Aug 28, 2025
Tower Dungeon is a fairly new dark fantasy manga from author Nihei Tsutomu. The premise is fairly straightforward set in a fantasy world; the story begins when a princess is kidnapped by a sorcerer and taken into a legendary structure known as the Dragon Tower. Like many high fantasy stories, it features a variety of classic fantasy elements monsters, dragons, magic, and a looming sense of mystery that surrounds the world and the tower itself.
Now, let me talk about the part I have mixed feelings about, the art style. While I can appreciate that it's distinct and unique, something that's often hard to find, but
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it also makes the action and panel flow difficult to follow at times. There are moments where it takes effort to figure out what's happening in a scene, and that can disrupt the pacing and immersion.
The world-building is definitely present, but it’s handled in a very subtle and understated way. Instead of relying on traditional lore dumps or direct exposition, the story leans heavily on environmental storytelling and brief pieces of information shared through character conversations. Normally, I actually appreciate this kind of approach, it can feel organic and immersive when done well. However, in this case, the subtlety feels overdone, to the point where it starts to work against the narrative rather than enhance it.
For instance, many characters are introduced without any meaningful context or background. We're often expected to just go along with their presence and significance without understanding who they are or some background about them. As a result, it becomes difficult to form any emotional connection with them or to grasp the stakes of the story. So far, it hasn't explored much of the world in depth though. We only get glimpses of main characters backstories, with very little about the broader world no major insight into the politics, racial dynamics, or major historical context. So as of now, the world exists more as a backdrop than a fully fleshed out setting.
When it comes to two main characters, they’re quite easy to like, the MC(Yuva) and the FMC(Lilisen). They have great chemistry, and their dynamic feels natural and engaging. However, I did notice that the character art tends to be a bit less detailed compared to the backgrounds or creature designs. That said, the monster design is a real highlight. It's both unique and mysterious and fits perfectly with the dark tone and subtlety of the author's overall art.
All in all, I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed, but I’m not completely sold yet either. The art style hasn’t fully grown on me, though I do recognize its uniqueness, and I understand why others might like it. Still, I believe the story has a lot of potential. I’m fairly interested in seeing where it goes.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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