I have a very love-hate relationship with what feel like gimmicky hooks. Sometimes they’re everything I dream of, sometimes they fizzle and die by chapter three. Tank Chair is the former. A deadly assassin, Nagi, is comatose in a wheel chair and only wakes up when he’s faced with murderous intent.
So his sister, Shizuka, ensures she puts him in mortal danger all the time so she can continue talking to him and, hopefully, wake him up once and for all. To do that, she hires assassins. All the assassins.
Just from that alone, you should be sold. I mean, there’s a constant, close source of tension (a-la Vinland Saga) with this sibling relationship predicated on deadly circumstances. There’s the short-term tension of their ongoing relationship and the long-term tension of if he will ever truly snap out of this coma.
And then there’s the action.
There are plenty of manga with assassins duking it out, but how many of them are centered on a particularly deadly fellow in a wheelchair, who uses said wheelchair as a weapon? (The title should have given that away, but just in case.)
And it’s all in the name Shizuka trying to save her brother. By… hiring people to kill him. Well, to fail to kill him, she hopes.
To add to the sibling dynamics, there’s this wonderful juxtaposition of Nagi being his deadly self and destroying everyone who Shizuka hires, and then the casual conversations Shizuka and Nagi have outside of this action sequences. He asks about her grades, tells her to eat her vegetables, etc.
But wait! There’s more!
In addition to what is already a sizzling display of originality, there’s also just enough fantastical elements to bend reality in a really satisfying way—such as giant gorilla assassins or a snake-tongued sharp shooter who can literally shoot off your fingertips. And alongside such enemies is a humor that blends this high-octane deadliness with the humanity that still exists, even in such a bizarre situation.
Also, Nagi, is just really good at making faces that are equal parts intimidating, legit and hilarious. Here’s a sample:
Essentially, there are three theaters of entertainment in Tank Chair. There’s the deeply human connection shared by Shizuka and Nagi. Then there’s the wild and manic action sequences where Nagi busts out his tank chair. And lastly there’s the bonkers world that boasts gloriously insane characters.
That’s three dynamite entry points to any story, and we’ve got them all here in one place, working together in perfect harmony.
The best news? You can get in at the start of the series, because the first volume literally just came out today. Go get it: https://kodansha.us/series/tank-chair/