An official manga adaptation of last year’s RPG hit Metaphor: ReFantazio is out now, but the opening chapter actually deviates from the game’s story, making for an interesting read even if you’re familiar with the source material.
The first 60 pages of the manga are available to read right now, for free and in English, on Shueisha’s Manga Plus website and app. You can check it out through this link.
Penned by artist Yoichi Amano — who’s crafted numerous manga series in the past, including an adaptation of Dragon Quest Treasures — it’s a lovely looking release, full of charm and character.
But again, it’s the story that’ll raise eyebrows amongst the Metaphor faithful. The spine of the plot appears to be the same, as the protagonist — named Will in the manga — is still in search of those loyal to the cursed prince, upon reaching the capital city of Grand Trad.
However, when he’s held up by bandits during his initial journey through the desert, Will and his fairy companion Gallica are saved by Strohl instead of Hulkenberg. Strohl then reappears in Grand Trad itself, as he sets out to rescue a kidnapped Maria.
It’s clearly an attempt to streamline events; Will and Strohl don’t even join the army, fight the all-important human, or awaken their Archetype powers. They simply meet with Grius after saving Maria, and he reveals the plan to assassinate Louis.
