FIGHT CLASS 3 (VOL. 1) – Comic Review

FIGHT CLASS 3 (VOL. 1), from Ablaze Publishing on 4/5/2023, will turn a wimpy kid’s nightmare into reality when Jitae-joo strikes a deal to enter Namil High’s prestigious fighting class in exchange for help to find his kidnapped sister.

The Details

• Written by: Lee Hak
• Art by: Lee Hak
• Letters by: Lee Hak
• Cover art by: Lee Hak
• Comic Rating: Teen+
• Cover price: $19.99
• Release date: April 5, 2023

Is It Good?

FIGHT CLASS 3 (VOL. 1) will make your blood run cold if you remember your time in High School as one of the awkward and unathletic kids. Lee Hak’s adventurous tale about a student who finds himself grudgingly enrolled in his school’s prestigious fighting curriculum typifies everything you’ve come to expect from a top-notch Manga/Manwha.

You get a central protagonist whose got a burning motivation to reach an impossible goal. He’s smaller, weaker, and more undisciplined than his peers, but that burning motivation gives him the steely grit needed to exceed his limits. You could say the protagonist, Jitae-joo, is almost a stereotype of the classic Manga/Manwha underdog, but that stereotype persists because it works so well.

Lee Hak’s plot is also a winner because it takes Jitae’s hero’s journey and adds a unique twist. Jitae has no desire to be a fighter or excel in any physical way. Jitae simply wants to find his long-lost sister, and he enters the program when another fighter reveals she holds the key to making Jitae’s dream a reality. In other words, Jitae isn’t motivated by a selfish desire to be the best. He’s motivated to be the best if that’s what it takes to find his sister. That selfless motivation gives Jitae an extra boost in the noble qualities every hero possesses.

The character designs, panel layouts, and overall aesthetic are pretty standard for what you’ve come to expect from a multi-chapter Manga/Manwha. However, Lee Hak goes the extra step of integrating MMA fighting education, technique demonstrations, and all-around cool moves into the story to give the action an extra layer of authenticity. In other words, you get the authentic experience of an MMA training class organically worked into the drama, and the training makes the drama better.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

We begin with an introduction to Jitae-joo – an unassuming student at Namil High whose only goal is to find his kidnapped sister and the man who took her years ago. When Jitae is accosted by a school bully, his instinctive ability to dodge and anticipate the bully’s moves catches the eye of one of the school’s most prestigious MMA fighters, Maria Dacascos.

During one of Jitae’s nightly rounds putting up fliers that ask the public for information about his sister, Jitae is jumped by a hooded figure. The attacker is Amria Dacascos, and she used the attack to test Jitae’s natural potential. When Maria notices the details of Hitae’s fliers, she recognizes the man who kidnapped Jitae’s sister.

Maria offers Jitae a deal – enroll in Namil High’s fighting program, and she will help Jiotae find his sister. We conclude the volume with the pain of the admission trial, the consequences of dirty fighting, and a hidden agenda.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.

Click Here To Buy This Comic

As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.