A headstrong young woman and a meek boy with a mysterious arm are on the run from military assassins in a dystopian Japan rife with social tension. This is a great, action-filled first volume with quick pacing that sets up the mysteries of the story incredibly well. Fantastic, artwork with clean linework, neat easy-to-follow panel composition, and detailed backgrounds. Excited to see where the rest of the story goes! Strong recommendation for fans of Akira, Sakamoto Days and The Promised Neverland.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the advanced reader copy.

THIS WAS AWESOME! a story about a young woman, Riko, coming across an escaped subject, Eito, from a military experiment facility who she vows to protect. set in Japan seemingly in the near future due to the kinds of technology featured throughout the story. there were enough chapters in this first volume to give a really thorough introduction to the main characters, the world, and the story itself. it ended on a juicy cliffhanger that left me wanting to immediately pick up vol. 2 so i’ll eagerly be waiting for it!

likes: characters, art, world-building, sound effects, and premise
dislikes: couldn’t find any! this is right up my alley :)

A fast-paced, brutal beginning to what could become a hit manga, in my opinion.
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Riko and Eito were not looking for one another. But after a couple of chance encounters and a bowl of ramen, these two seem to be destined to be part of each other’s lives. Danger is following Eito. He’s targeted by a sniper and should logically be dead, if not for the plant-like tendrils that stop the bullet inches from the young boy’s head. Who is targeting Eito and why?! Where did the plant-like tendrils come from?
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This manga DELIVERED in my opinion. It gives a quick rundown of the world we are stepping into. The action begins quickly and a mystery is presented. While the plot isn’t a brand new concept, the execution made me keep turning the pages. Action followed by mystery followed by new characters followed by BRUTALITY! It was such a wild ride and I loved it.
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The characters have heart and the sci-fi elements hit their mark! The artwork is nicely done and gives me a bit of a 90s manga style vibe that I’m here for.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC! I’ll happily be continuing this series!

This is such a mature manga but I just really enjoyed it. It reminded me of Pluto in tone. It ends on a huge cliffhanger and I have to read more. This feels more high school appropriate than junior high. I can't wait to buy this for my heavier readers.

I loved this story. Besides being a great dark adventure, there are mysteries about who people really are and what it means to be a hero and care for others. I was invested in the story and worried about what would happen next, when it said "to be continued." I don't even mind because I feel like the entire manga was jam-packed full of action. I can't wait to read the further adventures. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

People aren't always what they seem. Riko is confrontational and headstrong, but she is caring and loyal. She is trying to live her best life and make her way through a world that is very anti-immigration. Eito is a young mute boy who is overwhelmed by his surroundings and can't stay out of trouble. Or is he?

I loved this volume. The story is so interesting. The art is nice. I wouldn't say that it's the best art that I've seen. But the story is so good that I don't even care. I will be reading the next volume.

A-DO is an action title through and through! A barely adult woman finds a young boy who is also on his own and the two form a nice little bond. While we've got the basics of "person with powers escapes and now they are being hunted down," premise, it's not bad for what it is. Both of the leads being basically children in their very controlling adult worlds was a nice bonding point, not to mention some real world themes flesh out the setting. The action is nicely paced, too! If you like X-Men or Akira, give this a look!

If you want a vaguely interesting plot and mostly unlikeable characters, this one's for you!

Okay, first off, the art. It has a retro look to it which, while interesting, sometimes comes off as more outdated than nostalgic. The artist(s) doesn't seem to take the idea anywhere. The designs for characters are pretty basic and uninspired, and there were a couple of background characters that were borderline racist caricatures.

Most of the characters we meet are unlikeable. We meet three fairly likeable, kind of interesting, female characters though. All of which die to serve the far more boring male characters' plotlines.

There's not much else to say, really. A-DO doesn't do anything that hasn't already been done. And what it does do, has already been done better. The writing is fine. The plot is fine. It's all just... Okay.

What could be a quirky, retro, action-packed manga is instead a forgettable, boring, and disappointing read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Amano Jaku for the opportunity to read this manga in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a manga! A girl named Riko gets mixed up with a young boy named Eito when she saves him from getting flattened by a truck. Since this incident, she treats him to a meal, but things get dicey really quick when some guys in armor and guns show up. Without a care to witnesses, they aim to kill Eito. When it is revealed he has a strange ability to manipulate his arms into vines, it is evident that this is why he is being hunted down, and Riko's own life is at risk if she stays around much longer.

Meanwhile, at the facility of which Eito is from, another A-DO (the experimental people from the facility who have various powers) is sent to find the escaped Eito since they can sense each other when their powers are in use.

This manga is fast-paced, action-packed, and has a flavorful classic manga feel to it, with a dystopian futuristic twist with some of its technological elements. A great manga for a contemporary audience that any teen reader would certainly enjoy.

This was such a fun manga. I haven’t read anything like this before so I thought was really interesting, which was really fun and cool as the main character can grow vines from his body and she’s part of like a secret program of like genesplicing and I thought it was a really cool and I love the way that he connected with the female main lead and I do you wanna see whether friendship goes in the future. I think it’s a radical concept has been done before in the past would like to know if it goes in a very unique direction or is it follows a very general arc, but I would like to carry on this series

A-DO 1 follows Riko, a restless young woman, who stumbles upon a mysterious boy named Eito amidst a dystopian Japan grappling with cultural clashes and growing xenophobia. After saving Eito from danger, Riko finds herself on the run with the boy who possesses a strange, plant-like arm. Together, they must evade the military who are hunting Eito while uncovering the secrets behind his unusual ability and navigating the complexities of their volatile world. Highly enjoyable an easy 4 star read...

A-DO" is one of those hidden gems in the manga world that you stumble upon and instantly fall in love with. The story follows the journey of a high school student who unexpectedly finds himself involved in the world of competitive martial arts. What sets "A-DO" apart is its perfect blend of action, humor, and character development.

The art style is dynamic and crisp, bringing the intense martial arts battles to life with every punch and kick. But it's not all about the action; the characters are fleshed out beautifully, each with their own quirks and motivations. You'll find yourself rooting for them, laughing at their antics, and sometimes even shedding a tear at their struggles.

What makes "A-DO" stand out even more is its authenticity when it comes to portraying martial arts. The creators have clearly done their research, and it shows in the way the fights are choreographed and the techniques are depicted. Whether you're a martial arts enthusiast or just someone looking for a thrilling read, "A-DO" has something for everyone.

Overall, "A-DO" is a must-read for any manga fan. It's got heart, humor, and enough action to keep you on the edge of your seat. So grab a copy, dive in, and get ready for an adrenaline-fueled ride that you won't soon forget!

[Spoilers to follow]

A-DO is sort of your bog standard "kid was experimented on, kid gets out of experimentation facility, government (?) paramilitary officials try to get him back" story, even including other kids with the same situation and a girl guardian on the outside that may or may not have gotten fridged. It was okay, I liked the retro sort of Akira-esque art and it could have had something interesting or important to say about immigration into the workforce that it kind of touched upon but mostly left alone (who knows if later volumes will expand?) but mixing that in with kid experiments and all was a lot of info with not too much payoff. But as an action manga it was fine.

Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for review!

Netgalley Review

This was a page turner! Read it in one continuous sitting much too late at night. Just thought I'd crack it open, get a taste of what it was, and then go to bed. Well now its even later, I'm done with it, not tired anymore, and excited for the next one.

It's got some of the typical themes. Loner main character with super powers. A normie helps him. His powers grow. Secret organization is trying to get him.

Even with some of the common troupes used though, I still really liked it and can't wait for the next volumes to comes out. I'd 10/10 recommend you give this a try!

Saw this on Netgalley and I’m always looking to bring more manga into my life so I snapped it up. I’m glad I did because this was absolutely fantastic. Eito is a compelling character. You get his story and backstory all throughout the book (I love how this used flashbacks to flesh out his character). I want to know more about him and see how he develops. Riko is his self appointed protector and you don’t learn much about her in this volume but I hope to learn more in the future. Same with the organization behind whatever is going on with Eito. Right now it’s just the shadowy evil organization of the week but I hope it gets more fleshed out.

I really like the art style in this. Each persons abilities is well drawn and the fight scenes managed to not be too confusing visually.

Overall I highly recommend this for sci-fi/horror fans. If you liked Elfen Lied I can see you liking this. May be too intense for younger readers (blood and gore are included but briefly).

This was okay! I don't think this was really for me, but I liked the author's style and ideas, even if they are not new. I can see this really appealing to fans of older manga because it really has that type of style.

Riko, a job-hopping Japanese girl, rescued a little boy named Eito from getting run over in a Tokyo street. And she took him with her to the police station and then to a restaurant for noodles. But when an army sniper tried to take him out, plants came out of his arms and stopped the bullet. And when the soldiers moved in, even their firepower did not stop him. So Riko and Eito are on the run from the army and the technicians of the lab Eitor had escaped from. The question is how long will they survive and who will still be standing at the end. It will be interesting finding out what new powers have Eito manifested at the end of volume 1.

Thanks Netgalley and Kodansha for the opportunity to read this title.

This is a great genesis to this Akira-inspired manga. Couldn’t find anything negative to say about this. The plot is off to the right start with multiple baddies that have some good characteristics. The goodies are all pure, at least thus far. The drawing is great. Good detail, good expression. The cyberpunk styling is right on the mark. I especially like the political context it starts to layout, what with a Japan that has relaxed its immigration policies leading to anti-immigrant stances faced in Western countries. This also provides the opportunity for interesting variety in the images and characters. The wording is good too. They strike a good balance between keeping Japanese, translating word-for-word, and translating phrases into equivalent native-English phrases.

The art is amazing but the story is trying way to hard to be Skies that it takes something away from it. Even the art is similar to the classic manga.

Whoa! What an ending to the first volume! The premise of this is so interesting. A boy has these unique plant like abilities that have finally awakened. How did he get out? How did he remove the collar? What could possibly go on from here?!? I love the set up. We get a pretty unusual world with powers that we don’t know much about and characters who we’re kind of thrown into meeting. This gives so much room for growth from vol. 1. I’m definitely excited to see where this goes! If you like cyborg sci fi with mystery and an unpredictable story definitely give it a go!!