Here’s my funny and yet strange story about Marginal Operation – I never noticed this manga on Bookwalker before.

Okay, I admit that I’m not the kind of person who visits Bookwalker every day. The only time I care about visiting Bookwalker is whenever they’re having a sale and they’re also offering a coin boost for the books that I want to buy.

But to miss a manga that is more or less up to my alley is rather strange to me.

Yes, I get that a manga like Marginal Operation doesn’t stand out as much as the other manga and light novels out there.

Just take a look at Root Double. The only people who know its existence are the people who already played the game before.

I’m sure that the manga has been around on Bookwalker for such a long time already. Despite being late into the series, I’m glad that I came across the manga not too long ago.

Well, it’s better late than never, right?

What Marginal Operation is all about

Here’s the book description that I got from Bookwalker.

Ryouta Arata is an otaku who’s just lost his job after the dissolution of his company. Unwilling to return to his old NEET ways, he applies online to a private military security company, thinking the benefits to be promising. After what appears to be a baffling test, he’s assigned to be an “”operator of operators”” and begins his training in a foreign country. Little does he know, the life of a private mercenary is far more grueling than he could have ever imagined!

What got me to read the manga

Well, it’s a military-theme manga. There’s no way I can say no to this type of manga, right?

If you’re wondering what other types of manga, light novels, and even nonfiction books that I tend to recommend on my blog, you can read about it right here.

What makes Marginal Operation worth reading

For many of us, we tend to think that the story in anime, manga, and light novels is a work of fiction. And not surprisingly, that’s what many of us seem to think especially when we come across a manga like this.

If that’s what you think, then you’re in for a little treat.

According to the author, the events that were being represented in the manga were based on the situations that were happening at that time.

I can’t say for sure which one. But based on the fact that Arata was heading to the Middle East via Turkish Airlines and the year the manga was published, my best guess is that the events that took place in the manga must be during the war with ISIS.

From what I understand, any civilians who wished to head to Syria would use Turkey as an entry point. That was the closest place to enter Syria if you’re not from the Middle East.

Do mercenaries get involved in a conflict in Syria? Based on the ISIS-related books that I read, it seems unlikely. But who knows, perhaps they did. Even if they do, it’s most likely that they were working behind the scene.

But children being forced to hold a gun and take part in the war? Well, that one does happen in real life. And it happened in pretty much any conflicts and any country. You can also add any era into the mix as well.

If a realistic feeling is what you’re seeking in a manga, then this manga does a good job on that.

What I didn’t expect when I read the manga

The first volume of the series tends to revolve around Arata and the recruits undergoing training before their first deployment.

Unlike the usual military-style training regime, their training regime requires them to assist the mercenaries who are on the battlefield through a monitor.

You can say that whether these mercenaries survive or not will depend on how good Arata and the rest are in assisting them.

That sounds like World Trigger during the Rank War, right?

Well, that was my thought exactly too. I never expect that the first part of the story will be something similar to World Trigger but with a bloodbath.

Will Arata enter the battlefield sooner or later? I’ll leave it for you to discover what will eventually happen to him yourself.

Who should give this manga a try

If you’re like me who enjoys reading military-theme manga, then you may find the manga to be an interesting read. Just don’t expect it to be similar to World Trigger since you’ll be seeing many bloodbaths throughout the story.

Well, this is a manga where the story revolves around the situation in the war zone, anyway. It’s impossible not to see a bloodbath.

Just to let you know that the first volume of the manga does have a scene that has full-frontal nudity.

It’s not that many. But it can be a turn-off for some people.

Well, isn’t that what a seinen manga is all about? You’re bound to see tons of adult scenes in seinen manga, full-frontal nudity included.

If that’s you, then clearly this manga isn’t for you.

Where to buy Marginal Operation manga

As always, you can buy Marginal Operation manga in print and in digital on Amazon. Here’s the link for those of you who are interested in getting the manga:

Buy Marginal Operation manga on Amazon

Can’t buy the manga on Amazon? You can also buy the manga in digital on Bookwalker. That’s where I got mine. Here’s the link to the book page on Bookwalker:

Buy Marginal Operation manga on Bookwalker

If you’d like to buy the manga in print but can’t buy it on Amazon, then consider buying the manga on Wordery instead. I highly recommend everyone to get their favorite books from Wordery because they offer free shipping worldwide.

Consider buying the manga on Wordery? You can get the manga right here:

Buy Marginal Operation manga on Wordery

Want to read the manga in Japanese? You can buy the Japanese version of the manga in print at CDJapan:

Buy Marginal Operation manga at CDJapan

Just to let you know that the manga doesn’t have furigana in it.

Over to you

What do you think about the Marginal Operation? Are you interested in giving the manga a try after reading about it on my blog? Let me know in the comment below.

P.S If you enjoy reading military-theme light novels as well, then be sure to have a look at my sci-fi thriller light novel, the Trigger Locked series.

Want to give the light novel a try? Here’s the link to the ebook version of the series from my store on Payhip:

Trigger Locked Book 1: The Mind Control Assassins

Trigger Locked Book 2: A Silent Killer

Don’t forget to use the coupon code SEKINAMAYUBLOG during checkout to receive 25% off on your total order.