Sports manga and anime have come a long way from the days of Ashita no Joe. Haikyu!! is beloved by volleyball and non-volleyball enthusiasts alike and I am very excited for the movie on the way. Blue Lock took over the world when the anime was released. The soccer anime was all that people could talk about during its release, particularly since the World Cup was on, and it, too, has been slated for a movie. Boxing, volleyball, soccer, golf, tennis, and many other sports have manga, but what about MMA?
As a fervent follower of the UFC, I haven't found a manga that scratches the MMA itch: enter Underground. I was so happy to see my editor send me this, especially off the high of UFC 297. Underground is a gritty, character-driven revenge story by JRamaManga that takes place in the underground fight scene of New York. Karim Yun, an up-and-coming kickboxing hotshot, has his career effectively stopped by a nasty injury administered by Van Boucher. Once Karim recovers with the remaining fight he has in his broken body, he intends to return the favor to Van Boucher.
As a UFC fan, I hate when fights go to a decision; thankfully, the knockout is the only path to victory in the underground. The premise of this manga is everything I want it to be, but let's see if Underground punches its way into the sports manga pantheon. (Slight spoilers ahead.)
Underground Art Style
I’m starting with what I like because Underground passes the proverbial eye test. The eye test essentially refers to an athlete who looks like they belong; in this case, it refers to the art. Underground is wonderful to look at through and through. It shines the most for me in the action sequences. JR draws his characters with weight and gravity, making their fight sequences feel like you are a bystander in the world he's created. Characters sit down on punches, shift weight to block, and chamber kicks in a way that looks real. The way JR renders light makes it feel like they're in a living world, adding to immersion.
The art is realistic, but it is not boring by any means. The excellent use of speed lines and effects enhances the realism without overwhelming it. Many sports mangaka overuse speed lines, making the characters appear as though they are in hyperspace. JR finds the perfect balance here. The effect of wind as a punch goes by is not One Punch Man level, but you know it's a punch you would want to avoid. There are visual metaphors, too, that are not too gaudy. We see Karim being metaphorically chained as he fights, elevating a fight scene from just punches being thrown to a big narrative moment. I also really appreciated the Mortal Kombat Kritical hit-esque X-ray images when bones were broken. Those subtle but impactful breakage shots had me going, "Ooh!" as I read. I kid you not: I rescanned many of these pages not out of confusion but to savor how good they looked.
Underground Writing
On to the substance: the writing. Writing-wise, Underground is efficient, like Max Holloway. JR crafts a revenge plot that makes us understand why Karim is doing what he does, and as a fan of revenge plots, this is highly appreciated. Seeing Karim slammed into the concrete in front of his older brother made me think, "He has to get that lick back." Maya Kanga, Karim’s nurse who helped rehabilitate him, joins him on his warpath. She also has unsaid feelings for Karim, which excites me to see how their relationship will evolve.
The biggest thing to manage with sports manga's composition is ensuring the writing doesn't interfere with the sports. JR pulls this off with action scenes that don't have the characters talking back and forth mid-punch like it's a first date. The only writing on the page in these moments is relevant – like Karim thinking about how he will create space while fighting a grappler. I loved this because it follows the art’s realism. JR shows Karim’s fighting intelligence through his thoughts mid-fight.
Of course, there is no such thing as the perfect fight, just as there is no perfect manga. The art is stellar in Underground, but there are times when the composition is a tad jarring. A character will throw a punch, but we won't see it land on the page because it's a whole spread containing everything but their fist. The most disorienting example of poor composition at play is Karim getting calf kicked and the image of a detached lower leg in suspended animation. I wondered if he had the Anderson Silva injury that he got against Chris Weidman (don't Google that). But he was fine; he just took on a heavy low kick. Considering the real X-ray bone breaks we saw, a tree trunk snapping would have sufficed. These are few and far between, and thankfully, what you are looking at is still good – it's just placed awkwardly.
Overall, the writing is excellent, but it does lack knockout power. In fact, it is the weakest part of the story. The exposition that tells us Karim is a hot-shot kickboxer is a bit odd, considering that both he and his wouldn't need to talk in such detail about facts they both know. But exposition has to occur somewhere, I suppose.
Underground Character Development
My biggest issue was the lack of Karim. He is everywhere but nowhere throughout. We know nothing about his demeanor or overall life before the injury. Was he optimistic? Did he lose sponsorships and a girlfriend? This would help me get a full picture of Karim and add fuel to my dislike for Boucher. As far as present-day Karim, we only see him focused on revenge. It makes sense that someone revenge-focused is putting up walls, but we don't get even an inkling of what's behind them to know if it's worth breaking them down. As I said, what we get is efficient, and none of these shortfalls are deal breakers.
Underground is a great read. As an MMA fan, I vastly enjoyed the accuracy of the action sequences and reading Karim's thoughts as he fought. The art is fantastic, and the writing is consistent, but it is missing something to hit with some force. Regardless, I am excited to see Karim kick some more asses as he hunts down Van Boucher when the story returns. It has a long way to go before it enters the sports manga pantheon but a stellar volume one has me optimistic that it will roundhouse kick its way in there eventually.
You can find Underground Volume 1 at Barnes & Noble, Target, Books-a-Million, and Walmart. You can also digitally read Underground Volume 1 on Saturday AM's website and app.
