I have to say that I was impressed by the art, it was like watching a movie, I would love to see this story in color for sure. Japanese mythology has always fascinated me, so I was excited to learn about Issunboshi as I didn't know him.
About the pace and rhythm of the actual story, I had some problems with it. Sometimes the scenes and the general action felt rushed. I would have liked the story to be a bit longer so the author could take his time exploring and developing more Issunboshi and his adventures.

Thanks Netgalley and OniPress for giving me this advanced copy.

Issunboshi is such an amazing book with amazing art.

I love japanese myth and this book told me about a certain story of Issunboshi, a tiny samurai who fight the demon and try to avoid the rise of the demon king. We can found many mystical creatures from this book, such as Bakeneko, Kappa and Gashadakuro. Anddd Ryan Lang drew the creatures perfectly. I got the horrifying vibe when I saw the Gashadakuro. Also, the blur effect made the illustrations more dynamic, especially in fighting scenes.

It felt like I am reading an animation movie in black and white format.

Hoping there will be the second volume cause I am craving for more adventure, or maybe a spin off which set in the same era of this story takes place.

So, Go preorder this book ASAP

Issunboshi by Ryan Long is beautifully drawn and compelling story of Issunboshi, the one inch samurai. Issunboshi digs deep within himself to find his purpose and saves many lives in the process. Long's drawing style is really detailed and easy to consume; it would be wonderful to see it animated!
Overall, I truly enjoyed Issunboshi and would highly recommend to others.
Big thank you to NetGalley & Oni Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Issunboshi, the one-inch samurai, is a traditional Japanese folktale told to many children growing up, including the debut author Ryan Lang. Although this fairytale was new to me, I thoroughly enjoyed the concept of the story.

This graphic novel has all the classic pieces we all love: the brave underdog, the wise sensei, the evil arch-nemesis. I loved the introductions to many Japanese mythical characters and supernatural beings throughout the story. The storyline was easy to follow and the content felt very appropriate for a middle grade read. I did miss depth between the main character and supporting characters, which I know is challenging to squeeze into one book in comparison to a series.

The artistry was beautiful and very detailed - my favorite part of the book! I do think there was a missed opportunity of adding at least some scenes or parts of the book to have color like the main cover. The nature and creatures could have really come to life with some color.

Overall enjoyable read! Disney movie in the future??

A special thanks to NetGalley and @OniPress for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this graphic novel! I'd never heard this folktale, so it was cool to be introduced to it in this form. The black and white of the illustrations made for a really neat look.

The art work was strong, clearly inspired by Disney which added an openness and comfort to the character of Issunboshi. The plot itself was plainly written, with the clear target aiming at from the outset with no deviations or characterization. The real strength is in the art.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This enchanting tale is so beautifully drawn, it overwhelmed me. I’m familiar with some Japanese creatures from myth and lore that have been featured in other mediums like manga and anime but I was not previously aware of this story. Issunboshi definitely follows the same energy of traditional myths/fairytales that I’m familiar with in terms of its structure. I had to remind myself a few times that it’s a retelling of a simple story because visually it had so much more to offer. I kept expecting more character development or branching out quests/topics. Admittedly I’m a bit disappointed that there was not more to it, but then again, this is an illustrated adaptation and its somewhat unfair of me to ask more from it than it promised. But damn, the art is so captivating. I just wanted more. Based on the cover I thought this graphic novel would be in color so the black and white was initially jarring but I think that was the right choice. The way light and shadow are used in these panels is nothing short of masterful. I’m not shocked in the least that the artist/author has a history of working on Disney films. The composition and fluidity of each panel sold the movement and life in each character. I’d love to see this animated as a short film.

I absolutely recommend this to anyone. The breathtaking illustrations, speak for themselves, the secondary Japanese myth/characters offer a jumping off point for further inspection, the characters are charming, and this is short and sweet enough to consume in a single sitting.
5/5 from me!

This is an absolutely stunning graphic novel, the art work is some of the most detailed and beautiful I have seen, each frame has so much depth and detail, the scales are spot on and the way the artist captures the speed and movement of the characters works really well in actions scenes.

It really cant be ignored that the highlight of this graphic novel is the art work. The story is just fine, it follows a classic tale of a hero defeating evil despite personal and physical challenges but I did feel a distinct lack of any depth and time to the story.
As is often the way with graphic novels, the story moves extremely quickly and lacks the development of skills over time for Issunboshi and almost skips the building of meaningful friendships as there is very little time to get to know other characters with any sense of depth and event happen quickly and a little inexplicably.
I Would have loved for this to have been a series so that we could have explored the world and its characters in more detail in future volumes.

That being said, this is a 200 page graphic novel, I'm mostly here for the art work and although the story is one we know well, its beautiful visually and easy read. You can get lost in the detail of the art work and the layout of frames works really well for me and this can be read in one sitting but don't forget to check out the final art work at the end for some beautiful bonus pieces.

If you want a quick, relaxing read, enjoy artistry and don't mind fast pacing this is the graphic novel for you!

It was short and overall enjoyable, I liked the art and the Japanese mythological creatures. It felt a bit too short or too quick for me to engage more deeply with the story and the characters but it was entertaining. I’m just usually more into deeper or longer stories :)
I want to thank Oni Press and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ryan Lang did a fantastic job of turning this classic Japanese folktale into a graphic novel. I loved the illustrations in this graphic novel, they were powerful, engaging, and they drew you into the story.

The story is lovely and that ending made me cry.

10 out of 10 highly recommend.

Thank you @OniPress for the advance copy.

I absolutely loved this!! Issunboshi is a tale of a young, tiny, man who finds himself thrust into a battle with an oni hellbent on capturing Issunboshi for his spirit to complete a mystical item of which Issunboshi is the fourth and final piece of.

Straight away I got Thumbelina vibes and honestly I could easily see this as a Disney film. Issunboshi reminded me of Flynn Rider. I would definitely buy this book

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Ryan Lang's personality comes through in this book more than anything. For anyone familiar with the Japanese folk tale of the Inch high samurai, this is a retelling of that story with disney-like character designs and visuals. It's a good achievement as far as being a fast paced adventure story with sprinkling of easily understandable characters from Japanese folklore. I would recommend this for middle grade readers, those who like Japanese folk-tales, and kids who like action-packed stories. My one gripe is that it felt a little short.

I absolutely adored this graphic novel. The art was gorgeous-I loved the work with characters' expressions and the action sequences were beautiful. The storytelling itself was fabulous. I appreciate the fact that the mentor doesn't die at the end, and my favorite quote has to be:

"I'm no hero."

"Maybe, but would that change anything? Would you fight any less to protect this world. Would you sacrifice any less for those you hold most dear? You don't need to be a hero to take a stand against evil...to fight for good in this world...that is how you become one."

I am getting this for my library, and I might actually end up getting this for my own collection at some point. I loved this.

Issunboshi's art style's depiction of movement, and texture felt like reading the stills of a Dreamworks movie. I especially liked the way that sword fighting was depicted in this one. The classic hero's journey and arc of overcoming obstacles despite physical challenges is sure to resonate with Middle Grade Readers!

This was such a fun read! I enjoyed getting to experience some unfamiliar folklore through this simultaneously action-packed and heartfelt tale. There's also quite a bit of campy humor that is perfect for the middle grade audience. It's a quick read that is broken into neat little chapters. Perfect for emerging graphic novel readers and folks who like to one-sitting binge alike!

The art style is absolutely stunning! Every single page is beautiful and so intricately detailed. I've never seen an artist who can draws eyes as expressive as the ones in this book - just a look was enough to make my heart ache. There's also something just slightly playful and cartoony in the art that reminded me of Pixar animations. I will admit that the black-and-white illustrations surprised me at first, but I adjusted quickly and actually ended up liking that style choice for this particular story.

Overall, a great read that I'm glad I got to experience. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for future works by this author.

Thank you Oni Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Issunboshi was a very fun entry into graphic novels for me, and hopefully the first of many.

I have received this book in exchange of an honest review, thank you to Oni Press and Netgalley for the opportunity.

Release date: 25th of October 2022.

───────────────────

I'm a big fan of Japanese culture and media, which made manga the only media of this type that I have consumed in my life. And that in turn, made me a little extra excited to try and get an ARC of Issunboshi, to see how it would feel.

And as a first entry into the graphic novel world, Issunboshi was great.

When it comes to drawn visual media, I'm very rigid about it being very appealing to my eyes in its artwork or animation, before I even think about the story itself. As it is the way said story is going to be told, in my humble opinion and Issunboshi is fantastically drawn. The Japanese feel of the settings, the character/creatures designs that match it while also retaining variety, the action scenes and the shown creatures was phenomenal.

If it was read from right to left, like in an actual manga, I doubt I would have noticed that it wasn't a Japanese production. Extremely clean artwork, and I also absolutely loved the depiction of the action scenes in it. It was more than enough to showcase the power of both Issunboshi and his opponents, without being overwhelming to the story Ryan Lang wanted to tell. It also made the world they're in very clear, and the added pieces of dialogue only enhanced the experience.

Issunboshi is a folktale, and despite the multiple tellings of it, I believe that the author chose what worked best with his style and direction. Merge that with the needed faster pace of this graphic novel, and it works incredibly well. The flow of the story was still very smooth, the background information provided and the lore/mythology included enhanced that experience even further.

It's also not a one tonal progression because there is training, there is loss and there are hard moments to see. But, it all happened in a way that made sense to the world they're in, and I'm truly saddened that it wasn't longer. Japan could be a treasure trove for supernatural and mythical creatures, and I really hope the author comes back for more some day.

The only part of it that I thought might have used some work would be the characters. There are 6 characters in question here that aren't enemies, and other than Issunboshi and one other, they didn't feel as fleshed out or as utilized beyond a single function. Which isn't to say that they are bad, not by any means, because they do fit the roles chosen for them in the story. But I guess, that I just wanted to know more.

Other than that slight remark, the novel is truly great and I would love to read whatever else Ryan Lang ends up creating. If this was any indication, it would be awesome!

very sweet thumbalina-esque story steeped in Japanese mythology. Love the artwork, all their smiles were so weird and kind of eerie I was very into it.

Fantastic! Gorgeous artwork and a very fun and entertaining story. Quite a little gem I've got here. I highly recommend it!

I enjoyed this quick and easy read! It was a fun and adventurous concept and I enjoyed the graphics. I liked the Japanese myths/ancient history aspect, almost wish there was a bit more to this in the graphic novel! Still enjoyed it nonetheless

It was an amazing ride to Japanese Folktale.

5 Stars!
- great story
- fantastic visuals

I am a big fan of Okami, a game that was released ages ago and that's my first interaction with Issun. Though the temperament is clearly different, the courage, kindness, and family aspects are the same.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.