Land of Lions is an action-adventure manga written by Cassandra Jean that I found quite by accident. Though it has its share of faults, I have fallen in love with the world she has created. With lots of fight scenes, romance and flashbacks, this little manga is sure to catch your attention as well.
Plot
- Lion
- Panther
- Tiger
- Snail
- Addax
- Alligator
- Jackal
- Falcon
- Buffalo
- Crow
Characters
Art Quality
The art varies between breathtaking and horrible. However, as the story has progressed the art has improved to become much more consistently “good” as opposed to varying between horrendous and gorgeous.
Entertainment
This is one entertaining manga, mostly because it throws out more mysteries than it solves! Characters are often introduced and then left alone, but the author hints that they will be back and play a role in the final battle.
The Positive
There are lots of fight scenes which I enjoy. This manga manages to find a good balance between fights and plot so I never find one aspect overbearing.
Also, I LOVE the use of people of color! I am mixed, and I’m often disheartened by how few black people are represented in manga. Even though she appeared for only a brief moment, I already fell in love with the Addax female warrior.
All different shades and haircolors are represented and there is even interracial love!
The Negative
On the other hand, not everything is perfect.
For example, it is taking FOREVER and the dialogue can be cheesy at times. One almost wonders if she doesn’t notice that she is copying stereotypical conversations from other manga.
Also, the main girl character is really sucky and stereotypical, which disappoints me especially since the writer is a woman.
She has a great set up: she is considered “manly” because she travels outside the land of lions and dresses like a warrior but then she has to be saved by Faris all the time… even when she herself is in the process of rescuing someone! On top of that, she only came on the adventure because she has a crush on Faris. Oh, and she is a range fighter of course (bow and arrow). Overall she is probably my least favorite character because she had so much potential.
Verdict
Despite its flaws I really like Land of Lions and I notice that it is really improving as time goes on. Sometimes it’s fun to have a simple little adventure in a fantasy world. The mystery of it all also has me hooked and I eagerly check the site once a month to read the next chapters.
You can read the entire manga at this site. It is posted as it is completed, so patience is a must! If you do become an addict, the forums are a good way to get a dose of Land of Lions between issues.
