Every quarter we are running a Manga Review Contest where you can submit a review from a selected list of manga. If you want to participate or learn more, click the link. Continue on to see what a fellow customer thought about the action-comedy The Geek Ex-Hitman manga.
This review is written by Brian
The Geek Ex-Hitman is a story about a tall, dark, and handsome Italian hitman named Marco, who turns away from his dark line of work and discards his past for the sake of an anime waifu. And, to quote one of the characters in this volume, "I stan him super hard right now."
We see Marco toss aside his moniker as "The Oracle of Florence" and become "The Otaku of Florence" as he moves to Japan and dives head first into the sub-culture. The comedy is rather reminiscent of The Way of the Househusband, with them both being about rough and tumble, scary-looking guys with a great soft side for their loves, so if you enjoy one, you'll like the other. Still, this isn't to say that they are exactly the same, and The Geek Ex-Hitman is sure to stand on its own feet more as it goes through the volumes.
This first volume sets up that there is going to be a fair bit of action, as well as some political intrigue, and I hope that continues forth and blends with the comedy in subsequent volumes. For characters, they do introduce a few outside of Marco; some friends of his in Japan, and a pair of agents hunting him down. Though the agents are really the only ones of note right now, with the BL-obsessed Vivian being the most noteworthy of all. She's an absolute treat, while her partner Andre leaves something to be desired. Though as it's only the first volume, I do have hopes for him.
Lastly, the art style in the manga is something I really enjoy. There's a rough sketchiness to it and the faces can be surprisingly expressive for how serious they usually look.
Honestly, I had a feeling from just the cover that I was going to enjoy this. Seeing a brooding man who reminds me of Kiritsugu Emiya from Fate/Zero hugging a waifu body pillow? I adore that kind of contrast. But still, I had to read this first volume to get a real opinion of it. After all, it doesn't matter how much you like a concept if the execution is done poorly. Well, I'm happy to say that the execution is done flawlessly, as would be expected of a famed hitman.
Overall, while I can point to similarities this has to other media, I do think that it comes together to form its own unique image. This has certainly been a good first impression, I laughed a few times reading it, and I look forward to the next volume and the one after that.
Check back every month for our manga review contest page as we will be adding new manga to the list! Don't forget to submit your reviews for a chance to win a $75 gift card like Brian did!
The Geek Ex-Hitman Manga Volume 1
The Oracle of Florence, Marco, is a legendary, 's trying to build a new reputation for himself-the biggest geek in all Japan! After getting introduced to the joys of otaku culture while out on a hit, Marco quickly gets so sucked in that he sets down his bloodstained mantle and moves to Japan to peacefully enjoy his new lifestyle.
But he'll soon find that even after turning over a new leaf, there isn't much he can do about how sinister he seems to other people-especially the government agent on his tail, Viviana, whose skills as a spy are surpassed only by her burning passion for yaoi and BL…!
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