Manga Review on World Trigger

World Trigger took a few episodes to grow on me, but Shonen Jump finally has another series that can compete with the big shots like Naruto and early Bleach. Shonen finally made a series where hard work and training actually matters to characters. A series where wit, experience, and tactics play a role in the progression of the series.

So the plot is basically about alien invaders whom keep attacking Earth. Conveniently they keep targeting the same place over and over, while a special task force save the day. The Neighbors are bug like creatures that are after an energysource known as Trion, Trion is basically the equivalent to chakra located in the bodies of living organisms.

“BORDER” agents fight back using special Trion-powered devices known as triggers that confer a variety of attacks and abilities. These are their main tools for handling these invasions and the premise behind triggers is very unique.

Osamu Mikumo is a low-ranking, glasses wearing, nerd boy BORDER agent who makes friends with the diminutive Yuma Kuga, a humanoid Neighbor with amazing natural talent. Ashihara originally intended Kuga to be the hero, but wisely realized Mikumo was more interesting. Osamu is a pretty average guy that most people can relate to. His experience in this series is a prime example of character development through proper use of training and experiences.

Still, once the real story begins and we start learning about the factions within BORDER as the Neighbors ramp up their efforts, the cast becomes so large that both Mikumo and Kuga take a back seat. Ashihara clearly wanted to write sports manga, as World Trigger emphasizes team strategies, positioning, squad rivalries, and ascending the rankings while its city-smashing battles commence.

That’s half of what makes World Trigger great. The other half is that Trigger activation replaces one’s body with a Trion body that looks just like you, albeit with a snazzy outfit. These Trion bodies can be dismembered and mutilated by bullets and blades without cast members dying, allowing fights to be WAY more violent than ever, despite no blood! Man you just gotta love blood and gore loopholes.

I can’t remember how I got into World Trigger. I think it was from a top 5 animes to watch video on YouTube. But needless to say I started from the beginning and binged the hell out of it during a break. I did not regret any of my time spent watching and then reading the series!