My thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for an advance copy of this manga graphic novel about a person trying to come to terms with a life was formed by violence, one that still haunts him, and and a shadow that seems to follow him everywhere, even in the new peaceful life he is trying to create.

There is a very fine line when creating a work that wants to show the effect of violence and trauma, and how one can change, even when that change involves pages of fighting, beatings, and much more. Some books try and come out very heavy handed. Others just seem to loose coherence, dropping in an action scene, followed by oh woe is me, why did it put that guy through a wall. Characters are important. One has to care that a person has a particular set of skills, but care about the person when they don't use those skills, or find they have other things that bring them joy. Such as making a good cup of coffee. Shimazaki in the Land of Peace Vol 1 written by Gōten Hamada and illustrated by Takeshi Seshimo is the perfect example of this, telling the story of a person shaped to be a weapon, finding both freedom, trust and a willingness to help others, even if he has to call on his terrible ability to hurt people.

Shingo Shimazaki was nine years old when the plane he was on was hijacked by the international terrorist group called LEL. Taken in by them Shimazaki was made a weapon, killing all over Africa and the Middle East, until finally getting free of LEL and returning to his home country of Japan, after thirty years. A country that is as alien to him as the idea of being normal is. Shimazaki is watched by members of the Japanese police to make sure that he is not there to commit crimes, and that LEL does not strike out at him. Shimazaki is lost, looking for something and he begins to find it in art. And working at a small cafe which brings him into contact with people. People he begins to care for. People he is willing to do things for. However a person like Shimazaki can never really leave the life he had, and shadows are starting to converge around him, shadows that might make the peace Shimazaki wants so desperately be the peace of the grave.

A very good story that sets the scene and the pacing perfectly. There is a lot going on in this story, and one that gives a different view of Japan than many might be familiar with. Politics, crime, manga production, food, immigrants and the anger that seems to fill so many is shown, as are many peaceful moments. The making of a cup of coffee. Turkish sandwiches. The ingredients in cookies, the secret being gun oil. Shimazaki is a very well-crafted character, a person made by violence to be be violence, finally away from the killing fields. The story moves well, has a good cast, and drops many hints to what might be coming. The art is very good. The characters are all smooth, and the action, there is quite a bit of action, is really well done. Lots of cool moves, lots of jump scares, and again a real smoothness to the story. One that I want to know much more about.

An action story with a moral, a slice of life story with a little bit of bloodlust. There are many ways to look at this tale, one I enjoyed and can't wait the read more of.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this manga

This was an enjoyable read but not one that I am planning to continue, it was fast-paced with interesting characters and very action-packed, a guy trying to walk away from his past but trouble alway finds him.

Shimazaki in the Land of Peace stars Shingo Shimazaki, a seemingly normal guy who’s just a little bad with kanji. He likes to draw. He wants a job. Oh, and he was kidnapped as a child and inducted into the terrorist organization LEL. Now, he’s free of them. And all he wants is a normal life.

Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. While Shimazaki does get a job at the café Lupaso and assists a manga artist, the rest of his life isn’t so easy. After he chooses to take revenge on a gang that assaulted a fellow manga assistant, there’s a brand new target on his back. And sometimes, LEL influences creep into his life in unexpected ways.



The Art


Takeshi Seshimo’s art of Shimazaki in the Land of Peace strikes an admirable balance between action-packed and laid-back… just like the story. Shimazaki is just a normal-looking dude (although we think he looks a bit like Mads Mikkelsen from some angles). And the world around him, and the art used to depict it, is equally normal-looking. This fairly grounded art works well with both Shimazaki’s pleasant day-to-day and his more violent encounters. Both feel equally at home here.

What we especially like is that Shimazaki as a character has lots of artistic flexibility. He can look hard-boiled and aggressive, but he’s also very sweet. When he receives a compliment or is doing something he enjoys, he looks absolutely adorable. He’s not a killer with hidden sweetness or a normal guy with hidden aggression; he’s a single, great, multifaceted character.



The Vibe


Balancing action-packed fights and slice-of-life story can be difficult. But when it’s done well, it’s amazing. Stories like the aforementioned The Fable and Sakamoto Days, as well as SPY x FAMILY and Kill Blue, are masters of this. And so is Shimazaki in the Land of Peace.

What starts as a story about a little old lady sharing baked goods turns into a reflection on revenge and trauma. A story about the tense return of a violent gang flips instead to be about finding your place in a new work environment. And, regularly, we get glimpses of international cuisine Shimazaki has learned to make during his life. It’s a story that fully inhabits both of its genres, blending them seamlessly together into a story about a man—and a world around him—that craves peace and understanding.

❝It's art that can reach the human heart. Violence doesn't have that kind of power.❞

Shimazaki in the Land of Peace 1
👤 Gōten Hamada
📎 200 pages
🏠 Kodansha Comics
★★★★☆

This manga just exceeded my expectation! When you read the blurb, i know there's gonna be a lot of violence and maybe slight gore. But they combined that with a slow pace slice of life which gave you the contrast between Shimazaki's past and present life. It's very philosophical, heavy on human's counter to trauma and interpersonal matter. I want to know more about the Shirazaki's past and the people around him. Surely a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the e-arc!

Shimazaki in the Land of Peace follows the titular character who previously was a hostage turned covert operative during the war. He escaped from his duties and is now back in Japan after 30 years looking for a peaceful life. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this at first since I feel like I've read this story before. However, this was a cool read with some funny moments. I am intrigued to see if Shimazaki will end up staying in Japan or if he will have to go back to military duties. If you like the Fable, I would recommend giving this a try since it gives the same vibe.

Strong start to a manga series; it provides many threads of plot points that I can see coalescing into something bigger in subsequent volumes. Shimazaki is a fascinating character, and I'm looking forward to knowing more of his story as the series continues.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

political intrigue mixed with slice of life makes for an interesting first volume — despite the blood and gore, i really enjoyed this first volume. the art style was unique, and shimazaki’s depressing background was compelling. i also really enjoyed the snippets about food items featured in between chapters!

i’ll definitely look into continuing the series

I'm not going to lie - I chose this title because I thought it was a comic about one of my favorite actors, Mads Mikkelsen (the cover looks like a younger version of him!), but I wasn't disappointed! I'm still getting to know manga, and I can say that this one was different and very interesting. I definitely intend to keep reading this series!

Shimazaki has been trained as a soldier of the terrorist organization known as LEL, after they hijacked the plane he was on as a child. Many years later he seems to have finally escaped, and is getting a fresh start in his native country, Japan. However can he really be rid of his past this easily?

"The LEL's cause is righteous, and desertion is tantamount to sacrilege! We will hound deserters to the ends of the earth, and we will kill them!!"

Shimazaki in the Land of Peace is a highly character-driven story. While our titular main character is quiet and socially awkward, his actions show his big heart. Because of these reasons I feel this story needs more time to develop than just one volume, and I find it hard to judge it based on just this volume, as I don't feel very attached to the characters yet. I do however see a lot of potential.

Hamada has a realistic leaning, contemporary art style. There is a lot of drama and stark contrast to be found in the art of this manga, as well as dynamic action scenes. We get simple panels focusing on the characters, and panels with realistically detailed backgrounds or weapons. All of this is broken up by pages filled with greyscale watercolour. An intriguing combination.

"If you ask me, we need imagination to protect ourselves. It's art that can reach the human heart."

Shimazaki in the Land of Peace is the perfect manga for those that love character-driven stories that handle serious subject matter. Including politics, terrorism, indoctrination and murder. If you enjoyed Chainsaw Man, you should give this manga a shot.

This is amazing. One of the best new manga I've found in a while. Going in I was worried it was going to be another Sakamoto Days or Way of the House Husband but this definitely has way more to say then those two series and I'm very excited to see where it goes from here.