A new manga called Build King puts a character like Naruto‘s Might Guy who possesses the wrong skills for the type of profession he covets, in a world that blows a normal occupation or hobby to absurd proportions like Hunter X Hunter.
Coming from the creator of Yu Yu Hakusho, Yoshiro Togashi, Hunter X Hunter takes the concept of hunting to the extreme. It’s not only a massive trade with a highly integrated global network whereby licensed individuals track down numerous types of assets, but consists of only the most elite members of humanity. Naturally, there’s also an award-type system that propels the protagonist forward, along with a highly complex system of special abilities and techniques that characters can obtain through energy control.
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Much like Hunter x Hunter, the Build King manga works off this trope by giving architecture and everything associated with houses a unique spin. For starters, houses represent more than just a shelter or home. Good houses provide safety and security, so this world naturally views them as symbols of peace that should protect everyone. With such an outrageous system, it’s only natural that there would be a hierarchy of houses, the top of which would consist of the crème de la crème, and even more so, that they would be mystical figures shrouded in mystery. Known by the Lego-eque moniker of Master Builds, this group of legendary structures was built long ago and could not be destroyed by any disaster. Meanwhile, there are monsters that disguise themselves as houses known as House-Beasts, House-Eaters who are the enemy of houses, and giants who steal and then wear houses called House-Bandits. There’s even an actual port that catches scrap wood and houses for building instead of fish!
The carpentry profession is naturally a well-respected trade in Build King and those who obtain the license to build are viewed as celebrities. The story’s protagonist, Tonkachi, of course, hopes to become the greatest carpenter known as a Build Master. But there’s a problem. He’s terrible at building or, at least, building in the conventional sense, even by this world’s standards. Tonkachi is a self-professed builder of peace, whereby he uses his Vigor Hammer as a weapon to protect the ones he loves, which, in turn, builds them peace. Remarkably, he still endeavors to become a Build Master despite never having constructed an actual sturdy house.
This type of special, ignorant naivety is comparable to Naruto‘s Might Guy, a man who pursues his dream of becoming a shinobi in unconventional ways. In Naruto‘s world, there are three main types of techniques that shinobi can employ. Of the three, Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, require the use of chakra, or energy. Meanwhile, the third, Taijutsu, is essentially just martial arts. While all three techniques are crucial, becoming a shinobi would be difficult for anyone who couldn’t manipulate their chakra and could only rely on martial arts. Yet, that’s exactly what Might Guy does; his ability to wield Ninjutsu and Genjutsu is greatly limited, so he has had to rely on Taijutsu almost exclusively. Amazingly, he trains his Taijutsu skill to such an extent that he becomes one of the strongest shinobi, despite having this major handicap.
Although only 18 chapters have been unofficially translated into English, Build King has the capacity to surpass Naruto and Hunter X Hunter and not just because it incorporates various elements of these two incredibly popular series. It’s due to the fact that the main character possesses the same light-hearted nature, unbreakable will, and fierce devotion for his friends as the protagonists of Hunter x Hunter and Naruto. Build King is definitely building quite the reputation.
