Ningen Shikkaku

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Japanese: 人間失格

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Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 3

Chapters: 24

Status: Finished

Published: May 2, 2017 to Apr 20, 2018

Genre: Drama

Theme: Psychological

Demographic: Seinen

Serialization: Big Comic Original

Authors: Itou, Junji (Story & Art), Dazai, Osamu (Story)

Statistics

Score: 7.87¹ (scored by 10,315 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #1098²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #814

Members: 24,648

Favorites: 589

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7.87

Ranked #1098Popularity #814Members 24,648

MangaBig Comic OriginalItou, Junji (Story & Art), Dazai, Osamu (Story)

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Volumes: /3

Chapters: /24

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Synopsis

"Mine has been a life of much shame."

"I can't even guess myself what it must be to live the life of a human being."

Plagued by a maddening anxiety, the terrible disconnect between his own concept of happiness and the joy of the rest of the world, Yozo Oba plays the clown in his dissolute life, holding up a mask for those around him as he spirals ever downward, locked arm-in-arm with death.

Osamu Dazai's immortal—and supposedly autobiographical—work of Japanese literature, is perfectly adapted here into a manga by Junji Ito. The imagery wrenches open the text of the novel one line at a time to sublimate Yozo's mental landscape into something even more delicate and grotesque. This is the ultimate in art by Ito, proof that nothing can surpass the terror of the human psyche.

(Source: VIZ Media)

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Background

Ningen Shikkaku was published in English as No Longer Human by VIZ Media as a 3-in-1 omnibus volume on December 17, 2019. It was also released in Spanish by ECC Ediciones as a 3-in-1 omnibus volume on December 5, 2022.

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More characters
Characters

Ooba, Youzou

Main

Tsuneko

Supporting

Takeichi

Supporting

Madam

Supporting

Yoshiko

Supporting

Horiki

Supporting

Horiki, Masao

Supporting

Reviews

Jan 27, 2020

abystoma2

Recommended

No Longer Human by Junji Ito is classic Japanese novel reimagined by a classic horror artist. The keyword here is "reimagined". While this version follows the original closely, it is still remade to fit the style of Junji and expands the story with more content. This is indeed the one complaint readers might have with this work, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing. This wasn't meant to be a 100% adaptation of the origina and change doesn't always have to be bad. Ultimately, the novel and this manga are two different books that should be judged separately.

The original story is one of existentional ... horror and psychological dread. This new take on the story adds another layer - the visual, grotesque horror that is only hinted in the original. This is where Junji's craftmanship truly comes in play, as the depictions of "ghosts" and the humanity throught the eyes of the protagonits are truly chilling. This is Junji's first major work that doesn't use the supernatural as a source of the predicament and this change was a great succes. Otherwordly illustrations of inhumane horrors that come from weirdly familiar human source are, after all, from source closer to a reader and can hit closer to home.

Of course, the horrors aren't the only way the illustrations help with conveying the story. What I really liked is how the character design reflects the character itself and their background. This can be most easily observed with Tsuneko and it's amazing how just a small difference can portray the depression, tiredness and worn-out lifestyle through her face.

Back to the story portion of the manga. The core of what makes the original story great is still present, so I would like to focus on what is different and new in this work. Some say that the additional bits that Junji added are too violent and don't fit the naration. I disagree - violence is a part of human nature and the one portayed in this manga is well within the real possibilities. I could go even further and point out that using a reality of violence commited by humans in a way that makes the reader feel like it doesn't belong in the world brings the reader closer to how Yozo felt about humanity. I also found the little twist at the end that nods to the circumstances of the publication of the original novel a great idea.

Now, I have mentioned that the novel and the manga should be judged separately, but one can't escape the thought of comparing those two. So I would certainly suggest that you should read both this and the novel. It's up to you if you want to start with the adaptation of the original, though I'd say that reading the novel first and the manga shortly after while your memory is still fresh would be the best to enjoy both of those works to the fullest. You should also check out the manga by Furuya Usamaru which is yet another interesting take on this story.

And finally, some notes about the official English release. I really liked how Viz used the English release of the novel as a reference point, so the feel is so similar and frequently the exact same phrases appear, helping the transition from novel to a comic. The English cover is also very aesthetic and overall feels good, so if you can, you should definitely get the omnibus release.

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Jan 13, 2020

chrissy_poo_too

Mixed Feelings

Junji Ito isn't a great writer. He's excellent at monster design, and drawing strange, gross creatures and gore, but his characters are often flat, boring, and interchangeable. They're just a means to an end, a literary device, a blank slate for the reader to relate to. Their only purpose is to get spooked by the strange, gross creatures Ito is obviously far more interested in.

No Longer Human is an excellent, character driven novel about one man's decent into decadence. Its horror (if you can even call it that) is internalized. A man slowly self-destructs due to addiction, mental illness, and his own nihilism. It's a ...

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Apr 28, 2022

Swoss

Not Recommended

Funny

If there is anything that you take away from this review, let it be this: never EVER buy Junji Ito hardback manga, let alone his utterly disappointing adaptation of Osamu Dazai's phenomenal 'No Longer Human.'

Unless you enjoy looking at sex scenes every 20 pages or so, there is no reason to actually buy the damn thing. The art is by far one of Ito's least impressive, the story just uses shock value for the sake of drama, the characters are ridiculously boring and you'll soon forget who is who. Instead, read it online. Try to pirate it because that's the only way you'll get ...

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Best way to experience it? JuliusKingsley0 - Aug 20, 2024	5 replies	by JuliusKingsley0 »» Aug 25, 2024 9:10 AM
Poll: Ningen Shikkaku Chapter 9 Discussion GurschachX - Nov 4, 2023	1 replies	by tectacles »» Jan 17, 2024 5:48 AM
Poll: Ningen Shikkaku Chapter 5 Discussion GurschachX - Oct 17, 2023	1 replies	by tectacles »» Jan 16, 2024 6:25 AM
Poll: Ningen Shikkaku Chapter 3 Discussion GurschachX - Oct 15, 2023	1 replies	by tectacles »» Jan 16, 2024 6:08 AM
Poll: Ningen Shikkaku Chapter 2 Discussion dumbentity - Mar 3, 2023	1 replies	by tectacles »» Jan 16, 2024 5:11 AM

Ningen Shikkaku
No Longer Human
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