Thrash: Rise of Shidou Is One Unusual Smash Hit
Do you like dark and gritty comics? How about manga with a bit of violence and horror? If so, Thrash: Rise of Shidou is the webtoon for you!
This VoyceMe Original tells the story of a world in which the gods are dying and humans are left to fend for themselves. The kingdom of Suikon is said to be a safe haven for those who seek refuge from the chaos that has engulfed the land. Will you join Myndfury as he takes you on a journey through a world filled with death, destruction, and hope?
Webtoons and VoyceMe?
If you’re not familiar with VoyceMe or the webtoons medium, let me be the first to say you are in for a treat.
Webtoons are digital comics released on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. They originated in South Korea as colorized manhwa (Korean comics) and are designed to be enjoyed on your phone. But you can access them on your computer without issue.
Webtoons tend to be shorter than traditional print Comics, but that doesn’t make them any less enjoyable. In fact, I would argue webtoons are more engaging because of their shorter length and cliffhanger endings. That’s not a knock on comics though, I will always prefer holding a physical book in my hand.
Then we have VoyceMe. VoyceMe is a popular platform for reading original comics and manga. And you don’t even need to create an account! You can read any of the vast number of titles for free, and you can support the creator of your favorite titles with a monthly payment that goes directly to the creator so they can keep making regular content.
But enough!
Let’s dive into Thrash: Rise of Shidou!
Dying Gods, Two Brothers, and Literal God-Level Fights
The story of Thrash: Rise of Shidou starts with two brothers searching for their father in the Deathrealm. The younger brother clearly looks up to the older brother. And the older brother leads them away from what appears to be an equivalent to heaven. Unfortunately, this adventure into the Deathrealm is short-lived. Because the older brother is snatched up by a horrific-looking creature of the underworld.
After the prologue, Myndfury introduces us to the protagonist, a ninja-like character named 13. Our main character is not alone, however. 13’s companion is a small talkative globe of light that flits around, converses with 13, and provides comic relief in the face of danger.
Myndfury also introduces us to the term Godfall. Godfall describes the event of a literal god plummeting from the sky. The gods are dying and no one knows why. So some gods travel to the mortal realm in an effort to find answers. And they use mortal bodies as vessels to operate in the Mortal Realm. But doing so diminishes their power.
The gods themselves come from various religions and mythologies. For example, Shiva (Hinduism), Artemis (Greek Mythology), and Ares (Greek Mythology) make appearances in the first three episodes.
The conflict occurs when the gods encounter the defender of Suikon—our main character. 13 has been gifted with strength and powers he can use to go toe-to-toe with divine entities in jaw-dropping battles.
Fast-Paced Plot Packed With Action and Adventure
This manhwa moves fast. The prologue opens with a quick retelling of the two brothers searching for their father before the older one gets his soul snatched. Then we meet 13 and by the end of the first episode, he faces off with Lord Shiva, the Hindu God of Destruction!
The fights are paced well and are broken up by scenes from other times and places. Myndfury keeps the exposition to a minimum and uses it in clever ways. For example, in one scene a sister complains to her brother about not wanting to study her scrolls. So the brother relents, insists she not tell their father, and then presses his forehead to hers. As a result of gems in their foreheads touching, the brother transfers the knowledge to his sister which shows us a brief history of the Suikon kingdom.
In another instance, Myndfury uses cute illustrations of Lord Shiva and his human vessel to teach us how gods descend from the Godrealm to the Mortal Realm.
I appreciate how well Myndfury contrasts the serious nature of the fights with illustrations like that as well as comical exchanges between characters.
As it unfolds, the story introduces other settings and characters in different times and places. In the third episode, Myndfury treats us to a scene from Southern Grecia, 4 months prior to the present fight with Shiva. Here we meet the god Artemis as she slays Hermes before Ares scolds her for killing their worshippers.
Also, Ares talks in third person and it fits Ares perfectly.
So how about those phenomenal visuals?
The Artwork Is Stunning and Breathes Vibrant Life Into Characters
The artwork in Thrash: Rise of Shidou is sugar for the eyes. Myndfury not only wrote Thrash, but also created the art. The characters are expressive and move beautifully. The action hits hard and is easy to follow. I can feel the motion of 13 dashing around and Shiva lifting his fists high into the air, getting ready to crush 13.
But let’s be real, the draw of Thrash: Rise of Shidou is the fighting. The fights are brutal and gory with no punches pulled. The gore is not excessive, but when it’s there, Myndfury makes no attempt to hide it. This is not a manga for the faint of heart.
The art style compliments the tone. When the story takes you to the Deathrealm, you feel you are in the Deathrealm. It is oppressively dark and grusome and horrific. The mortal realm, however, feels hopeful. There is life. And even though the gods are dying and it seems civilization is on the verge of collapse, there is a vibrancy to the characters and environments in the Mortal Realm.
Dialogue Is Well Written and Humorous in Thrash: Rise of Shidou
I appreciate Myndfury’s sense of humor and way with words. He conveys the personalities of his characters through entertaining and solid dialogue. And as I mentioned before, I dig the banter between 13 and his brother. I love a story that takes itself seriously while the characters don’t take themselves too seriously. It makes them more relatable.
The Creators Behind Thrash: Rise of Shidou
- Author & Lead Artist: Myndfury
- Co-Writer: CJ Arline
- Colorists: Kyocs, Liddyarts, Kuso, Yuri Goh
- Additional Art: Bree Spicer
VoyceMe is the Home of Thrash: Rise of Shidou
Go to the VoyceMe website or download the VoyceMe app (Google and iOS) if you want to check this manhwa out! There are 20 episodes available on VoyceMe at the time of this writing.
Thrash: Rise of Shidou is a Ride You Don’t Want to Miss
I picked up Thrash: Rise of Shidou because of the tagline “To be a God, you must kill the Gods.” Everything about the title, art work, and vibe of Thrash: Rise of Shidou pulled me in. And the engaging story, entertaining dialogue, and gorgeous art work kept me in (that’s what she said (what?! that doesn’t even make sense)).
The Bottom Line
Thrash: Rise of Shidou is a dark and gritty webtoon with phenomenal artwork, characters you want to learn about, entertaining dialogue, and a fast-paced plot packed with action and adventure.
If you’re looking for an entertaining story and epic fights with gods… yeah, what do you want me to say? GO READ IT!
BUT FIRST…
Check out our reviews on other great VoyceMe originals:
