I am enjoying "Shimazaki in the Land of Peace, Vol 1." The writing and plotting by Gouten Hamada is intriguing in its premise. It gives enough info for the premise to get me involved, but doesn't give it all away. Characterization is a nice building block. Again, not all is given away so I'm sure we will learn more about Shimazaki in volumes to come. Holding back on all details is something I appreciate as my hope is that it reduces retconning of details as the plot evolves. The artwork reminds me a little of Naoki Urasawa's style and I'm all for that. The paneling is simple which makes it easy to follow. Another thing that I appreciate is that I don't feel overwhelmed by a large number of characters introduced. It is done at a leisurely paced so I am able to keep track. There is a little confusion in some transitions but otherwise, I'm digging this manga and hope to see more of it.

The story follows Shingo, an adult who was once a sole survivor of a hostage situation when he was younger. And coincidently then was trained in combat by an organisation called LEL to complete secret missions across the world after this significant event.

This novel is based around Shingo disappearing from his duty with the LEL, escaping back to his native country Japan. While in Japan he is being hunted by LEL assassins.

Sometimes I felt like there a was a little disconnect between the artwork and the narration. A little more detail would have been really helpful to fully grasps the back story, particularly at the beginning. Like why was he being hunted? Maybe this comes in future comics, but the first in the series needs to be powerful and engaging, but some of it felt confusing.

It wasn’t my favourite comic style read sadly, but I appreciate the work it takes to illustrate and narrate and story.

As a child, Shimazaki was abducted by the terrorist organization LEL. He spent the next three decades as a captive, forced to fight their battles and spy on numerous countries. Finally breaking free, he fled to Japan, seeking a quiet, ordinary life and hoping to leave the horrors of his past behind.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE BOOK
The dialogue is captivating, drawing the reader into the protagonist's emotional turmoil. I couldn't help but empathize with his struggles to fit into his new community.

WHO IS IT FOR?
Fans of both heartwarming slice-of-life stories and action-packed thrillers will find something to love in this unique blend of genres.

Published by Kodansha and available November 26, 2024, Shimazaki In the Land of Peace combines action with slice-of-life storytelling, and it's a great combination. The titular Shimazaki was trained to be a terrorist and now just wants to live a normal life, working sedate jobs such as manga assistant and café waiter -- though he puts his old skills to use when necessary. The publisher's blurb calls it a "fish out of water comedy" and that sums it up well. The art is excellent and very detailed, especially in the action sequences, and it's some of the best seinen work I've seen this year. This series will appeal to fans of series like Sakamoto Days and in general those looking for a day-to-day look at a reluctant secret agent. I'll definitely look into selecting this series for our library's collection.

This was such an interesting first volume. The blend of slice of life and political drama was intriguing and the art is unique. I am very much looking forward to the next installment and curious to see how the MC's story continues.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

The art is really dynamic, such a nice style that adds depth. There are a lot of little details that also add to the experience of reading the manga. I loved the attention given to backgrounds, food and drinks and other such items. The bonds between the characters is also quite nice and how they each see the world, especially the main character going out of his way to help people and how they interact. The style was really effective in both the previous life flashes and the current daily storyline.

The blurbs at the end of some of the chapters about the food items featured in that chapter was really interesting and it is a bit of a shame there weren't more of those. I am definitely looking forward to any forthcoming volumes!

This was a very interesting Manga. You follow Shimazaki, who has been through a lot of not so great things in his life. He has the hardest time being able to trust anyone he comes in contact with. To me he seems to have some kind of power??? I don't know it might just be me. As he is trying to find his way through life he is trying to make things normal as it seems like he has a secret that he is hiding that makes you think what is really going on? I did really enjoy this book. I could definitely see myself picking up the next volume. With the ending it makes you want to read more just by the way it ended.

This turned into a really interesting slice of life/action title. I had a lot of respect for our main character looking for the good in life, despite his up brining. This volume has plenty of social commentary and action. If you like something like say Sakamoto Days or Crazy Food Truck, this might be something looking into!

Shingo Shimazaki was inducted in to the LEL terrorist group as a young boy. After 30 years, he has managed to get back to his native Japan where he is trying to assimilate himself into society. He has found a job working at a cafe and helping at a manga studio which he is learning to enjoy and finding acquaintances who do not know his past. He tries to help those around him without revealing that past. But the past is catching up anyway as he finds out. So what will Shimazaki do to keep his current peaceful life? We will find that out in the next volume.

Thanks Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the chance to read this title!

This one is quite an interesting mix. I never thought I would read a slice of life cozy thriller/secret agent story yet here we are.

The art style is really good and also quite original. It has that manga feel but at the same time it kind of feels like an american comic?

While the autor does somehow make it work, mixing very cozy slice of life foodie moments with some very good action sequences, I end up feeling kind of let down wanting for more on both sides? The action is very well done, great coreographing when there's fights, and doesn't shy away from showing blood, gore and violence when needed to show the violent nature of the LEL. At the same time Shimazaki seems like such a nice guy, who just wants peace and to make those who he cares for happy. I simultaneously want more fights and more cozy Shimazaki learning to adult after years of being trapped by the LEL.

first, thank you netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this manga!

this book follows the everyday life of a man forced to be a terrorist for years after he had escaped. the juxtaposition between the slice-of-life cafe parts and the sudden assassination attempts can feel a bit awkward, and a lot of the scenes feel rushed. i think the writing style is just a bit cramped in such a short manga. if there were more panels to flush specific actions and scenes out, it likely wouldn't feel as strange.
regardless of writing style, I do like the plot, but all of the characters except for Shimazaki feel pretty flat. I bet the characters will evolve over the next volumes, but they all feel pretty much the same.
not sure if I'd check out the other volumes, but I'm sure this is to someone's tastes.

3/5

4/5⭐️ I love these types of storyline! Shimazaki had a hard life but the skills he walked away from is still there! He’s more of a vigilante in the cafe and a few people. I love when he took pictures and you get to see thru his eyes what he sees even though he’s a kind young man! Very intrigued to see what happens in this series

Interesting start to a new series. The blurb was great and didn't disappoint. The art work started out average but got better throughout. The story was gripping. I totally invested in the MC from the very beginning. I can't wait for more in this series.

Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this volume.

Interesting premise with this one - our main character, Shimazaki is the only survivor of a plane hijacking that occurs when he is a child. After this he is indoctrinated into a terrorist, freedom fighter organisation. The volume follows him as he tries to adjust to normal life in Japan. Unfortunately his past has a way of catching up with him.

It didn’t hook me as much as I’d thought and I didn’t find Shimazaki compelling an MC but I would consider checking out future volumes.

This first volume offers an intriguing blend of political drama and slice-of-life storytelling, centering around a protagonist grappling with a life shaped by violence. There’s a lot happening here—politics, crime, manga production, food culture, immigrant experiences, and a simmering undercurrent of anger. While it’s a unique mix, it can feel a bit overwhelming at times with so many elements vying for attention.

The art is well-executed and adds a nice touch, elevating the overall experience. It was an enjoyable read, but despite its strengths, I’m not sure I’ll be continuing with the series. It’s a solid start, but it didn’t quite hook me enough to come back for the next volume.

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.