NANATSU NO TAIZAI
STATUS
COMPLETE
VOLUMES
41
RELEASE
March 25, 2020
CHAPTERS
367
DESCRIPTION
When they were accused of trying to overthrow the monarchy, the feared warriors the Seven Deadly Sins were sent into exile. Princess Elizabeth discovers the truth the Sins were framed by the king's guard, the Holy Knights too late to prevent them from assassinating her father and seizing the throne! Now the princess is on the run, seeking the Sins to help her reclaim the kingdom. But the first Sin she meets, Meliodas, is a little innkeeper with a talking pig. He doesn't even have a real sword! Have the legends of the Sins' strength been exaggerated...?
(Source: Kodansha USA)
Note: Chapter count includes 346 regular chapters, 18 extra chapters, and 3 gaiden chapters.
CAST
Ban
Meliodas
Escanor
King
Diane
Elizabeth Liones
Merlin
Gowther
Hawk
Arthur Pendragon
Elaine
Gilthunder
Zeldris
Jericho
Derieri
Estarossa
Melascula
Monspeet
Guila
Gloxinia
Howzer
Margaret Liones
Hendricksen
Tristan Liones
Helbram
CHAPTERS
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ONE SHOT ActionNanatsu no TaizaiREVIEWS
BeybladeTakumi
Losing its way by trying too hard, the manga forgot what made it so good in the beginning.Continue on AniList
Overview
Despite the over-saturation at times of traditional shonen in the anime community, Nanatsu No Taizai stood out from the rest. Once the first chapters were released, it felt different - this manga could actually be good, and it was. Much like it's anime adaptation, the first portion of the manga was actually really impressive and while it wasn't quite on the exponential rise as some other manga's, the potential was there for it to be a gem.
Yet it never came to be, it's well documented in the community that for many it was great but it never quite got to the level that many thought it could be. It became a disappointment. Which is a shame in itself because overall it is not a bad manga by any stretch of the imagination. The story line was fantastic, the development of characters throughout the whole manga is really good, the art was nice but you could sense that the manga started to try too much.
What makes a shonen beautiful and memorable is that it is slightly flawed. It is paced to the point where some gaps are left but then covered up with a nice serving of backstory and information at a perfectly placed point in time. Nanatsu No Taizai became an over-seasoned meal, trying too hard to become a "perfect" and "complete" manga. It tried to take several key ideas for what made the classic shonen's so good, the issue is that what makes them brilliant is everything else about them and not just that one component.
What happened was a shame, because this manga started out with the perfect mix of ingredients, but then it became over-seasoned with components which turned this dish into something that it never should have been in the first place, eventually forming into a mish-mash of a manga that completely lost its way.
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Rating: 77
Would I recommend that you give this manga a shot? Yes, I would actually and my rating of 77 reflects that. I hate to use such a lame expression, but if you enjoy a shonen in the more "traditional" sense then it is by no means a bad choice to give it a try.
The story line itself is actually quite good. There are twists and turns, with the overall Nanatsu No Taizai universe expanding to the point of being quite filling - maybe to the point of being overstuffed. I would not suggest overwhelmed with information, but rather this manga seemed to labor on - trying hard to cross every 't' and dot every 'i'. Now that in itself is alright if it is done correctly - and the proper way to do it is over a greater amount of chapters, or with prequels and sequels, but this manga tried to do it all in one. I myself sat there and thought that the story was over - realizing that actually the manga was continuing on and I had a sense of "here we go again". The story is good enough though that it does still keep you intrigued - but it can test your patience at times.
The character development was good. The manga grew it naturally, however there were a few areas where I docked points - one in particular was the approach to the length and amount of backstory. At times you felt bombarded with loads of character development even with the ones where it felt very shonen-esque, but you had to pay attention to it because they were not fillers - it all tied into the story. It's approach could have definitely been better, but because the story progressed so much, the extra narratives were needed and it all felt like a slight overload.
The art I actually enjoyed. It felt slightly unique to me, a bit different but suited to the crazy fantasy world based off of real-life mythological lore. At times it did feel a bit repetitive, especially with the fight scenes and it got to the point where most action - although exciting in story terms - grew a tad dull with the same servings delivered with only subtle tweaks.
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I believe that my 77 rating is accurate. It reflects the point of Nanatsu No Taizai being overall a good read. True it became repetitive and labored but that's because it tried to complete itself - which in essence is a good thing and despite it taking a while it actually did a good job. The 77 reflects a piece which has a good story with twists and turns but starts to become flawed from a starting point which looked so promising.
Is it a must read for you reader? ... I'm on the fence. That's the way the community in general views the manga - several give it incredible ratings, others say it's poor. And that in truth sums up Nanatsu No Taizai. If you like a shonen with a bit of a story, then give it a read - if not, then I'd suggest focusing on something else with 346 chapters.
Zero
A Rollercoaster of Disappointment – My Take on Nanatsu No TaizaiContinue on AniListINTRODUCTION Nanatsu no Taizai is a shonen fantasy that starts with a simple yet interesting idea, backed by a decent initial pace and a cast that had the potential to be charismatic. However, what begins as an enjoyable adventure quickly turns into a sequence of forced plot twists, random power-ups, and increasingly questionable narrative choices. Reading this manga felt like getting on a rollercoaster: the initial climb is solid, but the drop is so steep the whole cart flies off the rails. __THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS AT RANDOM TIMES ON RANDOM PARTS, YOU ARE WARNED.__
PLOT AND PACING The story begins with Elizabeth searching for the Seven Deadly Sins to save the kingdom of Liones. The first narrative arcs are simple but effective, following a “recruitment → mission” structure that, while nothing groundbreaking, works just fine. The plot flows smoothly, without aiming too high, but keeps a decent balance between action, mystery, (questionable) comedy, and worldbuilding. The problem starts once the story gets past its first big clash with the initial antagonist. From that point on, it begins to pile up new enemies, subplots, and plot twists that feel completely improvised. More enemies mean more challenges, more challenges mean more difficulty, and more difficulty, in this manga, means random power-ups. Take Meliodas, for example: his powers were initially sealed because they were too unstable—or rather, because the plot demanded it, since otherwise he would’ve steamrolled the early villains. Unsurprisingly, he gets those powers back the moment stronger enemies show up, and from there the series falls into a constant cycle of “the real enemy was someone else,” resurrections, power-ups, and retcons. The Demon King (or whatever his name was—I honestly don’t remember), the main antagonist of the final stretch, comes back several times in different forms, but never manages to generate any real tension. The only remotely interesting subplot is the one exploring Meliodas and Elizabeth’s past, which brings a bit of emotional depth to an ocean of repetitive battles. The climax lacks impact, and what should’ve been an epic ending turns out flat, predictable, and comically cliché.
CHARACTER The cast is large, but very few characters actually leave a mark. Ban and King start off well, but their potential gets wasted by some pretty questionable narrative choices. The only truly charismatic character is Escanor—his personal arc stands out for its originality and sheer presence, and (SPOILER) he’s also one of the few who actually dies for real in all the story. The other Sins, unfortunately, remain flat or get lost in excessive fanservice and over-the-top power-ups. 
ART STYLE Suzuki’s art style, especially in the early chapters, is quite pleasant, with recognizable characters and a good sense of dynamism. Action scenes are clear and well-paced, particularly in the first volumes. Unfortunately, this aspect also starts to decline: the detail in non-action scenes becomes simplified, certain designs are reused, and the overall quality loses its edge compared to the beginning. Now, I’m not saying the art is generally bad—it’s not. It’s just that as the story goes on, the quality becomes inconsistent in many scenes. The paneling and scene direction remain among the few solid elements of the series, as does the general readability. However, the constant abuse of flashbacks—sometimes several in the same chapter—makes the narrative feel messy and constantly breaks the pacing. 
This is a small example to show how good he can be if he puts his mind to it
CONCLUSION Nanatsu no Taizai is the perfect example of how a strong start isn’t enough to save a story from itself. The main issue isn’t the use of clichés—it’s how lazily and repetitively they’re handled. When every character can come back to life, every battle loses its weight. When every reveal is contradicted in the following chapter, any emotional investment just vanishes. The repetitiveness in the second half becomes almost unbearable, and the complete lack of real consequences kills any sense of tension. What’s left is a manga that drags itself to the end with the inertia of something that’s already said everything… but keeps on talking anyway. One of the biggest problems lies in the handling of the power system, and in the constant confusion caused by characters who seem dead but, more often than not, come back a few chapters later. I’d only recommend this series to newcomers to the medium, or to someone looking for something visually flashy without much narrative depth. If you’re after consistency, tension, and solid writing… you’re better off looking elsewhere. ___ Alright, I’ve said everything I wanted to say. If you made it this far, thanks for sticking with me. While you’re here, feel free to check out my other reviews—I promise, they’re written better than this one.
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SCORE
- (3.45/5)
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Ended inMarch 25, 2020
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