Funouhan
Impossibility Defense

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Longing for payback? Hungry for revenge? Whatever it may be, Make the call and let him do it for you!

My first encounter with this manga left me electrified, as it instantly brought to mind the adrenaline-fueled thrills of 'Girl from Nowhere.' The story is a whirlwind of intrigue, as a mysterious stranger emerges from the shadows and delivers revenge against those around them.

Story 7.5 :
Miyatsuki Arata presents another psychological thriller following his works Signal 100 and Gyakusatsu Happy End. However, instead of suspense or mystery, Arata-sensei explores a more psychological theme for this series.

The main premise is simple: a mysterious man named Usobuki appears ... when people have a "request". These requests are generally for revenge or vengeance against someone around them. If Usobuki agrees, he will fulfill the request, which usually involves killing. Usobuki never asks to be paid; his services are free. However, the customer must face the truth of their humanity in some way. This is where Arata-sensei's cleverness comes in, as he always concludes every chapter with a plot twist about the request and the truth that the customer needs to confront.

In the early chapters, readers may feel that the story is repetitive, and I agree. However, the writer introduces some variation in the patterns and continuity conflicts involving Usobuki and his services. This manga is still being published, so I can't predict how it will end. For now, I would rate it an 7.5, since even with the repetition, I find it interesting to see how the Usobuki services unfold and conclude.

Character 7 :
I have mixed feelings about the characters in this series. Although the main character is the focus, I think the writer tends to give more attention to the side characters, including the customers, and views Usobuki simply as a facility for providing services. Maybe the writer wants to keep Usobuki as a mysterious character, similar to the "Girl from Nowhere," right?

Apart from the MC, I really like how the side characters (excluding the customers) develop to understand how Usobuki works. I also appreciate the use of side characters as fulfilled customers who still make appearances after their storylines are over.

Art 8 :
The artwork is good, but it falls short of being called amazing. The drawing style and character design are okay, without any unique or top-notch elements. However, the artist impresses with the amount of detail present in every panel of the manga.

The panels are lively, with good composition and well-defined backgrounds. The artist designs each character uniquely, and I have not found any instances of character designs being recycled.

The characters' expressions and anatomy, as well as the thrilling scenes, are well-drawn. However, I believe that the death and thrilling scenes lack the intensity to be considered gore, so it is not on par with Junji Ito's works. The story's combination with the artist's well-composed panels makes the thrilling moments intense without showing excessive amounts of blood.

Overall 7 :
Overall, I consider this series not for everyone, as it may be too segmented for those who enjoy mystery, thrills, and mild gore. If you are one of those people who are familiar with or enjoy the Netflix series "Girl from Nowhere," or perhaps you enjoy the works of Miyatsuki Arata, then this manga is for you!

In my opinion, the series Funouhan is a beautifully hidden gem in the world of thriller manga. As a fan of thrilling and mildly gory content, I don't read many titles, but I believe this series is top-notch. The variety of stories combined with breathtaking moments of combination narration and good drawing make this manga stand out.

Personal Favourites (so far): Chapter 5

This is a condensed review. I had a longer template planned, but I decided to scratch it since I don't really care too much about other people's opinions on the subject.

Funouhan (Impossibility Defense) is a misunderstood misanthropic manga. Such a negative position is understandably not going to sit well with everyone, and so attempting to read it with a conflicting mindset will more or less remove it's primary appeal. That being of an ideological venting fantasy.

The main character is not so much a character as he is an allegory. He works in the guise of a contract killer, it allows him to fulfill his actual ... goal. To playfully criticize, punish and judge humans. With that you could say his true nature is that of a morality judge or death judge.

No matter, it is as he puts it. A reflection. The characters in each episode have their deepest darknesses drawn out from within using his schemes. And then, punished. This is where the manga's biggest strengths and weaknesses lie. It just isn't good at being an objective analysis of the human condition. It glorifies and purposefully showcases people at their worst and weakest to generate cathartic release.

The format it uses depends on it, and if you at any point found it repetitive. You weren't paying attention to the right things.

Every other aspect is done well just about enough, that I can firmly say this is one of the most solidly executed adult manga I ever read.

It's cynical, it's dark, it's harsh. And if you ask me, handles this far better than another manga I read. Brutal: Confessions of a Homicide Investigator

Both are in the same format, yet totally different approaches. Brutal doesn't deserve as many free passes due to it lacking the supernatural to hide behind and unbiased treatments. Everything that happens in Brutal operates under a strict belief system with little room for deviation. So you'll struggle a lot more at finding the character's actions ethically permissible, if at all depending where you stand. On the other hand, Funouhan has a grey area that at least tries to highlight the fallible and naive, present all around us. (I can sympathize and admire this.)

Not recommended sure the idea seems interesting but after like 5-10-15 chapters it gets insanely repetitive. At first it seems fresh but it just gets so repetitive and predictable i guessed what will happen every single time even tho not in detail i knew how it will end and honestly its boring. Its like listening to the same beat with different lyrics non stop and the lyrics barely even change.

I hoped for some bigger twists but this whole time it just had 1 predictable twist. I tried to make myself believe its gonna be something different next chapter but no ending was always the ... same with the same overused "twist"

If you want to read something that will keep repeating itself with different characters and situations but same idea, feeling and outcome its for you but otherwise stay away because first few chapters will feel fresh then youll notice that youre reading same thing over and over and over again