Flame of Recca is a great series and Ill try my best to explain why. 220https://official.lowee.us/manga/FlameOfRecca/0001001.png As someone who grew up with the Big 3 and eventually found himself going back in time to watch or read almost every Shonen from the 90s I was surprised that I missed out on Flame of Recca.. after all It had somewhat of a popular anime even tho it never adapted the manga fully or does it justice but it was well known for those of us in our generation.. I guess thats how it earned its reputation as a cult classic.. Inspired by YYH and Flame of Recca has a lot of the elements you find in most Shonens back then.. your lovable cast of characters the eventual tournament arc and the big baddie that must be defeated but theres a lot more here than this manga being a stereotypical Shonen or a temu version of YYH.. Ill get into why in a bit but for now the premise Becoming a ninja is just a childhood dream for sixteenyearold Recca until a fateful encounter reveals he has inherited ninja powers including the ability to wield fire As Recca learns to master the ancient ways of his ancestors he is drawn to protect a girl named Yanagi with incredible healing powers.. Due to their fated meeting this garners the attention of other people seeking the girls healing powers which sets the tone of the kind of characters wholll appear.. a mysterious lady who appears metalizes from the shadows and a dodgy organization with a crew of people with equally weird and inexplicable abilities led by a masked man whose more familiar to Recca than he thinks This is a basic premise of the series and it sounds pretty basic right? Heres why Flame of Recca is so special The way the story unfolds is actually incredibly well thought out from start to finish the first to the final arc everything is articulated perfectly and the author leaves no crumbs behind whatsoever. I was honestly amazed at how EVERYONE managed to be developed perfectly well by the end by everyone I do not mean only the main cast who are the most loveable group of idiots but even the villains and side cast who all have a role to play in the overall story.. its not so straightforward where its good vs bad MC vs whomever nope. Some villains face off against different characters and the results tend to swing in ways you wouldnt expect. Of course it is a Shonen but its extremely well refined. Nobuyuki Anzai does a tremendous job with the art too. It starts off bland but after a while he really finds his groove and by the end of the series.. its artttt Another thing I found most pleasing is the battle system its almost like a video game The fights tend to be short but heavy on the supernatural side of things with magical items used against each other that is deeply rooted into the story of the series and lore. Its extremely well written to the point even the elements are a factor in how the fight is determined. They may seem simple on the eye and they can be but it is very well fleshed out. I know I compared it to YYH another classic I adore but I believe Flame of Recca while it borrows a lot of story beats from it is actually more refined as an overall story with equally a good cast of characters with a tournament arc thats just as enjoyable but a final arc that far surpasses any comparisons. It has a GREAT ending and the overall plot does not leave you disappointed whatsoever one of the better endings i have seen for a shonen that it made me cry I can understand why in Japan it has sold 25 million copies and has a cult following.. it isnt a temu YYH it is honestly a better version of it that stands on its own merits and ground. 220https://official.lowee.us/manga/FlameOfRecca/0320018.png