Admin Mawile: ╰(✧∇✧) FIRST OF ALL thank you soooooo much for sending this. I love any chance I get to talk about my precious Innocents, and, well, this is going to be long. I’ll try to keep my summary spoiler free, though. 

The story starts in a small village in Northern France, in the year 1212. A young boy named Etienne finds a blood red horn out in a field, as well as a scroll written in Latin. Etienne is visited by a vision of Jesus who tells him that he’s the chosen child, the one destined to go to the Holy Land, and that he’s been chosen by God to fill the role. His hair changes to brown to white, and his eyes turn blue from the vision. 

Etienne returns to town, which is being attacked by bandits, and the moment one of them tries to harm him… a lightening bolt drops from the sky, frying the bandit and shocking the villagers with Etienne’s newfound power. Etienne shows the scroll and horn to village leaders, who soon agree that Etienne has clearly been chosen by God. A “Children’s Crusade” is started, in order to succeed where adults have so far failed, and a variety of Etienne’s closest friends, rivals, and social outcasts are recruited to join it. 

As the boys set out on their journey to Jerusalem, they are joined by an adult member of the Knights Templar named Hugo, whose aid gives the children power like they never would have achieved on their own. Etienne also begins performing miracles such as raising the dead and curing illnesses. The Children’s Crusade and Etienne’s miracles grow in fame, but things are not as they seem. Hugo is hiding things, things that do not bode well for the future of the boys, and the medieval world is a dark one indeed. 

Without spoiling anything, the story is a tragedy following the brutality of the Medieval age, the helplessness of children during that time, the corruption of selfish adults, and the dangers of the powerful Catholic Church. 

It’s a harsh, brutal, beautiful story with gorgeous art, remarkably sympathetic characters, and an ending that will rip your heart out and step on it. It’s tragic, it’s painful, and the sheer unfairness of everything that happens is probably the worst part. Innocents Shounen Juujigun is an absolutely glorious manga, and probably the best I’ve ever read. It’s exceptional, and if you can stomach some pretty horrific stuff, it’s definitely worth a read.