Pupa

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Pupa as a whole gets a lot of undeserved flak for getting "incestuous" vibes. Sure, having Yume gorge on Utsutsu's flesh while Utsutsu somehow deems enjoyment from it is vore to an extreme, but there is a reason for his actions. It is easy just to point at these scenes and say "wow, that's disgusting how could someone write this?", but it's also incredibly lazy to not try and evaluate the characters actions and viewpoints. Utsutsu's life in particular is just a downward shit show of every single thing in his life leaving him, with the only thing left a sister that he's tried to ... protect, and will vow to protect to the end. Utsutsu's love for Yume could have an incestuous undertone to it, but in reality Utsutsu's love and unwavering protection for Yume is because it's the last single thing on Earth that he has left to hold on to, a point a lot of people for some reason don't want to grasp.

What Pupa has crafted between these two characters in specific, it has managed to ignore in basically the rest of the side characters, characters whom often show up to drop a portion of information before leaving again, notable exceptions being Maria and Utsutsu's father. While Maria shows up more than other side characters, she is pretty much a vehicle of pure insanity that drives the story forward. It's easy to fault this as just lazy writing; it's also easy to say that fleshing out side characters is bad for the story, since the entire manga is Utsutsu and Yume's journey to stay together. What choice you choose to make from this is up to you.

Pupa's bleak story shows Utstsu trying not lose what is most important to him, but also the madness of him trying not to become what he hates the most. The longer Pupa goes on, the more it's shown that Utsutsu is a lot more like his father than he is willing to admit. The same shrewd look that his father would give becomes one of his own when he least expects it, and with it his father's more sadistic qualities of relishing in the pain of others. It becomes a part much later on where Utsutsu has to face the issue himself before being able to accept who he is and moving on.

The story itself suffers from a couple pacing issues, but does its best to try and show how Utsutsu and Yume deal with terrible situation after terrible situation. It's easy to say that until the final pages of the last chapter, nothing at all goes right for either of them. Pupa is basically a "Us vs. The World" story, but The World really, really, really hates Utsutsu and Yume. What Pupa gives in heartwarming reunions, it dishes out 3 times as much in absolutely insane situations to prove just how much Utsutsu and Yume need each other (more so how much Utsutsu needs Yume), to the point where if one was lost, the other can't live on.

A main driving force for the manga is the art itself. The level of detail added, especially to the final volume, is absolutely breathtaking. Besides the odd moments where Mogi Sayaka draws Pupa with a more cutesy look to it, the gore is drawn to a point where some of it made me sit there and just appreciate the effort that was put into the manga. The art itself does a good job of adding to the story, while not distracting yourself from it (it helps because the story gets outright ridiculous at times).

Is Pupa a manga that I'd read again? Probably. I will most likely just flip through pages of it again to appreciate the art itself. While the story itself might lose some of it's luster in that I know what the twists are as the story goes along, seeing how each character breaks is really bleak and entertaining stuff to read. Pupa isn't a read for everyone; it's going to make you accept some things in life that you would rather not dwell upon (child abuse, being left by your parents, dealing with shit you'd rather not), but it is still an enjoyable story to read nonetheless.

[Spoiler free review]

Pupa, widely known as a shit show on the anime side. But when we look at the manga side of things, it becomes immediately obvious that it isn't your average bad manga, but rather something in a different tier of itself.

Pupa is a horror/psychological manga that delves into the messed up life of 2 siblings. It is filled with gore, and the story itself is excruciatingly bleak and full of nauseating concepts.

I'll be honest, I really didn't like Pupa, it was a very exhausting read; the only reason I managed to force myself to read through it is because of it's small size ... of 34 chapters. But even if I personally didn't like it, I can't deny its originality and uniqueness. This makes Pupa a special read among the countless mangas out there, it's something you can never forget after reading it once.

⚪ Art:

One of the main parts of the manga that makes it what it is. The art itself isn't that good, but the way it presents its gore is what makes it unique. The paneling also invokes feelings similar to reading a Junji Ito manga, yet while being a completely different style of art.

The art is grotesque when it needs to be, and I can confidently say the last few chapter’s panels will certainly leave a mark on your mind after you finish reading them.

⚪ Writing/ Story/ Characters:

To describe it in one word…’bad’ is the word I’d have to use. But under the bad writing there is a certain art to be found, especially when the story delves into the depths of any of the characters' minds. As you read through the story, even though the writing and story itself is bad, you’ll ultimately find yourself oddly sympathizing with the main characters and just wishing for a happy ending (you’ll also find yourself praying for the manga to ‘just end already’).

⚪ Conclusion:

This manga will be worth a read (not a waste of time) if you like unique reads, especially something that delves into madness like Junji Ito or Haruki Murakami (don’t go expecting anything of their level though). Don’t expect any solid base to the story, it’s just a jumbled mess of the author’s nightmares/dreams (that’s honestly what it felt like reading it). Just expect an overall experience of ‘wtf did I just read?’, because the manga only gets crazier the further you go.

*Disclaimer: If you start reading this manga, you WILL have the urge to finish it, or it’ll haunt you until you do. Once you go in, there is no escape until the end.

If you enjoy incest, gore and a lack of story then you would probably enjoy this. However I don't think anyone enjoys the latter of those things which is probably why so many people hate it. Though it may be unfair to say there was no plot, it was just awful and hard to follow with practically no character development other than the brother and sister. And even they didn't have much depth to them. The only part of this manga that is simply "not shit" is the art, which is surprisingly good.

I am also very justified in my criticising of this manga as I ... took the time out of my life to read the entire thing. I now realize that this was a mistake and I want my valuable time back. If you are thinking about watching this -or god forbid you have already started- then I suggest you read this last part to yourself a few times; It's shit!