Dec 26, 2025
Originally I had a lot of hopes on this manga, expecting something like a new Akame ga Kill. But Takahiro really went all out with this one, and then I remembered that he was originally a hentai artist. So yes, Gokusotsu Kraken is basically a hentai disguised as a compelling isekai story with a deceptively good plot. It's only when you're well into it that you realize you've been fooled.
Kuuma Shimizu is your average Ordinary Japanese Schoolboy transmigrated into a typical isekai world, Natsuki Subaru-style. He looks promising, but only for the first several chapters. Because all of his character development, strength and skill
...
growth come from him mating with female inmates. Someone said that Kuuma is not a case of promiscuity after rape (by Gamy)? Think again. Pretty soon, Kuuma becomes an insatiable sex maniac of Makoto Itou level, or maybe even Genghis Khan. He seduces all of the girls from the 9th Gaol he's put in charge of save for Zeina (for now at least), and later his fellow C.O. Panya offers to rent Kuuma as a male prostitute to other female inmates, and he readily agrees. I've just finished chapter 39, and by this point I've literally lost count of how many girls Kuuma's fucked, 20-something I guess? And most of them lack personality, they only serve as plot devices and new meat for Kuuma. It gets even worse, to the point that Kuuma literally rapes some of them (Issel and Rosalind to name a few) to make them his obedient sex slaves and use them to help out Zeina. Yes, Kuuma does fight some assassins every now and then, but it gets repetitive and boring. Also, Kuuma definitely killed Gamy in the beginning, and yet she turns up later alive and well somehow.
Zeina Sebek is supposed to be the second protagonist, but... even at this point of the story, we don't know much about her. Only that her father the paladin was murdered by someone and she was wrongly accused, sentenced and imprisoned for it. What else is there to know about her, other than that, her fighting prowess and the fact that the Kurama kraken that fused with Kuuma used to be her most loyal servant and guardian? Nothing so far. Hell, the more Kuuma's harem grows, the more Zeina gets sidelined and forgotten, with every new chapter.
We still don't know much about the evil princess Farida Sebek, Zeina's arch enemy who also lays claim for the throne. Also the nature of Farida's relations with warden Isis, who is shady as fuck, and defnitely has her own agenda for Kuuma and Zeina. We only know that Farida is basically a local version of Bambietta Basterbine when it comes to her sexual life, and constantly sends assassins after Zeina despite the latter being in prison.
All in all, this manga doesn't know how to do basic storytelling right and gives too much focus on sex and duels rather than world-building. Have you ever seen a manga in which after 40 whole chapters, we still don't know the backstory of both the protagonists and the main villain? I believe it's going to be even worse in the future.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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