There are times when the manga’s most valuable point comes from its concept; this is probably the case with The Flat Earth/Exchange. This manga is about Kotaro Shiga who was put to “sleep”, he is to be awakened when the problem about low birth rates has been solved. However, when he wakes up around one hundred years later, he discovers that only a small number of humans are still alive and that the androids ruled the world.

As promising as this manga may seem, it fails to live up to its expectations. It has a badly-paced story that is confusing and disconcerting at the same time. It is a good thing that its layout is convenient to follow because almost everything else is in chaos. The drawings themselves look ok but it does not make up for the fact that this manga makes no sense to the reader.

So, should you purchase The Flat Earth/Exchange? Well, if you have nothing else to do, go for it. But you can definitely find a lot of better manga on the similar genre if you look hard enough.

Synopsis

Sumire Takahana is a normal high school student; that is, until she got a mysterious brooch one day and started to see soul-eating demons that is known as Virus. Sumire became under attack but she was saved by the original owner of the mysterious brooch, Lucia. Lucia had a vaccine-loaded gun; however, she accidently shot Sumire. This turned Sumire into a living and breathing antivirus. Together, they try to discover the secrets of the Virus before it devours all humans.

Review

The story of Venus versus Virus felt like the combination of “Constantine” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”. However, it seems like the Virus only attacks those who can see them unlike in the case of vampires in “Buffy”. In addition, there is a secret organization that fights off the Viruses and this is where the “Constantine” angle enters the picture.

The story focuses on two individuals, Lucia and Sumire. Lucia is a cold and calculating slayer while Sumire is the exact opposite. She is clumsy, naïve, and seemingly hesitant to get the role of the slayer. But together, they must use their individual skills in order to beat the Virus. Overall, the Venus versus Virus Volume 1 is a surprisingly entertaining and deep for an anime with this plot.