Kokou no Hito
The Climber

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The saying ‘’A picture paints a thousand words’’ is truly exemplified by this manga. While the amount of dialogue in-series isn’t exactly low, the main character speaks rarely throughout the whole manga; yet that is its biggest feat. While manga, like anime, is a visual medium, most works don't utilize their visuals to full extent, only going as far as to present scenarios in a very bare-bones and basic manner. That's where Kokou no Hito shines, as it manages to tell the story solely through its astonishingly utilized visuals - be it the visualization of psychological struggle or metaphorical imagery that adds a symbolic layer ... to the scenarios that our protagonist faces.

I think it should first be mentioned that expecting a traditional sports manga when going into it is a mistake; the series is more akin to titles like Ping Pong, where the actual sport takes a backseat to the exploration of the cast. Yet Kokou no Hito is different in a way, since the whole manga focuses on Mori Buntarou’s mentality, and his alone. Our protagonist is shy by nature, and soon after transferring schools, he gets into mountain climbing - this is a rather traditional setup, but that’s not all there is to it.

Initially, Sakamoto Shinichi was responsible for the artwork whereas Yoshiro Nabeda was responsible for the writing - a fairly common constellation for serializations; but due to, at least to me, unknown circumstances, Yoshiro Nabeda left the project after volume 3, and Sakamoto Shinichi was now not only the illustrator, but the author as well. I believe this worked to the series’ benefit - the first two volumes were rather clichéd in their structure, but once Sakamoto Shinichi took over the writing, the series evolved; turning over from a traditional sports series to an atmospheric, introspective character study.

That’s where the visuals get important - while in most cases, characterization is done through dialogue and actions, Kokou no Hito does it through the art; since Mori fails to talk back to people due to his shyness, and is reluctant to talk in general, his personality and mindset are brought forward solely by metaphors. Instead of just blandly showing us his inability to reply, his thought process is visualized; to provide an example, in an instance where a character stubbornly demands Mori’s keys, Mori fails to deny the request and simply stands there, awestruck - yet what is actually shown to us is Mori pointing a remote at her trying to metaphorically “turn her off”, followed by him sitting on the floor writing possible replies on notes. This impressively conveys his struggle to find the right words and him wanting to escape the situation. And yet Mori, in reality, just stands there doing nothing. This was just one of numerous examples, and the series truly makes successful use of this technique. Kokou no Hito also utilizes its art to create a fitting atmosphere - be it landscape shots from the mountain-top to create a sense of irrelevance and scale or small moments like Mori breathing in fresh air and simply feeling alive. Although it is perfectly utilized, the atmosphere creates an issue within the series - since the writer changes, the tone of the series alternates rather abruptly; this causes the transition from volume 3 to 4 to be rather jarring, and can break the built up immersion in the previous volumes, although I personally am able to overlook that since once you get used to the new direction it takes, it becomes a way more captivating series.

The change in author also caused several subplots to be scrapped, and some characters that were planned to be relevant later on were treated very poorly by the plot; this feels especially odd considering the level of insight the series gives Mori and its thematic exploration, creating a stark contrast between the very well crafted and almost amateurishly written sides of the series. That does not mean the series goes downhill though, as it manages to create several compelling subplots and exciting twists - since this series is about mountain climbing, an inherently dangerous activity, there are bound to be fatalities, and the way the series portrays the cruel apathy of nature is truly chilling; people die on several occasions throughout the series, yet those deaths are not dramatized in the slightest, rather, they are presented to be natural events, which makes those moments even more haunting and depressing. This ties really well into the series’ theme of human irrelevance to nature, how small and meaningless we are in the grand scheme of things. The manga addresses this in an intriguing way, presenting the mountain and the act of climbing as both a strenuous and demanding, yet desirable and fulfilling thing; throughout his journey Mori faces many challenges and cruelties in the mountains, yet he never backs down, always chasing one peak after another - he doesn’t have any concrete reason, the only thing he knows is that it gives him a sense of liberty, being isolated from the humans he does not get along with.

The aforementioned ties profoundly into the series’ symbolism, most notably the meaning of the mountain and the rope. Whereas the mountain’s symbolic meaning is vague, the rope’s is pretty simple and straightforward - human connection. Once you link ropes with a climbing partner, your life lies in their hands and theirs in yours. If one falls, both die; severing the rope means severing your connection to another human, and that theme is poignantly presented in Kokou no Hito. The mountain’s meaning deserves more focus than I can give in this review.

A big criticism this series often receives is the underwhelming sidecast, especially in comparison to the phenomenally characterized protagonist; while this criticism isn’t necessarily wrong, I feel like it’s missing the point of Kokou no Hito - it’s an autobiographical work through and through, detailing the life journey of Mori Buntarou, so I do not see why a sidecast with more focus is necessary. I agree though that a few characters could have been handled with more care, especially Yumi and Miyamoto. What is often forgotten is that Kokou no Hito did have a few side characters that, while only having a short appearance in the series, were handled in an absolutely brilliant way, perfectly showcasing what the series can achieve in terms of atmosphere and thematic exploration.

Another aspect I want to address is the conclusion - Kokou no Hito has probably the most impressive final act I have witnessed in media; the narrative shifts completely, switching between the last climb and the memories and thoughts of our protagonist, giving it a very unchronological and confusing feel. Indeed, many people need a reread of the last two volumes to fully grasp what's presented, but this makes for one of the most absorbing and cathartic conclusions I have seen, being simultaneously inspirational and cathartic.

Yes, this series is flawed, but I truly believe that its positives more than overweigh its shortcomings; it’s insightful on a very personal level, detailing the life of a fully fleshed out and explored protagonist, while presenting themes that are relevant to all of us. Kokou no Hito is a journey, for the protagonist and the reader alike, and it’s a journey I would love to embark on time and time again. It fully absorbs you into the mountains, making your crave for fulfillment yourself, and that is the greatest feat a work of art can achieve.

Recommendations:
-Oyasumi Punpun for capturing the same emotional beats
-Neon Genesis Evangelion for an anime that is similarly structured in narrative and has a strikingly similar protagonist
-Ping Pong for another psychological/sports series that conveys similar thematics

Its a sort of coming of age story, that is to say, we watch as this young aimless boy becomes a man through the many trials and tribulations he faces, through the mountains he climbs and the people he meets. From the inception he is ostracized from those around him (largely by his own accord) who has no clear goals in life. As fate would have it, he is bullied into climbing, and in turn he develops a deep love for it. Death, betrayal, disloyalty and sacrifice follow Mori on his passage to adulthood and Kokou no Hito is able to present the harsh ... realities of life. Suffice it to say, this is far from a heartwarming story, at every turn in Mori Buntarou's life he meets adversity and every interaction with those around him acts as character defining moments which are often not for better but for worse.

This isn't simply a story about mountain climbing, which seems to be a common criticism. While largely prevalent, climbing acts as a means of escape for Mori. Atop these mountain peaks Mori is finally able to escape society and reality as each climb not only acts as a physical crucible, but a psychological one. All of which slowly, yet inevitably, leads to the maturation and growth of Mori who by the end of the series has taken a complete 180 out of his introvert shell. In the end Mori no longer climbs to escape reality because he has come to terms with it, because there is now something not on the peak, but on the ground waiting and calling for him.

At heart, Kokou no Hito is an intricate story that exhumes a very realistic setting. Despite being on the extreme side of this scale, there should not be a single point in this story where one could consider something unrealistic or unfeasible. The painstaking amount of detail the mangaka - Sakamoto Shinichi - puts into this story guarantees this. From mountain climbing to the characters on the ground, Kokou no Hito delivers a very realistic and detailed notion of the harsh realities of life. The romantic side of the narrative beautifully juxtaposes this harsh world. Instead of retreating to the top of mountains, relying on mountains for a brief reprieve, he is able to find a place on the ground to belong. The detail Sakamoto puts into Kokou no Hito can be seen in every chapter. Despite the story having jumps in its time frame, everything is explained meticulously. Mori is shown at work and his work-life is explained continuously, all of which is an attempt for Mori to save money to climb the mountains he loves. Not only this, but the detail in describing the many mountain climbing techniques and limitations gives even the ignorant reader - such as myself - a base of knowledge and understanding as to why and how everything happens. These are only small examples of the detail Sakamoto puts into the entire series.

Similarly, the art is truly majestic, which is very important in a series like this. The detail put into every aspect of the manga's art is a sight to behold. Whether it's the double page art spreads of the beautiful mountains or the characters themselves, every aspect of the art is detailed and unique offering a very easy way to immerse the reader in the story. The biggest aspect being the arts realism which compliments the fact that this is a realistic narrative. Characters are drawn perfectly, they are not ripped behemoths nor are they weak boys, they are drawn realistically and they are, for the most part average yet unique. No two characters look the same. Similarly, the climbing utensils and equipment all look realistic. Of course, the mountains and weather are no exception. Mountains are drawn to perfection with excruciating detail and the snowy biomes and weather are masterfully drawn. Kokou no Hito has some of the most beautiful and detailed art in any manga I have read.

As previously mentioned, this is a coming of age story and as such a very large emphasis in regards to characters resides with Mori Buntarou himself. He is a character with phenomenal depth, development and backstory. For the most part, this provides us with sense and reason to every action Mori makes. We understand why Mori is socially withdrawn, we learn why he wants to climb and we understand why he begins to open up as the narrative progresses. Many characters inevitably die, in either a literal or metaphorical sense. That is to say, while some characters simply die others die in the sense that what they believed in and what they aspired to do has died and they are no longer what they once were. Regardless of how characters die, it presents us with a very realistic approach. These deaths end up being tests of Mori's strength and resolve. By the end of the manga it is beautiful to see how far Mori developed, which is really what the series is about. While the main focus resides on Mori, other characters are developed for better and for worse. As mentioned, some of these characters meet a literal or metaphorical death. It's understandable how they can be criticized but regardless of how they develop, their outcomes and actions are equally realistic despite being on the darker side of realism. While they are used to develop Mori they are more than that, often reaching tragic outcomes these characters represent what happens in life without the resolve to do what they dreamed to do.

Ultimately, Kokou no Hito is not your typical sports manga. It is a dark story about growth and maturation. It is a story with its emotional ups and downs which are both juxtaposed beautifully. It is important to note that the manga does not glorify any actions or outcomes within the series, it illustrates a painfully realistic scenario where life is full of consequence and hardship. It is a story that shows while dreams can be achieved, a herculean resolve is often required and even still there is a price to pay. However, that isn't to say there's no light at the end of the tunnel. But above all else, it is a story that isn't simply about mountain climbing, knowledge and passion of climbing is not a requirement to appreciate this manga.

Thanks for taking the time to read.

Yeah, it's sad. I found it to be really boring, i didn't managed to like one single character, i find all the choices the main character does stupid... it would be a 3/10 for me if it wasn't for the maestry of technical things Sakamoto - the mangaka, which i've read Innocent before, other of his works - did on Kokou no Hito. It is so beautiful, it has so many experimental things like characters getting crazy in the middle of the cold and their speech getting inverted in the speech balloons, the scene where Mori sees the dawn and there's an orchestra going on ... and the symbolism is really cool, the artwork is fantastic, that one chapter where he recommends us to read it while listening to Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" its pretty cool too. His paneling work is amazing too. So for technical reasons i gave it a 7/10 on MyAnimeList, thought it would only be fair even if i didn't like the story or had any fun.

I think Sakamoto could do a big hit doing a collab with someone that can write better than him, and maybe a more lighthearted story. I mean, in the whole Kokou no Hito there's only one scene i've cracked a smile that is when Mori, our main character, gets out of the hospital and a little girl drops a flower and he gives back to her. This was literally the only scene where i felt empathy for Mori because he only do the worst possible decisions, it is astonishing even.

I'm well aware the work wasn't obligated to make me have fun, i watched Parasite (the korean movie that was the first foreigner movie to get Best Movie Of The Year by the Oscar Academy) and didn't have any fun, the atmosphere was heavy, it wasn't a movie made for you to have fun, and i get this. I think Kokou no Hit was probably made with the same intent. The problem is that in Parasite i could understand the characters, whereas the choices Mori did were simply forced so the story could end on a bad note because it is a seinen so it must end in a heavy way. Also Parasite was a movie, Kokou no Hito was a whole 100+ chapter manga. Mori does so many mistakes and simply doesn't learn with them. Also every single side character was forgettable and stereotypical seinen characters that do something bad and that's it, some even might try to redeem themselves but i really didn't liked it.

Sakamoto is probably one of the greatest mangakas we have as right now, he is amazing drawing, but a very uncompelling writer in my humble opinion. I hope he finds his way with a good writer someday.

That's just my opinion, i respect you if you think Kokou no Hito it's a 10/10 and think it is a masterpiece. It just didn't clicked with me and i don't recommend it to anyone besides those who want to see Sakamoto's amazing technical prowess at being a mangaka.