Eh.

What's it about?

Pumpkin Scissors is set in the aftermath of a great war between the European (German)-inspired Empire and the Republic of Frost that has now been resolved via treaty. To keep money flowing, the Empire's Imperial Army commissions a small military unit to serve as a propaganda platoon by providing visible war relief efforts across the decimated country. However, this small but dedicated unit (State Section III aka "Pumpkin Scissors") actually tries to make a difference despite their limited funding and powers, finding themselves drawn into all sorts of dramatic and brutal post-conflict scenarios as the Empire itself reckons with the ghosts of its past.

At the centre of the story are Alice L. Malvin, second-in-command of the Pumpkin Scissors unit and Randel Oland, a new recruit to the team. Alice comes from a noble background and has lofty ideas about justice, while Randel is a gentle a veteran who served during the war and struggles to reconcile his past and present selves. These two couldn't be more different but for Randel, who was left without purpose after the war, stumbling upon the determined Alice and finding himself ushered into a unit dedicated to war relief could give him the direction he needs to go forward.

Why is it worth reading?

Don't let the rough early art or medicore anime adaptation fool you, once you get past the first major arc in the Pumpkin Scissors manga it grips onto you and won't let go. I cite the anime specifically here because even if you've watched it you're probably not entirely sold on the Pumpkin Scissors manga as a result of the ho-hum adaptation (which you can watch on Crunchyroll). However, the anime ends at a point that is basically this meme given form:

Because where the manga goes next after the final arc shown in the anime is is absolutely phenomenal. Hostage situations, terrorism, ridiculously intense tank fights. The war is over in this story but it is so deeply ingrained in every character, town and situation that its claws will never let go of anyone in this world. In that sense, with each arc building on the last, the series goes from being about superifical "war relief" to the lingering atrocities of war gradually enough that you don't even realise you're holding your breath while reading until something humorous happens to break the tension.

The author Iwanaga uses this smothering atmosphere effectively, with each successive arc peeling back more and more about the horrors of war and the difficulty of surviving after participating in the unthinkable.

However, Pumpkin Scissors never loses a sense of hope. Randel and Alice are both driven to achieve something that feels unfairly far out of their reach, but they never give up and they continue to inspire others along the way. I feel this sense of hope, this desire to improve society and to never remain satisfied with the pre and post-war status quo, is what helps Pumpkin Scissors avoid feeling too bleak even when dealing with some extremely heavy topics.

When you think about it, so many series are set during war but few opt to look at the immediate aftermath of conflict and how things don't ever really go back to normal. In this sense, I think if you liked a lot of the observations made in Golden Kamuy (which also has a cast inhabiting an in-between space post-conflict) then Pumpkin Scissors may also appeal to you.

While the Pumpkin Scissors unit are our heroes, there are no punches pulled regarding the Empire itself - be it how corrupt the military is, how useless the politicians are, or how abominable the country's wartime acts. Nobody is really who they seem to be within the rank and file, with allies and enemies coming from the most unlikely places as the series chugs along.

This is a series that deftly weaves a tale of mesmerising characters and scenarios that, while set in an alternate history, still feel depressingly relevant to today.

What about the characters?

The characters, particularly Alice and Randel, really help make Pumpkin Scissors a deeply riveting tale. They have an extremely slow-burning affection for each other, but each is so obtuse about romance for numerous reasons that even getting them to admit they feel strongly for one another takes most of the series to this point.

And while their relationship is important, they both stand alone as characters in their own right with contrasting backgrounds that often make it hard for them to understand each other.

Alice is from one of the most privileged families in the country and in the opening pages of the series we see she graduated into the military the day the ceasefire was called. Having never served on the frontlines and coming from a wealthy, political family means Alice has been sheltered from a lot and in other series she could well be an obnoxious character as a result.

However, Iwanaga gives Alice the opportunity to actually grow, to make mistakes and to broaden her outlook as she progresses through each arc. She isn't always painted as "right" despite her idealism and it's interesting seeing a young, female protagonist in a seinen title get to be like this without also being grossly over-sexualised. Overall, Alice is a strong and proud noble whose journey has involved many harsh life lessons, but who still holds her unit together and strives for a better society.

Randel, our other lead, has come from a background of poverty and suffering. I won't spoil too much of his backstory, but he brings a perspective to the unit that even Oreldo the back-alley brawler doesn't. Randel not only grew up in an incredibly tenuous situation, but he selflessly sold himself to the war machine as a youth and as such, has actually endured the battlefield. Not only does Randel not eat meat as a result of this, he truly wants to live a life without raising his weapon again -- something he has yet to achieve.

Even with the war being over on paper, he very often has to take out his "Door Knocker" gun and literally fight armored tanks. Physically, this is destroying him. Mentally, it is driving him over the edge. But deep within Randel is this burning desire to be useful in achieving lasting post-war peace, for all his deep suffering and sacrifice to be worth it, and that propels him forward even when it probably shouldn't. In the Pumpkin Scissors unit he finds purpose and a commanding officer who gives him something to believe in again, but will Randel ever be able to stand by Alice's side or will he succumb to everything pulling him down?

Something I appreciate about Pumpkin Scissors is that every character comes into their own when the time is right, well beyond our leads too. From characters that play major roles in certain arcs like Haarkenmeijer right through to Rosetta, the minor gag character nurse. Everyone has an arc in the narrative and geez, some of them are good.

If you just watch the anime it seems like Stecchin and Hunks, for example, are two extremely flimsy individuals who round out the core unit by being "the peppy little admin girl" and "dull, middle-manager-esque commanding officer". When the true extent of their individual histories and skills become apparent in the manga, you're left agape at how truly incredible they both are and how vital they are to the success of the team (albeit in very different ways).

What about it isn't good?

There are a few things about Pumpkin Scissors that bug me, but surprisingly few given the length and content of the series.

The art is honestly not that great. Iwanaga draws a mean weapon but he can be quite clumsy with human anatomy and even though his style has improved over time, I still wouldn't say it's the best. I know the art can put people off a bit, but I'm glad I stuck with it because after a dozen or so volumes it does grow on you (and the story absolutely makes it worth the effort).

There has also been a literal 5 year break between volumes. We have no idea if Iwanaga will take another break or how long he intends to continue the series for and that kind of uncertainty, I get it's not for people who really only want to read a complete story.

Speaking of stories... story-wise, I dislike how the minor character, Princess Septieme, is 9 and has a mildly fliratious relationship with the adult Martis. While Martis doesn't actively pursue anything with her and it's all fairly light, it's still weird to put them in that situation to begin with imho and totally unnecessary. Overall there's minimal fanservice (aside from Alice's sisters having big honkers) so having a random loli princess is just odd to me.

That's about all that comes to mind, but obviously if strong, bloody violence in a war-related setting are triggrering for you then I would not recommend Pumpkin Scissors due to how much of it centres on conflict and its horrible results.

So how can I read it?

The manga was originally licensed for US print release by Del-Ray, but this release was discontinued a while back. Nowadays Pumpkin Scissors is a DIGITAL ONLY release from Kodansha USA and volumes 1-23 are currently translated and available for purchase here. If you're outside the US and don't have local official options or are in the US and low on cash then check the usual sites for free options.

Can I watch the anime then pick up the manga?

I'd say yes, if you watch the entire Gonzo anime adaptation you can fairly easily pick up the manga and continue on from there. Personally I'd recommend reading the manga from volume 1 even if you've watched the anime though, as it's a more tightly written story. If nothing else, you absolutely need to indulge yourself in the anime opening because it is top tier stuff (performed by Evangelion's Takahashi Youko no less).

I think the images contained in the opening sequence may also give you a bit of an idea as to whether or not you'll find the series to your tastes overall.