Choujin X
By: Sui Ishida
Tokyo Ghoul creator Sui Ishida returns with his next vaguely interesting but ultimately unimpressive series, Choujin X. Let it be known early on that I never could get into Tokyo Ghoul. I hated the characters, I thought the writing was pedestrian, and while I appreciated some of the ideas, nothing about it managed to appeal to me, even when it premiered (the anime theme song slaps though). So with trepidation did I approach Choujin X and with mild interest did I leave.
Volume one introduces us to Tokio and Azuma, best friends living in a world where self-governed prefectures have become the norm. Superpowered individuals called Choujin are wreaking havoc, creating a kind of post-apocalyptic world. Always following in Azuma’s footsteps, Tokio and his friend get into a dangerous situation involving a mutated bully. Facing certain death, the two happen upon syringes which give them Choujin powers.
Tokio, who has been associated with a vulture since he was young because of how he circles around Azuma, gains the power of that creature. What that actually means aside from his face morphing to have a beak, giving him a look straight out of a Bosch painting.
In this volume we watch as he contends with his new features, having to hide from his family and school, and eventually faces off with another villain with similar powers to himself. All of this while a country girl flies into town to showcase her tomatoes, only to gain powers herself.
The idea behind Choujin X is nothing special and the execution is also uninteresting. The underdog who gains a superpower and is forced into a world of brutal violence – oh that kind of sounds a little like Tokyo Ghoul even. When using such a basic, overdone plot you have to do something to jazz it up and here…I didn’t feel it. Only in action sequences was there any sense of fun or entertainment and that was mostly because the violence is over-the-top and funny where the rest of the pages were dull.
The art for me is a mixed bag. Character designs are fine but forgettable and backgrounds tend to look empty or rushed. The action has great sense of movement and size. Ishida also uses a lot of unconventional panel setups that give the pages some pop. But nothing compares to the cover and the opening splash pages, where most of the work seemed to go.
Choujin X has a really cool cover that betrays a very middling interior. Regardless of how I feel about the drawing, the story was too bland to hook me and none of the characters interested me with the exception of a villain introduced toward the end. I don’t know where the plot is going – and I don’t exactly care to know what happens next. This volume may appeal to fans of Tokyo Ghoul or even something like My Hero Academia but for me, it fell flat.
Publisher provided copy for review.
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Sean Newgent has been with KGUN9 since January of 2020 and is Good Morning Tucson's executive producer. He graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in broadcast journalism. He is a critic and cultural commentator. Share your story ideas and important issues with Sean by emailing sean.newgent@kgun9.com.
