If I were to describe this manga in a sentence, it would be the following: Bleak and devoid of any light or hope, the ouroboros of the downtrodden bites its tail. 'Zankyou' is a pit of despair that introduces quite a few social themes despite its shortness. It's violent, sometimes rash in how it paces the events unfolding, and utterly captivating in its grim nature. Quite a few episodes in the series will be controversial for a lot of people. However, this edgier/more scandalous spin isn't there just for the sake of it. Everything fits, everything weaves a truly depressing narrative to an equally tragic, yet somewhatbittersweet end.

If you're in for something darker and haunting, read this. The 19 chapters are quick enough to sate your hunger for gruesome art. And while 'Zankyou' isn't philosophical or profound, it achieves its purpose: to unsettle the reader and give us a glimpse into the life of a society's underbelly.

Solid 8/10.