I Am a Hero

I Am a Hero is a japanese Zombie manga series written and illustrated by Kengo Hanazawa, published in 22 volumes between 2009 to 2017. The series follows Hideo Suzuki, a mentally ill 35-year old manga assistant who struggles to survive a sudden and brutal outbreak that turns friends into undead killers.

Why it Rocks

 * 1) Though it may seem like just another run-of-the-mill zombie story, it considerably spices up the formula by showing the moral ambiguity people could potentially have in such circumstances, and how it could bring out the worst in some, but the best in others. Some even sympathize with the undead, which breaks the trop of justifying constant brutal violence against them. Not all the characters are likeable, but they generally feel very much like real people.
 * 2) Hideo is a very interesting character, he often suffers from delusions, which makes it difficult for him to deduce what is actually real. He's also very relatable as he's somewhat practical with his living situation, but always wants something more, but is constantly weighed down emotionally by his own previous failures in life and overwhelming feelings of inadequacy. He does, however, desire to be a hero despite all this, which makes his overall situation even more dire.
 * 3) Incredible artwork by Hanazawa, with characters who look almost real with a bit of anime characteristics put in, and each scene is wonderfully detailed to such an extent.
 * 4) For once in a zombie manga, characters actually have guns, Hideo having gotten a shotgun and special permissions to use it.
 * 5) The zombies are actually pretty strong and smart, not to mention many of them mutate to be even stronger. Yep, no mindless shambling zombies in this one. They also can talk a little, which is interesting.
 * 6) Action isn't very fast-paced. Instead, it's slow, drawn out, and brutal as well as violent. It also avoids feeling mean-spirited at any point.
 * 7) Plenty of interesting questions, like whether or not a life of fame is actually worth it, as being happy with yourself is more important than that.
 * 8) Excellent usage of facial expressions and mannerisms of characters to show the terror of the situation, like how Hideo will often sing inappropriate songs aloud to try and calm himself down, which sometimes makes it much worse as a result.
 * 9) Though there's plenty of exposition scenes, as in most manga and anime, they're actually entertaining to read because of the down-to-earth dialogue and the interesting ideas being expressed throughout.
 * 10) Plenty of spin-off stories independent from the main one, like I Am a Hero in Osaka and the like.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Very slow pacing.
 * 2) The ending is pretty rushed and open-ended.