Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha for this eARC in exchange for a honest review.

Re:Anima is a refreshing take on Shonen. Maybe its just because the market currently is so saturated with fantasy and crazy magic and such that the futuristic setting is a nice change of pace and very interesting.

I'm not sure how many volumes this series is going to end up being but the world building so far has really peaked my interest. There's so much I want to know about how we got to this point and how the Re:Anima's work, etc, that I know I will definitely be reading on.

I will say I was very "ehh" at the beginning. It felt like we got thrown in the deep end very early, which isn't bad necessarily but it did take a little to get adjusted and to be able to wrap my head around what was going on (mostly just due to having to learn the rules of this world). By the end of the volume I was genuinely very captured in the story and action.

The art feels a bit odd in how some characters are drawn from panel to panel. Sometimes they feel like their faces look too different? But its not in a way where you wouldn't know who they were, just that they look different in a way thats like "huh, whats different about this". I think as the series progresses the characters will be more consistent so I'm not really adding that to my rating, just something I wanted to point out.

Overall I really enjoyed this. Started a bit slow for me in terms of getting me interested but by the end I was very "I need the 2nd one now!!". Def check it out if you want a change of pace from stories like Demon Slayer and One Piece.

Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for this arc.

This volume really struggles to get going - there’s not enough to grab you and pull you in. The concept has potential - the Earth is too hostile to go outside so everyone uses an avatar but with so many apocalyptic and post apocalyptic stories out there it fails to deliver anything that would really hook me. The art style is…alright but nothing groundbreaking.

I will definitely be continuing this series!!

Climate change has made the earth nearly uninhabitable, so humans mostly live underground. The way they can still walk on the surface is re:anima, robotic versions of yourself. One big advantage is that you as a human feel no pain when your re:anima gets hurt (or ‘killed) but it has made people mod their robots to cause chaos and destruction. Because of this a task force was created to stop modded re:anima and that is where our story starts!

I really enjoyed the two main characters and loved the disability representation. Can’t want to see where the story goes!

Fifty years ago, the Earth’s ozone layer burned up in a solar flare that made life on the surface unfathomable. 80% of our planet’s species were eradicated in this time, so humans are forced to live underground. A loophole is found that allows humans to be on the surface to work and live their lives away, the Re: Anima. These are robotic suits that copy and recreate a human’s physical form that allows that to see, hear, and touch, but not taste and smell. With new technology, there are always those who want to find their own loopholes in the system, which is where Kara Kamikigi comes in. He works at a police division called the Enforcement Bureau, but he has a secret that allows to him to live on the surface…without a Re: Anima. I can’t wait for the next volume to come out so I can delve further into this storyline!

Summary:

The world above has fallen apart, making it unsafe for humans. Or rather, unsafe for humans who don’t have a body double. People can use artificial bodies to travel around the surface.

However, these people still need policing and protection. That’s where the Enforcement Bureau comes into place. People like Kara Kamikigi and Shinano Nagano have to deal with all sorts of menaces to keep people safe.

Review:

Re:Anima Vol. 1 is an interesting start to a new series. It has unique hazards, a decimated planet, and determined characters. While it isn’t my favorite story out there, I’ll be the first to say that it has a lot of potential.

First, I want to say that I wanted to like Re:Anima Vol. 1. The description made it sound right up my alley. However, it simply felt too raw or rough, if that makes sense. It was like the world (and characters) needed to be fleshed out more. Maybe this will be resolved in future volumes.

Part of the problem is the story kicks off before readers have a solid feeling for the world. I have so many questions about what is happening in the world, and I feel like I’ve only got a very basic understanding of it all. While I like finishing an intro volume with questions, what I got here wasn’t compelling enough to make me seek out more.

I see potential in the characters. However, I’d like to take a deeper dive into that. Again, I don’t think I’ll be following up with the second volume to see that happen, but it is really tempting.

Highlights:
Shonen
Artificial Bodies
Police Drama with a Twist

3 stars that was a very introductive volume and I kinda loss myself in the explanation but I may continue on with the series . It was a fun time

I thought this was a good first book in a series.
I liked the concept of the plot. It has a very sci-fi/dystopian feel to it with the sun being so hot above ground.
I find it interesting how the main character is immune and is able to go above ground.
I like the chemistry he has with his friend.
I also like the fact that they are investigating jobs together.
The characters are funny, quick-witted and colourful.
I look forwards to continuing this series.

Fun Blade Runner-y concept if Edward Elric was the protagonist. Actually there's more than a little Fullmetal Alchemist in here and Kara is absolutely at least inspired by Edward. This first volume establishes the world well (love the worldbuilding notes at the end) and gives us a good idea of what to expect with each chapter: the team goes after a new re:anima mod, they do some digging, and then Kara pulls off some truly Holmesian leaps of logic an deduction to catch the culprit. I do wonder how that formula will develop over the course of the series though and if a larger overarching narrative will emerge. Hopefully stemming from Kara's unique abilities and general disaffection with the world and its approach to solving its problems.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this e-book, and to Kodansha for making this title accessible!

I enjoyed this book a lot, and I am looking forward to reading more about Kara and his adventures in enforcement. I liked the pacing and how the secret behind Kara's constitution is not revealed in the first book. It added to the sense of mystery when he confronted the researcher who lost his Re:Anima as punishment. The cliffhanger at the end of the book felt right and not out of place, and I expect the next book will not disappoint!

Ever wonder what would happen if the world got too hot for us to live in it? Well, this story is just about that, the world has become too hot to live above ground and everyone now lives underground and only comes above ground using an AI robot that morphs into your body so that humans can still work above ground even though everyone is underground. Well not everyone, our main character seems to be the only human that still lives normally without an AI suit. This was such an interesting story that I definitely want to know what happens next.

Also, the artist that did this manga did such a wonderful job, everything looks so amazing and brought the story to life.

Re:Anima is an amazing dystopian manga about humans using machines named Re:Anima to continue to live on earth when the sun is too hot. Shina and Kara are amazing protagonists that bounce off really well in their witty banter and in their abilities to work together to bring cases of modded Re:Anima to be neutralized and repaired to be normal Re:Anima. The comedy, serious tones and real questions of what humans would do when the sun would be too hot for humans to walk earth was really interesting and the reasons people modded their Re:Anima was equally intriguing. I hope to read the next volume once it comes out!

I really liked this manga and I think my middle school students would too! The premise of a society where everyone uses artificial bodies to experience life above surface is really interesting, and I am very intrigued how it will be explored even further in future volumes. I loved our main character Kara the train enthusiast too! Overall a great read, would recommend! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
4 stars

I forgot to re-read the blurb going into this manga, and it took me a moment to understand the story because of that. After I did, though, I was really intrigued. The whole idea of people having to live through bots to be outside and what it means for the overall psyche of humanity because of that is an extremely interesting concept, as is the fact that the MC isn't like the others. The thoughts of what humanity would become without pain and danger to themselves, and how the ability to die without dying affecting their mental health. It's all just very interesting. As is the way mods are utilized to create the villains. Add on nice art and you have yourself a very solid manga. I'm definitely hoping to pick this up sometime again in the future and reading onward!

It was alright. I liked the idea of the whole re anima thing. The scifi was cool but the crime part was kind of boring. And I feel like it never explained why that one boy didn’t need a fake body to be outside. I wanted to know why he didn’t need one.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

This was a very interesting manga. I'm a little confused on why he doesn't also just live underground though? And then go up on the surface to go to work? Unless it takes a really long time for someone to go from the underground homes all the way to the top. The story is intriguing though and I'm interested to know more about the world. I think it's wild that the government is the one paying for all the re:anima's for people. Like??? Where are they getting the resources and money to do all that? I think the manga did mention though that something like 75% of the world's population died so maybe they can do that simply because there's not a lot of people. Either way, I'm excited to read more in the future!

I think this will turn out to be a fantastic shonen. I've got some high hopes for it based off of the first volume! The storyline and world is very intriguing, and the art style is wonderful. I will absolutely be picking up the second volume.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Yoshinori Matsuoka for the opportunity to read this manga in exchange for an honest review.

Re:Anima is set in a future Japan where the current average surface temperature is 70 degrees Celsius (158 F), making the planet basically inhospitable. 80% of Earth's species were wiped out due to the extreme conditions. Humans, being the technologically ingenious species that they are, have created and moved to cities underground, though they are able to still see and experience life on the surface as regular through physical avatars called Re:Anima.

Shinano and Kara work for the Enforcement Bureau in which they maintain surface order by ensuring Re:Anima with dangerous mods are shut down in a timely manner. Shinano enjoys her surface time, as in her real body, she is wheelchair-bound. Kara, on the other hand, isn't working on the surface with an Re:Anima, but his real body, demonstrating a possible mutation or development for humanity to move forward into tolerance under major heat.

While seemingly unrealistic at times, it is the far future, so this could be a possibility, should the given circumstances arise. I like that the main character is able to withstand the heat and be on the surface with his real body. This adds an element of intrigue that will keep the reader going for the overall story arc. The Re:Anima can be damaged and is covered by insurance, so when things go awry on the surface, there is a low risk-factor to mortality.

A thoroughly enjoyable first installment of a manga that has a promising and exciting story to tell.

This manga presents a captivating vision of a future Earth where humans can no longer live on the surface. Instead, they rely on remote controlled robots called Re:Anima for surface activities. The two main, Shinano and Kara, characters work for the Enforcements Bureau, investigating illegal modification of Re:Anima. Both have their own secrets. Shinano's physical body cannot walk, restricting her to a wheelchair when not using her Re:Anima, while Kara is somehow able to live above the surface in his physical body, despite the excessive heat and radiation.

The series excels in its exploration of different modifications and the motives behind these illegal activities. Each case brings new and thought-provoking challenges, making it a truly fascinating read. The character development is impressive, and their dynamic adds depth to the gripping storyline. This is a must-have for any library, and I will definitely be adding it to mine.

This graphic novel dives into an intriguing premise. We enter a post-climate-change world that feels unsettlingly plausible, and although there is room for improvement to the world-building and plot progression, it was enjoyable. There were a few missing pieces and some events seemed to happen off-page, leaving me wishing for more depth and explanation.

The characters and dialogue added a comedic touch, which worked against the eerie dystopian atmosphere I hoped for. A bit more grit in the dialogue and interactions could have sharpened the world-building.

The art and illustration style were definite highlights and perfectly suited to the story's theme.

This graphic novel is early in its niche, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it inspires others to explore similar themes in the future.

Re:Anima was actually quite interesting and I really enjoyed the climate change aspect and the body double robots. The story is set in the near future Tokyo, where the temperature is past 70 degrees Celsius and people cannot live on the ground anymore. They have to have these Re:Anima robot bodies in order to stand the temperature and modifying them is illegal. The Enforcement Bureau keeps track of these modifications and our main character is a guy that can actually inhabit his own body for some reason. Mostly this first part is about the group solving mod cases and we don't get to understand the whole situation fully. So, a monster of the week sort of setting. But, gladly the the whole thing is very refreshing and it depends so much on where this is going. I do have high hopes, since this reminds me of Dragon Eye a lot.

The art looks good and the Re:Animas are creepy. I wish we'd get into the world situation better, since just solving the cases isn't that interesting in the long run. I'd want some kind of a wow element for the series.