Way back when I read the first couple of volumes of Blame, the unique presentation, the way the story was told, and of course the amazing artwork got me thinking about how much I'd love to do something like this too. It really inspired me, like it no doubt has a lot of people.

Part of why I found it so encouraging was because it seemed like Nihei pretty much shrugged off the standard style that most manga follow and simply did his own thing, drawing whatever came into his head and adding story arcs on a whim. It seems to me like, at least in those first volumes, he only had a beginning and an end to the story planned out, and pretty much made up everything in-between as he went along. Anyone else get that impression? As an artist myself, the idea of creating a art-focussed graphic novel that can still be popular without conforming to the usual standards of storytelling is just kind of appealing.

I'm also curious to know what people think of the way in which Blame's story was told. Whenever I try to introduce people to the manga, they always comment on the lack of dialogue and how hard it is to work out what's going on. I have to tell them to stick with it for at least a couple of volumes before the story can pull them in – because the story does pull you in, somehow. Even though Killy's personality is so elusive and his background is kept a secret, I found myself admiring him as one of the best heroes I've ever come across.

So I wonder: Do you think Nihei knew what he was doing with the story? Was the minimal dialogue and heavy focus on fighting because he's first and foremost an artist, and has no experience formulating a good plot? Or did he set out with a deliberate mind to tell his story in this way, knowing that the mystery would pull people in, and that the long journey would make them fond of the characters despite the reader remaining so distant from them?

I'm curious to know where the fans stand on this.

Reading Blame I found myself dealing with something quite unique. I had a hard time trying to understand what was going on plus the first volume I bought was the fourth, so after reading it I went back to the shop to buy the other volumes. And now I'm doomed!! Because I really got used to this kind of storytelling. I really enjoyed the minimal dialogues and almost nonexistent plot (for those who are not familiar with Blame). It was like a gush of fresh air to my brain. In fact I can't recall a manga that made me think/write and talk so much about it, spending a consistent amount of time on it. To an extent that I can't seem to find peace because my tastes regarding mangas have changed and I'm hungry for more blamish stuff. I agree with your point of view Ragnarock and Insomanic but this made me think that Nihei himself was inspired by others and I wonder what has been the importance and the wieight of this on his creation and the final result. And if he is an artist and the drawing of the Megastructure came natural to him I believe he did actually spend a little bit of time creating a plot and giving it the meaning he wanted...
Maybe he did..maybe he didn't I can only guess but I do miss Blame time.