(AfroGamers.com) Fort of Apocalypse is the manga series that turned me onto post apocalyptic horror manga. It’s violent, gory, at times humorous, but it has you on the edge of your seat through each chapter. It starts off at a Tokyo boy’s reformatory, where the fairly average Yoshiaki Maeda is thrown in for something he didn’t do. As a matter of fact, the crime is so heinous that his sentence isn’t decided.
Everyone else in Cell 4 has reasonable sentences between two and three years.
This didn’t make sense to me. Two of his dorm mates Iwakura and Yamanoi killed people and got two and half and three years respectively. Yoshiaki–who obviously isn’t a killer and is falsely accused–got this ridiculous sentence.
The Fort
The reformatory is considered one of the most protected places in this zombie apocalypse–which occurred for no reason. It’s definitely biological in nature but the origin isn’t explored. Fort of Apocalypse is all about survival. The boys of Cell 4 are tough–except for Yoshiaki–and cause trouble for the other delinquents at the Fort. When the outbreak happens, Yoshiaki wants to get home to his family so all four break out, take a car, and head into town.
Eventually, they run into this one zombie which seems to control all of the others in an area. Unlike the others, he is near indestructible and the zombies will form into shapes to protect him. Yoshiaki confronts and damages him resulting in this zombie taking a special interest in him.
Upon returning to the Fort, they tell everyone about the outside world and what seems to have happened. Hitotsukabuto, an upperclassman who can see two seconds into the future, took over as headmaster after most of the staff but two officers are killed. He sends Cell 4 on a suicide mission to retrieve weapons.
Adventures in the Apocalypse
Yoshiaki, Yoshiaka, Yamanoi, and Iwakura were sent out without weapons and transportation. Their goal was the Japanese Defense Force’s armory. The trek from the Fort to the base is riddled with peril as zombies walk the streets and the looming threat of that one master zombie. Along the way, they make new friends who become part of their team. There is a secret from one as Hanabata’s young son has been bitten by the infected. He refuses to kill his son who is no longer human and simply keeps him tied up. They would also have another run in with boss zombie. Not only that, but they managed to catch him for Yamanoi to experiment on later.
When they return to the reformatory, Yoshiaki’s savvy thinking keeps Cell 4 and company from being killed by Hitotsukabuto and the delinquents as only they know where the ammo is located. This gives them an upper hand keeps them out of the disposable column.
Without giving away anything else about the story, things really escalated as the story moves on.
Verdict
All of this is just the first fourth of Fort of Apocalypse. The series gets weird as the boss zombie is put to Yamanoi’s knife for research and we delve deeper into each of the main characters’ backgrounds. When the U.N. arrives, things get really serious. That said, Fort of Apocalypse kind of excludes Yoshiaka’s backstory. Sure his father was trash but we never really find out why he was put in the reformatory. There’s also a hanging end for on of the major characters after the story reaches its conclusion.
I’ve actually added it to my “Cliffhanger List” with the end of Spider-Man (1994). At any rate, I strongly recommend Fort of Apocalypse, it’s a linear, easy to follow manga series and has an anime as well. I will say there is disclaimer here as the series depicts graphic violence. Other than that, if you love anything zombies, you’ll probably enjoy it.
RATING:7 out of 10 (Recommended)
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.