Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
4 stars

I forgot to re-read the blurb going into this manga, and it took me a moment to understand the story because of that. After I did, though, I was really intrigued. The whole idea of people having to live through bots to be outside and what it means for the overall psyche of humanity because of that is an extremely interesting concept, as is the fact that the MC isn't like the others. The thoughts of what humanity would become without pain and danger to themselves, and how the ability to die without dying affecting their mental health. It's all just very interesting. As is the way mods are utilized to create the villains. Add on nice art and you have yourself a very solid manga. I'm definitely hoping to pick this up sometime again in the future and reading onward!

It was alright. I liked the idea of the whole re anima thing. The scifi was cool but the crime part was kind of boring. And I feel like it never explained why that one boy didn’t need a fake body to be outside. I wanted to know why he didn’t need one.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

This was a very interesting manga. I'm a little confused on why he doesn't also just live underground though? And then go up on the surface to go to work? Unless it takes a really long time for someone to go from the underground homes all the way to the top. The story is intriguing though and I'm interested to know more about the world. I think it's wild that the government is the one paying for all the re:anima's for people. Like??? Where are they getting the resources and money to do all that? I think the manga did mention though that something like 75% of the world's population died so maybe they can do that simply because there's not a lot of people. Either way, I'm excited to read more in the future!

I think this will turn out to be a fantastic shonen. I've got some high hopes for it based off of the first volume! The storyline and world is very intriguing, and the art style is wonderful. I will absolutely be picking up the second volume.

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

Re:Anima is set in a future Japan where the current average surface temperature is 70 degrees Celsius (158 F), making the planet basically inhospitable. 80% of Earth's species were wiped out due to the extreme conditions. Humans, being the technologically ingenious species that they are, have created and moved to cities underground, though they are able to still see and experience life on the surface as regular through physical avatars called Re:Anima.

Shinano and Kara work for the Enforcement Bureau in which they maintain surface order by ensuring Re:Anima with dangerous mods are shut down in a timely manner. Shinano enjoys her surface time, as in her real body, she is wheelchair-bound. Kara, on the other hand, isn't working on the surface with an Re:Anima, but his real body, demonstrating a possible mutation or development for humanity to move forward into tolerance under major heat.

While seemingly unrealistic at times, it is the far future, so this could be a possibility, should the given circumstances arise. I like that the main character is able to withstand the heat and be on the surface with his real body. This adds an element of intrigue that will keep the reader going for the overall story arc. The Re:Anima can be damaged and is covered by insurance, so when things go awry on the surface, there is a low risk-factor to mortality.

A thoroughly enjoyable first installment of a manga that has a promising and exciting story to tell.

This manga presents a captivating vision of a future Earth where humans can no longer live on the surface. Instead, they rely on remote controlled robots called Re:Anima for surface activities. The two main, Shinano and Kara, characters work for the Enforcements Bureau, investigating illegal modification of Re:Anima. Both have their own secrets. Shinano's physical body cannot walk, restricting her to a wheelchair when not using her Re:Anima, while Kara is somehow able to live above the surface in his physical body, despite the excessive heat and radiation.

The series excels in its exploration of different modifications and the motives behind these illegal activities. Each case brings new and thought-provoking challenges, making it a truly fascinating read. The character development is impressive, and their dynamic adds depth to the gripping storyline. This is a must-have for any library, and I will definitely be adding it to mine.

This graphic novel dives into an intriguing premise. We enter a post-climate-change world that feels unsettlingly plausible, and although there is room for improvement to the world-building and plot progression, it was enjoyable. There were a few missing pieces and some events seemed to happen off-page, leaving me wishing for more depth and explanation.

The characters and dialogue added a comedic touch, which worked against the eerie dystopian atmosphere I hoped for. A bit more grit in the dialogue and interactions could have sharpened the world-building.

The art and illustration style were definite highlights and perfectly suited to the story's theme.

This graphic novel is early in its niche, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it inspires others to explore similar themes in the future.

Re:Anima was actually quite interesting and I really enjoyed the climate change aspect and the body double robots. The story is set in the near future Tokyo, where the temperature is past 70 degrees Celsius and people cannot live on the ground anymore. They have to have these Re:Anima robot bodies in order to stand the temperature and modifying them is illegal. The Enforcement Bureau keeps track of these modifications and our main character is a guy that can actually inhabit his own body for some reason. Mostly this first part is about the group solving mod cases and we don't get to understand the whole situation fully. So, a monster of the week sort of setting. But, gladly the the whole thing is very refreshing and it depends so much on where this is going. I do have high hopes, since this reminds me of Dragon Eye a lot.

The art looks good and the Re:Animas are creepy. I wish we'd get into the world situation better, since just solving the cases isn't that interesting in the long run. I'd want some kind of a wow element for the series.

The story of Re:Anima plays in future. When it will be so hot, nobody can survive on earth. Therefore every human has it's Re:Anima on the surface. A controlled robot through which they can see. That's not the case with Kara. He has got a secret. His body can survive these temperatures... He an Shinano are members of the Enforcement Bureau, a organization with the aim to maintain order. They have lots to do...

This manga was special for my son because it's story is in future. He liked it very much and is looking forward to the the next episode...

Thanks a lot for the possibility to read this manga!

After a solar flare destroys the ozone layer, Earth becomes overheated and uninhabitable, flooded with deadly UV rays that force humanity to live underground. The only way to experience the surface world is through robotic bodies called Re:Anima. However, when people begin modifying these bodies illegally, chaos erupts.

The story follows Kara and Shinaro, agents of the Enforcement Bureau, as they track down these modified Re:Anima and bring their users to justice.

The premise was intriguing, with world-building that was both fascinating and grounded enough to feel plausible. However, I think I would have enjoyed it more if the storyline had been more fleshed out. This volume contained three chapters, but the first two felt rushed, leaving little time to get truly invested in the story.

The artwork was detailed and visually appealing, with distinct characters that were easy to follow. That said, some important events happened off-page, which left me a bit disappointed.

Overall, it was a solid start to a new manga series, and I’m excited to see how the author further explores this world in future volumes.

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a very interesting first volume and I really enjoyed the concept, however I kept thinking that more could have been done with the world and characters in the 200 pages in this first volume. I enjoyed the art and thought the spreads were great.

Re:Anima Vol 1 was a fast-paced and very enjoyable manga. I really liked the worldbuilding and the pacing and can't wait to read Volume 2.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for the ARC.

Re:Anima is off to a rough start in my personal opinion. This first volume doesn't really standout or have enough build up to really pull me into the story and make me want to move forward with it. While I like the comedy buddy cop duo I do think it over shadows the seriousness some of the minor stories attempted to tell. Not only this I feel like each of the cases moved to fast. While the case involving the brothers is the most fleshed out even that one felt like it was missing pieces. Some of the details of the case were solved off page and explained to us through one of the main characters going over the evidence. It made it hard to really feel the weight of the actions of both brothers because we barely knew them and because of how fast the case solving happened.

The world building is the most intriguing part, a world where its been damaged so badly by climate change that humans live underground and now use an avatar like system to "live above" ground. There was a few moments where I could tell the author was trying to be profound in the message he is trying to send about why this is beneficial to humans, but I feel it might have come too soon in the story because we haven't really seen the full extent to what living underground does to the people negatively.

There are a few elements that are intriguing to me, such as Shinano's backstory, and the reason why Kara seems to be able to withstand the heat and UV rays, the bit at the end with him unfortunately wasn't a super big draw for me. I'll give this a few more volumes to see how it fleshes out from here but I wouldn't be opposed to it taking a turn and becoming more serious and less comedy buddy cop style.

The artstyle is cute, not overly detailed but not under detailed either, the fight scenes are easy to follow and understand and the flow of each of the panels on a page are very cohesive and easy to follow along with. Character designs are great too, no fan service outfits or shots, which is a plus, and we have some disability rep too which is great, if its good or not I can't be the judge on that but it was nice seeing it.

Absolutely incredible start to a manga! Excellent blend of intriguing characters, climate-fiction, and mystery. Will be continuing with the series.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this manga

I highly enjoyed this book and found the story to be very engaging and fast-paced ... the human race is underground in robot bodies called RE:Anima connecting their mind waves so they can go outside, while their human bodies rest at home in the machine.

We follow the main character and his sidekick but the main character is a human but a different kind who's able to stand the sun... we have many fights of people losing their minds because they live in these shells during the day that cannot feel pain etc.

I plan to continue this series and had loads of fun

This was a dystopian unlike any I've ever read before and I love that! The current world being overheated seems very likely to happen and made the story line that more believable. The character's were so likable, I want to know more about them. As an adult that loves manga, I like that the character's are grown too. The action scenes were so well drawn and put together. This is a series I can see really becoming popular, glad I got to read it early! I'm looking forward to more from this series and author.

In the not-too-distant future, a solar flare has vaporized the ozone layer, forcing humans underground. Fortunately, they can live a virtual life on the surface via Re:Anima: artificial bodies that allow users to exist (mostly) in the manner to which they’re accustomed. Of course, new tech comes with new exploits, and some seek to make illegal mods to their Re:Anima for their own gains. That’s where the Enforcement Bureau comes in. This group takes down illegally-modded Re:Anima, keeping the populus safe. But Kara, one of their lead operatives, hides a scientifically fascinating secret.

Gate of Nightmares writer/artist Yoshinori Matsuoka offers an interesting take on a recurring theme. While many climate change and post-apocalyptic stories focus on human hubris, Re:Anima takes the superheating of the world out of human hands. But that doesn’t mean there’s no musing on human selfishness. Rather than a broad stroke, it’s more granular. The wrongs of humans are person-to-person, rather than cumulative and catastrophic. It also brings into question the nuance of human experience. What does the removal of consequences like pain and death do to a person’s willingness to commit heinous acts? We’re eager to see these concepts continue to be explored in later volumes.

This is an example of the premise on the back of the book seeming a little generic, but the actual execution of the central idea is very solid. How the titular reanima work is a huge draw to this volume (and why people will go to such lengths to modify and or steal them.). Thought was clearly put into the hows and whys of this over-heated world. I'll be curious to see what kind of story gets told from here. If it keeps up the more human-centered narratives, this could be a hidden sci-fi gem.

This manga is perfect for anyone who is interested in distopian universes. The story is set in a post-climate-change universe where the earth is uninhabitable. People have been forced to live underground to survive. In order to traverse the surface level they have had to invent Re:Anima. This is a really cool concept, but you have to dispel a lot of belief to make this story make sense. This wasn't for me, but I can see it being enjoyable for anyone who enjoys a post-apocolyptic, dystopian read.

The year is 2032, after a solar flare destroyed the ozone layer, humanity escaped to the relative safety of the underground. The RSC in a joint venture with the government, however, develops the Re:Anima System. Able to replicate a humans body not only does it allow humans to live on the surface again it has made pain and even death obsolete. Thanks to this people have started modding their Re:Anima, allowing them to turn body parts into everything from knives to bombs, and while they may not be able to kill people these modded "suits" not only cause chaos but ensure those who encounter them suffer the long terms effects from the trauma of watching your friends and family "murdered". That's where the Enforcement Bureau comes in, their job is to track down and eliminate these modded Anima. And for Shinano that's fine, she has her Re:Anima to keep her safe, but Kara her partner at the Bureau fighting people who can turn their severed fingers into bombs is a little bit more dangerous because Kara, somehow, still has his own body.

I thought this was going to lean a little harder on climate change and while I would have enjoyed that as well, I found the conversation around the fact that the whole population is just a little crazy and most definitely suffering from PTSD far more interesting. It isn't just that these people are snapping because killing someone simply doesn't matter, it's the fact that people are witnessing a robot for all intents and purposes that resembles their family members being killed in some of the most messed up situations with the killer being fined at best because they didn't actually kill someone. So you've got half of the population who are mentally unstable because hey they can get away with murder and the other half trapped in a PTSD cycle because even though they watched someone they care about die, for all intents and purposes, they didn't actually die. That would mess anyone up for life. Honestly, it's a way deeper conversation on the human experience and trauma than I was expecting. And I think what makes it even more interesting is Kara is the only one who can truly understand why all of this is so traumatic as he's the only one who is actually at risk of not just feeling pain but actually dying. He mentions multiple times that the Re:Anima "suits" should include pain receptors and he's get shut down time and again. And while I believe the people shutting him down believe it's for a good reason it's almost impossible for them to understand how by taking away a little thing like being able to tell when you step on a Lego is literally depriving humanity of, well, their humanity.


Overall, I'll definitely be continuing this series. This is just an incredibly unique dystopian world that offers a glimpse at how much simply being able to feel pain contributes to our ability to not just empathize with people but genuinely not lose your freaking mind.


As always thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for the eArc!