*This review will only cover volumes 1–3 of Teppu, as that is all of what has been translated into the English language at the time of writing it. Image taken from the Teppu Wikipedia Page.*

There are many hidden gems in the world of comics and manga, works of art that rival the quality of some of the most popular stories in the medium but never get the recognition they deserve. Among these many gems is Moare Ohta’s “Teppu,” a story about the world of martial arts and the impact that world can have on people. This narrative dives into the intricacies of mixed martial arts with great detail, but that doesn’t save it from having some issues. In this review, the good and the bad will be outlined clearly, all to explain with minimal spoilers what makes Teppu so special.

The Good

Art

The art that Moare Ohta created for Teppu throughout its narrative is nothing short of brilliant, always matching the feel of a panel and masterfully communicating with readers. In comedic or casual moments, an expressive and cartoonish art style is used to emphasize emotion and entertain readers, helping to maintain the tone of those bits. The action segments, on the other hand, are brought to life with thick line work, visual details, and an array of action lines to express movements. This perfectly conveys the intensity and kinetic energy of the moments this secondary art style is used in. The two types of visuals Ohta used for Teppu are a beautiful contrast and never fail to deliver great visual storytelling.

Characters

The character writing in Teppu is some of the most natural and genuine in its medium, with the cast of the manga feeling very grounded and real despite their eccentricities. The narrative contains plenty of interesting personalities, whose slightly over-the-top nature makes for thoroughly entertaining bits and powerful story beats. Moreover, the characters that go through development throughout Teppu always have that development stem from some aspect of their personality or background, making their progression feel authentic as opposed to contrived. Moare Ohta did a fantastic job of realizing the cast of this manga, and that helps the heavy character focus of Teppu’s narrative work.

Dialogue

Dialogue is one of the most important aspects of storytelling, and Teppu is a perfect example of why. Its approach to dialogue, much like its approach to character writing, feels very authentic. The personality of every character comes through in their speech, whether that be Yuzuko’s enthusiasm or Natsuo’s more malicious nature. This helps really flesh them out, and the dialogue of the cast still makes room for realistically done comedy bits. This style of writing speech keeps characters consistent and the story thoroughly entertaining.

The Bad

Pacing

There is only one element of Teppu that is quite subpar, and that element is the story’s pacing. The plot and story beats themselves are fine, but the speed at which they’re presented to readers is very jarring. One minute the narrative is going lightning fast, and it can be a bit hard to catch everything, and another minute the pace is agonizingly slow. It doesn’t ruin the story by any means, but it can make some parts of the story confusing or a bit boring, respectively. Still, there are places, namely in action segments and shortly after them, where the pacing does shore up. This doesn’t completely fix the other parts of the story being paced poorly, but it certainly helps.

The Verdict

If Teppu had to be given a rating, it’d be a 4.5/5 star or a 9 out of 10, whichever ranking method one prefers. It’s a fantastic story built on gorgeous art and excellent character writing. Anyone interested in a good manga to sink their teeth into would have a great time with Teppu.