I really enjoyed reading this version of 'A Study in Scarlet'. The manga version does a great job of cutting out the draggy bits while keeping the essence of the story; making it a lot tighter and more exciting. It took me some time to warm up to this avatar of Holmes and Watson ( after seeing greats like Peter Cushing, Jeremy Brett and of course Benedict Cumberbatch in the role) but other that it was a fun ride. Will be on the lookout for more of the series.

This was so much fun. I absolutely loved the style and flair of this graphic novel. It is something completely different from what I normally read. It pure delight! Highly recommended!

***read as ARC from NetGalley***

This is my second Manga Classics read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This is a faithful adaptation of the first Sherlock Holmes mystery. We are introduced to Sherlock and John and watch as they form their working relationship over the course of investigating and solving the case.

The artwork is beautiful and in typical manga style, both men are tall, young, slim, and almost pretty. To see Sherlock with a manga hairstyle against a Victorian era city was delightful. The artist does an excellent job of portraying Sherlock's aloofness and hyper focus and John's amazement at Sherlock's power of deduction.

Looking forward to further adaptions. I think this is a wonderful way to introduce young readers to one of the great characters of literature.

I have always been a fan of Sherlock Holmes. My bookshelves and ereaders have both the stories by Doyle and several of the newer books that use the characters. I love the Manga Classic series and jumped at a chance to read their adaptation of A Study in Scarlet. As usual, Crystal S. Chan has faithfully adapted the original work, retaining most of the story and using original text for the dialogue. This novel was the first Sherlock Holmes story and the adaptation does a fantastic job with the origin story. Unlike the source material, this book flows smoothly between the introduction of the characters and the actual mystery. The talented Julien Choy has illustrated the story in this full color manga. The detailed backgrounds immerse the reader in old London. Choy captures the action and the characters emotions. He does use typical manga style characters which can be disconcerting at first. Instead of a studious young man of around 26 and an injured military doctor, Holmes and Watson appear to be handsome young men. Watson in particular, looks like a fresh faced teen. I had the same initial reaction when I read a couple of the Manga Classic Shakespearean adaptations. But Choy's artistic skill captures the eye and the reader gets lost in the story. This book is advertised as Sherlock Holmes volume 1; I can't wait to read more.

As a fan of classic novels and BBC adaptations, I was thrilled to discover a manga version of Sherlock Holmes. The story stays faithful to the original, however, the illustrations took a bit of time to get used to. For example - Mrs. Hudson seemed to be portrayed a lil bit too young to me. Despite this, the art style adds a fresh perspective to the story.
Overall, this adaption is a delightful read, perfec for both long time fans and newcomers to the world of Sherlock Holmes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

A clever manga adaptation of Sherlock.
Nicely executed and I always appreciate the artwork within a manga.

The highlight of this was the manga art—who knew I needed to see Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson looking so GOOD. Story-wise, it basically follows the gist of the original, and in my opinion, didn't lean very hard into the characters, so people looking for a retelling or reimagining or even just a fresh take from the story are probably not going to get what they're looking for out of this. However, anyone who wants to get a solid understanding of the Sherlock story without needing to slog through the original text (plus, again, some great manga interpretations to spruce things up!), I highly recommend.

As an avid fan of all things Sherlock Holmes, I had so much fun reading this. every Sherlock fan knows the story of A Study in Scarlet, but I feel like this put a fun spin on it, and made it a new and interesting read for me. I also really love the clear relationship between Holmes and Watson, something instant and true. Something that will hopefully be explored and expanded upon in later editions...
Looking forward to the (hopefully) next installment!

What an amazing treat - The Sherlock Holmes manga classic, set for release this January, is a delightful adaptation that stays very true to Arthur Conan Doyle's original tales while adding a fresh, visually engaging impact. I will gladly order this book for our high school library and encourage my manga readers to read this unique take on Doyle’s classic icon. This is an excellent introduction for new readers and a treat for manga enthusiasts who appreciate classic stories presented in a dynamic format.

The artwork is a standout feature—bright, appealing, and detailed, it captures the atmosphere of Victorian England while bringing the characters vividly to life. The adaptations of both Holmes and Watson are appealing and will reach younger audiences. The pacing aligns well with the original storyline, ensuring that key moments retain their impact, pulling in the reader while keeping the mystery fresh.

This adaptation balances respect for the source material with the creative liberties that make manga unique, making it an accessible and enjoyable read for fans old and new. A solid 4 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for providing this book for review.

This was a fantastic and quick read, earning it a solid 4.75 ⭐️!

I was particularly captivated by the illustrations, especially Sherlock himself. This is the first full-color manga I've encountered, and it significantly enhanced the experience, vividly bringing each location to life and adding a vibrant energy to the narrative.

I'm eagerly anticipating the rest of the series, if there'll be another one. The mystery kept me hooked, as we followed our characters' every move without missing a beat. The ending was truly shocking and unexpected. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the mystery unfold throughout the story; it felt like I was watching a captivating anime play out in my mind.

The manga cover is absolutely stunning, and Sherlock's illustration is simply breathtaking. This captivating visual immediately drew me in and made the reading experience even more enjoyable from the very beginning.

I wholeheartedly recommend this manga to anyone who enjoys mysteries, action, suspense, and of course, the enigmatic Sherlock Holmes!

I don’t think Sherlock Holmes can ever truly fall flat because he is just so timeless and classic. I thought it was really fun reading it in a manga format and I really enjoyed it.

A very enjoyable manga adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. I was a little surprised, although I shouldn't have been in retrospect, that this was a direct adaptation so it took my brain a minute to reconcile the language of Arthur Conan Doyle with the manga art style. Once I got used to it however I fell into a groove and enjoyed Holmes in this medium.

I was a little tickled by how perfectly the manga art and inflections convey the bromance between Watson and Sherlock. This Watson in particular had some great moon eyes when it came to meeting and getting to know Sherlock.

This is a solid recommendation for existing Sherlock Holmes fans as well as young adults who struggle with classical fiction but might find a manga adaptation more approachable.

This manga-style adaptation of the first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study In Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle—adapted by Crystal Chan with art by Julien Choy—finds a dashing, BL-friendly version of Holmes and Watson who share (in strongly drafted single panels) meaningful glances and selectively isolated dialogue to imply a deeper, possibly romantic connection developing between the consulting detective and his constant companion in their first investigation together. It's plausibly deniable, as it hews close to the original text, but selectively builds up some strong emotional undertones between the two characters with framing choices and character expression.

Holmes and Watson have very shoujo manga friendly designs, the colors are vibrant, and the compositions striking (though there is a hefty reliance on dutch-angles) and easy to follow. As in some classic shoujo, after establishing shots, backgrounds are minimized and sometimes replaced with patterns or color choices to enhance emotional impact. This is probably where this adaptation suffers the most, as shoujo manga artists are often able to employ these effects with a great deal of skill (and with a great creative use of patterned screentone that takes advantage of the original newsprint printing process for manga magazines) whereas here they appear somewhat flat, like a first pass rather than a final draft of these pages. Nevertheless, Chan and Choy are old-hands at adapting classic English literature, with some of the most famous Shakespeare adaptations and British classics between them, and the compositional choices help defray any age of the source text.

All-in-all a fun adaptation that gives us a very pretty pair in Holmes and Watson, who share meaningful looks in passing moments, and then solve the classic mystery in such a way that teens will use these as they always have; a way to get in a largely text-accurate required classic for English class without having to read an actual ancient book (this is partly sarcasm). It's fun, a little light, avoids mustiness, but feels like it could have used another color pass.

To be honest, I have never read a single Sherlock Holmes novel. I had been infatuated with the recent adaptations in the last two decades because of actors Robert Downey Jr and Benedict Cumberbatch portraying Sherlock Holmes. The dynamic between Watson and Holmes are of some interest to me, not quite a bromance, but something deeper, something like David and Jonathan in the Bible. I think that story adaptation, with no such previous knowledge of the synopsis, was quite well done by Crystal S. Chan into this exciting manga. It has led me to want to read the original story and other work by Ms. Chan. It is worth the read.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this classic, Netgalley (and the publisher)!

This is a good adaptation of the original piece into an entertaining, well-drawn manga. For me it was very weird, that all of the pages were colored. But it was a nice journey, I really liked the character designs, even though they seemed a bit too young for Sherlock and Watson. I am definitely going to read the next volume of the series, too.

Disclaimer - I'm not a huge fan of manga or graphic novels, but I picked this one up for my kiddo, who is.

This is a faithful retelling of the classic Sherlock Holmes novel, full of twists and intrigue, with a classic manga art style. The illustration is done well, seamlessly combining both "real time" and flashback scenes. and providing cinematic visuals to the story.

An excellent retelling, and a good introduction into the classics for readers who prefer graphic styles.

~ Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

This was such a quick and fun read. I loved the art style and I also liked the story. I don't think it's exactly the same as the original, as far as I can remember, and I liked that. I was invested in the plot and how the mystery would unfold and the ending didn't let me down. This Sherlock as a character is different from the original and I am so thankful for that because I find the original very annoying. Definitely recommended!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc

3.5 Stars

This book is a fantastic rendition of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous first Sherlock Holmes book A Study in Scarlet. I think it did a true rendition of the book with a beautiful manga art style. Very intriguing and I loved the color pallet used. A solid read.

I have not read the original works but I do love Sherlock Holmes being told in different ways. This was a nice read! The art is good as well.

A good adaption that brings a manga twist on the classic Sherlock Holmes story by Arthur Conan Doyle.