Out of many books that I recommended in the past, Gash Bell manga happened to be the manga that I didn’t get to finish reading.
Okay, you may think that I stopped reading the manga because the manga was awful. Of course, the answer is absolutely no. If it’s that awful, I won’t be recommending it on my blog.
If it’s not the case at all, then why I stopped reading the manga in the first place?
The reason for that is because the company that licensed the manga in Malaysia went under. As a result, I was only able to read the manga until Volume 9.
Yes, it’s sad that I don’t get to read the manga only because the company that licensed the manga was closing its door.
I’ll leave the topic about the local distributors for another day.
But for now, let’s talk about what makes the manga worth your attention.
In case you’re wondering, Gash Bell manga is also known as Zatch Bell in English. To be honest, I have no idea why the manga is called Zatch Bell since the Japanese name for the manga is Konjiki no Gash!!
Well, at least it’s better than the title in Malay where the manga is known as Gash!! Emas in Malaysia.
That’s just a direct translation of Golden Gash in Malay, in case you’re curious.
What Gash Bell manga is all about
Here’s the book description that I got from Amazon.
Fourteen-year-old Kiyo, an arrogant genius who is teased mercilessly at school, is given a strange boy, Zatch Bell, for his birthday to help him make friends, but Zatch turns out to have strange powers that change Kiyo’s life forever.
What got me to read this manga
I knew about the Gash Bell!! anime through the anime magazine published by Gempak Starz back then.
Not long after that, I saw the manga was on sale at the newsstand a few weeks after I came across the anime in the magazine.
Since it was the first book, I figured that it doesn’t hurt for me to give the manga a try. I can always stop buying the manga if it’s a dud, right?
I’m sure you know what happened after that. I love the story and kept on buying the manga until the company that licensed the manga was closing its door.
What makes Gash Bell manga worth reading
On the surface, Gash Bell manga may seem like a mashup version of Fate Stay Night and Black Clover where the battle system is like the master and servant style in Fate Stay Night. And the battle requires the master to cast a spell from a book, which is something similar to Black Clover.
Does the Fate style battle system make the manga worth reading?
Well, I wouldn’t say this is the reason why the manga is worth checking out. In fact, even the Black Clover style magic casting isn’t the reason why the manga is worth your attention either.
If none of them aren’t even the reason that makes the manga worth reading, then what it is?
Well, I will say it has something to do with how heartwarming the story is for the most part.
Yes, I get that there’s nothing heartwarming about the story that requires you to fight toe-to-toe with another demon child.
But it’s not like the story will always be heartwarming all the time. Just like any other manga, there will always be hilarious and tense moments too.
In a nutshell, you’ll get all kinds of emotion when you read this manga. But the one that you’ll remember the most will be the heartwarming moments. And of course, the most intense moments too.
What I didn’t expect when I read the manga
I will say that I would never imagine that my friend who isn’t a manga fan finds the manga interesting.
The reason for that? It’s because of how heartwarming the story is.
Perhaps she never thought that a manga like this can be this heartwarming. At least I’m glad that I’m not the only one who thinks how heartwarming the story can become sometimes.
Who should read this manga
If you’re the kind of person who enjoys reading shonen manga, then there’s no doubt that you should give this manga a try.
Just to be sure that you have your tissues ready if you’re a crybaby.
Where to buy Gash Bell manga
Since the manga is an old manga, you can only buy the used one, though. Even if you can find a brand-new manga, it’s going to cost you a lot more than usual.
If you don’t mind with getting the used manga, you can get the manga right here on Amazon.
Prefer to read the manga in Japanese? You can buy the manga in Japanese right here at CDJapan.
Buy Gash Bell manga on CDJapan
Over to you
What do you think about Gash Bell manga? Are you interested in giving this manga a try after reading about it on my blog? Let me know in the comment below.
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I'm an author who writes thriller and suspense light novels. But when I'm not writing a book, I love to blog about books that I enjoy reading. Some of these books also become the inspiration for my novel as well.
Most of the books that I talk about on my blog tend to be manga and light novels, with nonfiction books in between. If you're looking for interesting books to read, then you will certainly enjoy reading my blog. 