Review: Dinosaur Sanctuary, Vol. 1
I received this manga from Edelweiss/publisher in exchange of an honest review.
I am a big big fan of Jurassic Park/World and so I have had my eyes on this manga for quite a while now. But never managed to get it, until I spotted the first one up on Edelweiss, of course I had to immediately click the download button.
In this one we are in a world where dinosaurs actually exist. Many years before the story starts they were discovered on a remote island and now through breeding/genetic manipulation there are tons of dinosaurs in the world in various reserves. In this one we follow Suma Suzume who is about to start her job at Dinoland, a tiny little park (well, not that tiny given all the dinosaurs they have, but they aren’t big if you compare them to other parks) and hopes to bring the love for dinosaurs back again. Because we learn that there has been a terrible incident (of which we don’t really learn much until later in the book so for most I was just a tad frustrated as it is often mentioned but until the end it is just hat) and dinosaurs have lost their spark (hello, they are still dinosaurs, seriously, Jurassic Park/World already should have learned you that herbivores are fun, but don’t try to get carnivores they are cool and awesome but always bad news when hungry, and they are often hungry). I loved Suzume from the start, she is eager, she is dedicated, and she really wants to do the best she can. She still has a long way to go given that she is clumsy and doesn’t always get things and sees things through very rose-tinted glasses, but I was rooting for her!
Throughout the story we meet various dinosaurs, learn about the staff that works at Dinoland, and see some very fun (but also sad) moments. I really enjoyed seeing the various dinosaurs, like Yuki who really has bonded with Kaidou, or Masaru who is a Triceratops… but now more a biceratops given an accident he had at another park. Oh and the cuteness that is Niko and Vena and the babies! Oh man, I could go on and on about all the dinosaurs! They are so amazing and I wish, just like with JP and JW that I could step in and be part of the world!
Next to Suzume we also have other characters, my least favourite and the reason why I rated the manga a little lower is Kaidou. Kaidou is a fucking ass and a dick. He is constantly being mean and rude towards Suzume, makes shitty remarks, hazes her, expects everything of her and then forgets that she is new to it all. I just wanted Suzume to get pissed off at Kaidou. Show that his attitude is just a big fat no and not allowed. Throughout the book I was hovering between yeeting Kaidou for some hungry dinosaurs or just punching his face. We do get a hint at the end that may explain why he is this harsh, but sorry, that doesn’t excuse him at all.
Thankfully, there is also Karin. Another co-worker and a very sweet woman who loves taking care of the dinosaurs, especially her favourite boy, Masaru. Yep. She took care of him before he became a two-horned triceratops and made sure he got a new place. I loved her dedication and I loved how well she clicked with Suzume. And how both of them put their heads together to think of some grand plan to save the park/Masaru.
We also see that the park has its fair share of problems. The AC not working, which sounds trivial, but for some dinosaurs it is a life/death situation. Things like having to be creative about food. Seeing that the park misses things. I am so rooting for the park to get the attention they deserve, I hope that in the next volumes Suzume can make some amazing plans and revive everything along with everyone’s love for dinosaurs.
In between the chapters are essays about dinosaurs, I tried reading them, but I had to read this one on my phone as that is the only way it truly worked well, and the font was just too tiny on there, even with my glasses. Zooming in is of course an option, but it also messes up the size and I would have to constantly work on that. Nope. So when I get these manga as a physical I will read them.
The art was also fantastic. I love the character designs, but my favourite is by far the amazing dinosaur designs! LOVE!
All in all, I am curious what will happen next given the cliffhanger/the last few pages, and I would recommend this one to all.