CW: Enslavement, War, Abuse Blood, Gore | Spoilers: Minimal | This review covers Vol. 1 of Kindom
Synopsis
In a fictionalized take on China’s Warring States period, an enslaved war orphan fights to rise above his station through sheer determination (and a sword).
The Story
Kingdom follows Xin, an orphan with almost nothing to hope for. In his world, an enslaved person can only earn their freedom by seizing it through combat mastery. His closest friend, Piao inspires this dream: that one day they will rise above peasantry and become great generals, wealthy and powerful enough to rewrite their fates.
Their paths diverge when Piao is purchased by a nobleman. Xin continues to work hard with the singular goal of joining his friend one day, but when Piao returns, mutilated and dying, Xin’s dreams collapse into grief and vengeance. Xin sets out to avenge Piao and fulfill his final wish.
I went into Kingdom with zero expectations, and truthfully…It was fine. Not bad. Not boring, but not remarkable either.
The setup is a familiar one. Dead friends to avenge and in-fighting among royalty, they are things I’ve come to expect from political dramas. I didn’t feel any deep connection to the characters, as Piao is fridged pretty quickly to propel the plot forward, and Xin feels like he has plot armor for the rest of the volume.
BUT! I do genuinely see how this first volume is the start of something much grander. It’s a political epic meets coming-of-age, full of war strategy, courtly drama,and bloody choreographed combat. If you’re into that sort of thing, then you’re probably going to love Kingdom.
It’s also obvious that Hara-sensei did his homework. The events feel plausible within the historical setting, and I’m not surprised to find out that some of the characters are based on real people.
Only after finishing this volume did I look up the series and see that it spans 77 volumes! After one volume, I don’t think I can commit to that just yet. However, I’m certain this series will find its audience among English readers. While this first installment doesn’t quite nail the pathos of something like Vinland Saga, I think fans of it and other series like Berserk should also give Kingdom a try.
The Art
Is the art pretty? Nah, not really. But I do love the exaggerated movements and facial expressions. The characters aren’t always consistent across the volume in size and proportion, but Hara-sensei isn’t afraid to make the character’s emote and move.
The panel layouts flow nicely, and it only starts to get wordy toward the end of the volume when lots of political exposition takes place. Generally the story and artwork are paced nicely.
I’m also sure that the art style continues to evolve throughout the series, but even in the first volume there is an unquestionable fearlessness from panel to panel. It’s gritty and not always perfect, but it doesn’t hold back. It’s clearly made by an artist who isn’t afraid to go to the limits of their own artistic ability to keep improving. And well, I applaud that.
The Details:
Kingdom has been serialized by Shueisha’s Seinen magazine, Weekly Young Jump since 2006. A whopping 77 volumes are currently out in Japan, and the series is still ongoing. Viz Media is helming the English release. Volume 1 is currently available for English readers to enjoy. Volume 2 is set to release on December 16, 2025.
