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Ryo Sumiyoshi is a mangaka who is internationally known above all for her dark boys’ love work MADK. However, other works by her have also been published, especially in the US market. These include Our Torsos Align: Human x Monster Love published by Seven Seas and Centaurs, which is currently being released in English by ABLAZE.
In the Japanese market, Jinba, as the original title goes, is one of the author’s earlier works. The series ran from August 2016 to March 2020 in the online magazine Mato Grosso and will be completed in six volumes.
So, how is Centaurs?
The story is set in a fictional Japan reminiscent of the Sengoku period. In this world, humans and centaurs live side by side, with distinctions made between different centaur tribes such as mountain, plain, and southern centaurs. In the beginning, there was a certain balance. The mountain centaurs were even revered as divine beings. But over time, humans gained power and began to subjugate the centaurs. What began as coexistence turned into a system of exploitation. Centaurs were enslaved, mutilated, and reduced to their utility. They were used as war machines, beasts of burden, or even objects of sexual desire.
Anyone who engages more deeply with the manga quickly realizes that this is not a classic fantasy tale. Rather, Centaurs is an allegorical and mythologically rich narrative that explores themes such as colonialism, dehumanization, and the abuse of power. At its center are two distinct characters: Matsukaze, a strong mountain centaur with a stoic demeanor, and Kohibari, an agile plain centaur who was captured by humans as a child and cruelly mutilated. Both carry their scars, externally and internally, and their relationship begins with distrust. But over time, a bond forms between them that becomes the emotional core of the story.
Matsukaze allows himself to be captured in order to save his son Gonta. Kohibari, on the other hand, initially belongs to the group of humans hunting Matsukaze, but he has his own plan. He wants to escape and needs Matsukaze’s strength to do so. From this alliance of convenience, a touching camaraderie slowly develops.
The manga takes its time to gradually build its world. Instead of starting with fast-paced action scenes, it gently introduces readers to the societal structures, the brutal reality of centaur captivity, and the injustice rooted within. The worldbuilding, in particular, is impressively done. Differences between the various centaur tribes, social tensions, cultural peculiarities, all are conveyed through dialogue, poignant encounters, and striking visuals.
Although Sumiyoshi’s drawing style can sometimes appear a bit confusing in action scenes, it truly shines in quieter moments. The attention to detail, the expressive facial expressions, and especially the depiction of centaur bodies are deeply impressive. You can almost physically feel the strength these beings possess, the heaviness of their bodies and their circumstances. Despite this visual power, the thematic content is not easy to digest. Violence, trauma, and loss of identity are ever-present. The scenes depicting enslavement and mutilation are especially harrowing. Yet the manga never feels sensationalist. Instead, its tone remains matter-of-fact, almost documentary.
What ultimately prevents Centaurs from sinking completely into darkness is a faint spark of hope. In the developing friendship between Matsukaze and Kohibari lies a quiet hope. Both have lost much, but together they set out in search of freedom, dignity, and a place where they are simply allowed to exist without being hunted or controlled.
One point that should not go unmentioned is the quality of the translation in the first volume. At times, it reads as if the text was run through machine translation. While this has not been officially confirmed, notes in the imprint and fan speculation support the suspicion. From the second volume on, the language quality noticeably improves, and by the third volume, the problematic translation company is no longer involved. So it is worth sticking with it. It would be desirable for the first volume to be revised one day.
ABLAZE publishes the manga in a large format. The quality of the paper and the sturdiness of the cover are convincing, especially since the price is no higher than that of other major publishers already established in manga. There are also a few color pages at the beginning of the volume.
Is Centaurs worth reading?
The first volume of Centaurs impresses with its strong atmosphere, unusual character design, and relevant worldbuilding. Despite weaknesses in the translation, the manga offers a gripping start with depth and emotional weight. Anyone looking for fantasy that avoids clichés will definitely find something worthwhile here and should give the series a try.
Centaurs GN Vol 01
€12,99
An epic fantasy adventure set in an alternate medieval Japan, where humans co-exist with the mythic half man/half horse beasts known as centaurs, or "jinba". The centaur race were long revered as deities in ancient times; however, with the advent… read more
