Beet The Vandel Buster is a manga that is missed by many fans. The series had a golden beginning and just kept getting better and better. The series had an abrupt ending with 12 volumes, but there is still a chance that the manga will continue someday. I find the chances of that pretty slim, which is why I’m doing my series review now. If the series ever does return, I’ll either continue from there on a weekly basis, do a new review covering “Part 2” or just update this one.

The manga is about a kid named Beet, who wants to end the darkness that covers the land. The world is filled with Vandels who basically have control over everything. There are various resistance groups who have made it their purpose to wipe these creatures out. They call themselves “Vandel Busters!” The more Vandels you take down, the higher your level and rep increases. There are some powerful Vandel Busters around, but for the most part, they don’t seem to have a chance. There are just too many Vandels and many of them are immensely powerful. It’s essentially the same as Naruto level fighters trying to take on Gokus and Vegetas.

There is one legendary group that are called the Zenon Warriors. They are possibly the strongest Vandel Busters in the world. The series starts off with them at a village, when the strongest Vandel in the world appears. His name is Beltorze and his design is pretty similar to Omega Shenron’s. His power is very considerable. The sheer power that is involved in Beet’s very first chapter, would make DBZ proud. Not even DBZ got to this level of power until later on. The battle is pretty good, but Beet comes along and things get dicey. Like Spiderman or Batman (Depending on the version) bad things happen that could have been avoided, if only Beet had made the right move.

The battle may not look good for the heroes, but we see more of it near the end of the series. After a large time skip, Beet is now a very tough Vandel Buster. Along with Paola, he goes to end the Dark Ages. While Beet is mostly a close range fighter, Paola uses her magical abilities to attack foes from afar. They make a pretty solid team and take on various fighters. They’ve fought opponents like Beltorze and Garonewt in the past.

Eventually, the team gets a new recruit in the form of Kissu. Kissu is also a magic user and he is powerful, but only with his spells. His strength of heart is another matter. He lacks the resolve that Paola and Beet currently possess. It’s hinted that he may have finally turned around, but that’s exactly where the series ends. BB and Slade also help the team out when they’re in a pinch. Slade possesses great speed and BB is a magic user who turns the tables and actually prefers close combat.

The team goes around and takes down as many Vandels as they can. The series is always on the go and the heroes are doing pretty well. Beet currently has a 1 Star Bounty on his head. (Which is more than what a whole country is worth) Whichever 7 star Vandel destroys him, will become the legendary 8 Star Vandel. The pressure is on for Beet and his friends!

Beet is a pretty solid main character and he’s one of the more heroic fighters currently out there. He inherited several Saiga and they have helped him to become a very well rounded fighter. He can fight up close thanks to his Feather Sword and Burning Lance, while fighting from afar with his Air Gun. Beet can use his Shield to block many powerful attacks as well. If Beet needs to land a single, but powerful shot; then it’s time to take out the Axe. Beet uses his powers wisely and he’s definitely cool.

Paola is the first member to come and help Beet out against the villains. She did pretty well on her own and got quite a few level ups. She is a magic user, so she can fire off magic blasts to defeat her opponents. Being a long range fighter does have its disadvantages, such as not obtaining the speed and power that Beet has acquired through rigorous training. She’s a pretty good character and never backs down from a fight.

Kissu is only arguably a good character. He’s always having self doubts and his physical abilities aren’t so good. His magic is very potent, but he rarely gets to show it. When the going gets tough, Kissu is usually taken out pretty quickly. I never became a fan, but Kissu was starting to show some promise. If only the series had kept going.

BB is a skilled fighter who arrests those that break the law. Her magic can be used for long range, but she can wrap it around her for close range. This way, any Vandel that makes contact with her, will be destroyed. She’s definitely not as cool as the main fighters, but perhaps she will get better. Slade is a bit of a part timer. He helps out when Beet is in a pinch, but he’s usually not on the team. Slade’s really quick and his weapon is pretty much impossible to spot. Unless your skin is extremely hard, one hit is all he needs to take you out of the fight. I guess you could call him Beet’s rival.

Zenon is the commander of the Zenon Forces. At first he may not impress you, but he’s pretty epic during the climax of the series. Not only is he able to fight against Beltorze, but he was able to transcend his very limits. He’s easily one of the strongest characters in the franchise. He was able to keep up with Beltorze, only one other fighter has accomplished such a feat. (Beet, albeit it was only a fake) There is another character known as the Winged Knight. He’s very similar to Zenon and some suspect that they are one and the same. I definitely think that he is Zenon. (The light aura is a giveaway) This shows that Zenon is even more resourceful than we thought. The other Zenon members aren’t that likable yet, but there’s always a chance for that to change. We just need them to take up arms and fight again! Or at least get a solid flashback.

There are many Vandels, but let’s focus on the 7 Star fighters. Noa is known as the smartest member of the group, but he hasn’t gotten to fight yet. It’s safe to say that he’s immensely powerful, but we have no proof yet. He’s a decent character, but it would be good to see him more excited about fighting. Lady Rodina is another 7 Star fighter. She is scheduled to be Beet’s final opponent, which could mean that she’s…the strongest? I don’t know if that’s possible, considering how tough Grineed and Beltorze were, but that’d certainly be a plot twist. If only she had gotten to fight.

Next up, let’s talk about Hysterio. He had a really cool design, but he seems to be pretty unimpressive so far. Baron completely pulverized him and his powers aren’t the greatest that I’ve seen. He was pretty disappointing, but they can’t all be winners. Garonewt is one of the strongest fighters so far. He has many creatures hidden in stones that are on his body. He also controls gravity, which makes it almost impossible to even stand up, let alone fight. His battle was definitely epic and few could hope to take him down.

Baron is an aerial Vandel whose abilities are very potent. He’s a legend, even among the 7 Stars and he’s been doing well so far. Not only did he nearly defeat Beet, but he also took down the rest of the cast, (Including The Winged Knight) except for Kissu. Can Kissu really defeat him? I don’t think so, but that’s exactly how the series ended. Right before their big, climatic battle.

Grineed is another solid villain. He’s much better when he turns into his true form. In that form, his power is definitely lethal and he was one of the most impressive villains in the series. He definitely felt like a high tier fighter and he had one of the best fights in the series. Beet had some pretty solid/long fight scenes throughout the manga and this one definitely ranks up there.

Beltorze is the final 7 Star Vandel, and I’d say that he’s the strongest. Not only did he take down the Zenon Warriors, but he’s also devastated Beet and his pals as well. Beltorze never ceases to impress me and he’s basically got everything that a villain could want. Speed, Power, Endurance, Regeneration…Everything! I can’t wait until he fights again, but that could be a while.

Beet The Vandel Buster is definitely a remarkable series. It’s one of the greatest manga that I’ve ever read and the art is excellent. The author really knows how to draw a fight scenes, not to mention that he’s good at writing interesting villains. I really hope that Beer continues at some point in the future. Some may not like that the plot isn’t exactly deep, but it makes up for it with plenty of battles. The series is essentially non stop action. The fighting never stops and the art helps everything go smoothly. Even if it doesn’t continue, this is one series that I won’t be forgetting. I highly recommend reading it.

Overall 9/10