Tower Dungeon is the latest manga series by Tsutomu Nihei, best known for his breathtaking sci-fi landscapes in Blame! and Knights of Sidonia. Nihei is delving into new territory with Tower Dungeon by jumping from sci-fi to fantasy, and he’s absolutely knocking it out of the park so far. It’s refreshing and exciting to see him dive into a new genre.
I’ve read the first 11 chapters of Tower Dungeon on K Manga, the official digital publication of Kodansha, and I’ve got nothing but good things to say about it so far. Tower Dungeon has incredible art, interesting characters, and a setting that’s quite intriguing. From the environment to the character designs to the pacing, this is a master at work.
Nihei is, first and foremost, an environmental storyteller. He shows much more than tells compared to other mangaka. Panels with no text are frequent and set the mood. Combined with his incredible creature and armor design, Tower Dungeon is a visual feast.
The setup is simple: a tower has appeared and the princess has been captured by the Necromancer. Warriors across the land are seeking to rescue her by ascending the Dragon Tower. Yuva, our main character, is drafted to help. He’s unusually strong, which is a bit mysterious. They story unravels as Yuva meets his party members and they progress up the tower. More characters and concepts of the world are introduced, and I can tell it’s building up to something bigger than the initial simple premise.
Nihei’s art is unlike any other. Heck, it’s not even like his early art from his Blame! era. His style has shifted over the decades, getting looser, more impressionistic, and modern. If you find the first chapter’s art a little off-putting at first, I recommend sticking with it, as it serves the series well. It can just be a little surprising if you’re not aware of how his style has changed. His use of black in Tower Dungeon is top tier.
Nihei continues on the legacy of making cool manga, which I’m very much here for. I love the feeling of turning the page and landing on a stunning panel. It’s absolutely been his modus operandi throughout his career, and Tower Dungeon does not disappoint.
If you’re looking for a new series to pick up, give Tower Dungeon a shot. I can’t wait to see where it goes from here, as many pieces have been laid, and Nihei is one of the best mangaka working currently with a proven record of making compelling stories unlike anyone else.
Three volumes of Tower Dungeon have been released so far in Japan as of this post. Kodansha is planning to release the volumes in North America starting in Spring 2025. Tower Dungeon will look great in print, and I can’t wait to buy the volumes as they release.
I’ll keep up with the chapters as they get published monthly digitally. I hope Tower Dungeon continue to be a great series, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
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