Manga Spotlight Feb'25

GTO: The Early Years, Suicide Parabellum

📅 Last Updated: 16th February 2025

Suicide Parabellum by Dowman Sayman is an exciting action mystery manga infused with dark humor and subtle Yuri elements. The story follows Chihaya, a violent young woman, as she endlessly chases after a mysterious girl. Their pursuit takes them through different worlds, each with its own set of rules and challenges. As the story unfolds, the truth behind this chase slowly becomes clear.

The plot feels like a mix of "Inception" and Time-crime movies, creating a looping, mind-bending experience. At first, it may seem confusing, but as you read, the pieces start falling into place. You might even find yourself flipping back to earlier chapters to catch the subtle details you initially overlooked. Beneath its dark humor, the manga also delves into significant psychological themes, adding more depth to the story.

Sayman’s art style is unique and oddly charming, making it refreshing to read. The character designs are distinct and appealing, while the backgrounds remain minimalistic, focusing more on what’s necessary rather than extra details.

Due to its short length, there isn't much room for deep character development, though the characters still feel very distinct and interesting. The story’s mix of action, mystery, and subtle yuri themes makes it a fun and engaging read.

Overall, Suicide Parabellum is a great, quick read. It’s one of the best one-volume manga I’ve come across, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys intriguing mysteries.

More Info: MAL, Anilist
Credits: Dkay (MAL, Anilist, Twitter)

GTO: The Early Years or Shonan Junai Gumi!, written by Fujisawa Tohru, is an action-comedy manga with a school setting. The story follows the Oni-Baku duo (one of them will eventually become the greatest teacher in Japan) and their shenanigans as they pursue their ultimate goal: getting laid. Though the story mostly focuses on their inability to achieve this throughout the manga due to various reasons, it also follows their rivalry with various gangs, their school friendships, and the fame they will carry into the sequel, GTO.

As it is an older manga, its art has a nostalgic feel, but it is still good enough to be enjoyable today. Subjectively, if you want to read something that will make you laugh, has consistently good chapters, and features iconic characters who will stick with you for a long time, this and GTO might be just the thing for you.

More Info: MAL, Anilist, Wikipedia
Credits: Kamiyan (MAL)

P.S. Do not forget to check out the sequels Bad Company and GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka.

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