![]() Given the obvious difficulties with reintegrating harshly conditioned human weapons back into society, a local yakuza group with ties to their organization is tasked with providing assistance so that the two can kick-start something resembling regular day-to-day life. ordered by their boss to retire and try living a normal life as fake brother and sister, strictly forbidden to kill again. It tells a story of a pair of elite hitmen The Fable's premise and narrative style occupy an unlikely middle ground between a classic sitcom and a dead-serious film noir. There's nothing quite like it in the current media landscape, making any meaningful comparison extremely challenging-and, frankly, unneeded: its storytelling accomplishments stand firmly on their own legs. But today, in 2022, it feels so out of place it once again becomes a breath of fresh air. The Fable's subject matter is something that'd be par for the course in Japanese pop culture of the 60s, the 70s, or even the 80s. So if you got the hours to put away pick up this manga, it's a long ride but it is well worth it. There is nothing quite like this manga, both in style and substance, and it's probably in my top 10 manga of all time. When it tried to be funny I laughed, when it tried to be tense I was worried, and when it tried to be grounded and sad I felt the pit in my stomach sink ever so slightly. The Fable manages to do all which it seeks to accomplish. Meanwhile, the more normal characters, such as the lowly yakuza henchmen, Misaki, or Satou's new boss, are both incredibly funny and genuine at heart, which helps display Satou's growing humanity in a subtle yet beautiful way. It is this that gravitates these characters above edgy overpowered Saitama-esque jokes into well rounded, and very complex characters. They have been raised in their ways since they were young, and while characters like Youko have not completely separated themselves from their humanity, characters like Satou have in a way that has not made them callous or sociopathic. This is what makes Satou, Youko and many of the other assassins such good characters. But there needs to be a way to express a difference between emotionless and cold-blooded killers, and assassins who have adapted to and understand their way of life. The seeming mundanity of fighting and killing can only be expressed when the characters themselves treat it as such. This is a dialogue-driven series, so other than the full page and double spreads, don't expect a whole lot of creative shots or interesting angles. ![]() Sometimes the panels can start to blend together and get a bit samey. However, there is sometimes a lack of variety in both panel composition and layout. Because of this, there are very few times where the characters themselves emote or express themselves in a unique way, but when they do it's meant for comedic effect, and it always lands. Meanwhile, the characters are drawn very realistically, with every detail in their face and clothing in view at all times. I have no understanding of digital art, so I have no clue how this was done, but it is impressive all the same. Stone, where the backgrounds feel more like a compressed and photoshopped image, the backgrounds in The Fable look like they were drawn manually. This manga is incredibly detailed, most likely using a lot of sketching over actual photographs for its backgrounds. This plays out multiple times, and yet each time a new twist or subversion is added, preventing the arc from becoming stale. Then the story will slowly transition to an actual tense and thrilling climax, as both the protagonists and antagonists meet to duke it out. in any other manga draws you in, buttering you up with its black but lighthearted comedy. The seeming banal response of the characters and even the story itself to what is normally considered tense and suspenseful Conflicts are constantly born out of the simple desires of the antagonists, who treat their actions with careful planning and calm cruelty. The story of Akira Satou's assignment to leave his assassin ways behind him takes us through several dark and dangerous situations passed on as completely mundane annoyances or inconveniences. With the fan translation of this manga finally complete, I can write a full review of this series with my complete thoughts on the manga as a whole.
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