I Read CoryxKenshin's Manga (Monsters We Make Vol. 1) (REVIEW)

Coryxkenshin made a manga for $20 I read it and here are my thoughts
monsters we make vol 1.

[Hahafunnyhaha]

Glad you’re giving an honest review. After hearing cory say he doesn’t want us to like it just for him my respect for the project rose so I definitely wanna check it out now

[Kenshi-Leo]

Cory did say that he won’t strike anyone who reacts to the manga and if possible anime

[Ghostlyz]

I'mma get it because i watch cory and because it's good to see him do other stuff that he likes that isn't just uploading gaming and reaction videos.

[zking]

Truly, from the bottom of my heart, I think this story can be something great. During the reading session, I saw how many directions this story could take and how incredible it could be, but also where it could go and fall flat. I'm scared that it will take a generic route, but from the video Cory posted, he seems to be more than willing to put in the time and effort to make something incredible.

To put some advice in here, for the sake of it, because I would like to believe that he is scouring the internet to see what how he can improve his creative writing:

Provide the characters with impossible decisions that they must make. These types of conflicts are so compelling to read because of how they challenge the characters. Usually, the most compelling decisions, are the ones that challenge the major themes of the story or the characters ideals. You can use these scenes to change the character, or to reveal something about that character that we didn't know before.
Character development should be met with feedback from other characters. Denial or acceptance. These two decisions can cause some very good conflict, and can make other characters feel alive. These developments should also matter in the overarching sense of the story, and move the plot forward.
Crafting an exciting fight is easy, but writing a brilliant one is hard. You have to consider what the purpose of the fight scene is and how it matters to the characters. Also, fights aren't always about punching harder. It should involve strategy. "How do I minimize damage so I can fight the next guy in line? How can I gain the upper-hand in an unfair fight? How do I punish the moves of my opponent?" Don't tell the audience what the character is thinking, but rather show it. Trusting the audience to understand what is happening comes after you explain the power systems at play.
Empathy is the key to not alienating audiences from the characters. Honest, relatable mistakes help the audience place themselves in the shoes of the character. These mistakes can also be used to drive the plot forward. The butterfly effect is a real tangible plot device that you can use to intensify the conflict overtime or rapidly.
The world shouldn't revolve around the protagonist. Events should be happening outside of their life, and these events should involve side characters to give them development. This can be also used to develop the plot and setting in an organic way.
Write what you like! Crafting a good story comes down to the love you have for your story, so if you don't love it, then it probably won't be good. So, take advice that only works for the narrative you are trying to tell. If advice fits the themes of your story and what you want to see, then use it and incorporate it into your writing!

[suprnva]

Nobody:

Me trying to see the panels through the reflection of the picture:

[teenymite]

finished it today, my spoiler free review

it was cool, reminds me of blue exorcist and kaiju no 8

[javiusrobinson]

Nobody should be gettin his manga because of his comeback just get it if your TRULY interested into giving it a a read I brought it and i actually fw it definitely things he can change around but overall it’s solid

[TrueYellowJustice]

Alright chapter 800318 was definitely a turning point for me. Honestly big thumbs up, narrative genius struck and i'd gladly give another $20 if i could again. I really liked when the protagonist started twerking towards the demon as that was discovered to be the most effective means of combat. Really lots of action happened in this chapter huge shout out to cory for blessing my eyes with this one.

[ShakorWint-by]

I love fact that ur giving a very honest review speaking ur mind c

[Mysteryz-lipw]

For some extra info: Cory was HEAVILY involved in the making of this manga. Cory has always been a massive storyteller, and he’s shown us that through stuff like his skits. But we’ve never seen his full writing capability. Behind the scenes, when the camera is off, Cory actually writes a lot. And Monsters We Make is completely his own story, that he wrote with the help of a co-writer (also named Cory) and a full team, including Line Studios who made a full animated trailer for MWM. Cory said he didn’t want this to be/feel like just another YouTuber product, he wanted it to feel like what it is to him, which is a passion project.

[SteinsGateIsAMasterpiece]

Glad that cory is back with the good stuff good vid bro

[RoseOfAtom]

Great video I came for the review. I read it as well and i like it for me I see myself reading the next volume. I love to hear how other's thing about it good, bad and critical

[abnormalpotato]

I love the fact that your reviewing as if it was an actual manga you read and not like a manga that coryxkenshin made

[dojyannnnn]

*Spoilers + longish read


To give my own critique, I thought the "manga" (pretty sure this a comic but wtv) had an identical trope to many other shounen animes like Fairy Tail, Yu Yu Hakusho, Naruto, Bleach, and other mainstream media like ATLA and others that I can't think of rn. But it also added other twists that make it unique in Cory's own way. What I mean is that the main cast, which includes Jabari (MC), Liam (Main SC), Alicent (Female SC), September (Female SC), and Han (SC) all follow specific tropes not uncommon in mainstream/Shounen. Jabari: The main character who is an exceptional musician and has a talent not only for music but also for athleticism and fighting. Basically, naturally talented and a jack of all trades. Also quite cocky (think Yusuke, Ichigo, and MCs who are adept at anything they start that took other characters years to accomplish). Liam: Is your edgy (not too edgy), cool guy that's still technically a side character but a personal rival and friend to Jabari which helps the both of them grow (think Sasuke, Hiei, Megumi, Zuko). Alicent: The strong girl, usually contrasts with other female characters if there are any, is meant to defy feminine norms, and has powers that are usually plain and simple or "strong punch/kick" (think Toph, Maki, Sakura). Alicent: Another female lead for the main cast. Is the "mom" of the group and is looking out for each member. Despite this, she is still very strong on her own (think Katara, also Sakura ig, and that one girl from Bleach who likes Ichigo).
These characters aren't anything new and are in general the "generic main cast". I'm not saying there's stuff wrong with that, but the use of these tropes might give readers a stale taste when reading.

The biggest pros of the manga are its passion, fight scenes, and character dynamics. You can essentially feel what it feels like to read someone's story of watching anime, reading mangas, comics, and animations, and creating one because of that. Because that's essentially what this manga is. It's Cory's way of expressing to his viewers and readers how much manga, animations, and anime have influenced his life and how he wants to express that love to others. Like creating your own choreography of fighting in your mind for a fight scene or having an OC for an anime you enjoy, this is Cory's way of putting those ideas on the table and conveying his own creative thinking into an actual something for his fans to realize. His whole life of watching characters like Naruto and Sasuke and Yusuke and Hiei fighting each other and using that as inspiration has led him to create his own characters and his own fights (as he explained in his second video). He does this best by steering the fight scenes and how he lets his characters interact with each other. The action in the anime is heavily inspired by stuff like Jujutsu Kaisen and HXH, and I'm all in for that. Moments like when Jabari told the councilwoman (forgot her name) to "SAY IT" with nothing but black and white colors for the panel (which was 100% inspired by Yuji and Gon), and the fight where Liam and Jabari jumped the leaker together were peak. Talking about pure fight scenes though, the manga has great fight scenes through and through. Character dynamics between the squad are also great, as it's not one-dimensional and does have synergy, both positively and negatively. The character dynamics between Liam and Jabari is that of two contrasting main characters getting along (optimist + pessimist, Naruto/Sasuke, Yuji/Megumi) while in contrast, the dynamic between Jabari and Alicent are opposing and gives way for the story to grow on that rather than having every character be close friends with Jabari since he's the main character. Their confrontation in the sewer made it clear that Jabari's overconfidence and ego conflict with Alicent's ideology of humility and humbleness and dislike for the idea of an outsider, especially a cocky one. As I said, it's not one-dimensional and gives more complexity to the story as a whole.

The biggest con, however, is how "flawless" the cast actually feels. I know the story is supposed to state that "These guys aren't your average Joe, these guys are talented individuals and are savants". But it also makes it so the cast has "quirky" flaws that aren't really flaws by definition, or just flaws that are seemingly too forced into the character to actually make it feel like flaws. Because what's a good character without actual, human flaws? Take Jabari. He is a character who rejects the idea of being "humble" because all his life he's been told nothing but to be humble. So ultimately, he thinks that being humble is a blockage to his growth, a thing that chains him down (like Gojo from JJK). From here, this creates an ego and personality that can be irksome to viewers, as his overconfidence paired with physical and mental prowess to back that up creates a "perfect" main character. This can be used to create a better narrative in the future (i.e. because he's blessed with all these talents, he sees the world in a distinct way that "normal" people can't. That may be what Cory is going for rn idk) but as of now, there's not a lot of depth to him besides the fact that his "flaw" is being scared of letting people down because of past emotional traumas like. The reason for this is that when his dad is treated wrongly, his dad still puts up with it for his family, leading to Jabari wanting to be stronger in the hopes of achieving a more fortunate life for his parents. Another "weird" flaw is his tendencies to rush in, go hot-headed, always go all out, and use "MAX" (a term for the max output of the suit's power) without much consequence when other characters who'd do that would likely suffer more severe consequences For example, Jabari (having never used the suit) taping into max and not suffering many consequences beside numbness in the arms whereas Alicent (an experienced fighter) doing the same but now losing her hearing and starts to hallucinate and see things. These follow a generic trope that can make the story stagnant as it's evident that the MC has some sort of plot armor to make him stronger than the other casts, despite just now learning what powers he has and what he can do. And the fact that he's not only a talented musician who bested other more experienced composers, but also nearly broke the school record for his second test, used a "MAX" output with his suit without dying, or at least suffering huge consequences, and is already on par with the cast despite being a newbie can seem like the generic MC we already know. Unless we see a training arc where he trains his ass off to even almost break school records, it feels like the OP MC all over again. This isn't to say that talented main characters are bad, like how Yuji landed 3 black flashes on Hanamu despite just learning about Cursed Energy or how Miyamoto from Vagabond bests more experienced fighters in combat. It's more so his character, in that his personality seems a little offputting for readers. Or like September, whose unduly niceness, confidence, and doting attitude can make it seem like she is nothing but that "female character to be female" trope. I'm not gonna write anymore since this section is already too big.

All in all, bias from being a hardcore Cory fan aside, the manga as of now is a 6.5/10 for me. It's not anywhere "Jujutsu Kaisen" for me yet, but it is comparable to Solo Leveling, in both rating and plot. I'd say if Cory really wants to make this an "anime", meaning he'd have to get good numbers and yada yada for animation studios, he'd probably have to change some of the personalities seeing as Japanese people dislike overly confident MC's, which is why stories like JJK, MHA, Black Clover, One Piece, the popular mangas of the modern era are successful because the MC's aren't a loser, but they aren't perfect either (they may start out as a loser, but they grow).

[araissmart]

bro i was so shocked to see you i thought your only channel was vertified

[MasterDu]

You know the manga kinda reminded me of made in abyss if anyone's watched it

[jimbobimbo]

i couldn't get it. if you could share how to? i ordered and everything but with the website i wasnt told to make an account, and it says "log in"

[Thraxup]

I bought it, but i dont see how to get tue digital version, does anyome know how?

[aphpmr]

Im pretty sure cory is the writer since he did mention the co writer

[mohantiwari]

Solo levelling overall is 7/10 for me, jjk is 8 .