KSKM THREAD
This thread is for discussion of the KSKM manga.
For those unaware, KSKM is a martial arts manga spanning 50 vols and a spin-off sequel called KS Monogatari. The art is superb with special attention being given to muscles and anatomy throughout the series while keep everything as realistic as possible (for the most part). There's some comedy, particularly in the early chapters, although it often relies on stock characters. But the real allure of this manga lies in how it does not rely on winning matches for story progression and character development. I consider that to be the greatest fault of most martial arts manga. In KSKM both the story and the characters grow without the "defeat X guy, now Y guy appears, defeat Y guy" storylines so often seen in these types of manga. That's not to say the manga is without flaws, the ending felt like the author was forced to drop the series and secondary characters are completely forgotten only for us to be "remembered" of their existence many arcs later, and not getting as much screen-time page-time as the others, this is very noticeable as the chapters progress and more characters get added. Also some of these secondary characters are actually more interesting than the MC.
The fights are good. The initial fights are nothing out of the ordinary, just formulaic, but it gets better.
The first chapters are about Kohinata learning Karate and meeting the other characters, they serve as an introductory arc altogether. These focus on comedy and have the most "cliché" linear "defeat X" out of all the arcs. I can recommend this manga to anybody who is looking for a martial marts manga.
The sequel tried to tie some loose ends, and to some extent it did so, but its about two almost unrelated guys, and not as interesting overall.