Ranked #3767

Abandon the Old in Tokyo (Manga)

Abandon the Old Tokyo is a one volume manga by Yoshihiro Tastsumi is a manga consisting a few short stories,each of it has a message to all of us.

Story: The brilliance of the manga is that the mangaka had no fear and showed the "other" side of our lives.He is showing to all of us what the human mind and soul looks like and showed it to us brilliantly.He shows us the live of different kind of people,with different opinions,lives,thoughts and different positions in the society.When you start a new story everything seems like it's a normal everyday kind of thing,but there we can see Tastsumi's ability,from a thing you see every day around you he shows you that even when you are looking at something doesn't matter what you are missing a lot of things that are happening to the object you are looking at.He shows that at times the life is really cruel to people and even the brightest people around us could really have a harsh life,despite all their hard work or talents.It shows that despite that we are the most intelligent beings in this world there are times that we are very weak and couldn't do anything and we are feeling empty.

Characters: The characters are of people that we meet everyday even to our way to work.You wouldn't remember them like in real life when you go past a person you would only see him for a second,but that person could really need you help,may be the happiest person in the world or a person who is in depression and wants to put a end to his life.The mangaka shows us what happens to a part of the people we meet out there and we don't know.

Enjoyment: I say that I really like this kind of manga.It shows the life the way it is.It's not trying to show that all the people in the world are beautiful and surrounded by a harem.It shows the cruelty of everyday we live.Sometimes it can make you laugh sometimes it can make you laugh,they could put a smile on your face or make you wonder for hours why is he reacting like that to what happened to him.

Overall I think that you should give a chance to the manga.The mangaka is one of the people that changed the future of manga in a one or another way.I think that you should really see Yoshihiro Tastsumi's works he influenced a lot of the modern mangakas. read more

A collection of one-shot short stories by one of the undisputed masters of the form, this is a very gritty and frequently grim manga, but one that holds a lot of value.

Story: The stories revolve around blank and weak narrators facing the bleak circumstances of their lives however they can. A lot of material is covered here, poverty, abandonment, bestiality, isolation, and this manga deals with a lot of themes not often seen in the form. It's a very dark read, certainly, but one that we can take a lot away from. The stories are very tightly plotted and cut straight to the point, but if you're easily offended it might be better to stay away.

Art: The art is phenomenal and completely unique. The oppressive atmosphere that comes with poverty and need is captured perfectly, intricately detailed but still retaining a pleasant cartoon feel. The most disgusting and bestial acts are covered in this manga and the art contributes very well to the feeling of unease already being evoked.

Character: The protaganists of these stories are sympathetic, mostly because they live day-to-day in horrible and pitiful situations, and the stories rarely end well, with the main characters giving into their base urges and being ruined for it. They aren't noble characters but they're certainly relatable and their pointless struggles against a society that rejects them will appeal to most readers.

Overall: This is a unique collection of short stories with tremendous emotional impact. There is much to be gleaned here, about ourselves and society, and at just one volume there's really no excuse not to read it. read more