Inuyashiki

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"Inuyashiki" is a science-fiction manhwa series written and illustrated by Hiroya Oku. The story revolves around two men - a middle-aged salaryman named Ichiro Inuyashiki and a high school student named Hiro Shishigami - who both gain extraordinary abilities after being caught in a strange explosion.

One of the biggest strengths of "Inuyashiki" is its exploration of complex themes such as morality, humanity, and the consequences of power. The series raises thought-provoking questions about what it means to be human and how our actions can have ripple effects on those around us. The characters are complex and well-developed, with nuanced motivations that make them feel like ... real people.

The artwork in "Inuyashiki" is also noteworthy. The character designs are highly detailed and expressive, with the series' unique sci-fi elements brought to life through intricate depictions of technology and otherworldly landscapes. The action scenes are dynamic and thrilling, making it easy to become engrossed in the battles between Inuyashiki and Shishigami.

Another strength of "Inuyashiki" is its use of pacing and storytelling. The series does an excellent job of slowly building tension and developing the characters, with each chapter adding new layers of depth to the story. The emotional payoff is also significant, with moments of intense drama and heart-wrenching tragedy that will leave readers invested in the characters' fates.

However, one potential downside of "Inuyashiki" is its graphic violence and mature themes. The series deals with heavy subject matter, including murder, suicide, and abuse, which may not be suitable for all readers.

Overall, "Inuyashiki" is a must-read for fans of science-fiction and psychological drama. Its thought-provoking exploration of complex themes, excellent artwork, and compelling storytelling make it a standout in the genre, and its emotional impact will stay with readers long after the final page.

Inuyashiki is just so... bland. The premise is interesting, but that's about it.
Characters are alright: the two main ones are fairly multifaceted and engaging, but not enough to provide any interesting moral struggles or to clash with each other in ways that aren't extremely unsurprising, while the supporting cast exists only to be narrative devices whose job is to highlight the main characters, and they do that job efficiently.
The story goes exactly like you'd expect after reading the premise, down to the ending. This linearity isn't necessarily a bad thing, since there are still many interesting fun scenarios that are cool to witness, but not ... much else. Nothing that happens is incredible or never seen before, just like there are no particularly interesting psychological developments.
The art of Hiroya Oku, just like in Gantz, is perfectly functional. The action scenes are perfectly clear and efficiently convey everything that's happening, but they lack an artistic personality due to Oku's overly realistic style, which feels quite cold and lifeless.
Inuyashiki is just that: nothing exceptionally good but nothing exceptionally bad either. The epytome of mediocrity.

Hiroya Oku's follow-up to Gantz continues his exploration of nihilism in a hyper-real Japan, with an enticing premise and promising protagonist. There's not enough older folk utilised as main characters in manga, and Oku relishes the chance to shove Mr Inuyashiki into excruciating scenarios and to pull him out in cathartic fashion. He's joined by a malevolent antagonist who has a heavy presence all throughout the tale.

Which is a problem. But more about that later. Let me get some positives out of the way.

Oku really nails the banal cruelty of internet comments that you see everywhere online, from 2chan to reddit to MAL itself. We ... saw this in Gantz, and he continues his skewering of 21st century online discourse to entertaining effect here.

I sometimes see people complain about the backgrounds in his manga, because they seem traced, but the realistic backgrounds serve to immerse you in the story that feels very familiar, despite all the outrageous shit going on. When the antagonist of this story goes on a killing spree, it's all the more horrific to witness when it's set against mundane realistic backgrounds.

The antagonist is so menacing, so obscene in his nonchalant method of dealing death to everyone around him, that Oku himself becomes mesmerised by him, sacrificing the protagonist of his own story. Mr Inuyashiki is relegated to the background at a certain point and becomes super passive, even disappearing entirely from the narrative.

Oku establishes some rules to how technology works in this story, how Mr Inuyashiki can hear people in trouble. And yet, during one of the many shocking massacres in the story, for some baffling reason, Oku decides not to include the protagonist in the ensuing sequence. There is no in-universe reason for why our elderly protagonist would not have heard the cries of dozens of people being shot to death, and rushed to do something about it. But for whatever reason, Mr Inuyashiki is not involved at all.

Mr Inuyashiki himself is sorely missing for a substantial portion of this manga and it's infuriating.

So much mayhem happens, so much misery, and the entire time you'll be wanting to scream at the manga "where the hell is the protagonist?". The antagonist is so fascinating, it makes you wonder if Oku should have made the entire story about him to begin with. To have a tale about an antihero, like Light Yagami, up against the world, to see his rise and fall.

Anyway, at some point Oku remembers his protagonist and gets him involved again, but his passivity never really goes away, he has to be pushed by exterior circumstances or people in order to do anything remotely meaningful. The last half of the manga is disaster porn, populated by useless characters doing nonsensical things within repetitive and inefficient panels. It's like Oku forgot how to be a mangaka.

The climax of the story is also insulting and without coherent thematic meaning.

Inuyashiki is unfortunately a narrative failure and a disappointing follow-up to Oku's magnum opus Gantz.