Innocent is hard to pin down. On the one hand, it’s a meticulously researched period drama starring real-life figures such as Casanova, Robert-François Damiens, and Jeanne Bécu; on the other, it’s a lurid portrayal of a young man’s corruption, filled with over-the-top scenes of torture and debauchery that recall Justine, or The Misfortune of Virtue. The tonal mismatch between its historical aspirations and its treatment of the principal character never gel into a coherent story, however, resulting in a handsome but repellant mess that isn’t serious enough to move the reader or ridiculous enough to be enjoyed as camp. The series opens with the execution of Louis XVI in 1793–carried out by 54-year-old Charles-Henri Sanson—then jumps back in time to reveal how Sanson evolved from a sensitive young man into... The post Innocent, Vol. 1 first appeared on Manga Bookshelf.

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