As a great fan of action-oriented manga's and especially those influenced by a martial art. I came across Karate Shoukoushi Kohinata Minoru. While excited by the gaze upon its genres and summary, was I eventually pleased to read this manga?

If there's anything that bothers me about this manga, it's the focus. Though it has the ability to grasp the reader and involve it with its action and dialogue. It does so only rarely. You have a story about a gymnast who, with a tough and flexible atletic body, somehow becomes involved with karate and the karate club. The story seems a little weird at first and doesn't seem all that interesting. Though when confronted with the first battle scene, much is visible about just how 'good' this manga is.

Battles are clean and followable, exciting and cool. The moves are right, and they put in plenty of fights to still the belly.

The problem however, like said before, is its focus. For some reason, though they have set everything up nicely, the manga just won't carry on as should. You have Minoru, the brave protagonist, and you have his friends. Yet the story focuses too much on the friends, leaving barely any space for Minoru to develop. It is known pretty quickly that he is keen on Karate and has potential. Yet after 50+ chapters pass, not much of this is actually accomplished nor fulfilled. It drifts on too much about new characters being introduced and the back-story about his friends. Surely one necessary for later developments. But one taking too long. I at least expect a growth after 50 chapters.

Though the pace in development is slow, it is surely present. And it will, regardless of how long it takes, eventually pull you in and show you the splendour of waiting for it to develop. In the end, maybe exactly the slow pace is what charms the excitement. That being said. The action is clean and nicely drawn. The art in general is pretty good. The characters are interesting. The manga is exciting and refreshing. The story a little bland, but good enough for a battle manga. There's comedy present to lighten the mood and tight battles to make you sit at the edge of your seat.

If I had the say in whether yes/no you should read this, then yes, read it. Especially if you like martial arts and/or battle-manga's.