I have to be honest that I really am not the most experienced manga reader. Though a fan of anime, I have little experience with the written, graphic novel form of such entertainment (and that goes for all graphic novels for that matter). But, I must say that I am always open for a new form of fantasy entertainment and Blank Slate happens to be that adventure for me.
Taking place amidst a post-war era of terrorism, one villain stands out amongst the crowd, a dark yet endearing man named Zen. Zen, who awakened in darkness, does not remember if he is a killer or a hero. All he knows is that he is a highly skilled assassin who lives for danger and destruction. His passion is killing but his quest is to understand his past.
The story begins behind the eyes of a bounty hunter named Russo, who seeks the prize of killing the infamous Zen. As you hear his story, you begin to learn and understand why people, such as Russo, become so endeared by this unique serial killer, as Russo soon becomes an accomplice. But is this the fate for Russo or is there more to the story than this?
Later, Zen crosses paths with a girl named Rian, daughter of a Galayan general and she looks to him for answers to her own life questions. But the real story picks up when Zen comes to an unlicensed doctor for medical assistance, as readers begin to learn the history behind the nations of Galay and Amata (the final destination of the first volume).
I was impressed with the ability to depict emotions and action using the filmstrip and I like the art style very much. The fight scenes were graphic but certainly weren’t over the top, with limited but effective blood placement. Characters looked very mature and appeared very “cool” overall. The story was easy to follow and it was fairly coherent from chapter to chapter.
Overall, I enjoyed the story but I still found it a little difficult to connect with the main character. Maybe this was the author’s intention but I never really saw him as the lead character in any scene but rather the other characters first. I understood his confusion about his past but didn’t see much about it until the very end of the volume. Perhaps Kanno is setting up for the next installments in the series.