So... I will start by emphasising that you may struggle to find this... Looks like the internet is your only option. At the time of writing this, only 9 chapters are translated in english. Normally, in these cases, i read in french. Except this time, no french version either. If you understand spanish, a south american team is taking care of this (although from my perspective as a french, this is 'broken' spanish that is pretty difficult to read, since to me, spanish is naturally going to be about Spain). I am thankful that i can read and watch stuff in several languages. But still...if you want the whole thing, you will have to look for the raws, obviously in japanese. My japanese (especially reading) sucks, and i didn't have the courage to try and decipher it. So this will be based on the Mexican (i think?) fan version. Because yes, this manga is not published where i need it, so it is not like i could actually support the author, even if i wanted to...

This manga is niche, this review will probably be ignored, but well, not like i was writing this for the likes... There is a need for more different perspectives, i believe. And so here is mine.

Quite frankly, the pitch for this didn't exactly make me hopeful. It felt like your usual low quality Light Novel schtick that tries to use an original idea (no matter how far-fetched) as an attention grabbing device, before devolving into a slog by displaying a writing level that showcases how the author should have tried his hand at another job instead. You know what i am talking about right? This 'bland light novel of the week' phenomenom where they somehow manage to get anime adaptations for beyond unfathomable reasons. This here is a seinen, i.e. meant for adults, and so i write this fully expecting that you are not 12 years old. If you are, then we will probably never agree, as i could be your dad i guess, so better look elsewhere.

This manga only introduces character circumstances and backgrounds very slowly. I consider that to be a strong point as i hate with a passion 'character arcs' that throw at us a tear-jerking, never-ending flashback background story as a nauseating device meant to force us to care about the character. It seems that many authors don't understand AT ALL that backstories mean NOTHING if they are there just to be there ("One Piece" being probably the worst pile of bullcrap i have seen in my entire life in this regard). The best characters i have seen are characters that DO NOT have these flasback backstories. They are characters that we get to see evolving in their everyday lives, and we get to know them not through the dog they lost when they were 3 years old, but rather their way to go about with their lives. I never met someone in real life that i couldn't get to know unless i had their whole backstory in three 20 minutes episodes. Get what i mean? I may learn about their lost dog while talking with them. Authors that force tear-jerking flashback backstories on their readers are consistently authors that suck big time at writing characters in the first place. Because they can only build them by considering 'traits' or 'archetypes' rather than the person they are meant to be.

This manga does not waste time with such things. We get to see the characters evolve, we get tidbits of who they are when it is relevant, flashbacks are generally one page long maximum (and are just flashes indeed), and they only happen when they make sense. This allows for the story and storytelling to flow naturally. At some point, i thought Ririsa was being too meek. Then, much later on, while following her during her everyday life, we learn that there are reasons for it. There is NO exposition dump and story elements are revealed on the go as the characters stumble upon them. At times, it may feel like we lack information to fully understand a character's stance, but everything comes when it should. This allowed me to feel much closer to Ririsa that i would have expected at first.

This is clearly character driven. Otoha, by chapter 56 (raws), remains mostly a mystery. She is an egotist weirdo, and we don't exactly know what kind of environement made her that way. We will learn about it i am sure, once something happens that forces her to communicate this information to others and once that becomes relevant to the story. Thank Whoever for not having dumped her backstory upon me before i could even care. Especially when the next concert is around the corner. Because gosh, i enjoy concerts MUCH MORE than information dumps, especially when the latter is put just before said concert. As i said, the storytelling flows properly, and i hope you now understand better why.

Tina remains the weak link here. Her introduction and profile are tired tropes. Not even interesting ones. Plus, the lines she spouts when trying to join are embarrassing. The anime made it even worse somehow. She is, you know, the timid type trying to uncover her true self by playing music, and she begs a lot. Later on, she proves to be extremely strong, managing not to get swept away by negativity when she realises how much of a gap there is with the others. Differences in musical knowledge and culture and their implications are especially well presented. So, she will be annoying only for a short time (although i could have done without the 'big breast jokes' to be frank...).

I appreciate that this is about metal, too. The anime uses Band Maid's tracks, and this is a great choice. It makes it all epic. Especially for someone like me who mostly listens to metal and classical music (yes, i believe that these two are actually pretty close to one another, and i can not understand people who put them at opposite ends of the musical spectrum. The opposite of classical is Rap to me. Obviously, that means that i hate this genre even more than electro music. But i digress...). And as opposed to atrocities like 'Bang Dream', this is NOT an idol series in disguise.

The band here plays metal, real metal. There is no 'friendly sugar', or 'power of a friendship' here, either. This is a genuine metal manga emphasising characters that feel chained by their circumstances and only want to get free and go wild. I can relate with this. Totally. Metal, more than any other music style, is all about breaking free, all about inspiration. All about letting go of everything that we keep sealed deep within us. And there IS indeed some intense, fiery feelings that may go with it. The other review here, by curvedtree (perfectly commendable one, read it if you can) seems to misunderstand the use of BDSM imagery in there. I believe using this makes perfect sense. These characters free themselves from everything that crushes them down (the 'oujou-sama pressure' here). I don't quite know how to describe this feeling in english... and i don't expect most of you to understand french. Suffice to say that making a parallel with orgasms is not as outlandish as you may think if you don't care about metal. Despite what some may believe, metal is about life, energy, and even hope. It helps exorcise dark things, plunge into the abyss in order to get back to the light, and, overall, can make a tingling feeling grow in your chest until frantic hysteria. Especially during concerts, due to the atmosphere and the resonating effects when with others in a group. The only other music style that may make me feel something close (although less fiery) is classical music. Again, they are pretty similar to me.

The characters are tied by their circumstances to the point that they have to hide what they do from society. During concerts, they go by nicknames. Their entire days are stiffling beyond imagination. None of the four characters was made to live like that, and music is their freedom. And on stage, they get more free than anyone in the world. The savage exhilaration that comes with it is the 'orgasm'. And that they may try to agress each other with their sound in this moment doesn't seem all that strange to me. Pair orgasm with domination, and you naturally get a BDSM imagery. Nothing strange in that.

Despite the sad lives they live, this manga really made me laugh quite a bit. They truly are excessive in many ways, but i actually enjoyed it. This notion that 'girls wouldn't behave like that' has yet to be proven. But either way, THEY certainly do. Once again, as musicians, under their nicknames, they are free to be ANYTHING they want. They live under chains, in a 'gilded birdcage set for them by adults', and this is what happens when the bird is set free.

Now, as whole, i appreciate that the author has so far avoided cheap tear-jerking drama. We get that the characters struggle, and it would have been easy to go the melodrama way, but the author refrained from it (which is a sheer contrast with 'Hibike Euphonium' where there weren't that much ground for drama from the beginning, despite the author and KyoAni forcing it heavily anyway, by any way they could manage). Maybe it lacks a sense of depth as a result. Maybe this could have been more if handled properly. Maybe there was matter to craft a masterpiece by depicting this contrasting existence of a bird stuck for life in a cage, that only get to fly around 2 hours every day. Maybe we could have explored more deeply the ideas of 'purpose', 'determinisms', 'aspiration', 'nature vs society', 'duty', 'social classes', or whatever. And actually, maybe we will. Something is bound to happen from the very start, it can only happen, it should happen, and WHEN it happens (not if), the whole world may crumble for our characters. Will the author explore these themes deeper at this point and shift tone? Will he handle all this as a mere hurlde to overcome like the others...? I don't know. But the potential is there.

I haven't talked much about drawings and such, but i don't care that much. It is all serviceable enough, and i found nothing to complain about. All aspects that were notable to me have be tackled above, and so, i will leave it at that.

This is a seinen, and this is not about J-Pop. To me, this makes the whole thing noticeably better. Whether it is the case for you will mostly depend on who you are. If you are a fan a idol animes and J-Pop, either you will have a harder time to relate with this, or maybe you will find a way to expand your world somewhat instead. Either way, it can't hurt to give this a try. Granted, you can find a way to get your hands on it in the first place...

8/10.