That's pretty amazing and fun! I adore the art style and the manga panelling, it's very intense while not taking away from comedic tone. the only problem is, i think the inconsistent and odd tonal shifts that don't work well because the premise is always 80% comedy, so the emotional beats don't land as hard.

This is surprisingly good! The premise of a kindergarten teacher protecting children from assassins while being a criminal herself is wild, but it really works. I love the over-the-top, hilarious characters. My favorite is definitely the main character; her quest to find a hot guy keeps ending with her accidentally killing them because they don't share her views, which is just hysterical. And it's fine, because they're trying to kill kids anyway, so fuck em! The ending was actually intense, and I'm really interested to see what happens next.

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

Kindergarten Wars, Volume 1 by You Chiba was a delight. The story follows a young assassin and other criminals tasked with protecting the young children of the rich and powerful in exchange for reduced sentences, when all our FL really wants is a boyfriend. It's hilarious as we watch the unsuspecting potential kidnappers get owned by seemingly normal (at first) childcare workers. I loved how fast-paced it was and how the boyfriend criteria were used to see if they got killed or not by the FL, lol. It had very enjoyable and unique storytelling, but also a lot of assassination, so if that's an issue for you maybe skip it, but I loved this. Recommend for high school age and above.

Thank you to NetGalley and Yen Press for the e-book copy!

Kindergarten Wars is a fun comedy following a legendary assassin named Rita as she takes on her next task: protect kids from the clutches of would-be assassins. This series got a few laughs out of me so far and I like that there is an overarching story. The gag of Rita being boy crazy was waning on me towards the end but i hope it is phased out sooner rather than later. I recommend this if you like "Spy x Family" or comedy manga in general.

Rita is the world's finest assassin. Or at least she was, after finally being arrested the government makes a deal with her; she can become the bodyguard to the children of the elite or stay in jail. Rita of course accepts the offer, becoming the newest teacher at Kindergarten Noir The Safest Kindergarten in the World!

This was just adorable. Rita and all of the side characters we've met so far were a ton of fun, the premise is unique, and the art really fit the story. If you are looking for something just fun to read this is the perfect book, I genuinely laughed out loud pretty much through the whole thing!

As always thanks to Yen Press and Netgalley for the eArc!

Kindergarten Wars, Vol. 1 is a story that fabulously combines action and humor with charismatic characters that easily grab your attention.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for this advanced reader's copy.

This manga was really fun! I loved the main characters and the ridiculous premise. It has the same silly vibes as SpyxFamily and all the action of books like Zom 100 and assassin classroom. Overall this is just a really fun and entertaining read.

5 stars!
If you love action comedy, then this one is for you. I absolutely devoured this manga and love the comedy especially in this and the cute art style is such a plus! If you also love a female MC who is powerful and has a mystery past then please read this!

Seriously can not get over this story so far. So good! I couldn’t put it down. I so hope there’s more because talk about a cliffhanger! 5/5 highly recommend

A kindergarten taught by ex-spies? Yes, you're not dreaming, and I personally signed up for it when I saw this title.

* Background *

It doesn't take much to get me hooked on manga, so when I saw the cover and synopsis, I had no choice but to discover this manga. This is a comic action manga, and I love it! I'm not much of a classic shonen fan, having seen too many in the past, but this one stands out from the crowd. Yes, there's fighting, but at the same time it's great fun! We discover extravagant but endearing characters in situations each crazier than the next.

The pace is also interesting, as we also discover the stories of our many characters, so we're not just into humor and fighting either.

* The drawings *
This is a classic shonen that works well! There's nothing more to say.

* Recommendation *
I recommend this great manga if
- You like the Action and Humor combo
- You like extravagant characters
- You want to escape your everyday life by entering this school

Thank you Netgalley for allowing us to discover this title.

This story is something else—in the best way! The teachers in this world aren't just educators; they're also elite protectors of kids whose families hold very important positions. Since assassins are constantly being sent after these students, the solution? Hire dangerous criminals with impressive killing skills to serve as their bodyguards—in exchange for having their records wiped clean.

Our main character is hilarious—she’s obsessed with getting a hot boyfriend and constantly asks the attractive assassins ridiculous questions. But she has a deadly habit: if they give her the wrong answer, she kills them. It’s a wild mix of dark humor and action, and I’m loving every minute of it. The art is super cute and adds a fun contrast to the darker elements. I can’t wait to see where this chaotic and entertaining story goes next!

Thank you to Yen Press for the e-arc of this manga. This had a very interesting premise — a kindergarten for “elite” children protected by convicts with special skills, and a budding romance (?). While I was entertained, it kinda felt like the storyline and execution was all over the place. There were so many different plots going on that it felt like we were bouncing back and forth a lot. I liked the art style, but it was just kinda okay for a volume 1. I may end up reading the next volume but it’s a maybe.
3 stars 🌟 (?)

A Manga full of action, comedy, and Hotties, this book is set in the safest kindergarten and follows our main character, Rita, a former assassin, who is working here to reduce her sentence, alongside other criminals. Rita is an amazing character, I adore her and her singular focus on “hotties” and how her attitude can do a complete 180 when faced with a would-be assassin that is hot.

I was a little unsure going into this book if I would like it, but decided to try it anyway, and I’m glad I did, it was funny and I loved all the facial expressions the characters made especially the main character, I also really liked her questions to the “hotties”, they had me in stiches with each encounter she had.

If you’re up for a bloody good time, with a manga filled with comedy and action, this book is definitely for you.

The kindergarten takes some unique measures to protect the children at the Kindergarten- as they come from high profile families. These measures include hiring criminals as teachers to protect the children against assassins and if they last a year they are free from the remaining time of their charges and let free.
Rita desires a boyfriend, so every time an assassin appears and they are to her liking she asks them questions. If they don't answer to her liking or give her an unexpected answer, she unalives them. I think one of the funniest ones was when she asked what they eat first when they have ramen. Then we get introduced to another criminal that she bickers but they basically go back and forth saving each other. As you can imagine all the teachers will have the "quirks" and seems to keep true as more are introduced.

If you like Sakamoto Days or Spy x Family, you will more than likely like this series too. It's a fun read and finished volume 1 before I knew it.

-action/comedy/romcom

This was fun! Bloody, but fun. Sort of a cross between Spy x Family and Suicide Squad. Will definitely be picking up future volumes.

Recommended.

Sakamoto Days meets Spy x Family in this adorable yet kick-ass graphic novel, Kindergarten Wars Vol. 1 by You Chiba.

Upon first sight, I was intrigued by the book’s description, which claims the story revolves around the "world's safest kindergarten." I thought to myself, "Well, that's new." However, I was in for a real treat when I realized that the plot is actually about a high-security kindergarten for the rich, staffed by a row of teachers who are all former assassins.

Before I knew it, I was already enjoying every minute of reading it. The number of times I smiled, laughed, and gasped cannot be counted by one's hands alone—maybe by the rain of bullets and grenades, but hands? No way.

To conclude, Kindergarten Wars Vol. 1 is a delightful blend of action, humor, and heartwarming moments, wrapped up in a truly unique premise. You Chiba masterfully balances thrilling sequences with adorable character interactions, making this graphic novel a must-read for fans of both action and slice-of-life genres. If you’re looking for something fresh, funny, and full of surprises, this series is definitely worth picking up.

Thank You NetGalley and Yen Press for the ARC!

The manga was chaotically fun! I ended up reading this almost immediately and didn't even realize I was at the end. Our Mc Rita is a silly and dangerous assassin that is on the hunt for a boyfriend that loves Ramen. Her co-workers are equally unhinged and so much fun as they are staffed to save prominent children from wealthy families from other assassins. I love the way the background of each character isn't dropped on us all at once, and gives us enough details to hook us on wanting to know more about them. I can't wait for the next volume!

A kinetic, bloody good time that seamlessly blends action and comedy in this series reminiscent of 'Happy Kanako's Killer Life' and 'Kill Me Baby'!

The plot is wild, but presented with blasé flair: At a kindergarten for wealthy children, an organization (unclear which in this volume) has staffed an entire school entirely with previously-incarcerated criminals (mostly former assassins themselves), to thwart assassination attempts and kidnappings. For promotional purposes, you could say it’s like they sent the Suicide Squad crew to teach at Abbott Elementary.

I’ll cop to being a sucker for this particular niche of screwball-assassination-comedies-in-a-school-setting (Honoka Akane’s Bodyguards was also a recent fave), but it does help that this series’ comedic timing is top notch and the main character’s single-minded pursuit of “hotties”, regardless of time, place or circumstance, never failed to delight. Although I’ll happily suggest it to the 15+ manga-loving crowd, the series' loose, Looney Toons-esque approach to violence means it might be ill-suited for younger, more impressionable audiences.

I'm pretty excited to see that Kindergarten Wars is coming out in print. Action aside, it's one of the best romantic comedies out there in manga form right now (clearly not a title meant for kindergarteners) with the premise of "What if Suicide Squad's mission was running a kindergarten under constant attack?". Rita and Doug, in charge of the Dandelion class, have quite the chemistry and I look forward to seeing how they will riff off each other in future chapters. Each chapter may appear formulaic with the baddy of the week, but volume 1 ends with the addition of a third teacher for Dandelion class and a cliffhanger. They manage to drop enough small details like brief backstories of some characters and how they keep the teachers in line, given that they are hardened criminals. The high turnover rate for teachers is mentioned, so I do wonder how frequently we're going to get new characters. In addition to the chapters that were previously released, there is a bonus chapter in this volume, which is a nice touch.

I need to read the next volume as soon as possible! What a fun ride. I loved the setting of the Kindergarten and the comedy aspects that came along with it. The art style was dynamic and suited the story perfectly. Although the plot seemed a little repetitive at first, I was totally invested in the teachers of the Dandelion class by the end. I feel like the story will open up a lot in later volumes, so I am very interested to check them out.