Pumpkin Scissors Opinion

Pumpkin Scissors Manga Opinion Review

Pumpkin Scissors was one of those manga I passed over for multiple reasons. The name was one. The name didn't catch my interest at all so I ignored it. However, after running into a AMV with multiple anime's in it. I realized I wanted to watch it from the clips I saw and after I watched the anime I needed to read the manga. The anime is good but the manga is 100% better. I am kinda glad I didn't start it for a while though cause it was licensed but Del Ray Dropped it. Then nobody scanned it for a long time. So I am glad I picked it up when releases started coming out again. There is a fairly large following given that there is a anime and fan fiction and also fan art so hopefully Del Ray will allow someone else to do the project that actually wants to if they don't like it anymore.

That brings me to the second reason why I skipped over it when I first saw it. I like Action Manga but I am not big on guns. I usually find them cowardly. So, I tend so shy away from manga that make a big use of them. However this one is different. Randal has to get in point blank range to pull the trigger so he feels the weight of ending a life. Unlike idiots who can snipe off a building or shoot out of a car window without watching the light leave their victims eyes. So this one is not like that. Plus Lieutenant Alice Malvin doesn't use a gun at all. She uses a Dagger and a double bladed sword. Its pretty cool watching the animation of her fighting in the anime with the sword so that is one of the biggest reasons to watch the anime. Unfortunately she only uses it a few times. Usually she is just using her dagger.


Okay onto the content. One of the things I like best about this manga is that murder is not glamorized. You can feel the weight of the life that is being taken and when it is being taken it is not beautiful. Randal looks really messed up when he has to kill. Which is the way it should be. I am guilty of getting swept up in it too the pretty animations of people dying beautifully with the graceful power of the handsome or beautiful protagonist. However, I think this is better and more real this way.

The Del Ray people complained about the art when they choose to drop it and true enough it doesn't have the most beautiful art and the most beautiful and handsome main characters but to me it seems to be mostly intentional. This includes when they make Randal Larger than in some frames usually to me it feels like the way they draw the people is based on the feeling they want to portray in that scene... I guess that could fly by some people though. In reality on a scale I would say the art is about average. Its by far not the best I have seen and for sure nowhere near the worst. It is not the traditional skinny extra strong for his body size male protagonist... however, this is the way I like things... Randal reminds me of Guts in Berserk... though Berserk's art is insanely better and there is no comparison in quality, it is the same concept of drawing outside the realm of what is normal for body in manga. I personally consider that a strength not a weakness.

I really like how the main characters are evolving right now. Lieutenant Alice Malvin is a excellent main character. Usually I dislike the naive starry eyed overzealous type but they found a way to make it more of an endearing trait than an annoying one like in some stories. Randal is my favorite character though... which I must admit the male characters tend to be my favorite... but anyways, Randal is a complicated guy and he truly seems to have a huge story behind him. With each piece revealed... I feel more and more for his character. Part of me hopes that the 2 main characters end up with a happily ever after. However, its not that type of story. Its unfortunate... but even if Alice ever actually realizes she loves (which she obviously does) Randal... I doubt he will ever allow it to go anywhere (even though he loves her for sure and knows it)... it has nothing to do with anything as shallow as their sizes as some fans think... but more to do with their stations in life as well as his own struggles and how they will impact her and her life if he lets her in. Though perhaps they will have a short time of happiness... but I still thinks it will not end with them living happily ever after... it can't. It would be fulfilling in a small way cause its what I want for them, but in the end it wouldn't go right with the story and would feel forced I think.

The supporting characters are real interesting too and honestly help make the manga what it is. Without any single member of section 3 including the dog it just wouldn't get as good of a review from me... all their unique personalities and quirks are important to make Pumpkin Scissors as good as it is. I think my favorite out of them would have to be between Oreldo the womanizer who is smart, resourceful and fairly strong in a non traditional sense. He excels at using his relationships with women for information and seems to have something else to him that has not been brought to light, and my other favorite is Captain Hunks. The captain is not very well known in the story yet but some things about him just came to light... and it hints at a past connection between him and Corporal Randal Oland... via his previous post in the military. Anyway. He seems to be able to see through people and doesn't act surprised about much. I can't wait to know more about his character. I am sure he will have a huge part in future volumes.

I suggest this to anyone looking for a good action (army, war), adventure, and drama type manga. The romance is very light at least so far. It is easy to see the main characters love each other after the first few volumes, and it becomes more clear as time goes on. However, the romance is slow moving and more light at least at this point and I have read up to volume 10. If you cannot stomach violence then this is not a good manga for you. Its got some super funny parts but a lot of the content is very serious. I am not big into comedy manga and never read it if it is the main Genre. However, some of the things in this manga had me laughing out loud. So far this manga has made it into my top 5 favorites. We will see how it fairs after it is finished though It seems to be only getting better to me so far.


*Now as a side note. The anime is worth seeing... if you don't mind a few things. First. They follow the story pretty well but there are a few key things they seem to soft pedal and they seem to make the Corporal act and speak more stupid than he really is. He is a bit slow at times but he is not slow when it counts the opening he is so slow it almost made me turn off the anime just in the first few seconds... so hang on it gets better. Also, if you watch the anime you will need to read the manga cause though it ends at a decent enough ending point nothing is finished at that point and you can tell. So if you like it you have to read.