Jul 20, 2020
First review on here. well this is a title I came across on a whim and fell absolutely in love with. Shinzou Keigo is an unbelievably talented, creatively powerful and artistically gifted mangaka who's work has such a high level of consistency and clarity over what it wants to talk about which he executes superbly. That I find it difficult to believe someone like this has an underground status. Nora to zassou, or "the stray and the weeds", as a currently running series published in the morning two magazine proves itself as equally worthy of the praise his previous works have recieved.
What you have to
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take in consideration is that this is not a light hearted series, in fact i'd like to put a 'handle with care' label on this title given that the subject matter this series deals with ranges from real life tragedies and traumatic events to genuinely morally questionable situations that on a first look may actually give off the impression that this comes from the mind of an exceptionally vile porn author. In this case our hypothetical box of glass isn't tossed around by your run off the mill deliveryman but rather by a responsible adult who recognizes the gravity of the situation.
Nora to zassou potrays a crude reality about underage prostitution and the inexcusable injustices that the victims of these businesses go through, and how to the core the systems put in place to protect these individuals not only continuously fail them, but force them into similarly disadvantageous conditions with no way for anyone to intervene.
The story of Umino Shiori, one such victim is taken to such an extreme that it forces you to sympathise with the absolute most precarious condition someone like her could find themselves in, I seriously can't understate how vile yet realistic of an idea this is.
Yamada Hajime is also a fascinating character, one who's morality is constantly and brilliantly tested by Shiori's misguided antics, he serves as a sort of avatar for the reader, who shows the ridiculous lengths one has to be pushed to before they can make a stand against injustice and be the difference, however insignificant or disfunctional that change may be to other people's lives.
Lets look at the linework of this title. My god is the illustration incredibly well done, everything from composition, the varying levels in detail, it has a clear academic understanding of anatomy and realism mixed with a captivating retro-ish artstyle that for me personally, leaves nothing to be desired. All of the panels and pages are taken to their full advantage, its a commendable degree of substance and effort that brings images provocative enough to match its script.
Unfortunately, the author was hospitalized earlier this year which has left this series with a suspenseful and inconclusive halt, so not only do I heavily, without a shadow of a doubt recommend you to have a look at what this manga has to offer, I would also like to ask you to at least consider supporting the author in any way that is available, be it financially or otherwise.
It might seem a little wrong to give an unfinished work a 10/10 score. As it is in its current state I genuinely could not be more satisfied with these 2 volumes, Shinzo Keigo is a freaking master of his craft and deserves much more than what some numeric score will ever give him.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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