Aug 18, 2020
This manga, is odd, and in the same time, not really. It does explain the simple and frankly speaking, boring and mundane life of a worker and his long travel times to his workplace, by using the subway. We do often hear one clichéd phrase, that we must always try to look and find some colors in our lives, for something that brightens our mood and makes our experience as vibrant as possible. This manga does take this saying as it's main and single goal, and it displays it from the perspective of the author himself, who is also main character in the
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manga, which is extremely refreshing.
I really enjoyed how the author explained his thought processes while presenting the main character, and I do think the other characters in overall are quite relatable, probably due to the fact that they are based of a real people, most likely. I was genuinely engaged with the main character and his humble and simple depiction of his daily routine, since it can get you thinking about your own as well.
To address the elephant in the room, the art looks nothing like you'd imagine you can find in a manga - it's shoddy, non-linear, disproportionate, messy and confusing. Compared to the current manga standards and it's refined quality and superb character design, the one here looks laughable. But does this manga manages to surpass it's limits and to deliver a personal, thought provoking and entertaining read ? Absolutely. The odd shapes, the dreamlike forms and visions, the almost psychedelic color palette can totally give off the feeling of state, too odd from the ordinary, and the norm.I find it admirable, that considering the author never had experience in making manga, he wanted to create one and this is the result, as a gesture of creative need and pure passion.
Characters, as everything else, are visually strange and you can't very well comprehend what they do or what their goal is, they genuinely feel like you see snippets of someone's personality, but you can't string on a coherent picture of their real selves. For the purposes of this manga, this is more than enough, and it does convey the way we feel towards some encounters in our current lives as well.
I personally think this manga is something special, and it's sole existence is worth of praise. In a narrative sense, the story is very simple, but the author's strange and complex visual presentations does adds up that you're reliving someone's memories and experiencing someone's
thoughts and motives on a very personal level. I think this amateurish, extremely individualistic and expressive approach of the author is extremely refreshing and inspirational, you don't have to be renowned master in the manga industry to tell an interesting story which can be appreciated by someone. You can just be honest and sincere, and do a short manga about your mundane life, sprinkled with your own daily thoughts and worries, and this could be entertaining read for some.
Overally I don't this manga is for everyone, and I don't think everyone could see it's merits. If you are looking for casual reads, with plot, action, drama, or a coherent story, you won't enjoy this. If you've had your fair share of these, and you're looking into the artistic and non-linear, if you are looking for an odd ride or you just feel you want to read something that can give you fresh perspective in your own life, go for this manga, and I think you might see what you're looking for.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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