Jisatsu Circle

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RED Dizziness
by radiantfire

Context:
For this review, I'll be analysing Jisatsu Circle by Usamaru Furuya. The concept of the series comes from a movie bearing the same title. While not a direct adaptation, it nonetheless comprises of the same elements: troubled children and suicide.

Story:
The suicidal dive of 54 schoolgirls at Shinjuku station is one of the most memorable opening sequences in any manga I have read. Gruesome and deeply biting, the opening jump alone sets what is profoundly a scary commentary on the state of Japanese contemporary society. It is on this note that Jisatsu Circle introduces one of the most disturbing stories I have ever experienced.

Art:
The horror theme of the manga is heavily accentuated by the art. Characters are drawn pragmatically, bodies are realistically ripped apart, and moods and emotions are easily conveyed through facial expressions. The odd styling of Furuya gives the series a strong grotesque frame of reference.

Character:
Saya is demented. All the girls in the club are demented. They mentally and physically break themselves down in order to gain a sense of happiness which is found, scarily enough, in their deaths. They are, in all sagacity, the fundamental source of horror in the series. Through them, Furuya highlights the importance and the profound fragility of life.

Enjoyment:
The series brought me a strange kind of experience. Although I was intensely engrossed by the story, I strongly felt a sensation of fragility. In all honesty, I have not read anything like it before. It brought me, what can be best described as, a bitter-sweet enjoyment.

Conclusion
Jisatsu Circle provides a terrifying and disturbing volume on Japanese contemporary society. It leaves us to question the very state of their world but also, our own mental states. A sickening and deeply depressing piece of horror, Jisatsu Circle is not one for the faint of heart.

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Disturbing.

I stumbled upon this manga while looking for something short to read. Suicide had always intrigued me as it is the very essence of giving up and finding solace in death. It is one of those few things that those with the will to live can never understand and for that reason I was eager to read this manga.

Story: Unfortunately this manga had more of a horror taste (perhaps to be expected) than a profound psychological one and I was left relatively unimpressed by the time I had reached the end. The manga is quick to shake you as it begins with a scene of mass suicide; nothing is explained. While the shock-factor may intrigue you at first as it did me, I quickly found that this was the only thing that enticed me to finish the story. They did not delve deeply into the minds of the girls who joined the club nor did they explain much of how the protagonist felt - things simply happened. And perhaps it is my lack of exposure to Japanese culture but in spite of the protagonist's tragic upbringing I felt myself unable to relate or feel sympathy while feeling that the whole thing was unrealistic and simply designed to be disgusting. By the end of the story nothing is resolved. There is no depth. The story succeeds in its role as a horror manga however and for that reason I reward it a7/10

Art: The art was quite good and effectively magnified the story's dark and disturbing flavor. Bodies are drawn in proportion and 'impacts' are realistic to say the least. The character's were all consistently ugly. They are not afraid to go the extra mile. Everything is done to make this manga look as disturbing as possible.

At this point I don't really feel like analyzing the rest of the categories as I normally do. The characters like the story, were 2-Dimensional at best. And while the story was enjoyable in the sense that it kept you reading - it won't add anything of value to your life. The story was not insightful. The art was not astonishing. The characters did not make you cry or smile. This manga was meant to disturb. It is designed to shock you. And that is what it does well. Had they gone more in depth into the idea of suicide, how and why it occurs for different individuals and considered the topic on several levels while maintaining the existing mood of disturbia, it would be much better. Overall: 6/10

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One word Disturbing and thrilling.
From the begining to the end you want more, you want to understand why and at the same time you don't want to... because the answer will probably freak you out more than the question.

This manga, make you wonder about your own life, about the society, maybe about a friend who is like one of the characters... because it doesn't matter wich country is, there is always a 'Saya Kota' in all the societies.

One way i find my manga is through the reccomendations section of a manga i already read (and enjoyed). This manga was the recommendation of a recommendation (i typically dont read horrors, lol). Anyway, this manga is a good break to any other type of manga (unless its already horror your reading). A very MYSTERIOUS (in the good way) and yet DISTURBING manga at the same time.

Story:
Jisatsu Circle is a manga that truly shows what girls go through sometimes, with a lot of gore and body parts added into the mix. (as you will soon see when you read it *winks). Like most horror manga, it will start out with a massive shock factor that will horrify the reader into think "hey? WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? and try to read on". And there are many twists in the story, leading the reader to falsely suspect people. And some freaky un-explained occurrances.

Mainly focuses on suicide, girls' lives (what ppl dont know), gore, and cult.
DO NOT READ IF YOU CANT TOLERATE EXTREME GORE, even i (who i think can stand most shock factors, flinched a bit after viewing it in the first chapter :/ ).

Art:
The characters in this manga are drawn in an entirely different style than what most ppl who read mangas are used to. I must say, this is one of the only manga whose characters actually might look like real life ppl (the eyes are smaller, not all girls are lovey dovey and cute). For most people who like cute manga girls with large eyes and stuff, this manga might not seem appealing in this way, but the art is unique in this way and suits this manga well.

Character:
There is a lot of character information, and the main character Saya Kota develops very well in this manga. The manga is designed so that it is mostly told from a third person's point of view: Saya Kota's friend Kyoko. IMO the characters are very well explained in this manga, about how they came to be. Kyoko shares her memories of Saya from even when they were children, and how tragedy afflicted her friend. In the end, Kyoko is finally able to reach Saya just a bit, but it is too late...and the circle (or shall i say cycle) of horror continues.

Enjoyment:
Most ppl would enjoy the story more than the gore IMO. The story (along with explicit pictures shown) will make you feel horror, sadness, intensity, shock, and sometimes even disgust. But there are many twists, and you'll want to keep reading to find out the whole mystery of the story.

Overall:
Again, DO NOT READ THIS MANGA IF YOU CANT STAND GORE, otherwise it is a great manga, and is concise. Shows very well what girls may be suffering through, and has shock content and mystery to keep the reader on edge and the pages flippin.

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