserk as this is slightly behind it.
The story tells of a world that recently has come under the invasion of creatures called "Shadows." These Shadows are said to be exiled by god and cast into the dark; here they take a being within the world of the light and devour their body in order to come into physical form. Taking three different kinds of forms, these monstrous creatures have been overrunning the world in order so Queen Opsquria, a vile, sex-driven creature who is the only Shadow capable of breeding, can rule. I am actually enjoying this concept; the setting does mix a bit of a fantasy-driven storyline, and takes some forms in the middle-ages. The only question I can’t get out of my mind is how exactly these creatures choose their hosts; it seems like it is at random, but if that is so, how can anyone escape their grasp? In any case, the story itself has a certain dark charm to it, and a unique style behind it with the aspect of the shadows.
Being locked away since you were born for fifteen long years isn’t really something anyone would be happy about; thankfully our young hero has had some communication without the “outside” world that makes him and the beast within a bit more stable. Enter our lead heroes, Ral and Grad. Ral is a spunky young boy who finally gets to see the light side of his cell; having been taught by his teacher, Mio for as long as he has known, he has become accumulated with breasts. That's right, the boy’s first and far most developed obsession throughout the first volume, and most likely through the rest of the series, is breasts. This aspect of Ral offers some comical relief from the dark and dreary world, but it is debatable on how silly this can become. After three quarters of the volume was done, I was getting pretty nauseated that the breasts jokes continued in the manner they did. The series definitely has the sexual appeal to go along with his comments, but he overly uses his chances in creating a bit of a repetitive style. That said though, Ral’s character is very interesting; he ultimately reminds me of a more fun loving L – from Death Note – and gives an overall superb performance. Having Ral’s back is the grand Grad; this character is Ral’s other side, a powerful “Blue Dragon” that Ral can summon or transform with at any point. I can’t say much of Grad’s attitude because he seems like a more straightforward character with a calm and do-on-command personality. While he does everything Ral tells him to, he does seem to have a personal matter to take care of in the current matter with Queen Osquria. Sadly, his performance is almost non-existent in this volume; he does speak his mind at some points, but, for the most part, Ral does all the talking for him.
Having finally been released in a desperate attempt in saving the castle, Ral finally lays his eyes on the woman who visits and teaches him about the world every day. Mio is not much of an addition to the storyline: she offers her blossom to Ral throughout the first volume, but that is about all she ever does for him. I’m seriously questioning whether or not her character is just a sexual desire for Ral; she does help release him in the beginning, and her past with Ral is significant in being more than possible friends, but she is mainly in the manga to complain or allow our main character to have a chest to sleep beside every night. That said, she is the only non-infected human who travels with Ral throughout the first volume and does breakaway from the other characters in offering a more civilized appearance.
The first battle Ral and Grad take on is mainly centered on demonstrating their powers. I can’t say that this is my favorite battle of the volume, but it is certainly not the worst. It contains some intriguing battle strategies and a good start towards the action grasps of the series. I’m quite surprised that, even after fifteen years in solitude and darkness, Ral can muster up smart and reliable attacks, never failing on his actions. We also learn of the Blue Dragon’s true size, along with some more information on the murderous shadows and how their shadows also are a part of their body - so if you stab a shadow, the body will not be able to move from that point. It is an interesting aspect to an already intriguing world.
Introduced next is the Queen herself, Osquria. She is one of the most badass characters in the story thus far because her attitude is beyond evil and her sex appeal and the way she presents it is just devious. She is in the form as a woman because, like I said, she is the only shadow known to be able to reproduce. Her ways of staying in an attractive form is basically taking the soul of a young and beautiful woman; in this volume, most of her captures are princesses. Osguria is the most sexual character in the series so far as she continues to tempt her disturbingly ugly minions in a chance to impregnate her. I can’t say I like her, nor can I say I dislike her character, but I definitely think she is a necessity to the story, and her appeal offers more towards Ral’s perversion. Overall, being the main baddy in the story, Osguria's attitude suits the position well and I suppose it’s much better in having that sexual charm in a human form than placing it in the form of most of the nasty, ugly shadows.
Getting past another deadly battle, Ral vouches that he will never let another woman die when he is around. Doing so, he then makes his way into the shadow prison cells where he attempts to grab more teammates for his journey in killing the Queen of the Shadows. Finding only two out of the many individuals locked away with the same powers as his own, Ral sets his team together. Leaving one behind, Ral and Grad’s team comprises of two other characters; Mio and a young girl named Aia. The one left behind is actually a very well designed character, visually; it’s disappointing to see him being left out of the action, but it does open up opportunities for him in the future too. Aia on the other hand will be lending her abilities. She is a very young girl - younger than Ral most likely - and speaks in an uneducated tongue. Aia’s appearance is slightly more significant compared to Mio, but that doesn't say much, really. Her abilities seem to be able to sneak past defenses for information and recon ventures, but she basically has no fighting ability, making her not as entertaining to watch. Thankfully, however, she offers a good amount of comedy and cuteness to the mix.
Traveling to the next castle, we are introduced to a character named, Kafka. At this point is about when the breasts jokes become old. I will admit that it was funny at first, but the way Ral pushes it, it is beginning to become unnecessary. Kafka is a noble knight, true to his word; he has the same ability as Ral in summoning a shadow on command, but his shadow is a giant plant like creature. Besides Malero, the man who was left behind, Kafka is the second true fighter introduced, even though he admits his powers are usually meant for defensive purposes. His addition to the story does offer more variety in character designs, but I didn’t enjoy his presence too much, and he is also overshadowed by Ral and Grad’s performances.
The final battle in the first volume is probably the best, looking past the short but sweet rising of Ral’s new comrades. I will admit that the amount of enemies was underwhelming performance-wise, however, since the last fight contains what looks like hundreds of enemies, but in the end only becomes focused on one giant shadow. The strategies behind each action are well comprised and in the end makes Ral look like one badass character. I will say, though, the ending of the manga is pretty abrupt and with no warning. But still, it was one hell of a ride.
It’s difficult to recommend this to fans of the videogame because this is a significantly different series; it’s like taking Blue Dragon’s shadow summoning aspect, and mixing it with Berserk and Death Note in creating something so devilishly appealing. I am a fan of the videogame though, and I really enjoyed my time with the amount of action and sexual appeal Ral Ω Grad has to offer. Ral Ω Grad is a unique series with a very entertaining concept, but it’s too bad it becomes bogged down with silly and repetitive jokes later on.
Art: If you are familiar with Takeshi Obata’s work in Death Note, there won’t be many surprises. The only real difference between the two styles, beside the fantasy middle-age era setting, is that Ral Ω Grad contains many sexual scenes. That said though, there is no true nudity shown; there are full breasts shown, but there are no apparent human formed nudity. Being a sort of spin off from the videogame Blue Dragon, this is definitely something that would be compared. The overall atmosphere is very dark; being a world full of death and murder, it is only suited that Takeshi Obata were to take the place as the artist. The visuals are down right beautiful; there is an intense amount of detail into each panel that rarely ever becomes an eyesore. There are times when panels will become crowded, but thankfully, since the visuals rarely take a dip in quality, there will almost always be something to see and enjoyed. Character designs are all with excellent precision and uniqueness; for example, Ral’s body can transform on demand and he can almost turn into a dragon himself. Queen Osquria is another great example of variety, being that her visual design seems to change every time she absorbs another woman’s soul. While the characters look downright amazing, the environments don't skip in the visuals department either. Every scene will pulled me in with the amazing amount of detail and shading that has gone into each panel throughout the first volume. The visuals are immersive and rarely take any dips in details, even during comical skits. Takeshi Obtata’s art style is one my favorties and it only extends his beautiful track record with his work on Ral Ω Grad. The overall appeal in the visual department is far more satisfying than anything I’ve seen in a while, with some the most beautifully crafted scenes 've seen in a series.
Translation: I’m overall impressed with the amount of detail that goes into each sentence. Each character is designed uniquely, having their way of speech different from another. A good example would be Aia or Kafka. Aia speaks in an uneducated tongue, which makes sense considering she looks as if she has been concealed since she was born. Kafka is a well mannered man who speaks of a polite and almost Shakespearean tongue. The dialogue overall is well done and contains a fair bit of humor that strangely ties into the action very well. My only real complaint would be that, as mentioned before, the sexist jokes (Ral really doesn’t know any better) do get a bit repetitive at times. Sound effects are presented in English only; all the original Japanese sound effects have been removed and replaced. It’s difficult to ensure that some sound effects were not overlooked, but the grammar and editing appears perfect, without any apparent errors. Lastly, there are no extras in this volume of Ral Ω Grad, but it's understandable, considering the low price.
Bottom Line: Ral Ω Grad is an excellent addition to any action junkie’s collection. Its characters are very unique, despite most of them being almost useless thus far, and the storyline is something new. This is a dark, sexual, and overall entertaining look into the Blue Dragon world, offering something no one would expect if you’ve ever played the videogame. The fights in this volume are short but sweet, and both the protagonist and antagonist of the story are down right appealing. The visuals are done with absolute grace and contain some of the most atmospheric moments. There are some very overused jokes that are sadly tied into Ral’s fate, but that aside, Ral Ω Grad is simply amazing.
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Content |
Some immersive action sequences and an interesting concept, but too bad there are some overused jokes and somewhat useless characters. |
8.5 |
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Art |
Some of the most detailed and well mapped out designs to be seen, all of which equal up to a great looking manga. |
9.5 |
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Translation |
There are some overused jokes, but overall, the translation is solid and contains some informative dialogue. There are no extras though. |
8.5 |
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Verdict
The concept behind the series is interesting and maintains a steady flow of entertainment, but it’s a shame that characters don’t lend much to the story besides Ral, Grad, and Osquria. Despite overused jokes, Ral Ω Grad contains some of the most beautiful visuals from the artist of Death Note, along with a very atmospheric storyline.
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8.8
[not an average]
+ Many action-packed sequences.
+ Excellent character designs.
+ Beautiful artwork.
- Some characters’ abilities feel useless.
- Breast jokes get old halfway through.
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