When you start reading “Thunder 3,” the first impression you might have is, “This is quite a peaceful manga.” The protagonist, Pyontarou, is a somewhat unimpressive, ordinary junior high school student. He is deeply attached to by his young sister, Futaba, and while he finds it a bit annoying, he still cares for her in one way or another. Pyontarou is always together with his classmates, Tsubame and Hiroshi. The three were called “Small 3” due to their shared trait of being short in stature. Because the story depicts the daily lives of boys who have neither flashy abilities nor the mission to save the world, at this point, it is quite difficult to imagine the grand developments waiting ahead. However, this very peacefulness is one of the tricks in “Thunder 3.” Precisely because we are shown a casual daily life, the changes that come afterward are felt all the more intensely.

The trigger that sets the story heavily in motion was a single disc borrowed from their homeroom teacher, Doku. When Pyontarou and his friends play it, a “real” world with an atmosphere completely different from where they had been living up until then is projected on the TV screen. It is surprising that what they thought was merely video footage was actually an entrance leading to another world. Then, in a moment when they look away, Futaba slips into the other side. Furthermore, she is carried away by a mysterious group, and Pyontarou and his friends jump into the unknown world themselves to get his sister back. From here, the atmosphere of the manga turns around completely, and the story rapidly accelerates from their previous daily life into a grand battle set in the multiverse.

What awaited the three who stepped into the multiverse was a world somewhat similar to where they used to live, yet decisively different. People drawn in realistic body proportions live there, presenting a clear sense of incongruity just by appearance. And what is most interesting is that Pyontarou, Tsubame, and Hiroshi, who were completely ordinary in their original world, can demonstrate superhuman power in this world. The boys who were called “Small 3” transform into overwhelming beings the moment the environment changes. This reversal is truly satisfying. Unlike works where a simply strong protagonist defeats enemies, precisely because they were originally utterly ordinary boys, the sense of exhilaration when they show off phenomenal abilities stands out. The words, “In this world, we are the strongest,” resonate with a special meaning the further you read on.

The goal of Pyontarou and his friends is strictly to rescue the abducted Futaba. However, in the world they wandered into, a tremendous situation was underway where Earth was subjugated by aliens. In other words, three junior high school students who were supposed to have just been chasing after a younger sister end up getting dragged into a global-scale conflict before they know it. This expanding scale is thrilling, while on the other hand, at the root of the story lies the extremely simple emotion of an older brother wanting to help his younger sister. A battle that influences the fate of the world, and the desire to take back a familiar family member. By overlapping these two elements, big and small, I felt that a major charm of the work is that you can read it without losing sight of the protagonist's reason for action, even with such a grand setting.

What is particularly impressive about “Thunder 3” is that it does not merely explain the setting of a multiverse, but uses visual expressions unique to manga to make you feel the “another world.” The realistic world that suddenly appears from a peaceful daily life, and the presence of the Small 3 who jumped into it. This gap carries an impact that cannot be tasted just by hearing about the setting in text. Not only the content of the story, but the concept of “using the manga art itself to surprise the reader” is interesting, and the shock you receive the moment you turn a page is surely a real thrill of this work. It is also surprising that Yuuki Ikeda built such a bold world despite it being a debut work.

While “Thunder 3” handles grand themes such as alternate worlds, the multiverse, and battles with aliens, its starting point is a relatable story of an older brother chasing after his abducted younger sister. And the setting where three ordinary junior high school students possess extraordinary powers in another world gives the work a unique sense of exhilaration. If you imagine the entire work based only on the beginning, you will likely be betrayed in a good way. Daily life and the extraordinary, cuteness and realism, ordinary boys and overwhelming power. “Thunder 3,” which expands its story while boldly clashing opposing elements together, was a manga that makes you want to read forward with anticipation, wondering, “What will they show me on the next page?”