Helter Skelter
Helter Skelter: Fashion Unfriendly

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It’s not a surprise that Inio Asano (the acclaimed creator of works like "Oyasumi Punpun") cited Okazaki Kyoko as a heavy influence. For those unfamiliar with either Okazaki or Asano, both are revolutionaries within the medium. Their hard-hitting realism driven by “a need for truth” regardless of how bitter, and laced with explorative psychological power has shook and captivated the world with every frame. Both are truly masters of portraying various facets of the human condition and the world that shapes it. From that familiar cut comes Okazaki’s short but powerfully evocative piece titled ”Helter Skelter”.

The manga follows a high-fashion model named Liliko who is ... something of a Frankensteinian creation; the “final” product of repeated surgical transplants, stitched together by artificial fluff. Nothing about her is real. The world she lives in is artificial so why shouldn’t she be? What could possibly be wrong with being a legitimate product demanded by one’s environment? Okazaki answers these questions in the most literal, grotesque way possible while revealing something essential. Through Liliko’s descent into a sure form of madness, where she is mentally and physically falling apart, Okazaki speaks certain realities about her condition (and *perhaps* ours). Being at the rise of Japan’s fashion/modeling scene, Liliko flourishes as a top candidate but in order to please her position and her fans, she must struggle voraciously. She must eradicate herself on the inside and outside, and in the process, lose the little bit of identity she so dearly tries to hold on to. In effect, the story is one about inevitable self-destruction; it’s so heavily apparent, it seems almost fatalistic.

“Helter Skelter” isn’t really about showing a demanding and spiritually-exhausting industry, but about the horrors of losing face (literally) at superficial whim, while emphasizing the need to retain individualistic spirit, especially of one’s true self. Identity is eternally important and key here. Japanese creators and artists of all kind have struggled with this topic as a product of their ever-changing collective society and are constantly attempting to resign to individualism and self-expression, and this is the primary undercurrent of ”Helter Skelter”. Liliko is both a visual and physical lie, and her face isn’t hers, but of the many that find themselves faced with the kind of internal erosion Liliko does. It is a huge understatement and a disservice to this manga to reduce it to some generic commentary about how horrible the fashion industry is or whatever. It is so much more. It’s one of the most brutally honest pieces I’ve read within the medium that is able to combine so many intense themes into one heart-wrenching narrative. And this shines brilliantly through the story’s main character Liliko.

It seems that Okazaki must be some sort of human-istic genius that she’s able to create such a contrasting, and unfounded character like Liliko who is both a woman of shame (and artifice) and a symbol of empowerment, as diluted and wrong as the latter may seem – she is, undoubtedly. Her perpetual acts of self-destruction are probably the only things real about her and the only times she experiences real joy (even if they seem illusive to us). The graphic, cold sexual acts, the remarkable lust for attention, the revolting deeds brought on by jealousy all make her seem incredibly villainous from the eyes of society, and for moments, to the reader. Yet, something real continues to beat under all that vindictiveness that keeps Liliko in the heart of the reader’s sympathy. Perhaps, it is the sharp fatalism, or perhaps something more. A woman like her can never be destined for happiness; it is impossible, but through her decadence, her vile nature, and her trapped personality that everyone around her tries so hard to destroy, a woman exists that fights viciously - even if subconsciously and in vain - to live for herself; the way she wants.

And nothing accentuates the impact of this narrative more than the art.

Okazaki’s art in “Helter Skelter” is spot-on. It’s sketched with little regard for beauty – each line portraying the inner distress of the work’s essence. It’s messy at points, overtly simplistic, and wildly raw – and that’s precisely why it works. That which is beautiful is often deceptive, and there is no deception in Okazaki’s art. Those wishing to revel in decorous, sparkling art will not find it here, and it’s actually a little silly to read criticisms demanding that. The entire point of this work is to avoid that. Okazaki aimed to focus on the ugly side of “beautiful”, to present the concept as an insanely real phenomenon that is destructive, revolting, and evocative. Her art achieves just that. There is absolutely no merit in beautifying that which is not and was never supposed to be. Her art remained true to the intentions and ambitions of her work and I found it absolutely fitting considering the subject matter and tone of this work.

A last point of interest that must be addressed relates to one of the genres that this manga falls under: Horror. Think back on what the horror genre entails. As a general rule, it must invoke some degree of fear. Now most horror works focus on monsters, the supernatural, or various external entities that gridlock the characters of the story, and by extension, the consumer into an impasse blocked by some scary or fear-inducing phenomenon. Most successful horror is able to do that because it forces the viewer to speculate the possibility of it translating into reality or at least by producing a shock-value effect that just genuinely disturbs the mind. Now, “Helter Skelter” isn’t standard horror, but it is very appropriately placed into horror for the very fact that it induces a kind of visceral fear that may be guising itself as discomfort or disgust, but it is fear nonetheless. Imagine: when the monster moves inside your head, into the very cranium of your being, and unleashes its destruction from within, the psychological toll and weight it brings can be nothing but devastating. Consider it a possession of sorts, but not by a supernatural entity or some biblical demon, but one that has long existed within you. That is why Liliko is terrifying. That is why “Helter Skelter” is terrifying. It is real and you can feel it in your bones.

This is truly a fantastic work. I stumbled upon it on whim and was introduced to a world of chaos, which was morbid and real. Okazaki deserves all the acclaim she gets, and really leaves no room for surprise that one of the greatest mangaka of our generation has cited her as a sole point of influence. For being a short in length, only nine-chapters, what this narrative manages to bring forth is nothing short of amazing. Overall, “Helter Skelter” is a disturbingly eclectic manga suited for those who yearn for mature works not just geared towards “women-issues”, but ones that paint grander sentiments about society, identity, and the duality that exists between both.

Very enjoyable manga. The art is beautiful and simple, mimicking the "controlled blocks of black and expressive linework" that fashion artist like Rene Gauru are known for. The story isn't as preachy as other stories that try to tackle the artificiality of the celebrity lifestyle and address the matter tastefully, which I appreciated; was like a breathe of fresh air. My only criticism of the story is that the characters fell flat. Characters, including our protagonist, who should have had some significant character development by the end of the story, remained static.

Other than that, lovely. Appropriately labeled "Avante-garde", appealed to the fashion student that ... I am.

Ok, I can appreciate what this manga tried to be and the questions it tried to raise. There are some really important subjects in play here: suicide, rape, what the beauty industry can do to one's mind, to name a few.

That's the only reason why I don't give this a lower rating. Because everything else is just... terrible. Part of me thinks that it's terrible on purpose, but even so, I couldn't bring myself to enjoy this story.

Helter Skelter follows Ririko's story (more closely than any of the other characters), she's an actress/model/celebrity and also a reeeeeal bitch. You can't feel sympathy for her, not ... even when the mangaka throws in some sad moments. Like we're supposed to go "oh, poor rich and privileged white girl :( She's a bitch because of the circumstances! That totally justifies the shitty way she treats other people!"

Uhm... no. I could feel a bit of sympathy for her if she wasn't a bitch ALL THE TIME. If it was just a few moments but most of the time (or at least half of the time) she was a decent person. But that's not the case, Ririko makes sure to constantly be rude and a pain in the ass of everyone she meets (most importantly, her employees).

[MILD SPOILER WARNING] She even goes far as to RAPE her P.A, TWICE. Actually, it's implied to happen more than twice, but it is explicitly shown to us two times. [/END OF SPOILER]

She's abusive physically and mentally/emotionally, and just... such a toxic person. There is no way you could root for her happiness.

When the story isn't focusing on her being a horrible person, it focuses on this half-assed mystery involving a beauty clinic. This had the potential to be the best and most interesting part of the manga, but I can't decide which is worse: this or Ririko's pov.

And while I wasn't expecting a happy ending (Ririko certainly doesn't deserve one), instead we got an open ending that does nothing for us. It doesn't explain anything, it just leaves us confused. For me specifically, it just made me feel relieved that it was finally over, I didn't even question it lol

Last but not least: the art. I realize that this part of the review is subjective, but really, google a page from this manga. Do it, I dare you. Preferably one that shows Ririko or any other character. See what I mean?

I guess the irony is that Ririko is supposed to be the most beautiful human being on Earth, but the mangaka's art style is ugly. But to be completely honest, the art didn't help me like this not one bit. I could overlook this point and still give it a good rating if I liked the story despite that, but sadly, this was just another one of the reasons why I didn't.

Recently the live action movie based on this manga came out. I haven't watched it yet, but maybe that is more enjoyable than this? They got a beautiful woman to play Ririko and I won't have to endure this ugly art style, so that's already a plus lol