Kaijin Fugeki: Kindled Spirits 1

by oh!great

Two youths-Jin and Gao-lead a seemingly placid existence in the Japanese countryside along with their friends…but in fact they are holy warriors on the frontlines of the battle against armageddon. The coming of the nigh-unstoppable embodiments of catastrophe known as “Night” has imperiled the entire human race, and only Jin and Gao's ancient ability to call on the power of the gods through dance can stem the tide of destruction.

Genres: Manga

200 pages, Paperback

Published January 13, 2026

Reviews

[✧ Beanie Reads ✧ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read: February 19th
Format: E-Book
Rating: 2 Stars

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Art? Beautiful. The idea of dance to summon gods and do battle? Awesome. Natural disasters taking the form of monsters that must be defeated? Epic.

This manga? Blah. I didn't understand what was happening most of the time. The plot didn't really make sense. I didn't really understand the lore with the characters or the world building or anything. The friendships were fun, sure, but I just... didn't understand anything I read. They were using these special abilities? The MC was a host of some kind for a sword? I have no idea. It was weird and not at all for me, I guess.

[Bibliophile Dragon Ji-Li · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for this e-arc for review!

This was an story about a world where natural disasters are called "Nights" and the main characters are able to fight against them by summoning gods using the power of dance. An overall interesting enough concept, but the story flow was a bit confusing from the start. It did though have beautiful artwork drawn and I think there is potential for the series to improve as it continues.

[Janne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Right as I opened the first couple of pages, I was amazed by the colors of the art. I was kinda sad to let those beautiful colored drawings go, but I understand why it could not continue. It took a while though to connect the men in the first colored drawings as the men that you see in the rest of the book.
In classic manga, the beginning is quite confusing. But after just continuing after the first chapter, things get explained quite quickly. I’m intrigued by the story and wished that more of the plotline was revealed in this book. There are still a multitude of questions that I would’ve liked to see answered. Even though some side stories were cute, I much rather would have liked more of the main story. Yet I’m still curious about what will happen next, so hopefully I van find the next installment.

Thank you Netgalley, Oh!Great and Kodansha Comics for providing the ebook!

[Kristina Butke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a weird and unique manga that appeals to me, but I can see it not being for everyone. The combination of Shinto influences and kagura (sacred Japanese dance affiliated with Shinto and the gods) speaks to me, especially because I lived in Japan for six years and have seen kagura at Takachiho Shrine, and spent much of my time visiting shrines and historic places featuring the kami and their stories. So, I loved this.

What's so interesting to me about Kaijin Fugeki is the marriage of futuristic tech and alien-looking monsters (the Nights) with these ancient traditions being the only thing that can subdue them.

One of the first things I want to comment on is how beautiful the art is. We get a special opening sequence in full color introducing the characters Jin and Gao.

This clearly marks Jin's world as the break between before and after. Jin loses his Mom when Gao and his military come from Britain to Japan, and the Nights make their appearance.

It turns out, Nights have always been there, it's just that they've been considered natural disasters all this time--it's only until the action of the manga that they're revealed to be mysterious creatures/spirits driving the destruction. The Night that plague Prince Gao is Catherine, The Night of Typhoons, and eventually that monster follows him from the UK to Japan.

But first, we see other Nights in action. Jin is a fighter who controls the Sword of Retribution, and through god-possession and kagura dancing, he wields it as a great weapon against the Night. He and Gao make a great pair and are able to fight against many of these spirits.

Tonally, the manga is a bit all over the place. I love the main action and storyline, but there's a bit of silliness (The Split-Plit spirit), fanservice (which I've never cared for), and what feels like a little bit of randomness (Fuyu and Natsu, whose names mean Winter and Summer, are conjoined twins...they're called something else in the manga which makes me think there is more to them than two different heads sharing a body). Then you've got the heaviness of Gao and Jin's loss of their mothers, their dependency on each other, and the seriousness of what's at stake if the Nights are left unchallenged.

Despite this manga having what at times feels like different personalities, I'm drawn in by how unique it is and how gorgeous the artwork is, even of the horrific-looking Nights:

They look exactly like aliens, as I've mentioned before, but they have papers on them that look like ancient Japanese and ofuda, and then Catherine, the Night of Typhoons especially, looks like she's wearing the kagura paper banners they use to decorate the kagura-den. When I went to Amanoiwato Shrine, they had a kagura stage and they sold some of the papers, which I collected and hung in my apartment in Japan. They're gorgeous, and you can see them all over Catherine in the manga. My brain desperately wants to know what all of this means.

This manga is strange, but it fascinates me and has me drawn into it. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, but to my friends who are die-hard into myth and sacred dance and Shinto, I'd say definitely look into this, as well as manga readers who appreciate gorgeous, detailed art. I'm looking forward to Volume 2!

Many thanks to Kodansha and NetGalley for giving me a digital ARC to review.

[Mireya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for the ARC copy of Kaijn Fugeki. This has not affected my review at all, which are my own thoughts.

In a world where humanity confronts "Nights", sentient natural disasters, we follow Jin, a boy living in the hinterlands of Japan and who finds himself entwined with Gao, a British soldier driven from his home by Catherine, Night of Typhoons. Together, they'll fight these Nights, using the power of old gods and new technology to get the world free of them, even as it seems like a hard task for such young people.

This one was a pleasant surprised, 'cause I've seen it around, in Spanish too, but I never got to it until I saw the ARC at NetGalley and thought I'd give it a chance. And I'm glad I did! Now, enough about me and more about Jin and Gao (and company).

So, when it comes to fantasy/sci-fi stories, I tend to say that the ones that got you confuse a little at the start, as long as they evolve and solve the questions and have worlds that eventually make sense, are the ones I enjoy the most. I still think it and Kaijin Fugeki is one of those. It started with a bang and kept it going, then relaxed some and brought the calm moments to its characters, as they are much needed as the action and fights.

But, I also have to say, that even if the story per se hooked me and has picked my interest for the series, the plot of this one volume was all over the page. While I got a well grasp of the main characters and the world they live in, the way events happen and how flashbacks are introduced is a bit jarring, to the point it was hard to follow it sometimes, unfortunately. If this aspects gets solved in future volumes, I might be incline to keep reading because Jin and Gao are interesting characters, and the magic system and the Nights are a concept that I want to see explore in depth, but I need this manga series to get a hold of itself and follow a path, as thin as it might be.

Anyway, that's, like, my major complain, because, on the other hand, Jin and Gao make a perfect pair to combat the Nights, with their different upbringings, weapons and even ways of approaching a fight. And the secondary characters are rich enough too. When it comes to the world, it gives details little by little, bringing up more questions than answers, which is expected from a first volume of a series.

I hope this doesn't become a phenomenon, where authors sacrifice plot in favor of characters and world. KF has a well crafted world and characters asked to be follow around, really, but I need some plot. Coherent, if possible, and, even though they're young people in the case of this manga, with lives and missions and adventures beyond school; or, at least, I would like to see them venture beyond little by little, as they mature. That's always a good coming-of-age story, if well done.

So, Kaigin Fugeki is worth a chance, and, if it evolves and the plot becomes clearer, it has the potential to become one of the prominent shonens out there at the moment, because it has all the elements perfectly mixed, it just need a little push in a better direction (maybe it's doing well in Japan and I just don't know; feel free to correct me😂)

[EyrisReadsTheWorld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Des dessins magnifiques au service d'une narration hermétique.

Kaijin Fugeki propose un premier tome visuellement impressionnant avec des dessins magnifiques et expressifs, particulièrement remarquables dans les scènes d'action. Cependant, la narration reste extrêmement confuse et difficile à suivre, même après avoir lu le résumé. C'est un choix stylistique audacieux qui divisera certainement les lecteurs selon leur tolérance à l'obscurité narrative.

L'aspect visuel est indéniablement le point fort de ce manga. Les dessins sont vraiment beaux, avec une expressivité remarquable qui donne vie aux personnages. Les scènes d'action sont particulièrement réussies, dynamiques, prouvant le talent artistique indéniable derrière cette œuvre. Pour les lecteurs qui privilégient l'aspect visuel et l'atmosphère à la clarté narrative, ces qualités graphiques peuvent suffire à justifier la lecture.

Le problème majeur réside dans l'incompréhensibilité de l'histoire. Sans le résumé, il est quasiment impossible de vraiment saisir ce qui se passe, et même après l'avoir lu, une certaine confusion persiste. Cette obscurité narrative peut être un choix artistique délibéré visant à créer une atmosphère particulière ou à immerger le lecteur dans la confusion des personnages, mais elle risque surtout d'aliéner une grande partie du public. On ne devrait pas avoir besoin de lire un résumé externe pour comprendre les bases d'une histoire. Cette approche hermétique plaira peut-être à certains lecteurs qui apprécient les œuvres expérimentales ou cryptiques, mais frustrera la majorité qui recherche une narration au minimum cohérente et suivable.

Kaijin Fugeki tome 1 s'adresse à un public très spécifique : ceux qui sont prêts à sacrifier la clarté narrative pour profiter d'une expérience visuelle exceptionnelle et d'une atmosphère particulière. Si vous aimez les mangas expérimentaux, hermétiques, qui demandent un effort d'interprétation important, vous pourriez trouver votre compte. Pour tous les autres, cette lecture risque d'être plus frustrante que satisfaisante. À essayer uniquement si vous êtes attiré par les œuvres visuellement magnifiques mais narrativement opaques.

[Audrey S · Rating 2 out of 5]

.
I have not read a manga who’s plot structure was so bad that I genuinely was concerned that I had jumped into a middle book series - but no, this plot genuinely feels like it’s been chopped up in a blender and spat out. Until more than half way through, it barely makes sense.
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The premise is interesting - using ancient techniques to defeat a mega supernatural being - and the art is very stylized and gorgeous, but when it comes to explaining anything that is going on in this very complex world, the mangaka seems to think that isn’t necessary. Why do humans have super mega battle ships but high school kids are still shocked at the sight of a digital camera? Why do Gao’s mother’s breasts grow with every panel? Why is Gao’s underling fantasizing about being naked under her clothes in front of him? The level of fan service is something I thought shonen had grown past, but I clearly haven’t been reading shonen like this.
.
We also have the classic extreme bromance that verges on homoerotic best friends - only he understands me - dynamic between Gao and Jin. Which could be an interesting character study, but based on everything else in this first volume, I won’t be holding my breath.
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Like I said, this could be a really cool story. The saving grace could have been a coherent plot, but with how bad this was as a start - I would have to hear very good reviews of further volumes to even consider continuing.
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It’s a no from me for Kaijin Fugeki.
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*I received an eARC from Kodansha Comics | Vertical Comics & NetGalley. All opinions are my own*

[Tiffany Seward · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐ Manga | Supernatural | Action Fantasy

Thank you to Kodansha Comics for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Kaijin Fugeki: Kindled Spirits, Vol. 1 follows Gao and Jin during a heated summer after a supernatural event in the mountains permanently alters their town. From the start, there’s an ominous atmosphere that hints at something far larger at play than everyday life. The story weaves together multiple elements, including military involvement, flashbacks, and battles involving gods.

While the artwork is visually appealing, the narrative itself feels uneven. New ideas and plot threads are introduced, dropped, and sometimes revisited later without much clarity, which can make the story feel disjointed at times. It comes across as a volume still finding its footing, and I’m hoping later installments will smooth out these inconsistencies.

That said, there are aspects I enjoyed, especially the characters’ emotional connection to an old sakura tree, which adds a sense of symbolism amid the chaos. Those quieter, reflective moments help balance the larger supernatural conflicts.

Overall, Kaijin Fugeki: Kindled Spirits Vol. 1 has strong visuals, even if the plot feels scattered in this first volume. Readers who enjoy supernatural manga with gods, military, may still find this a promising start, especially if future volumes build more cohesion.

[Mariana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into this volume with genuine interest because of the cover and I thought the premise had a lot of potential. The idea of natural disasters represented as monsters could have made for a really original and compelling story. Unfortunately, the execution falls apart almost immediately. The plot is extremely confusing and borderline nonexistent. The book opens with heavy lore drops, rapid pacing, and a flood of names and concepts that never settle into anything coherent. Even for a first volume, the story is all over the place, making it hard to understand what’s happening or why it matters.

Another big issue for me was the reliance on fan service and juvenile humor. The frequent boobs and panties jokes clash badly with the supposedly serious worldbuilding and undermine any tension the story might have had, it tried to be funny and it just wasn’t. I enjoy absurd or chaotic manga when it’s well-done but here it just comes off messy and unfocused.

The art is technically strong and very consistent, but the character designs are not it, and the cover feels misleading compared to the tone of the actual content. The characters themselves are underdeveloped and lack substance, which makes it difficult to stay invested.

[Shiritaku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mmmh, an sich fand ich's thematisch schon ganz cool, auch die Charakterdesigns sind sehr nice… aber es hat mich nicht so richtig gecatched. Viel Text und irgendwie hab ich's mehr überflogen, als intensiv gelesen an einigen Stellen. Maybe auch wieder so ein Problem wegen nicht-native-speaker. 🤔 Band 1 war super schnell vorbei - anfangs hab ich noch mit dem Gedanken gespielt, ob ich's vorzeitig abbreche.. doch dann war ich doch recht fix durch damit. Das Artwork ist detailliert, aber auch teils etwas komisch (im positiven Sinne - mir fällt nur der passende Ausdruck gerade nicht ein). Der Plot und die Charaktere sind aber auch bisschen strange irgendwie - zb gibt's da zwei, die sich denselben Körper teilen, aber eben zwei unterschiedliche Köpfe besitzen. Dann tanzen die beiden Hauptfiguren, wenn sie gegen böse Wesen kämpfen? Und der eine zerbricht ne Steinfigur, um sie dann zu essen und anschließend auszuspucken!? Das war schon ziemlich strange…. 😅 Ich bin unsicher, ob ich das weiterverfolgen werde..
Erscheinungstermin ist der 13.01.2026
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ℹ️ Der Titel wurde bei Tokyopop für August ‘26 auf deutsch angekündigt.

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
This manga has interesting character designs and pretty fantastical art, but the story is a mess. I barely understood what was going on the entire time. I actually stopped reading to check that I wasn't reading a sequel or part of a series. I wasn't. This is supposed to be the first volume of the series, and it's not a sequel to anything. But the story just chucks you into the deep end, and literally explains nothing. You get small blips of the characters' backstories and a vague sense of what the world is like. But nothing is concrete, and nothing is explained. I managed to muddle through because of the art, but whew. This story needs a LOT of work. Also...what the hell was up with the random flashes of horny energy??? A female character briefly comments that she's fully commando under her uniform and talks about how excited it makes her. Another female character, one of the schoolgirls, gleefully implies a male classmate is upskirting her. This same character also pins down that same classmate, but with her hips only inches from his neck/face. Like...huh. Why.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Siina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kaijin Fugeki: Kindled Spirits is from Oh! Great and I should've known it has ecchi elements... The idea is quite novel though? This group of youngsters dance in order to summon gods to help them fight nights. These nights used to be called natural disasters, but now just nights. The main character is Jin from Japan and a British soldier, Gao. These two spend their days with their friends until the night is back again. I liked the religious approach towards natural disasters. Of course we aren't talking about Christianity here. This first book is quite packed and it's hard to follow the plot. I wish more of the whole thing had been explained better instead of panties and whatnot. The idea has so much potential!

The art looks good and works well with the story. The story is still all over the place, which is a bummer, but I hope it grows. Also, I wish less ecchi stuff, since those moments always feel superimposed in a series like this. Fantasy and scifi doesn't work well with naughty humor.

[Beloved · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jin and Gao are holy warriors in a post-apocalyptic Japan who fight "Night"—deadly embodiments of natural disasters—by calling on the power of the gods through the Kagura dance.

I’ve been eyeing this manga since its licensing announcement, and it didn't disappoint. It’s definitely for a specific audience, but if you enjoy Japanese folklore, you’ll love it. Because the series draws heavily from traditional Japanese culture and religion, having some background context enhances the enjoyment of the battle dynamics (think Demon Slayer’s Hinokami Kagura). However, the rest of the story is surprisingly grounded, feeling like a relaxed FLCL by blending supernatural battles with a countryside slice-of-life.

Complemented by some of the most aesthetically pleasing art I’ve seen in a while, I flew through this volume before I knew it. I'm looking forward to the next volume.

[Brianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, for the arc of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

Final verdict: 2.0/ 5.0

I have to say, I had a hard time getting into this story, and for the most part, I was at a loss for what was going on. The synopsis sounded interesting, and honestly, that's what initially drew me to the book. However, the story itself fell apart fairly quickly. I did not care for the overuse of fan service, and the overall pacing felt off, as though there was a mash-up of too many ideas that simply couldn't come together. Perhaps this one will be for someone else; however, it simply wasn't for me.

[Mystic DreamClouds · Rating 2 out of 5]

Special thanks to the author(s), publisher, Goodreads and/or NetGalley for the review copy. All views and opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Honestly I have no idea what I read so let me try to put my thoughts here. I feel like this will be a series I won’t continue, and that’s hard for me because I always try to finish the series I start.

First, it’s confusing. The entire setting is kind of a mess because it’s futuristic but also not. Based on multiple references throughout, the characters mention our current existence in the past tense. But then I’m not seeing many futuristic changes, since I would expect some sort of advanced technology aspect. It honestly felt like our current century or older, so I’m not sure what to make of the time period.

The entire world building with the “Night” and abilities is badly executed. The story switches awkwardly between the past and present trying to explain and set up this world. It’s not a smooth transition and it doesn’t align with the flow of the story. The info is kind of there but it doesn’t connect with the story so understanding it becomes difficult. There are also a lot of new terms which makes it harder to understand what’s going on.

The manga also tries to introduce too many characters in one volume. Most of which don’t seem to play any role besides providing unnecessary fanservice and sexualization. I’m not against it but it gets annoying when it’s forced and uncomfortable. For example, I think the chapter on Jin being a potential tampon thief was unnecessary and does nothing to build the characters or plot. Maybe it’s showcasing normalcy, but I would have rather read about Gao’s meeting instead. Also, I surprisingly don’t remember the majority of the character’s name because they just didn’t stand out and their relationships are grey. Honestly, the story felt very bland to me, because it was trying to do too much without any real structure.

Jin and Gao are the main characters. We learn their pasts and how they met through flashbacks. It’s nothing special and honestly, I was looking forward to their dance but it felt lackluster. I felt like it needed a bit more choreography for a better execution. That said, these two seem to be good friends and I’m curious to know how they figured out they need to work together.

The artwork is decent and pretty typical for this genre. There is quite a bit of sexualization and it’s unfortunately not just in the artwork but also in the words. The “Night” is grotesque and the fight scenes feel impactful but the delivery is missed. The wording can be sometimes confusing because of its placement and execution as well as some panels have too many words.

Overall, this was not for me and fell short of my expectations. I will place this series on hold for now and pick it back up for another try when there’s more volumes. I think this was a good concept, but the execution needs more structure.

Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s an immediate media-res opening to this story and, at the end, I’m still not entirely sure im following about the world that we’ve been introduced to. I still had a lot of fun reading however.

The artwork is beautiful, and I bet the pages will look even better in print. There’s tons of details included and the panels are very fluid to convey movement and interest.

At the heart of it as well, beyond the monsters and the invocation of gods and the warships, it’s two boys becoming friends after a terrible tragedy and finding moments of levity together. It’s a sweet story and I’m so glad to have read it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!w

[Chandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning of this story was honestly confusing. It drops you into a world where “Nights,” which are basically natural disasters, can only be fought by summoning the power of gods through dance. It’s a unique concept, and I wanted to like it, but it was hard to follow what was actually happening.

The first volume doesn’t give you much to go on. There’s a lot of setup and vague explanations, but not much actual plot or character development. It feels like it's holding back too much, so you’re left kind of just waiting for something to kick off.

The art is solid, and the concept has potential, but I’ll need to see more before deciding if this series is worth sticking with.

[Ines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaijin Fugeki: Kindled Spirits Vol. 1 is a strong and engaging start. It blends shōnen action, supernatural fantasy, a touch of sci-fi, and more humor than I expected. The light moments balance the drama really nicely. The world feels fresh, the art is great, and the characters are easy to grow attached to right away.

The setup takes a little time, but once it gets going, it’s genuinely fun and intriguing. A promising first volume for anyone who likes supernatural shōnen with both emotional and comedic beats.

[Shayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Kodansha for the ARC via netgalley!

This was very quirky and weird, with a great artstyle, but the story's pacing could have been edited better (maybe it would work animated). It jumped back and forth in time and different places, which wasn't my facourite. We get to see a lot of various monsters, with actual background but I feel like we only got a glimpse of our charaters and their personalities. With more build up there will be probably some pretty interesting dynamics and different relationships in the sequels, but at first it felt a bit like it was just .thrown in together.

[literarilia · Rating 2 out of 5]

You will see every review talking about the weird and messy plot structure and pacing; I didn’t really mind it. Sure, it’s very jumpy and abrupt at times but the concept was interesting and I was following along fairly well so it was okay for me. What wasn’t okay for me, however, was the very juvenile boy humor and classic fan service of old shounen manga that I thought we’d all grown out of in the big year of 2026, but clearly we haven’t.


Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cassiereads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly this one just didn't work for me. The story telling was really choppy and seemed to skip around which made it a bit difficult to follow. I thought the concept where they dance to fight supernatural beings to be intriguing but it just fell flat with the execution for me personally. I really enjoyed the artwork though, there were many stunning panels.

Thank you Kodansha for the ARC via netgalley!

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.
If Woody Allen had produced a midline, surrealist, high-school manga and then back pedaled when looking for story, then this is that story. Too disjointed for me and yet, I couldn’t stop turning the page. I’m curious what the next one brings; however, I may stop reading after the second. Who knows… keep reading.

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story telling is very confusing. It feels like we are thrown into the plot without things being explained but not in a way that we feel it will be to come. Held back so that the plot can slowly be explained to us. I am just confused.

I liked the cat and the art.

[Kourtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaijin Fugeki: Kindle Spirits 1 was very intresting to say the least. It was different than what I'm usto but I loved it. I also loved the illustrations in this manga they were well thought out and fit the story perfectly.

[eesee · Rating 2 out of 5]

— dnf @50%, 2.5 stars


old male mangakas and their urge to fanservice will always make me roll my eyes and bring me out of a story.

[Noemi · Rating 2 out of 5]

My full review is available on AnimeUKNews:
https://animeuknews.net/2026/02/kaiji...