Forced to join a terrorist organization when he was a child, Shimazaki had to go through life-threatening missions against humanity. Finally making an escape to Tokyo, Shimazaki is trying to live his best life and learn about everyday Japanese society in his own way. While this type of plot has been vaguely seen before, there is somehow grim vibes but also the hope that Shimazaki is treasuring his time here. I enjoyed this volume and plan to read the next ones.

Shimazaki just wants to live in peace after escaping the LEL, an international terrorist organization that kidnapped him as a child and turned him into an elite covert operative. Back in his native Japan, Shimazaki attempts to navigate the ups and downs of a normal life while avoiding his past. A very well written slice-of-life manga.

Unfortunately, not for me.

I absolutely enjoyed similar storylines from The Way of the Househusband or Spy x Family, but I couldn't manage to connect with the characters here. :(

My thanks to Kodansha and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions my own!

This is for the John Wick fans.
I absolutely loved Shimazaki and cared for him in a way that had me closing this book and wanting to read the next immediately.
While the story itself has been seen before, I still enjoyed the author's take on it and how much care it went into creating these characters and world.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for this DRC.

I picked this up because I was intrigued by the premise and I felt the art style was nice. Unfortunately, the plot, pacing and characters didn't really keep my attention in this first volume. While this could have been building up to something interesting, I found that I wasn't invested in most of what I was reading here.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gouten Hamada, and Vertical Comics for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this title!

As a child, Shing Shimazaki was captured and forced to join the League for Economic Liberation's revolutionary army, undergoing intense military training, completing secret missions, and otherwise becoming a human weapon of destruction against his will. Thirty years later, he returns to his native Japan to try and assimilate into the land of his childhood. While he struggles with ordinary tasks, reading his home language, and fitting into a life without war and the horrors it entails, his prior training and willingness to change will serve him well as he tries to regain what was lost.

This was a choice a little out of my wheelhouse, but I overall enjoyed the concept and will probably seek out further issues of this novel. The idea of a 40-something-year-old with Green Beret-level training trying to make it as a restaurant server and part-time graphic novel artist while avoiding his past was really interesting, and while this was not a silly goofy good time, I think there were some poignant moments here regarding regret, the trauma of war, the hard work it takes to break out of a mold you've been cast in, and the perspectives of what it means to live and how what you did in the past doesn't have to be what you do in the future. This is definitely a manga meant for adults so read with care!

My Thoughts:
This is not really right for my audience, but this is definitely disturbing. It starts off with a violent air hostage situation by some radical Japanese militants. They kill most of the innocent hostages, but take some of the children to brainwash them into their own political cult. Shingo Shimazaki, one of the boys that were kidnapped, is raised to be a covert operative for these international terrorists. This book starts 30 years from the initial kidnapping and Shingo has escaped the organization and headed back to Japan to try and live a peaceful life.

Of course Shimazaki is highly trained and people will come for him, but he does get to blend in for a little while. The other volumes will continue to see how long he can stay in Japan and try to live a normal life. However, he is a weapon, so there will be violence for sure.

From the Publisher:
Seamlessly mixing secret agent-type action with slice-of-life vignettes and fish-out-of-water comedy, "Shimazaki in the Land of Peace" is the charming alternate history political thriller you never knew you were dying to read. Utterly unique, with stunning artwork, this hit series promises to keep the thrills and surprises coming even as it warms even the coldest heart.

Shingo Shimazaki was kidnapped as a boy by the LEL, an international terrorist organization who turned him into an elite covert operative in their war against the international community. After thirty years, he has finally escaped their clutches and returned to his native Japan. All he wants now is to live in peace…but what will happen when his past catches up to him? The acclaimed, action-packed slice-of-life adventure begins here!

Publication Information:
Author: Gouten Hamada
Illustrator: Takeshi Seshimo
Publisher: Vertical Comics (November 26, 2024)
Paperback: 200 pages

I think I’m just found my new favorite manga. The plot is amazing. I love the pacing and the flashbacks. The little details we collect about out main character feel so authentic to actually getting to know a person in real life. Would highly recommend.

This manga had me on the edge of my seat while reading, with the page unable to turn fast enough. I normally gravitate towards a romance manga, but love keeping my options open and boy am I glad I did!! I really enjoyed this action packed manga, the author really did a wonderful job. This book definitely has a serious tone, but it was very interesting. I also loved the art style and cannot wait for book 2 to release and see how the main character will live peacefully being back in Japan under watch.

Thank you for letting me read this. This manga was very overwhelming and I had hard liking the main character even though he has been through alot. Now he able to change his life now since coming back home to his home country. But this story is hard to follow.

This is the story of a man who was trained from a young age to be a weapon—but now, all he wants is to live a normal life.

Despite his past and the target on his back, he can’t ignore people in need. Whenever someone requires help, he puts his skills to use, even if it means putting himself in danger. His struggle to balance a peaceful life with the weight of his past makes for a compelling and action-packed story.

The artwork perfectly complements the tone of the story, bringing its intensity and emotion to life. A must-read for fans of action and redemption stories!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the arc.

I don’t particularly like this genre of manga and usually never read books so graphic and dark, but something kept me reading and actually enjoying (at times) this manga. I really liked the scene with the main character naming his photographs/artwork. The characters are so complex and well developed. You even have an understanding of the background of a character that only shows up in one chapter/arc. Please do not read if you can’t handle darker themes like torture, etc.

I probably won’t continue this manga, but I’m glad I read it.

Shimazaki in the Land of Peace reminds me of SakaDays, but this story has a more serious outcome that is interesting.
Definitely a story to keep an eye on.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Amazon.

I found the premise of this manga so intriguing. This was defiantly a slow burn, perhaps a little too slow. I finished the first volume not much has happened. I wanted so much more. Illustrations are wonderful
Did anyone else see a younger Mads Mikkelsen? If this turns into a live action then at least Shimazaki has a cast listing.

Want to read a manga about a socially awkward ex-hitman who just wants to be an artist and looks strangely like Mads Mikkelson? Shimazaki in the Land of Peace has you covered!
I was really intrigued by this one. Shimazaki in the Land of Peace is a slice-of-life manga that follows the tale of Shimazaki Shingo, a half-Japanese, ex-assassin, who, as a child, had been kidnapped by a terrorist organization and turned into a killer. Now as an adult, he struggles to adapt to normal life, with the organization still haunting his present.
I liked Shimazaki as a character. Rather than being the hard, cynical man you might expect by looking at the cover, he instead is a rather awkward fellow who loves art and has a unique way of looking at the world. I really want to see more of the slice-of-life side of him exploring art and photography, but I feel this is probably going to remain being an uneven mix of action, flashbacks, and calm moments.
While marketed as a comedy, I didn’t really find much of the story comedic. Whatever jokes were put in the story I either didn’t notice or felt they fell flat. I’ve seen it compared to Sakamoto Days but I feel that’s a bit of an unfair comparison. Shimazaki would definitely benefit leaning more into the serious notes of the story rather than trying to be a comedy. Then again, some of the humor might have been lost in translation.
Shimazaki's development as a character is one of the highlights. His struggle to live a peaceful life is portrayed with care, showing how deeply his past influences his present. The manga also hints at his PTSD and the long-lasting effects of his brainwashing and training. While some aspects of his escape from the organization remain unclear, this mystery leaves room for future exploration in upcoming volumes.
The art style suits the tone of the story, with detailed backgrounds and careful attention to the little things, but what sticks most in my mind is Shimazaki’s art and photography, and the designs of several of the characters. The style puts me in mind of Abi Umeda, creator of Children of the Whales, but with more realism, less soft angles, and a more harsh color palette.
Overall, Shimizaki in the Land of Peace presents an original and engaging concept, but the execution doesn't quite live up to the promise. It's a series with potential, and is perfect for fans of Fable and Under Ninja.

NOTE: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes only. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The premise of this manga was interesting, and the concept could have been amazing. The pacing was a little slow for a book about an escaped prisoner who is highly experienced in combat. I feel like everything should have been fast-paced and high-stress. I hoped for something like "The Way of the House Husband." I will still read the second addition to see if it gets better.

Shimazaki in the Land of Peace is way different than I expected. The premise reminds me of Sakamoto Days and The Fable but this one has a more serious tone and slightly heavier themes to be discussed in the upcoming volume.

The story is about Shimazaki, who's been captured as a child by a terrorist organization and then trained to be an 'elite' soldier/assassin. Somehow he manages to escape that life of violence with a group of others in the same circumstances and lives in Japan, trying to adjust to a normal life and making new friends even as his past haunts him. There's not much explained about how he escaped, nor is there that much information about the organization except they're slowly trying to kill those who have escaped, including Shimazaki.

I'm definitely looking forward to the next volume, as we're expecting more action and how Shimazaki will handle it.

I liked it. It had fighting to live a normal life. Especially after one with killing. And now there people trying to kill them. Can't wait for the next one.

This was different. I thought the world-building was a little out of the ordinary--in a good way. Raised to be a fighter and killer, Shimazaki wants a different life. Trying to fit in isn't easy, though. This book kept me turning pages to find out where it was going next. It was very original.

This is a great premise for a story and the art is incredible!
I love everything about this book; the backstory is intense and compelling, the characters look good and are all very real and disctinct, the actions is realistic and intense.
I want to learn more about the LEL and the training. I want to learn more about Shimazaki and see how he'll get on.
I can't wait for more, I'm so hooked.