Ranked #2489

Himizu (Manga)

"Wouldn't it be awful if all dreams came true? If all 15,000 eggs that came from one crab hatched. Wouldn't that be awful? The world would be full of crabs!". This is Himizu. The darkest, most depressing comedic manga there ever was, and probably ever will be.

STORY: 9/10
The story is brilliantly simple. We follow Sumida, a 3rd year middle schooler, who's only goal in life is to be as normal as possible. That's easier said than done. Sumida is constantly put into situations that are anything but normal. And how he reacts to these situations makes Himizu one of the best manga I've ever read. Sumida's thought process is as hilarious as it is depressing as it is interesting. Not to mention the other characters' unique ways of thinking. For in Himizu the characters steal the show. You won't so much care what's going on as long as you know what the characters are thinking while its happening.

ART: 9/10
The art matches the manga perfectly. The characters have small (Japanese looking) eyes, defined noses, and large lips perfect for making exaggerated expressions. It isn't uncommon for a character's mouth to grow three times it's normal size if he's trying to prove a point. But don't let that fool you. The art is about as well drawn as it gets. And while the backgrounds are far from ugly, just like the story, the characters are the focal point of the art. Each character is drawn uniquely, and it may just be my personal opinion but each character is drawn ugly as well. No characters in this manga even faintly resemble anything bishonen. They are ugly, just like the humanity they are portraying.

CHARACTER: 10/10
Ah, the legendary characters of Himizu. Each character adds another depressing thought (or several) to the collective data bank of negativity which is Himizu. We have Sumida, the speaker of that oh so joyful quote at the beginning of this review. Then there's the aspiring mangaka who is the recipient of that oh so joyful quote. Sumida's best friend, Shozo, who wants nothing else in life but suffocating amounts of money. Each one is beautifully unique in personality, and not just the shounen way (All characters have ONE quirk. They're individuals!), but in a real way. They disagree, argue, beat each other up, etc. They're humans. Dark humans, yes, but humans none the less.

ENJOYMENT: 9/10
I read those two volumes like lightning, and it left me wanting more. Why haven't I read the last two volumes you ask? Because it hasn't been released in America, and the scanlation group dropped the project. It makes me furious! But anger aside, this is a must read for anyone even remotely interested in psychological manga. I'm leaning towards a 10, but without the second half of this manga I don't want to jump to conclusions. So right now I'll give enjoyment a 9.

OVERALL: 9/10
Whenever a scanlation group starts scanning Himizu again I'll read it in a second, and update the overall score. But right now I'll give this a 9. People seriously need to read this. read more