You’re probably way into the Black God series if you’re already at book six. For once, I would like to add a personal note. I have never read Black God until volume six showed up on my doorstep one day. Simply put, it was enough to pique my interest into finding out exactly what this series is all about.
 
The first half of volume six is Kuro’s tale of her life on Pure Tera just before coming to Earth. Kuro was a carefree young princess who adored her brother Reishin and her mother, the high priestess. The world was beautiful. Life was peaceful and prosperous. Reishin was on his way to becoming the head of the Shishigami family, but the council of Elders found him to be too rash and hotheaded to take on the responsibility at the time. Kuro was infuriated but didn’t fully understand why or where her place was in this world.
 
Everything changed for Kuro when she first met the wicked Hiyou. She bumped into his boat and decided to follow him, only to discover that he was performing horrendous experiments on his own people as well as kidnapped humans. Reishin just barely rescued Kuro before she became Hiyou’s next victim.
 
Kuro’s mother locked her away in a concealed cave to cleanse her of the contamination brought on by the ordeal. What Kuro didn’t realize was that her mother had a prophetic dream about a horrific slaughter to be brought about by her own son.
 
Keita finds himself moved when he hears Kuro’s tale, which only strengthens their bond. While they and a few of their friends wait things out at Akane’s home, Excel and Steiner decide to take on Reishin and Yuki face to face in an epic battle that will change everything.
 
Past and present finally collide when Keita and Kuro decide to infiltrate a party in Okinawa where a few surprises from the past await their arrival.
 
Despite being the sixth book in the series, Black God makes a surprisingly good first impression. The deep story, exciting action, and the attention to detail in the artwork make this a very well-rounded and enjoyable manga for teens. The only downside is that there seems to be, at least in this volume, a certain level of sexism that is apparent in multiple fan service shots of Kuro and Akane’s bodies as well as the graphic images of naked, dismembered women. It’s a bit disheartening to realize this, but that certainly does not mean that Black God should be skipped. Despite its flaw, the series is certainly worth taking the chance.

written by Dall-Young Lim
illustrated by Sung-Woo Park