This is the manga version of Edge of Tomorrow aka Live. Die. Repeat, the Tom Cruise movie from a few years ago. Didn’t see it because you’re not so coco on Tommy boy? Aliens invade, Some Guy gets caught in a time loop where he lives the same day over and over, and, because he knows what’s going to happen, gradually goes from instantly-killable soldier to elite ninja alien-slaughtering killmachine. A single battle is won after nearly a year’s worth of the same day replayed - only an entire planet to save through this laborious process! But, y’know, love and stuff - it’s futuristic manga Groundhog Day!
So it’s not really the manga version of Edge of Tomorrow - originally this was a light novel, which is the Japanese version of YA but with illustrations on every other page. So this is the manga adaptation of the light novel, this time drawn by the Death Note artist, Takeshi Obata. And Obata’s name on the cover isn’t just because he’s the most well-known creator of the four credited, but also because his art is about the only noteworthy aspect of this otherwise dull manga.
The Tom Cruise movie is really good. That’s my recommendation - don’t bother with this one or the light novel, which I’m sure is also bad, as this is what it’s been adapted from. Because the movie makes basically everything better that’s in the book/s.
The title is shit. All You Need is Kill (ba da da da dum, kill is all you need) is terrible - I had the Beatles song in my head every time I saw it. And it’s stupid, like something an emo teen would come up with! What does it mean?! Edge of Tomorrow and Live. Die. Repeat. are both better.
The design of the Mimics (the aliens who invade) is also stupid. They’re giant balls with teeth and spikes! But they’re somehow made up of time travel particles because contrivance - get used to “because contrivance” as that’s pretty much how this story progresses - and they want Earth because, say it with me, conblahblanss!
A story where the same sequence repeats over and over gets pretty tedious at times but having basically the same thing told from another character’s perspective halfway through is worse. At least the movie cut out all of that crap so we didn’t have to get much the same story Tom Cruise’s character went through again via the Emily Blunt character.
I don’t know why but giant axes (and swords, etc.) are such a feature of manga and anime that they’re now cliches. That’s right, both main characters here have giant axes! Those got rightfully cut from the movie. Also, the dude is able to get a giant axe manufactured pretty much on the spot by a tiny woman - yeah that’s… Y’know what, fine. In a story like this, why not? It’s all dumb trash. I mean, nobody bats an eyelid when a basic soldier instantaneously shows up with a giant axe and begins cutting through swathes of alien monsters!
Speaking of manga cliches, there’s a hot pants girl chef character who also rightfully got cut from the movie because it’s just embarrassing to have that character in any story - though that doesn’t stop the creators of this book! And, even though she’s just eye candy to be goggled at, our main character doesn’t bed her even though she throws herself at him. This is “Shonen Jump Advanced” - you’re showing enough gore, why not let our main character get a little too? He’s not a sexless monk, guys - this is why modern Japanese men are marrying holograms and pillows!!
There’s a lot of convoluted nonsense that closes out the book and the movie streamlines all of it so that it’s more straightforward. The book/s are much more focused on the cheesy romance angle with a typically-Japanese sentimental finale so that’s why it’s that way - it’s so bad.
If I was stuck in a loop myself where all I had to think about was this book, I’d perhaps spend much more time poking at the silly premise but it’s just not worth the time or effort. I’ll just say I wasn’t impressed and found it all much too contrived to get sucked in on any level.
The art is great and the battle sequences aren’t bad once they finally get into it. Also, refreshingly for a manga, the whole damn mess is done in 2 books rather than 87. And we did get the great movie from the original source material this manga was based upon.
But, if you liked the movie and wondered if you were missing out on an equally great manga (as I did) then you needn’t concern yourself: you’re not. Edge of Tomorrow is a cracking movie - one of the few out of the many, many action movies Cruise has done, and seems hellbent on continuing to produce until one of his stunts eventually kills him and sends him to alien heaven, or whatever crap he believes, that’s worth watching. If you haven’t seen it, check it out instead of reading this - it’s a rare case of the movie being far better than the source material. All you need is that, not this.
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