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About:
Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series MADK. While the manga may vary slightly from all other forms of media, it may have similar story elements and could be considered spoilers.
Content Warning: There may be references to religion, rituals, blood, vore, cannibalism, sex work, dubcon, noncon, violence, death, age gap, power imbalance, statutory rape, racism, prejudice, dead animals, self-hatred, gore, necrophilic tendencies, social gap, BDSM, mentions of forced pregnancy, mentions of male pregnancy, mentions of incest, coercion, manipulation, obsession, homomisia, mentions of cults, murder, mental illness, strained familial relationships, classism, torture, mentions of drugs, overwork, theft, impersonation, sexism, misgendering, gender-bending, prejudice, self-harm, confinement, drugging, suicidal ideation, pseudo-incest, and suicide, as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
Makoto has an obsession. It’s one that could never be accepted in society, and so Makoto feels isolated and trapped. As a last-ditch effort to fulfill his grotesque desires, he resorts to the occult, summoning a demon. The demon appears before him, praising his talents. The demon will grant him whatever he wants in exchange for Makoto’s soul. More than happy to trade his corrupted soul, Makoto asks for the one thing he has always wanted but never been able to obtain: the chance to eat someone. The demon is surprised but has no qualms about fulfilling this request.
So begins Makoto’s strange relationship with the demon. For a while, Makoto takes his time, slowly eating the demon’s flesh and savoring it. Eventually, though, even this routine becomes dull. The demon, bored himself, offers an alternative. He tears into his throat and offers Makoto the chance to have intercourse there. It’s horrific and disgusting. But Makoto is all too happy to give it a try. Once the act is complete, Makoto breaks down into despair, realizing he’ll never be able to experience pleasure like that again. Satisfied, he’s ready to be taken by the demon.
But the demon has other plans. Instead of taking Makoto’s soul, the demon named J takes Makoto’s severed head to Hell. There, he proclaims that he will get Makoto a new body and raise him into a fantastic demon, one that could tear J down from his perch as the Archduke of Hell. Makoto is furious, having assumed his life would finally be over. Makoto goes along with J’s plans, both because he hates J and because he loves him.
But the road to the top is long, and everyone in Hell is trying to raise their station. Can Makoto make it to the top without being destroyed? Or was J mistaken in his abilities as a demon?
Review:
With so many religious references and elements in this series, I think it’s only fitting to describe this art as godly. It’s hellish but in the best way. It is uber inconsistent, but I actually think this works for the harsh and chaotic narrative. I mean, this is Hell we’re talking about. Pristine and cleanliness really don’t make sense for the setting and the narrative. J is stunning, Datensho might have one of the best designs I’ve ever seen, and Makoto gets one of the best glow-ups ever. With so much intense political-esque scheming and high-octane emotions, some panels are absolutely jaw-dropping, taking the emotion of the scenes to the next level. It’s a unique style, and it’s not perfect by any means, but it’s ideal for the story, and that’s all that matters. I think this one is definitely worth reading for this point alone. If you couldn’t tell from the content warnings, it is worth noting that this is extremely gory and violent. While beautiful and avant-garde in its design and styling, it is exceedingly grotesque – it is body horror, so be warned. It’s beautiful, for sure, but if you have a weak stomach, this isn’t the one for you.
Now, on to the story. The concept of names having power isn’t a unique one. Even so far back as the Old Testament, and probably even farther back than that, this concept has been used and reiterated time and time again. What is unique about this display of the concept here is how the lack of a name actually indicates power, like being referred to by your first initial, such as M for Makoto or D for Datensho. Their names are so powerful that they show dominance over others by not having them. I adore how this series takes the idea of names having power so literally that saying the name of someone more powerful than you could destroy you, and the symbol of that power is the lack of a name. It gives me the tingles just thinking about how this series handles this. But the irony that the most powerful demon, J, might be extinguished simply because no one knows his name is delicious. It truly embodies the idea that power is ruin and does call back to the traditional idea of names. Without a name, how would anyone remember us? Demons must be known to survive, so you could lose your identity forever if you get too powerful. It’s almost a form of checks and balances for the demon world, and I adore it.
With that in mind, this is the ultimate show of dominance. The gradual shift in power Makoto and the other demons have between each other is one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. An example of how smoothly it’s done is between Datensho and Makoto. Of course, in the beginning, Makoto has to refer to Datensho as D. But eventually, in their dialogues, you notice Datensho referring to Makoto as “boy” or “you” rather than his name. When Makoto revealed that he could say Datensho’s name, it truly gave me chills. It’s such a powerful scene. But it is softened by the earlier reveal from J that Makoto can say Datensho’s name. He just chooses not to. I wish that had been revealed *after* the stand-off with Datensho, as I think it kind of ruined the big reveal for me. Still, it’s an excellent moment that I still think about even now.
If I did have one complaint, it would be the story of Shax. He is known as the liar, and he’s hopelessly in love with Datensho, to the point that he sacrifices his precious ability to speak in order to pay for Datensho’s freedom. We get a few glimpses into his past, but not enough to establish his character or love for Datensho. Similarly, K’s history is rather vague. Again, we see some small glimpses of his past with J and how they would interact, but we don’t get much beyond that. Of course, the story’s focus is on Makoto and J, and they are the most developed of the characters, as they should be, but with such a grand, fantastical world and concept, I desperately wanted more from every character that wasn’t Makoto and J. I also wanted more from Makoto and J because I’m greedy, but certainly more from the side characters.
Results:
This is not a story for the faint of heart. I certainly can’t and won’t recommend this one to everyone, but it is a fabulous story all the same. The art is stunning, expressive, and excessively detailed in some panels. The scheming and political plays are well-thought-out and intriguing. The sex is grotesque but sensual and emotional. There’s even some comedy sprinkled throughout. This is a smorgasbord of body horror and smutty goodness, and if you can handle the depravity, this is one you definitely don’t want to miss. This is going in my fave pile, for sure.
Have you read MADK? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!