Ningen Shikkaku
No Longer Human

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No Longer Human by Junji Ito is classic Japanese novel reimagined by a classic horror artist. The keyword here is "reimagined". While this version follows the original closely, it is still remade to fit the style of Junji and expands the story with more content. This is indeed the one complaint readers might have with this work, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing. This wasn't meant to be a 100% adaptation of the origina and change doesn't always have to be bad. Ultimately, the novel and this manga are two different books that should be judged separately.

The original story is one of existentional ... horror and psychological dread. This new take on the story adds another layer - the visual, grotesque horror that is only hinted in the original. This is where Junji's craftmanship truly comes in play, as the depictions of "ghosts" and the humanity throught the eyes of the protagonits are truly chilling. This is Junji's first major work that doesn't use the supernatural as a source of the predicament and this change was a great succes. Otherwordly illustrations of inhumane horrors that come from weirdly familiar human source are, after all, from source closer to a reader and can hit closer to home.

Of course, the horrors aren't the only way the illustrations help with conveying the story. What I really liked is how the character design reflects the character itself and their background. This can be most easily observed with Tsuneko and it's amazing how just a small difference can portray the depression, tiredness and worn-out lifestyle through her face.

Back to the story portion of the manga. The core of what makes the original story great is still present, so I would like to focus on what is different and new in this work. Some say that the additional bits that Junji added are too violent and don't fit the naration. I disagree - violence is a part of human nature and the one portayed in this manga is well within the real possibilities. I could go even further and point out that using a reality of violence commited by humans in a way that makes the reader feel like it doesn't belong in the world brings the reader closer to how Yozo felt about humanity. I also found the little twist at the end that nods to the circumstances of the publication of the original novel a great idea.

Now, I have mentioned that the novel and the manga should be judged separately, but one can't escape the thought of comparing those two. So I would certainly suggest that you should read both this and the novel. It's up to you if you want to start with the adaptation of the original, though I'd say that reading the novel first and the manga shortly after while your memory is still fresh would be the best to enjoy both of those works to the fullest. You should also check out the manga by Furuya Usamaru which is yet another interesting take on this story.

And finally, some notes about the official English release. I really liked how Viz used the English release of the novel as a reference point, so the feel is so similar and frequently the exact same phrases appear, helping the transition from novel to a comic. The English cover is also very aesthetic and overall feels good, so if you can, you should definitely get the omnibus release.

Junji Ito isn't a great writer. He's excellent at monster design, and drawing strange, gross creatures and gore, but his characters are often flat, boring, and interchangeable. They're just a means to an end, a literary device, a blank slate for the reader to relate to. Their only purpose is to get spooked by the strange, gross creatures Ito is obviously far more interested in.

No Longer Human is an excellent, character driven novel about one man's decent into decadence. Its horror (if you can even call it that) is internalized. A man slowly self-destructs due to addiction, mental illness, and his own nihilism. It's a ... work of great subtlety and beauty.

Junji Ito's No Longer Human tells a very similar tale, but with many changes that drain the story of both its meaning and nuance. It is externalized horror, because that is all Junji Ito can do. The chapters are episodic, and usually end in a blood bath. I'd estimate that 9 out of 10 indistinct, interchangeable women we meet in this book die horribly within 2 chapters of their introduction. Our drug addled, alcoholic, socially awkward main character is so handsome that he drives every woman (and even some men) he meets to suicide. Yup, it's Tomie all over again.

Why? Why is Ito jumping on the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies band wagon years after that was a thing? Why take a novel about a very personal breakdown and turn it into a manga about...I don't even know. Scary suicide corpses?

In short, Ito sucks at character work, and No Longer Human is a character study. He tries his damnedest to mold it into something scary, but instead we're left with Ito's least imaginative art, and a shallow husk of a story. It's like those old, "spooky" covers Marilyn Manson used to do, classic songs turned into something you might listen to on Halloween for a laugh.

If there is anything that you take away from this review, let it be this: never EVER buy Junji Ito hardback manga, let alone his utterly disappointing adaptation of Osamu Dazai's phenomenal 'No Longer Human.'

Unless you enjoy looking at sex scenes every 20 pages or so, there is no reason to actually buy the damn thing. The art is by far one of Ito's least impressive, the story just uses shock value for the sake of drama, the characters are ridiculously boring and you'll soon forget who is who. Instead, read it online. Try to pirate it because that's the only way you'll get ... your money's worth.

Though, I do admit, the hardcover does work rather well for a saucer. That is when you take off the paper cover.

Actually, let's talk about this. What the fuck is up with the paper cover on 'No Longer Human?' It's so fucking annoying. Every time I want to read the manga I have to take it off because it just feels horrible to hold and just begging to be ripped. I get it, I get it. The cover is a facade, sure. It's symbolic of the protagonist's face that he shows to the world, and the massive fucking hole cut into it which shows a picture of two ghosts is actually his inner, deep psyche. Sure, sure, it's a representation of Jungian persona, sure. But come on! It's the most annoying shit ever. Who the fuck thought this was a good idea?

And the hard cover? Oh for the love of god please don't get me started on the hard cover. The texture is utterly horrendous and it feels like I'm touching a laminated piece of paper, except it's 10x thicker.

And what about the pages? Aside from the fact that they smell like shit, it's actually not that bad. The quality of the paper is far more impressive than the usual ones you get, probably because you have to pay around 50 FUCKING DOLLAARS

FUCK YOU ITO
ILL NEVER BUY A MANGA FROM YOU AGAIN