Finished
“Cheap assassin Mayo spares a target, triggering events that destabilize Asian economies.”
Strain
ストレイン
6.94
10,559 rank · 4,217 readers · 15 favorites
Seinen
Detective
Organized Crime
Action
Would You Love or Hate This?
AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
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Honest pros & cons
Based on your library
Synopsis
Cheap assassin Mayo spares a target, triggering events that destabilize Asian economies.
Mayo is the five dollar assassin who asks only five dollars for a killing. He is asked to kill the mother of a 12 year old prostitute, Shion, but leaves her alive out of pity. This event starts a chain of events which will shake the Asian economies to the core. (Source: ANN)
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 4 sampled reviews
5.8
/10
What 4 readers settled on.
67%
recommend
Score distribution
median 6
mode 2
σ 2.86
Agreement
Polarized
σ 2.86 · split reception
The polarity gap
6.5 pts
Recommenders 8.5 · others 2.0
Yes
No
Score over time
↓ 3.25
Running avg · Aug 2008 → Feb 2026
Snap verdicts
· shortest highly-rated reviews
- 8 “Strain is a blast to read, featuring gritty, stylized art and a relentless pace that keeps the story moving through its brief five-volume run. While the series occasionally suffers from...”
- 9 “Strain is a masterfully crafted, break-neck political thriller that brilliantly blends socio-economic insight with compelling character dynamics and Ikegami’s consistently classy, mature artwork....”
- 2 “While the characters possess decent backstories, they are ultimately wasted by a narrative that fails to maintain any consistency. The writing is an insufferable display of toxic masculinity,...”
Verbosity
Short · 25%
Medium · 50%
Long · 25%
Read Order & Related
A self-contained story.
No sequels, spin-offs or alternate tellings — Strain begins and ends here.
Cast
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A Manga Publication
- Format 40 × 5 ch × vol
- Total read 5h 20m approx
- Published Jan 1996 – Jan 1998
- Source Manga media type
- Ref. BS-M1300 catalog