Tsotomu Nihei's <i>Knights of Sidonia</i> remains one of my favourite animes, so I was absolutely delighted to be afforded the opportunity to read the first two chapters of <i>Tower Dungeon</i>!

The dungeon-crawling theme seems popular in manga as of late, however <i>Tower Dungeon</i>'s take on it is fresh, with a fast progression to the upper floors having already happened by the time the main character, Yuva, arrives to assist the Royal Guard in rescuing their Princess. To me, this is a great way of showing exactly how out of place our conscripted farmboy is as he tries his best to be of service.

I adore the full spread pages depicting gigantic and intricate mega-structures, and the contrast to open sky is absolutely stunning. The story balances gritty danger with comedic moments well, the characters are endearing, and the monster is reminiscent of the Gauna from <i>Knights of Sidonia</i> in its gargantuan, fleshy, body horror way.

On a first read through, I did find some of the characters visually difficult to tell apart, and the narrative jump to different scenes (the same way you would have a jump cut in a tv show or film) made it a little tricky for me to follow along. Fortunately this wasn't a problem on a second-read with some context, but it can still feel like some of the scene-setting panels were cut to keep up a very fast pace. As others have pointed out, there is some unnecessary nudity of the female characters, and tbh I just hope the gents get the same treatment in future volumes.

Looking forward to the next chapters!


Thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for a review!

I was really looking forward to this book as a spooky tower inhabited by monsters and differentiated floors is such a good formula for a manga.

However, this was difficult to follow with sweeping shots of the scenery broken by a random assortment of difficult to tell apart knights and our main hero Yuva. It’s a chaotic way to tell a story especially when there’s hints of the wider worldbuilding shining through. There’s dragon blood amongst the rulers and beetles acting as couriers, and these are somewhat lost amongst the noise.

The art style for this volume is gorgeous, truly exquisite depiction of mushrooms growing out of people. The random ‘clean’ nudity of just the mage when she’s casting comes across as plain odd and doesn’t add anything to the story.

It’s a busy start to the story but I hope it grows clearer as the manga progresses.

Tower Dungeon by Tsutomu Nihei is a fascinating blend of dark fantasy and high fantasy, delivering a world that feels both mysterious and imposing. The designs are sharp, moody, and atmospheric, perfectly complementing the story’s tone. The artwork builds an unsettling yet captivating environment that draws the reader deeper into the setting.

At the center of the story is Yuva, a quirky protagonist whose semi–super strength sets him apart while still making him feel like an underdog you can’t help but root for. The side characters add plenty of humor and balance, playing off Yuva’s personality in ways that keep the story engaging and prevent it from becoming too heavy.

The premise is strong and intriguing, offering just enough mystery to hook you while hinting at a larger, complex world waiting to be uncovered. Fans of fantasy who appreciate a grittier, more stylized approach will likely enjoy what Nihei is doing here.

I’d rate Tower Dungeon 4 out of 5 stars. For me, a 3 means good, 4 means great, and 5 is reserved for something that leaves me completely speechless. Tower Dungeon lands firmly in the “great” category—a darkly imaginative and entertaining read that shows Nihei’s strengths as both a worldbuilder and storyteller.

Meh. It's boring and the art feels unfinished. The story is hard to follow for how little story is being told. It's like the idea of a story, or a sketched out outline rather than an actually completed book.

This was a really solid first volume in a manga series. A young farm boy named Yuva accompanies the Royal Guard on a mission to save the princess from the Dragon Tower where she has been trapped. Yuva defies odds and gains the trust of the Royal Guard with his strength and perseverance.

I thought that the art in this volume was really great! Especially when it depicted landscapes, nature, or the architecture of buildings. Very well done and enjoyable to take in. I think the art also enhanced the mystery of the volume and added some depth to the story.

The story itself is very fast paced and while I was able to follow along easily enough, I do wish that this could have been broken into two volumes to allow readers more time to sit with the character of Yuva and learn about his background. I also would have liked a little more background on the princess and members of the Royal Guard. I think that this lack of information made the pacing of the volume seem a little too fast or interrupted at times. That being said, I do think that this is a series that I would like to continue reading. I thought that the author did a good job creating an interesting plot and the art itself is enough to keep me coming back for volume 2.

Many thanks to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for an eARC of Tower Dungeon 1!

I was really excited for this, the premise sounded good, and the art was beautiful… but I don’t like fan service. It’s really annoying and literally serves no point; so I won’t be continuing. :( it’s just not for me personally.

This was not good. The world is barely an outline of an idea, there is zero character development, huge chunks of the story are flat-out skipped, and there's a couple of pages of completely out of nowhere 100% gratuitous nudity. I will not be reading the second volume.

One and a half stars.

A simple youth who rises up to save the princess is a tale as old as time but Tsutomu Nihei’s Dungeon Tower stands out as a strange delight. Its world is dizzingly vertical and old. Its bricks are on the brink of crumbling and the texture of stone that fills its panels makes its rare landscape shots feel suffocatingly open. That sense of closeness is only exacerbated by the way architecture bleeds over panels.

In a world that sometimes feels like a dungeon even outwith the bounds of its titular tower it’s somewhat surprising how little of the dungeon we see. The sheer scale of the structure promises monsters and intrigue to come. The uncertainty of the tower itself creates unease. But we see only a handful of floors over the course of the volume though Yuva reaches the eightieth. However, while there may be few encounters, it knows how to make them memorable. The strangeness of that dual face has lingered in my brain.

The focus instead is on its characters. Yuva doesn’t rise about that stock character of the simple youth on a quest but he’s a sweet lad and the glimpse of his life before and his family ground and endear him. Though there is an almost weariness to him that does give his character some texture, as well as his animosity with Lilicen. The weight of expectation can be a noose and her characterisation is the strongest because of it, and therefore the one that most engages me. Eriquo unfortunately is largely underserved in this volume, acting as mediator, and general nice guy, with his skill needing to be told rather than demonstrated.

While there remains much intrigue with its secondary characters, such as Captain Minsabelle, they are the weakest part of this volume. And for all that I have loved it, it is an unusual volume in itself with only two chapters. These chapters are longer than most, but nonetheless it presents a pace that stands out among other series.

That said, there’s much to be excited about even if characters are an important factor in your enjoyment of a series. The odds are stacked against Yuva, Eriquo and Lilicen, even without the tumult of their dynamic. The decree of parliament has teased characters that I absolutely have to see more of. I love that the monsters rise above what their expected depictions are, and the orb is full of promise.

With thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha, I leave this review voluntarily.

Farmer Yuva gets swept up in a kingdom's fight against a powerful foe atop a looming tower. Their princess has been captured and they're exhausting all of their forces to hollow out the enemies within the tower to make their way through each floor in order to save her. It's Yuva's turn to enlist and help fight against the monsters to get her out. This has the makings of a dungeon crawler with hints of a political drama as well. Nihei usually does sci-fi stories, but here he takes on fantasy. The monsters definitely have otherworldly characteristics and the dungeon itself feels very alien, so the sci-fi influences are still strong.

I think this is a very promising start to a new series but I have very little to say with the brief insight into the world we get in this volume.
I love the art style it's quirky but has a lot of charm.
The characters are distinct from each other and I can see the start of an interesting dynamic between them all.
I'm not terribly fond of the sexualiastion of only the female characters but that's unfortunately not uncommon in the genre.

for a first volume, it was little chaotic but i think it was trying to catch us up to what has happened prior to yuva (our mc) getting there. the characters are ok, i really liked the female characters, minsabelle the military captain and the lilicen the fire-mage. could have done without them being the only ones depicted almost naked for no reason…

the vibes though are really good. the art style is perfect for a dungeon manga. i would like to continue the series eventually, the first volume only had two chapters and i can see the potential!

✶ thank you to the author and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review ✶

With a style done in stark, rugged lines deep shades, Nihei crafts a setting for us to enjoy a story that is the likes of common shounen: young man with strength that few expect steps up to an impossible challenge that may end in his death. But to not act would be to condemn others. So he joins a crusade into the Tower Dungeon.

Dungeon Meshi this ain't. There's no cuteness and it stays strictly with the grim. Even though there's some hope in the mix (otherwise this would have been a drag of a read) to keep us thinking that there might be if not a happy ending at the end of this dungeon crawl, there'll at least be a satisfying one.

Rating an opening volume for a manga series is difficult, but if I was shopping for manga and found the second volume, this would be on the list of possible pick ups. Not a must read, but still intriguing enough that I might grab it. What it does give us, though, is a solid start to an adventure, even with a somewhat slow, plodding start.

Hopefully things will pick up in volume two, that or the slow pace will continue and the dread and horror will ramp up. Either will be satisfying.

Tower Dungeon is about Yuva, a farmboy who is enlisted to help with rescuing the princess who has been stowed away in a dungeon.

As this is my first Tsutomu Nihei work, I was excited to see what the author had to offer considering they were a big name in the manga world. I can say that he met expectations. The artwork in this is gorgeous, I liked the creature designs in particular. The writing may be a tad weak, but I have a feeling that much of the jargon in the first volume will be fleshed out in later versions.

It's an interesting world with equally interesting characters. Yuva is worth rooting for, he tries his hardest, shows perseverance but is also open to assistance from his teammates.

Overall, this is a very fun and quick read. Panels are large and have more presence because of it, and while there is a decent amount of dialogue in this, I would say it has enough to give the story texture. I would recommend!

Thank you t0 the publisher and author for the review copy

I saw some mixed reviews that made me think the story would be confusing and hard to get, but I didn’t feel that at all. This is a great first volume, it does a good job of setting up the world and the characters, there’s not a lot information yet but it left me wanting to know more so I’m probably going to pick up the next volumes. I liked Yuva as the main character, can’t wait to see what he does next!

This was such a great start for a series!

I liked everything, the magic, powers, adventures...

The monsters are also very cool.

This story puts a fresh spin on the classic “save the princess” tale. Instead of rescuing her from a dragon, the heroes must navigate an alien-like dungeon where countless soldiers have failed to reach her. A strong farmer joins the quest, and when most of the men have to return to the kingdom, he is left with a small group to continue the mission. The story is intriguing, full of unexpected twists, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next. The art is also beautifully done, perfectly capturing the world and the tension of the story.

In “Tower Dungeon 1” by Tsutomu Nihei we have the start of the classic story done in an interesting fashion.

The setup is one familiar to anyone who has ever entered a dungeon (either in games, on screen, or on page). Princess Ignelia is kidnapped by an evil monster. The army has failed to rescue her, in desperation they are forcing each village to give up “one body” to go rescue the princess. Yuva, the master bird feeder (as he sees himself), is a farm boy who volunteers to go, hoping to save his village from the curse that’s causing their crops to fail.

And off he goes. In chapter one, Yuva is ridiculed by the seasoned warriors, but soon his incredible strength and willingness to do anything starts to win over the Royal Guards. We quickly progress through the dungeon, breezing through the first 49 levels until we get to the first fight at the doorway to 50. On this level is a slime monster, and Yuva’s job is to use the barrel of salt he’s been carrying to finish the monster off. Chapter two has the forces regroup, although the rescued mage is left behind, and they make it to the 100th level where they encounter a fire-breathing dragon. Will they ever be able to rescue the princess?

A fantastic start to what promises to be an interesting series. Yes, these are stereotypical scenes from a stereotypical story, but so far the execution is what sets this apart. The graphics are sparse and linear, gothic black and white. The story seems to skip over many things (going from level 1 to 10 to 49!), but its necessary to get us to where we are. Looking forward to the next volume.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Kodansha Comics, Vertical Comics via NetGalley. Thank you!

Having read 'BLAME!' I was very interested in this as soon as I read the description. By the time I hit chapter 2 I was hooked- I hope I can continue to read this story! I know it is currently ongoing in Japan's print version of Shonen Jump- but not the American app. I hope to see it added soon!

This story offers a quick, efficient and clean setup/ intro to characters, getting right into the business before the end of chapter 1. Includes several architecture-focused panels reminiscent of 'BLAME!' but this time with castles! Just as you wonder how they can keep this up as an ongoing series they stop, scale it back- and set up a start over. Looking forward to reading the next chapters!!

I'll always take a look at anything Tsutomu Nihei does, even if his storytelling is a little vague -- like several panels are missing every couple of pages -- and his art is a little hard to follow, his characters a little hard to tell apart.

This seems to be a spin on a fairy tale, with a common farm lad tasked with rescuing a princess from a magical tower whose every level is loaded with danger.

It's a short book, so it just barely finishes setting the scene before the final page, leaving me primed to wonder what comes next.


Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Chapter 1. Yuva, Master Bird-Feeder -- Chapter 2. The Fire Mage and the Half-Dragon

This is a good dungeon craller but I have some qualms with it .
Yuva is a young farmer who is roped in to a dangerous mission to rescue a kidnapped princess. The journey is filled iwht monsters and creatures but I am missing some of that detail in the drawing.
I am not a fan of the art , its a bit too simplistic for me and I am missing those gritty gorey details of the dungeon details. The emotions of the characters are not dicernatble and the lines and impact of the situation is not communicated through the images we see.