Thank you to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this manga. This has an intriguing premise, but I also think it can fizzle out as quickly as it came into being. It has an assassin academy and some disability representation that I am not sure if it's accurate or not. Because of these points, I have to give this 3.5 out of 5 stars

I would have ordered this title for our store based on the title, regardless of the content. It was not at all what I expected it to be, but I mean that in the best way! I am interested to see where the story goes.

Tank Chair 1, written and illustrated by Yashiro, introduces readers to a world where military combat and emotional healing collide in unexpected ways. The manga is a mixture of action, drama, and subtle introspection, with a strong focus on themes of personal trauma, loyalty, and redemption.

The central character, Misaki, is a paraplegic ex-soldier who finds herself piloting a tank chair—a heavily armored wheelchair with impressive combat capabilities. Misaki’s journey is both physical and emotional as she grapples with the scars of her military past while navigating a world that often sees her disability as a weakness. The tank chair becomes more than just a tool for battle; it is a symbol of her defiance against both external enemies and her internal demons.

Yashiro’s portrayal of Misaki is nuanced and deeply human. She is not your typical action hero—there are no over-the-top speeches or melodramatic scenes. Instead, Misaki is quiet, reserved, and deeply reflective. She has moments of doubt, anger, and frustration, which make her relatable, especially as she faces discrimination and misunderstandings from those around her. Yashiro’s ability to balance her strength with vulnerability is a standout element of the story.

The supporting cast in Tank Chair 1 also adds depth to the narrative. From Misaki’s comrades, who share her military background, to the civilians who don’t quite understand her, each character serves to highlight different facets of Misaki’s struggle. The interactions between these characters are well-crafted, showing the complexities of relationships formed under the pressures of war and survival.

The action scenes, while present, are not the main focus of the story. Yashiro’s art captures the intensity of combat without overwhelming the reader with constant explosions or fights. The real battle in Tank Chair 1 is internal, as Misaki learns to navigate her new life and redefine what it means to be a soldier. The tank chair, as a piece of military technology, is fascinating in design, and Yashiro gives enough attention to its mechanics and capabilities to make it feel like an integral part of the world, rather than a gimmick.

One of the more subtle but poignant themes in the manga is the treatment of disabled veterans in a society that is both fascinated and uncomfortable with their presence. Misaki’s experiences as a disabled woman in a combat role challenge the typical tropes of strength and capability. Yashiro doesn’t shy away from showing the difficulties she faces, but he also doesn’t reduce her to a figure of pity. Misaki’s story is one of resilience, and her disability is portrayed not as something to overcome, but as a part of who she is.

In conclusion, Tank Chair 1 is a thought-provoking and emotionally rich work. Yashiro’s storytelling deftly balances action with deep character exploration, making this first volume a compelling introduction to what promises to be a powerful series. Fans of military dramas with a focus on personal journeys will find much to appreciate here, and Misaki is a protagonist worth rooting for as she battles both external foes and her own inner turmoil.

Yeah, this was pretty fun. Tank Chair follows a superhuman assassin, despite being confined to a wheelchair. He has a sort of spidey sense that kicks into gear if he is in danger, and so with the help of his sister they seek an opponent capable of pushing our protagonist into battle and on to a point of recovery. It’s an interesting concept for fans of things like Chainsaw Man, Fist of the North Star, or just about anything in the wasteland sort of setting. I’m sure Tank Chair will be a popular series. Thanks to Kodansha and NetGalley for the chance to check this out early!

Really good world building with a wonderful concept that is original and will keep readers coming back

I really like the fact that the protagonist is on a wheel chair, I don't think I've ever read any genre of manga where anyone uses a wheel chair, let alone the protagonist of a battle shonen. Really refreshing.

I also like the fact that the protagonist is always on the wheel chair and it's not something that goes away when he goes from "every day mode" to "murder mode". It would be really easy to have the character be on a wheel chair but gain a power up that lets him bypass his disability when he has to fight, so I really like that the author put effort into creating different chair modes that allow him to do different stuff (like climb a floor without using the stairs) while still mantaining the use of the chair.

It's not the most creative or original manga out there, on first glance the plot seems quite basic tbh, but it's certainly entertaining to read because it goes straight to action and every single chapter so far had a fight. The art is also pretty good and fits the overall tone of the story.

This was a fantastic first volume. I adored the character design of the MMC and subsequent supporting characters. It is reminiscent of other Shonen titles however the wheelchair MMC, backstory and unique "transformations" is a welcome change. I'm very much looking forward to the second installment.

Tank Chair features a raging Japanese wasteland where only the strongest survive, so what happens when an unassuming schoolgirl takes intense assassin jobs?
In reality, Shizuka Nagino gets the most murderous hit requests and sends them to her brother, Nagi Taira. Nagi is wheelchair-bound and mostly braindead due to an accident that left him in this condition. Most of his life is living in an unresponsive vegetative state with his sister.
However, when faced with murderous intent, his consciousness rebirths and he becomes a skilled assassin. His wheelchair also helps him get through tricky situations, as it acts as a transformative piece of armor for him. With this in mind, it’s up to Shizuka to find someone with the will to kill so strong, it might help Nagi recover permanently.
Tank Chair was a surprisingly bloody good time! Those looking for Fist of the North Star vibes will find a great time. The action sequences work well, and the artist does a great job fitting Nagi’s handicaps into battles.
I enjoyed how the fight scenes were diverse as well, with the last opponent of the volume figuring out his weaknesses quickly before fleeing. I did appreciate the brother/sister dynamic of the main duo, and while Nagi doesn’t have much going in terms of personality, the murderous switch helps set him aside from other protagonists.

Nagi was once one of the strongest assassins alive; but a horrific accident has left him wheelchair-bound and unresponsive. The only way to bring him back to himself is to trigger that assassin’s instinct: if he can sense someone coming in for the kill, he wakes up. To that end, his little sister Shizuka is determined to find him the most dangerous of opponents—all of which he takes on with the help of his battle-ready mobility device. Together, they search for an opponent deadly enough to bring Nagi back to himself permanently.

Tank Chair is gritty and gory, but surprisingly sweet—a must for fans of Chainsaw Man and the works of Go Nagai. The later chapters of Volume 1 bring more details about these killer siblings to light, including the existence of a school for assassins and some long-standing rivals. You can immerse yourself in the world of Tank Chair when Kodansha releases Volume 1 on September 17.

Set in a dystopic cyberpunk future, Tank Chair is about a comatose paraplegic hitman named Nagi who returns to full consciousness whenever he's able to sense murderous intent, employing a series of Mad-Max-kitted-out wheel chairs to assist in his self-defensive kills. Having been initially injured saving her from harm, Nagi's younger sister, Shizuka, seeing him come back to life, pits him against increasingly dangerous opponents or contract targets in the hopes that encountering enough murderous intent will cure him permanently. The thoroughly tongue-in-cheek premise is a set up for over-the-top violence that is immediately reminiscent of Yukito Kishiro's Battle Angel Alita, and maybe even more it's motorball spin-off one-shot, Ashen Victor.

In many ways, Tank Chair is reminiscent of other seinen series that reveled in this kind of frenetic graphic depictions of violence like the aforementioned Battle Angel, Blade of the Immortal, Blame!, and GANTZ. Underpinning this all is the ways in which Nagi's physical disability is framed; the Tank Chair itself (which he operates with his massively strong arms) is an accommodation that allows Nagi to effectively continue his work as a master assassin, in some ways allowing for his condition to apply advantages in combat. During one fight he thoroughly rejects the premise that he is lesser-than following his permanent injury, and that his personal connections have grown (albeit comically framed as "NOTHING BONDS PEOPLE TOGETHER LIKE MURDER!"). Tank Chair is a violent spectacle that revels in its bloody viscera as a major selling point, but it also clearly aims for positive disability representation.

A ridiculously over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek, violent manga that knows exactly what it is, that will appeal to fans of Chainsaw Man, and the prior mentioned violent spectacles like Battle Angel.

Super cool aesthetic and story, The art style really reminded me of Q Hayashida's work, which is a good thing. I'm really excited about continuing the story.

Thanks to Kodansha and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this manga, even though it’s not the type I would generally read.

This is a very violent manga, so I would not recommend it if that’s not something you are okay with. The characters seem interesting from what we have seen so far, but this volume is mainly introducing them without too much backstory yet. I do really like the art style and liked the detail that went into the different models and features of his wheelchair.

It was interesting enough that I would probably consider reading the next volume and seeing what happens next.

This was a lot of fun, and reminds me more than a bit of Chainsaw Man. Most important for me, the action was incredibly clear and easy to follow. Often in shonen books I lose track of who is doing what to whom and how, but that was never the case here. I'd recommend it to action readers looking for something new.

Tank Chair is gory fun. Honestly, it was refreshing to see one of the best assassins be wheelchair bound and still be a force to be reckoned with, even if he's no longer fully able-bodied. The art is very nice to look at, it does a lot of telling along with the dialogue. It's absurd at time, it's violent, and I'm still glad it exists. I am always here for "what if this, but this?" sorts of titles.

This reminded me of how over the top manga can be and I finished it on one sitting.
The consept of an assassin in a wheelchair is intressting and I will read the next volume when I get the chamce.
It is violent and bloody but I found humor in the consept and the last chapter give a solid direction for where it is going, even if I'm not invested in the characters yet I am curious of where it's going.

This is an interesting story where our main character is an assassin, but he was in an accident saving his sister. His sister is working on healing her brother by doing it in a very odd and dangerous way. I would like to see where this story goes, as it's an interesting concept.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC!
3 stars

Yet another manga that I'd love to follow but there's no valid paid app to read on T^T It's a really fun action manga with an interesting concept. I liked the art, and the action was really fun with the different chairs the male MC used. Definitely recommend for people who like just fun slashy action shounen!

This is what manga is for! Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the opportunity to read this one.

Tank Chair has been on my radar for a while - I saw the cover art and added it to my mental “check this out” list. The art style reminds me a lot of Q Hayashida, definitely some Dai Dark/Dorohedoro vibes.

Obviously violent with some really dynamic panelling. Fast paced, fun and some very unique character designs.

I will be checking out Volume 2!

Tank Chair 

September 17 release

Volume 2 release December 

Volume 3 release March 2025

Warning there is violence

It ended up being more interesting than I originally thought it would be. When I try to compare what it reminds me of, the closest thing I could think of is Dorohedoro (the art style). I am left with lots of questions after reading volume one, but so far the developments are moving along at a decent pace. One part I was surprised to see right at the beginning was a gorilla (not sure if there are other species or if someone genetically mutated), but in this world it seems like people can "improve" their bodies too. We learn bits and pieces of their backstory that seem like it will be relevant soon- like hiding from the Academy. Will be reading a bit more to see if it's a series I’ll continue. 

Summary: 
Nagi became unresponsive three years ago after he tried to save his sister-  the doctors are surprised he is even alive. Shizuka, his sister, is not giving up on getting her brother back to normal, even willing to go as far as accepting risky assignments for his “therapy”. She does whatever it takes to figure out the best way for him to stay responsive the longest. No matter what he has to feel murderous intent to awaken. Thus, Shuzuka will even threaten her own brother's life for his recovery.  As Nagi finishes out a hit, it seems he becomes unresponsive not long after but he still tries to talk to his sister as long as he can. 

Thank you @netgalley and @kodanshamanga for the opportunity to read.

This is one of the dumbest manga I have read in a while, and I loved every second of it. Makes zero sense, constant gore, and copious amounts of action. The only reason this exists is for a pure fun factor and oh boy does it accomplish that in spades.