A Second Entry in The New Gate

Quickly following on the best selling digital release of the first volume of Yoshiyuki Miwa’s manga adaptation of The New Gate, One Peace Books is preparing a rapid release of the second volume. Certain to please readers who enjoyed the initial volume’s introduction to the New Gate world, the second volume introduces new characters, expanded world building, and an evolving perspective on the story on both the narrative and technical sides of the tale.

The first manga based on Shinogi Kazanami’s The New Gate light novel series transported champion MMO player Shin from the climax of the immersive virtual reality New Gate online fantasy game to a unique, independent, living world 500 years beyond the cataclysmic events of the New Gate online game. The slow-burn first manga depicted Shin’s acclimatization to his new environment and his brief first meetings with fellow high-level adventurer Wilhelm Avis and the curiously mysterious tiger girl Millie. The second volume proceeds beyond the introduction phase to depict Shin flexing his legendary skills on his first high level quest tasks in this new, foreign land. Shin first investigates a plea whispered to him by Millie. His investigation takes him to an unknown part of the nearby dark woods where he faces off against ferocious fox monsters and also befriends an infant fox cub that eagerly becomes his pet and partner. Subsequently, Shin accepts his second quest, a request to aid Millie’s orphanage with a resolution that’s as much political as physical. Shin groups with Wil Avis and the novice priestess Rashia to bring peace to an area overrun by undead and zombie creatures. Along the way Shin, and readers, learn more about the expanse of the contemporary New Gate world and also get a first in-person introduction to long-lived legendary elf warrior Schnee Raizar.

Unlike the first manga volume which spaced brief action scenes throughout the book, the second volume bookends longer battle scenes. Containing chapters 8-13, the second manga volume picks up precisely where the prior volume concluded, revealing exactly what Millie whispered to Shin and his resultant personal quest. This side quest takes up the bulk of chapters 8 & 9. Chapters 10 & 11 depict the after effects of Shin’s personal side quest and the introduction to his first formal high level quest. The action increases in chapters 12 & 13, escalating to a nail-biting cliffhanger. Once again in this volume the action consists entirely of human versus monster fighting. The action is dynamic with a constant, fluid rhythm of motion and exchange of thrust, parry, and dodge. Rarely but occasionally select panels are either over-stuffed with magical effects or motion blur, or are cropped too tightly making the action difficult to decipher. Moreover, the battle scenes climax in moderately graphic detail saved from being explicitly gory by an absence of splashing blood. The effect increases at the end of the book when Shin & Wil powerlevel Rashia by grinding against armored skeletons but also grotesque looking zombie hounds and other Lovecraftian-looking abominations. The inclusion of these new types of monsters temporarily guides the manga into a degree of horror-esque territory. The gruesome and nightmarish monster designs aren’t out of character for the story but may be a bit shocking or off-putting for readers lacking a taste for the macabre. In between the action scenes, artist Yoshiyuki Miwa seems to become more familiar with and comfortable with the cast, as the characters are visually more expressive, with more pronounced and varied facial expressions in this volume compared to the first. Miwa’s art design in the first volume felt perfunctory, adequate but typically unexceptional. The illustration of the second volume still isn’t remarkable, but it has more personality, a sense of not just illustrating the story but actually breathing life into the story. Characters including Yuzuha, Millie, and Tiera now feel energetic and cute without being cloying. Wilhelm becomes a far more dynamic and complex character as his actions become less simplistic and singularly focused. The story development also opens up significantly, revealing far more world building details about the society and politics of the New Gate world; however, this expanded context is entirely presented as blunt expository monologue. At least it still feels somewhat natural as it’s all being explained to newcomer Shin rather than artificially discussed aloud between characters who ought to already know all these details. Very minor flaws in the manga development include an inadequately transitioned scene change in chapter 13. The action cuts from one location to another without the usual visual signifier, causing the reader to double-take, momentarily wondering if pages got skipped over. Furthermore, at least twice the storytelling is slightly noticeably artificial. In one scene magic doesn’t work within a select area seemingly “just because.” Similarly, shortly later in the book Shin states, “I might have gotten a clue to figuring out how to return to my own world,” despite having not encountered anything seemingly relevant. Such small narrative lapses can be chalked up to the nature of the story being based on video game logic.

The English-friendly presentation by One Peace books presents the original Japanese manga as faithfully as appropriately possible. Sound effects are retained in Japanese text accompanied by unobtrusive translation. Minor Japanese text is retained except when necessary to the narrative. Then it’s fully translated. The translation is fluid and natural, free of obvious errors. Slightly more noticeable, at least in the pre-publication digital translation review copy that I was provided, within occasional panels the resolution of the transposed English text lacks either proper resolution or anti-aliasing resulting in it looking fuzzy, out of focus, or slightly misaligned. The effect may not be noticeable to all readers, and it may end up fixed by the release of the retail edition.

The New Gate manga volume 2 continues to unfold at a leisurely pace. The second volume introduces more intrigue and wider context yet still has no prominent overarching story conflict. However, readers that found the first volume interesting should find more to appreciate in the second book. While still as purposeful, the second volume is leaner and more propellant, spending less time aimlessly meandering, instead concentrating on specific, purposeful events and adventures. Although this volume contains no nudity, sex, or swearing, and violence is relegated to fantasy battles against baleful monsters, the second book does contain some horror-inspired imagery that may be unsettling to especially young and impressionable readers. As of its second volume The New Gate manga feels as though it has a narrative goal in mind. The story development is slow, but it feels as though it’s deliberately building toward a revelatory conflict. Yoshiyuki Miwa’s second volume of The New Gate manga is a solid, satisfying expansion and continuation of the introductory first volume. The book will be available in print and digital formats from One Peace Books on May 26th.