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.

This manga was fantastic. Part alternate history and part political thriller it had me hooked from the first page. I also enjoyed that our protagonist is a bit older which was a nice touch. The art style and panel spacing I felt was perfectly matched to the story and there was a nice balance between text and artwork. The story itself is intriguing, interesting and has a tiny touch of humour to lighten a somewhat dark plot. A solid 5 and I will definitely be following the series.

As always thank you to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for the copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

Shimazaki in the Land of Peace Vol 1

When I read the description I thought it might be similar to The Ways of the House Husband; however, it was not. Not saying that it is a bad thing, the series just turned to take a somewhat different direction than I was predicting. It does go back and forth between the Shimazaki’s past and the present at moments and there are some chapters where we see the past of characters being introduced for a moment, which generally leads to a situation where Shimazaki gets involved. Shimazaki does his best at trying to keep a low profile, but it does seem that the terrorist organization is sniffing out the communities that were able to get away.

After the first time reading through this volume, I was not sure if it would be one to continue or maybe just let it go a couple volumes and do a reread of it. It is definitely different from a good chunk of manga I read, but I guess in a way you could see it similar to the shounen ones where you have an organization taking over and a group trying to stay alive/defeat them- just no random powers or a fantasy set up. I did like how they had the detail that although Shimazaki has some skills there are aspects he is very weak in others (like reading) due to the fact he was brainwashed, by the organization after they hijacked a flight, at a young age and forced into “combat” in order to survive. It also depicts that just because he was able to run away from the organization, he will not be able to truly live a normal life and has to overcome different obstacles. Something I am curious about is the agents following him and his comrades. Are they there to make sure they are not up to something? Seeing if they can get intel on the organization? Or more to sorta help protect them? But if these agents have eyes on them then there is no reason why the organization can’t easily find them either. My other question is if Shimazaki disappeared during a mission, how was he able to pull it off without help? I hope at some point there is a flashback to how he was able to get away.

This series is a type of slice of life. In the description it said “fish-out-of water comedy”, but I didn’t think there was much of any comedy. Maybe it went over my head or I just didn’t think too much about it.

I did do another read of this and did get a different opinion from the first time through. I noticed the art’s background is pretty detailed in majority of the panels and some comments characters make. The title is mentioned at the end, which shows how Shimazaki views the world through a lens but also thriugh his drawings- both contrast each other. I do think there is more to why Shimazaki was sent to visit his friend at another colony, to find them “discarded”. There is violence, so if you are looking for a warm-hearted, sweet slice of life don't be surprised.

I enjoyed this manga! It reminded me a bit of Sakamoto Days, but more serious and less overtly comical and it feels like it’ll tug at heartstrings.

This centers around Shimazaki Shingo, a man who, after getting captured by a terrorist organization (I think, not totally sure) as a boy was raised to become a super soldier/ruthless assassin. Somehow he’s escaped that life of violence with a group of others in the same circumstances and is back in his native Japan, trying to adjust to a normal life and making new friends even as his past haunts of him.

Some details are still unanswered, like how he and his group escaped the organization and what exactly he did during his time there. But I think those will come in subsequent volumes, and for now we see how Shimazaki is doing his best to live a life free of violence and his past, and how despite that, deep down, he actually seems to care about others who’ve been kind to him. It feels like he has traces of PTSD, and he’s not totally able to get rid of habits from his past, so it’ll be interesting to see how that will affect his new life. The art style very much suits the sometimes violent scenes depicted, and include little details about food/drinks Shimazaki learned about during his time overseas. Really enjoyed this and looking forward to future volumes!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Shimazaki in the Land of Peace 1, was a bit different than what I had extended it to be. The manga follows Shimazaki who returns to Japan after a long time. He tries to adjust to a normal and quiet life, which turns out to be harder than expected although he continues to try. It’s quite gory and gets pretty heavy and dark. But it often then followed by scenes that are depicting everyday life, but where trauma and the past still shows up here and there. Before reading it, I had expected it to be more lighthearted than it was. I would have read the manga at another time had I been aware it was not, and would probably have enjoyed it a bit more.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha/Vertical for the review copy.

Kidnapped as child and raised in a terrorist association called the LEL, Shimazaki finds himself at odds with his homeland of Japan when he returns as an adult. Seemingly AWOL, Shimazaki can't quite grasp the language, culture, and mores, which, at times, garners some unwanted attention. He initially finds himself working at a manga studio, and when some artwork is stolen, the reader begins to see his past military skills come into play.

I have seen others complain about the pacing of <i>Shimazaki in the Land of Peace</i>, but I found it to be well-paced. Weaving through past and present perfectly, the book never loses sight on character development, plot, and the merging of two worlds. An engaging story full of beautiful artwork, fun and honest supporting characters, and a story that both feels fantastical and oddly poignant at once, this is a manga I will highly recommend and I cannot wait to read the rest of this series.

Rating: 4.33 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 4/5
-Story: 4/5
-Writing: 5/5
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yes

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

This was such a sweet and sad manga. The undertone is sad but the MC have me cheering for him. If you like war and mad fighting skills while a man is trying to live a happy life this one is for you. I am not big on the war thing but the rest I liked. Another dock off the rating had to be the art style. It is def not one of my favs.

Sorry, not my cup of tea.
I imagine others will like it.
Worn plot of geeky guy, outsider, who is a a trained killer underneath it all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a proof in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of Shimizaki in the Land of Peace immediately caught my attention. The story of a child who was kidnapped by a group of terrorists and is now trying to adjust to normal life as an adult is both unique and thought-provoking. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t fully meet my expectations.

The manga seemed to struggle with its tone, trying to balance comedy, violence, trauma, and seriousness without fully committing to any of them. It didn’t lean far enough into the comedic aspects to be truly funny, nor did it explore the darker themes deeply enough to be truly impactful.

That said, the idea behind the story is intriguing, and I do think it has potential. I’m hopeful that future volumes will delve deeper into the characters and themes, offering a more focused and engaging narrative.

While it fell a bit flat for me, I’d still rate it 3 stars for its originality and the groundwork it lays for a potentially compelling series.

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

This manga was definitely better than the one I've read before. Mainly started it because Shimazaki reminded me of Mads Mikkelsen. (Still does, not from every angle, but most of them). The main character designs I liked, but from some angles they didn't work at all.
The manga tried to be a bit of everything: It had some wholesome content, gastro, crime, action and I think it suits it well, a good mix. Overall my only problem with it was that it was confusing on some bits... But I1m pretty sure I'm going to continue the series.

Asked for this from Netgalley because the story intrigued me and I’m super glad that I did. This book fascinated me I couldn’t put it down. I really like the MC. I really like the story of him trying to adjust to living in normal society and the flashbacks to his past are intriguing. I can’t wait to find out more about him in future volumes.

The art in this book is quite good. The action scenes flow well and are easy to follow.

Overall I really liked this and highly recommend it. Look forward to reading more of it in the future.

Very curious series with a member of a terrorist sect who tries to remake his life as an incognito civilian and at the same time learn to be a normal person with normal relationships. And learn is the word, because he has only known a life as SOF and is one of the best in his field.

The book has quite a humor, hence the comedy,, plus a tender point in the way Shimazaki tries to protect his new friends, but when the action begins, nobody and nothing are able to stop him. What has surprised me is that the drawing is not very "Japanese"., starting with Shimazaki himself with his western look.

By the way, I love the fish-out-of-water in the description. It’s so to the point.

Shimazaki in the Land of Peace definitely had a catchy blurb, and I'm happy to see it live up to the promised hype. What if you were radicalized, but all you really wanted to do was to go home and live a normal life? That's pretty much Shimazaki for you. It's slice-of-life featuring an adult main character, but has suspenseful spy action. It's very hard-boiled but also heart-warming. I'm looking forward to reading the next volume, since the story itself counts down to something big going down.

A unique plot with unexpected elements. The illustration style did not appeal to me as the proportions of the body parts seemed mostly unbalanced, but the background scenery and the wildlife were drawn very true-to-life. I think I was expecting the plot to be more like 'The Way of the House Husband,' and so I was expecting more humor in the slice-of-life vignettes, but despite the humor being more understated than expected, I did find many of the interactions between the characters to be wholesome and refreshing in their authenticity. It is fun seeing such dangerous skills used in mundane locations and activities.

I felt this was a bit rushed and all over the place. There were times it was a little hard to follow what was actually going on. Is Shimazaki actually working on himself or is he just waiting to go back to his old life? Not really sure. Guess we will see in Vol 2.

Absolutely compelling main character and story. Who is this guy? What's he up to? What happens when the countdown is over? Not only did I tear through the story but I can't wait to see what happens in the next volume. Should appeal to a range of readers, including those that like mystery, intrigue, action, slice of life.

Bit of a slow paced story, but great non the less - I will definitely picking up the second volume!

Shimazaki was the only survivor after a mass murder by an extremist group and from a young age he was recruited by the group to become a killer. After years of killing he is now trying to live a normal life with other people who also left the group. Unfortunately, someone is out there trying to take all of the assassins out!

I really enjoyed this manga and I appreciated that it pushed me out of my comfort zone in terms of what I usually would read. It was an interesting perspective and at times intense and violent. There were many times I found myself wondering if Shingo was going to get caught only to enjoy the action sequence showing off the pure skill in combat that Shingo possesses.

It’s a thrilling read from beginning to end and if you are into action you’ll love this manga!

The LEL are an organization that believes fully in itself. “The Lel’s cause is righteous, and desertion is tantamount to sacrilege! We will hound deserters to the ends of the earth, and we will kill them”
Although it doesn’t say whether Shingo Shimazaki is a deserter, it kind of alludes to it throughout the first volume. He is just trying to live a normal life, one where he works at a café, hangs with friends, and creates art. However, LEL will stop at nothing to track him down and take him out, but have they trained their own…too well?

Shimazaki was kidnapped as a child by an international terrorist organization known as LEL. As an adult, he has finally escaped from them and made his way back to his homeland in Japan. He lives in a house share with other people who have escaped from LEL, all trying to put the past behind them, but forced to be constantly looking over their shoulders. Now it seems that LEL has caught up to Shimazaki and he must do his best to evade them while still trying to live a normal life.

I did like the premise of this story, but I think that the execution was just a bit confusing. I wasn't entirely sure how all of the characters were related to one another, who was a civilian, who was an ex-operative, and which organizations the various villains worked for. I found the political ideas that were starting to be developed in this first book to be interesting and they also feel like they're topical in today's political climate. I think I would have liked the book a bit more if the story and characters were just a bit more fleshed out in this first installment. This will be a good one for people who enjoy action-packed manga, but this story does depict violence, so be aware of that.