The streets are a wild place. Not many look kindly upon the streets, where laws are lax, and hungry wolves gather. Such a place is a haven for the many youths who lose their way, looking for a place to prove their worth. Some of these youths have tried committing suicide. Others are rejected by their families, ostracised by their friends. Raw emotions of jealousy, hate, anger, and all the ugly sides of mankind are vividly brought out in the streets. And on the streets, the only rule is that the strong survive.
Kamishiro Yuu, protagonist of the manga, calls the streets his Holyland. Why? Because only in the streets, in the darkness without rules, can he connect with people with similar experiences as him.
Kamishiro Yuu has a tragic backstory, and is a child, bullied since young. His past developed in him a complex, where, unlike most people who give in to the bullying, he decides that he will never look down. Instead, he will fight for his Holyland.
In the shortest span of time, going from absolute unknown loner, taking down a couple of gang members who tried to rough him up, Yuu rises to fame as the thug hunter. What characterises Yuu is not merely his fighting prowess, but the wildness developed in him, as he chose to step on the path of fighting. With mad determination and resilience, Yuu polishes his body into his tool, that which he would defend what is precious to him with. He is a wild beast, and untamed; a sharpened sword with no guard.
When sheathed however, Yuu becomes a completely different person, shy and timid. Even after attaining status among the thugs as the thug hunter, Yuu still holds onto his loner complex, afraid to lose the precious few things he has. In a long wrestle with his emotions, Yuu goes through a metamorphosis, gaining friends, losing friends, fearing his power, and eventually finding what he seeks.
If a serious, dark manga with martial arts and a deep connection to emotions is for you, try Holyland. It's no tear-jerker, but the concise and un-sugar-coated story telling will keep you going, just to see the ugly reality of the streets.
Enjoy.
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