All You Need Is Kill (2014)

“Live. Die. Repeat.”

• Original Story by Hiroshi Sakurazaka (桜坂 洋)
• Storyboards by Ryosuke Takeuchi (竹内 良輔)
• Original Illustrations by Yoshitoshi ABe (安倍 吉俊)
• Art by Takeshi Obata (小畑 健)
• Published by Viz Media

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Story

Earth is under invasion from a mysterious alien threat known as the “Mimics”, lightning-fast creatures capable of shooting deadly spears from their bodies. As the last line of defense, the United Defense Force (UDF), humanities last bastion of hope, develops a range of powered exoskeletons known as “Jackets” that allow their soldiers the use of advanced weaponry on the battlefield. Despite their advancements in weapons and technology, the UDF fights a losing battle as the overrunning Mimic force gains more and more territory.

Keiji, a recruit jacket soldier, is sent out on his first sortie only to be horrifically killed in action. After dying, he wakes up to the morning before battle and relives the same day over and over in a mysterious time loop that resets upon his death.

Keiji uses the loop to try change his fate, honing his battle skills with every iteration and becoming an exceptional soldier in the process. After dozens of iterations, he meets another person caught in the time loop, Rita Vrataski, a Special Forces agent unmatched in battle. Together they resolve to find a way to break out the time loop and push back the Mimic threat, at a terrible price…

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Review

All You Need Is Kill immediately hooks the reader with its interesting setting and premise; the time loop motif allows for the exploration of alternate scenarios of the plot which the creators make good use of while still maintaining a sense of narrative progression.

The story is action-packed and has a handful of quirky supporting characters. I appreciate that it doesn’t rely heavily on exposition and instead breadcrumbs detail of the Mimics’ true nature throughout.

The art is visceral and reflects the hopeless nature of the Mimic war and Keiji’s struggle against fate. It is also cool as hell.

The only major gripe I have with the manga is that the ending sequence feels rushed and unfulfilling. The entire book builds up around breaking the time loop and I feel the precipice of this could have used more development; after getting invested into the characters and storyline, there’s a quick twist and then it just fizzles out – a more grandiose and explosive culmination would have been better suited here; instead we get an almost “to be continued…” ending for a story that never intended to have a sequel.

There’s a nice blend of genres in All You Need Is Kill, from action, mystery, sci-fi, and even a little romance, this self-contained manga is well worth picking up.

^{~Giuseppe Gillespie 2024}