A Superior Alternative to Endless Eight (L∞P Manga)

L∞P is comes from the writer of the prematurely cancelled Mx0. The only reason I say “prematurely cancelled” is because I think Mx0’s fanbase would attack me like rabid dogs were I to say the series was not interesting. Just like I would attack anyone who said Double Arts got cancelled because it wasn’t interesting. THAT MANGA KICKED ASS.

Since it’s a one shot, there’s not much to say without giving a away spoilers, but basically L∞P is a story about Jean,  a young man who keeps reliving the last few, brutal hours of his life. The fact it’s so short means that there isn’t much time to flesh out the concept and the repercussions of his actions, such as with the movie Groundhog Day or the series Daybreak (both recommended), but what’s accomplished in a short time is rather impressive. The best part of this type of plot device is watching a protagonist slowly gain mastery of his own destiny. I think there’s an inherent urge to root for someone defying their own tragic fate when watching/reading any sort of media, but unless the protagonist is actually likeable it wouldn’t have as great an effect. And thankfullly, Jean is likeable enough so it’s time to root for the underdog.

The fact that we know that Jean has failed before helps maintain the tension in the manga. You’re always second guessing decisions that are made, and since he’s the only one who knows what (might) be the right and wrong things to do, the reader’s just left with a sense of foreboding throughout the entire story. Yasuhiro’s surprisingly visceral art is a treat to look at too, especially during the action sequences.

As with most one shots, the ending leaves a small space open for continuation. Considering the nature of the ending, it’d be interesting to see how the story would be redone/adjusted for a longer series. At the very least I know that it’d be more interesting than KYONKUNDENWA for 8 weeks.

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