Manga Review | Tsugumi Project Volume 1

Two hundred and sixty years after a deadly weapon wiped out Japan, Leon, along with a group of criminals, is sent to retrieve that very weapon in exchange for a pardon. However, as they’re being transported, their plane crashes.

When Leon’s attacked by ape-like creatures, he’s rescued by a mysterious bird-legged girl and a lion.

Now he must find a way to survive the year and complete his mission if he has any hopes of seeing his wife and child again.

Tsugumi Project, Vol. 1 by ippatu paints an imaginative post-apocalyptic survival thriller that uniquely blends sci-fi with fantasy.

I think what first jumped out to me about this series is how incredibly well-detailed the landscapes and background architecture is. The artwork really transports you to a derelict, post-apocalyptic Japan where crumbling buildings are being reclaimed by nature.

Now, Volume 1 very much feels like an introduction. We know next to nothing about the bird girl (Tsugumi) at the moment or what happened to life in Old Japan. Are the creatures’ mutations caused from radiation?

I’m not sure, but I’m intrigued enough to want to find out the answers.

Thank you, NetGalley and Kodansha, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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