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The Garden of Words - A Strong Manga Adaptation

The Garden of Words is a film by Makoto Shinkai, and like many of his anime movies, it has been adapted into a manga.

The story revolves around a high school student named Takao Akizuki who often skips classes to work on his hobby — shoemaking. He dreams of turning this passion into a full-time career. One day, Takao visits a park and encounters a woman named Yukari Yukino — a mysterious figure whom, by fate, he meets again at the same place during rainy days. As they continue to meet, they gradually get to know each other ... and eventually fall in love. Shinkai uses Takao's motivation (using the plot device of shoes) to drive his meetings with Yukino throughout the chapters, leading to the revelation that Yukino is actually his teacher, which explains why Takao has been skipping classes.

Additional scenes were added in the manga to further explore the characters' backgrounds. This expansion makes sense as an adaptation of a nearly 50-minute film that is packed with detail — so much so that it benefits from this extra exploration.

The characters are memorable and easy to recognize, despite there being relatively few of them (the manga has 7 chapters, corresponding to a 50-minute anime). Each character has their own responsibilities and challenges to overcome. Although Takao and Yukino have their differences, the story emphasizes the power of love as its main focus, conveying the message Shinkai wants to share. We also see how they help each other move forward in life, facing struggles that can arise at any age.

The art is delightful, especially considering it’s a manga adaptation. If you're familiar with reading manga, it may seem typical, but I must give it extra points for quality. The details make all the difference — the postures, the speech bubbles, the protagonists' expressions, and so on.

Overall, the manga is enjoyable, and you will likely appreciate it. You may find yourself falling in love with the story, if not at the beginning, then by the end, and you'll probably end up rooting for the characters.
While I think the ending could be more cohesive, particularly in tying up certain aspects of Yukino’s story, I understand that Makoto Shinkai has a distinctive way of concluding his narratives.

Cats of the Louvre - Something Magical in the Louvre

Taiyou Matsumoto is known for his artistic creativity and his Magnum Opus, Sunny. While exploring other works by the author, I came across this masterpiece that references the Louvre Museum and its paintings.

In this story, Matsumoto transports us to a charming world where the cats that inhabit the museum come to life, revealing a plot filled with symbolism and mystery. The manga uniquely blends fantasy with realism, exploring the relationship between art, memory, and existence. Each page is a work of art in itself, with illustrations that capture the grandeur and mysticism of the Louvre.

The characters, ... both human and feline, are deeply complex, and Matsumoto uses their interactions to explore philosophical and emotional themes. The narrative is both melancholic and hopeful, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that captivates the reader from beginning to end.

Matsumoto masterfully creates a Disney-like animated aura for the cats, giving them a dual appearance—both in their animal form and in their "human" form. This personification of the felines is done in a believable and sustainable way throughout the story.

Cats of the Louvre is more than just a tribute to the famous museum; it is a meditation on the nature of art and time, on how we connect with the past, and on the search for meaning in an ever-changing world. It is an essential read for any manga fan and for those who appreciate the power of art in all its forms.

Monster - An Overrated Award-Winning Story

First of all, I want to say that I understand Tenma, our protagonist. He is a renowned surgeon who moved from Japan to Germany, and at the beginning of the story, he has a stable dream job with a beautiful woman by his side — the dream of many men. However, neither our protagonist nor the author managed to evoke in the reader what was intended: the reason for Tenma's transformation from an innocent and naive man (the so-called "nice guy" or "white knight") into someone willing to kill if necessary (... even though he never does).

With this introduction alone, ... one can perceive the duality of the theme intended to be explored — a doctor who saves lives but is willing to take lives. Very well, it's a complex theme that could have allowed the author's imagination to soar, but based on what is shown in the manga, it is never executed as it should be. The story begins with a doctor hearing from his wife that some lives are worth more than others, showcasing the corruption within his hospital and the corporate world, which comes across more as Urasawa's personal opinion than a subplot meant to drive the main story. This leads me to ask: Does our protagonist need 162 chapters to understand his ex-wife's point? Does anyone think this makes sense?!

The manga uses all its subplots for Urasawa to express his political opinions in many scenarios, in the post-World War II era, after the Berlin Wall was brought down. In the second volume of the VizBig version (or volumes 3 and 4 of the original volumes), a group of neo-Nazis is portrayed as far-right, even though they have nothing to do with the right. It's unclear whether this is a biased opinion of Urasawa's editor, Urasawa himself, or the publisher through which I read the volumes, but to say this is, at the very least, intellectually dishonest and absurd.

As for Johan, my criticism is that if we assume we are in a world where we can create a second Adolf Hitler, even better than the first, with more power at his disposal, then why don't we? The answer is simple: because he is not sufficiently developed. When you create someone to be evil, he will be evil, even to yourself. The point is that Johan is genuinely evil — just not enough. Johan is someone who had the potential to be as evil, if not more so, than Majin Buu (from Dragon Ball Z). Now, that's someone who is evil, bad, cruel, and malevolent — he is the embodiment of evil. But Urasawa prefers to force us to buy volumes of manga only to find out that Johan doesn't even die. Urasawa creates suspense throughout all the volumes, only for nothing to happen. It's like watching all the MCU movies up to Endgame, only to discover that Tony Stark doesn't have the Infinity Stones in the last second and doesn't snap his fingers. If there are no consequences for his actions, how can Johan be evil? It becomes a circular argument with no critical foundation.

The most interesting character is Anna (or Nina) because of all her development, from when we first meet her (a brilliant young woman in college) to her acceptance of all the trauma from her childhood with Johan. Tenma is too kind, and his character only evolves due to an undeserved but given motivation: someone must investigate the murders occurring, even though this investigation could (or could not) be conducted by the surgeon who operated on Johan, instead of by the police investigator, Lunge, who is stripped of all his stardom and merit — not just as an investigator but as a key character in the story. He is always one step behind Tenma, even though the protagonist doesn't deserve it at all.

All the supporting characters that appear do not serve to move the story forward. The police officers guarding Johan when he is still a child have no motivation to be there. The hospital owner only exists to criticize the protagonist and then die. The other doctors don't operate on patients because the protagonist has been given the ultimate power to make that decision. The gardener of Tenma's ex-wife exists only to be a simp. The editor who publishes the twins' articles exists only to get drunk and then die. The prostitute who has to take care of her friend's children is there only to scream for help. The soldier who lives on his farm with a child he is forced to care for exists only to pass on a moral lesson to himself (pure schizophrenia). Every place Tenma passes through forces you, as the reader, to receive free moral lessons and see how good Tenma is (no wonder I called him a "white knight"). Tenma could be an immensely complex character with incredible development and a captivating motivation, capable of bringing others along with him, which would be advantageous considering all the dangers he faces and death threats. But no, Tenma is just someone who is there for the sake of being there, a good person who likes to help people because he has nothing better to do with his life. Once again, there are no consequences for his actions, unlike other characters who, in a certain way, have a developmental arc, like Dieter. Dieter is a child who was raised with (implicit) violence and sees Tenma as the embodiment of hope. He is someone with a development arc and is a crucial piece in the story Urasawa wants to tell. Unfortunately, he is underutilized somewhat until the end.

Urasawa may be a brilliant author in many of his works, and no one can take that away from him (the manga "Master Keaton" is a masterpiece), but the question that arises is whether we should place a work like "Monster" at the top of the greatest mangas of all time when it definitely isn't. There are better mangas than "Monster" in many aspects: plot, subplot, character development, etc. "Monster" is just a hype manga. It serves to say that Urasawa is brilliant, Urasawa is a top mangaka of all time, "Monster" sold X copies worldwide — those kinds of things. It's funny how Urasawa criticizes the corporate world and then competes in that very corporate world with other mangaka who dedicate their lives to manga. Life really doesn't give us what we want; it gives us what we deserve.

P.S. - Read other manga that were serialized in "Big Comic Original" and you'll understand my point when I say that Monster is a hype manga.

P.S 2 - I read the VizBig vols years ago, now I'm re-reading the Portuguese Version (same version, only the language changes). I maybe edit this review later after I complete reading them all.

Utsukushii Inu - "References, References Everywhere"

"Utsukushii Inu" is a manga that addresses themes of love, loneliness and the complex relationship between a human and a puppy, providing a sensitive and touching narrative. The story revolves around a relationship that explores the depth of connection between beings, highlighting the beauty and pain that can coexist.
The protagonist, who faces a period of loneliness, despair and extramarital relationships with his brother's girlfriend (cheating), finds solace in a dog. This relationship becomes a way to escape the difficulties of life and human relationships, which can often be complicated and painful. The puppy, with its loyalty and unconditional love, represents ... a haven and a faithful friend.
As the narrative develops, we are led to reflect on the dynamics of love and acceptance. The relationship between the human and the female dog becomes a mirror of the protagonist's insecurities and weaknesses. The manga does not hesitate to address moments of sadness and joy, showing how love can be a balm for emotional wounds.

The Impact on You (as a Reader)
One of the main themes of the work is the search for love and acceptance. Through the relationship between the protagonist and the cub, the manga explores how creatures, regardless of whether they are human or animal, can provide comfort and understanding in difficult times. Furthermore, the title suggests a reflection on the beauty that can be found in the vulnerability and fragility of relationships.

In Summary
"Utsukushii Inu" is a story that, although it deals with themes of loneliness and sadness, also celebrates the beauty of the connections we form throughout life. Through a touching narrative and engaging art, the story manages to resonate deeply with readers, inviting them to reflect on love and acceptance. It is a recommended read for those who appreciate emotional stories that explore the essence of human beings and their bond with animals.
People who say that the relationship between the protagonist and the puppy is romantic are missing the author's point. The point is that we can be accepted, as humans, by different animals. If you have a turtle, a parrot, a rabbit, or whatever the animal is at home, you can be accepted by it and vice versa, that's why we call these animals domestic, even though some are not, but the point is that we are domesticating them at home. Like it or not, from the moment you have an animal at home, you have a relationship with it. In the context of the story, the protagonist is rejected by his girlfriend during the stages of his teenage life, which is why he is accepted by the puppy. The protagonist realizes that his girlfriend has more in common with the dog because she is a female dog than because she is human (female humans don't have four breasts but female dogs do, or more).

Extra Points (the References)
This manga is full of references, with the most basic ones like "The first rule of the fight club is you must fight" referring to the book and film Fight Club and the situation the protagonist finds himself in, where he must fight to survive.
In the second chapter, when the protagonist is with his girlfriend on a school field, she says "This will be our secret base", alluding to the song "Secret Base ～君がくれたもの～" by ZONE, referring not to just because of the name "secret base" but also because in the context of the conversation between the characters, they talk about that being the best memory between them, where they can dream about the future and have great hopes for life, themes that are mentioned (in the chorus) of the music.
The cover of the second volume and the first panel of the first chapter show half of a dog's face on the protagonist's cell phone cover, which is an allusion to the dramatic theme that is the central theme of the manga.

Blade of the Immortal - A Protagonist without flaws

Blade of the Immortal is a manga that stands out for its unique premise, yet it falters in many aspects, particularly in its characterization and presentation. While the story is set in the Edo period of Japan, this historical backdrop often feels underdeveloped. To label this manga merely as a product of its time is a disservice to its potential. A well-crafted samurai manga not only provides a thrilling narrative but also immerses the reader in a vivid and engaging world. It should highlight the historical context, allowing readers to grasp the intricacies of the period, including ... the weapons, social structures, and cultural nuances that define it. For instance, aside from the brief appearance of a kusarigama in the prelude, the weaponry remains vague. We know that the protagonist wields a sword, but the lack of detail leaves a void in the reader’s understanding.
What truly distinguishes Blade of the Immortal from the countless other samurai mangas? The answer isn’t straightforward, as the series grapples with many narrative and thematic issues. One of the primary concerns is the quality of translation, which significantly impacts the reader's experience. Many Western editions suffer from translation problems that obscure the original intent of the dialogue and character development. Furthermore, the Western practice of reversing the panels — contrary to traditional manga reading order — adds an additional layer of confusion that detracts from the storytelling. For a medium that relies heavily on visual storytelling, these alterations will dilute the impact of the artwork and narrative flow, for sure.

The characters in Blade of the Immortal possess complex nuances, but accessing those depths requires an immense amount of patience. Readers must sift through layers of dialogue and interactions to uncover the motivations and personalities of each character. Unfortunately, the emotional connections between Manji, the protagonist, and those around him often feel insignificant and lacking in depth. This emotional detachment can be traced back to the protagonist's unique trait — his immortality. The fact that Manji can die and be resurrected diminishes the stakes of his interactions. When a character can simply return to life, the weight of their struggles and relationships is rendered almost meaningless.
Manji’s quest is driven by the curse that binds him: "This immortality will not go away until I kill 1,000 evil men." While this premise presents a tantalizing goal, it also introduces a significant flaw in his character arc. It raises an important question: does it matter how many enemies he defeats if the very nature of his existence is one of invulnerability?! The sheer existence of his immortality feels like an overpowering advantage that undercuts the tension of the narrative.

Moreover, Manji’s reflections on purpose further complicate his character. In the first chapter, he states, "A person cannot live without objectives, control, vengeance, or atonement," suggesting that he lacks any of these vital motivations. A compelling protagonist should have clear and relatable goals and this is a hallmark of successful works in the genre, such as Vagabond or Lone Wolf and Cub. In those stories, the motivations of their protagonists are well-defined and resonate with the reader — Musashi's philosophical exploration or Ogami Itto's relentless pursuit of vengeance create compelling narratives. In contrast, Manji feels like a vessel for the narrative rather than an engaging character with a purpose. If he himself questions his motivations, how can the reader remain invested in his journey?
This lack of clarity creates a disconnect, making it challenging for readers to root for Manji. The absence of a clear moral compass or motivation leads to questions about his actions: how can we discern whether he is a hero or a villain? This ambiguity can leave readers feeling trapped in a narrative that lacks direction and emotional investment. Instead of being captivated by the story, they may feel compelled to read out of obligation rather than genuine interest.

Another critical aspect to consider is the mishandling of licensing for Blade of the Immortal in the West. The confusion surrounding the publication has resulted in mirrored panels that detract from the reading experience. Manga is a visual medium that relies on a specific layout and flow, and disrupting this flow can hinder the reader's immersion. Additionally, Western editions often feature altered content that does not align with the original work, leading to discrepancies that can alienate readers familiar with the source material. As a reader who enjoys raw manga, I find these changes to be not only frustrating but also an affront to the artistry of the original creation.
Look at the mess with the licenses for the West in this manga. In addition to the panels all being reflected (which in itself ruins the experience of reading a manga, a work that comes from Japan), they also do the incredible disservice of making versions of volumes that do not exist in the original conception of the work. As a reader of raw manga in Japanese, this is considered a crime.
I read the Brazilian edition which is not like that, fortunately it is like the Japanese version, but the colors are not saturated enough, making the colors not visible well. In addition to being an incredibly complicated work to read (and to collect all the volumes), it is also full of graphical problems. What is this for?
In my experience reading the Brazilian edition, I found that it adheres more closely to the original Japanese version, which is a relief. However, it is not without its flaws; the colors in the Brazilian edition are not saturated enough, resulting in a less vibrant presentation that fails to do justice to the artwork. This is especially disappointing for a manga that relies heavily on its visuals to convey mood and atmosphere.

Ultimately, Blade of the Immortal is a complex work that faces challenges not only in its narrative structure but also in its presentation. The reading experience can often feel arduous and frustrating due to its numerous graphical and translation issues. While the concept has the potential to be engaging and profound, the execution leaves much to be desired. One cannot help but wonder what this story could have achieved if it had been presented with more clarity and depth.

The First Slam Dunk is a film that serves as a model for making animation in cinema. A complete masterpiece!

To understand the context of this film, we need to know that the story comes from the manga and anime Slam Dunk, created in the 90s by master Takehiko Inoue. The story of the manga tells the story of a young man with red hair named Sakuragi who was rejected by 50 girls until he met a girl who likes basketball. From there, Sakuragi's character develops, starting from someone who had never heard of basketball until he became one of the best on his school team. ... The character is highly based on the player Dennis Rodman in his invasive style and fiery personality. All the characters on the court are based on famous NBA players from the 90s such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, Kevin Johnson and Reggie Miller, among many others.

This film, The First Slam Dunk, is about the last game in the manga's story, where master and director Takehiko Inoue brilliantly managed to make it so that any viewer doesn't need to have any background on the story to know what the game is. For those who have read the manga, it is a masterpiece, for those who haven't read anything, it is a brilliant animation about a basketball game, animated magnificently, mixing 2D and 3D animation. Only this time, the protagonist is not Sakuragi but Ryota Miyagi, because Takehiko Inoue made a one-shot about Miyagi a few years before submitting the Slam Dunk manga to Shueisha called "Piercing". This story is shown through flashbacks in the film, giving a whole tragic background to the character. Since this story was not shown in the original manga or anime, it was the icing on the cake that the master puts in the film. The flashbacks are not cheesy, much less gratuitously thrown into the film. Quite the opposite, as a viewer, you want to know what happened and why Miyagi is so passionate about the sport of basketball. You want to know why he made a promise years ago and why he is Number 1 (a reference made in the film). You want to know who the mysterious woman is who appears in the trailer and later in the film, watching the game. You want to know the pain the character went through to give his all in the game. You want to have as much empathy as possible because you want the Shohoku team to win. The flashbacks serve to enhance dramatic moments on the court and not just to give us standard information.
Regarding the game itself, the sound effects are incredible; it feels like we are actually inside a closed room, watching an NBA game. All the sounds of the ball, the sliding of the sneakers on the court, the sounds of the basketball hoops, the audience, all in perfect harmony. Once again, the master Takehiko Inoue shows, through the film, his ardent passion for basketball. In an absurd transition from the pages of manga to the director's chair, the filmmaker does a masterful job regarding the visual compositions of a game and how to insert the audience in real-time into the basketball plays.

Inoue takes advantage of the high production value to transpose his beautiful work with a sense of movement in his layouts to a media where there are no constraints, capturing the game with great versatility and diversity, whether in more dynamic movements of running and feints on the court, in a panoramic view of a play and camera angles from the characters' point of view or the ground to emphasize the gravity of a dunk and especially the delirious outcome of the game.

The lessons we learn from the film are also almost infinite, both in the game itself and in the film's production. What leads Master Inoue to make a film about a work he has already finished? Could this be a sign of his other works? The truth is that Slam Dunk moved an entire generation, both inside and outside Japan. There are scholarships in Japan for players to have an opportunity to go and play in the NBA in the United States. There is a book about it that tells the story of all the players who have done this and who currently play in professional leagues.

I watched the entire film with a silly smile like a basketball fan, in pure satisfaction with Inoue's care with trash talk, psychological games, classic plays with his back to the basket or in transition à la Showtime Lakers, and several other characteristics that make basketball a beautiful sport. There is so much passion in this project for the way the game is played, how it feels, and how artistic it is that it is unbelievable, with the biggest highlight being the way Hanamichi Sakuragi is an infectious Dennis Rodman on the court, including a sequence that mirrors a famous play by the power forward who did everything to win as a team. In the end, the dramatic investment with the characters is so great and the euphoria with the capture of the game is so masterful that I found myself vibrating and cheering as if I were watching an NBA finals game, with a game-winner at the last second that would leave any viewer in delirium. I forgot I was watching a movie and could only breathe to say:
"Phew, what a game that was!"

P.S - I watched this movie like 3x times and I cannot stop. Gonna watch it again in cinema today :D

Real - Wheelchair of the Wicked

Real is an extremely underrated manga by Takehiko Inoue, the master in their craft. It began serialization in 1999, together with the author's masterpiece, Vagabond, and currently has 15 volumes (at the date of this review).

The manga presents the story of three young people (Tomomi Nomiya; Kiyoharu Togawa and Hisanobu Takahashi) whose lives are intertwined by basketball, drama and immeasurable tragedy.

Nomiya is a boy who loves basketball but drops out of school after getting involved in a serious accident; Togawa is a wheelchair user who also loves the sport, an extremely competitive person but who still has fears and regrets ... about his life, and Hisanobu is a not-so-nice guy, captain of the basketball team at the same school he attends. Nomiya was part of it, but suddenly his life is completely transformed due to a certain calamity.

In the plot, we will see how the three boys relate to sport – all the love for the game and training – and how they live (seeking to overcome themselves) even under the aegis of despair and the imponderable.

Real is – at first glance – a generic manga like any other, in which we will see characters who love what they practice and who have their lives connected to it, seeking to improve themselves and trying to become the best of all. However, there is something clear and precious because it will not only deal with basketball itself, it will deal with wheelchair basketball and the way society and the players themselves see it. More than that, it will show us how people deal with real heartbreaking problems and try to accept and overcome events and their limitations.

This first volume is an introduction to the story and – although carrying out an analysis of it alone is not very fruitful – it already lays the foundations of a narrative that tends to be touching, sad and even terrifying for some, with the characters involved by the tragedy and the drama emerging at every moment. The plot begins, for example, with Nomiya out of school, after a motorcycle accident that left a girl who was with him paraplegic. With the world at his back, he will try to live with the anguish of what he has done and the traumas arising from it, while at the same time, he will need to find a place in the world.

Although he has the characteristic of being tough and cool, he is not unlike any other person who flirts with misfortune and ends up feeling guilty for what happened to the girl. He is afraid of traffic due to the accident and, in the middle of everything, he still has to work to survive. And it is in this context that his initial lifeline is basketball, or rather the encounter with a great player in the sport, Kiyoharu Togawa, a young man who, sitting in his wheelchair, manages to play much better than Nomiya.

Although he gets into several fights during the volume (one of which, at the end of the first volume is quite intense), basketball and the encounter with Togawa make Tomomi manage to survive, even though the fears and traumas remain, even though his personality stays present.

The introduction that this volume gives us is some of Togawa's history as well. Togawa is a young man who had one of his legs amputated, in the past, due to illness and has been using a wheelchair for a long time, having found salvation in wheelchair basketball.

Not only that, basketball becomes so important that he wants more than just playing, more than just having fun, he wants to win and he wants to be the best. In other words, he is a character who comes ready-made, with all his baggage from the past tragedy, now seeking to go further. In the meantime, he even uses his drama for his benefit (I can't say more because of the spoiler).

His big dilemma is precisely not being with people who also want to win. We soon discover that he left the wheelchair basketball team he was part of because his teammates just wanted to have fun and were happy even after a loss. One of the most striking scenes is exactly this, with Togawa hearing from one of his companions that they shouldn't care so much because nothing would change in their lives since they were wheelchair users. This is an emblematic moment, as it opposes Togawa's thinking, who wanted more and more, despite his physical limitations.
Despite everything, we see in Togawa still traces of the things that happened to him. In particular, he finds it difficult to accept help, thinking that it interferes with the lives of other people with whom he lives.

We couldn't stop talking about the last figure of the plot's triad, Hisanobu Takahashi. And the best definition of him is a person who is hateful, bad, lazy, treating others badly, etc, etc. Typical bad boy. But there is a turn in the story: after stealing a bicycle, he ends up being run over and becomes paraplegic.

If at the beginning of the plot, the great drama is about Nomiya, from the middle to the end, Takahashi is the star of the tragedy that takes over.
We will see him in a regrettable situation, unimaginable until then, having to deal with something and things that greatly affect his psychology.

And Real is basically that, an exacerbated drama that affects the characters at the same time that the basketball game is their soul, the strength necessary for them to fight. Despite his hurts and limitations, Togawa will be there playing for fun (and for money) despite being the cause of an accident, Nomiya will be fighting to get things going and so on.

Although it is a story originally intended for the Japanese public, Real brings a universal image of how we often see people with disabilities, with pity, as incapable and so on. A clear case, in this sense, occurs when Togawa goes to play basketball at certain times and everyone thinks he is poor, taking it easy on him because he is a wheelchair user. The move is right there, as we see the boy in a very athletic way and better than several players without any disabilities.

And perhaps therein lies the great point of the manga.
It makes us think about ourselves, think about how we see paraplegic people and how we would react in a similar situation. By presenting several people who have learned or are learning to deal with a certain condition, the story puts us in an impasse situation, which can make us feel sad about the situations shown and empathize with the characters at the same time that it can make us be scared of that.

Real inserts a little finger in the wound. It makes us reason about things that we try to forget most of the time, that we are not used to seeing in the manga, and that is one of the great qualities of this work.

Finally, remember what I said earlier: this story has a great introduction that smoothes the rough edges of the story. Even so, it is clear right away that Real is a work that speaks deeply – it touches on essential and uncomfortable points – and the whole development of characters seems to show us that the intensity of things tends to increase.

Real is one of those titles that are almost essential for comic book readers those that make us think about life, despair, happiness, fear and most importantly, not judging people just because they are different from us. We need to have empathy and help people because, in their minds, they are fighting a gigantic war to survive.

The Ghost in the Shell - A Story about the Current Reality

"Technology has become what we are experiencing."

Throughout the history of Japanese animation, we had some examples of works that managed to leave the niche of anime fans, reaching a prominent place in pop cultures, such as Studio Ghibli, Akira or Dragon Ball, marked by vivid animation techniques and realistic narratives.
The Ghost in the Shell, more specifically its 1995 adaptation, is part of these productions graced by the western audience, even inspiring the Wachowski brothers to make "The Matrix". The manga that originated the feature film, even if it wasn't so well known, is ... the subject of reading by fans of its adaptation.

Written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow, the story follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, an android leader of a cyber counter-terrorism group. Set in a typical cyberpunk scenario, dominated by large corporations and inhabited by people who connect to cyberspace through cables inserted into the back of their heads, the work is certainly one of the most striking of this subgenre of science fiction, which was made popular through the books of William Gibson. (mainly Neuromancer) and other authors. Throughout the 352 pages of the manga, we follow this team fighting cases of cyber terrorism, many of which appear to be linked to a figure known as the Puppet Master.

The reason why Shirow's manga never achieved the popularity of its film adaptation is quite evident from the very first pages. The reader is immediately taken by an immense amount of information, with speech bubbles that fill the frames in such a way that this becomes a slower reading. The problem with this is that the plot quickly becomes very confusing to the point that we need to filter what impacts the plot development. The Ghost in the Shell is certainly not an easy read and requires a lot of concentration from the reader. This doesn't mean, however, that we are facing a bad story or anything like that. The mangaka's script explores this fascinating cyberpunk universe in-depth, clearly drawing on concepts from authors such as William Gibson and Philip K. Dick and imprinting his own philosophical and sociological vision on each page. At first, the great villains are the corporations that have infiltrated society in such a way that the government has become such a puppet, something that is made clear by the front pages. Major Kusanagi works as the portrait of freedom, the punk figure of cyberpunk, the element that isn't ruled in this dystopian future and that often acts spontaneously, standing out from everything around it.

The art, also by Shirow, perfectly symbolizes this through the protagonist's facial expressions. Despite being an android, she can be clearly defined by the emotions she clearly shows on her face. From a simple laugh to a punch in the face of a politician, we identify with his most rebellious stance, which, in itself, brings “colour” to the story. Unfortunately, Masamune ends up losing our immersion numerous times by bringing us pages full of visual information, which, together with the concepts introduced in the lines, make the reading even more confusing, to the point that the readers are obligated to reread certain pages to understand what is happening.

Interestingly, some of these confusing pages are beautiful, but usually only when they portray continuous action. At this point, we automatically stop reading just to appreciate the line, which dispenses with the pasteurization we are used to in current comics (whether eastern or western). That said, each character can be easily recognized by their appearance, which is very different from the others. We are talking about a very characteristic art of the 1990s when it comes to manga and there is no way not to see the similarities with other works, such as the classic Evangelion.

The colours, which are generally present at the beginning of each chapter, reinforce the visual identity of this world, often relying on shades of blue and grey, in addition to the use of red to denote violence, appearing in certain frames. Sometimes, the excess of colours also harms our reading, guaranteeing one more element for our eyes to get used to – reading black and white pages is considerably more fluid.
Fortunately, it's not something that gets in the way of reading too much, especially when we've gotten used to the concepts introduced halfway through the manga.
As much as it is not an easy read and it falls short of the 1995 anime adaptation, Masamune Shirow's work certainly deserves to be read by lovers of good old cyberpunk. With its evident value marked by the philosophical and sociological vision of its author, with clear mentions of other works of the genre, The Ghost in the Shell manages to capture the attention of its reader quickly and, even with the constant immersion breaks, provided by the confusing narrative, we managed to feel close to its protagonist, who stands out in this dystopian future, which is not that far from our reality.

Why is Goodnight Punpun a Depressing Paradox?

Generally, the act of telling stories, especially in Japanese comics (manga) is related to plots with battles and youth target audience, to whom their potential for plurality is underestimated. However, Goodnight Punpun breaks the paradigm by portraying the ability of the ninth art to approach and portray deep and heavy themes of human consciousness, such as depression, suicide or troubled family relationships through the unique language of the drawings.

Before starting the review, there is a caveat of great importance: the work is dense and the author has no intention of sparing the reader from the cruelty of the events ... and the thoughts of the characters. The age rating has a purpose.

This story narrates the story of Punpun Onodera, from childhood to early adulthood, who orbits his life around Aiko after being impacted by love at first sight. Living in a broken family, whose domestic violence is present, and dreaming of being an astronaut to colonize the stars, Punpun progressively moves from the dreamy child full of potential to the young adult with psychological disorders whose love lived in childhood ends up becoming his only one point of refuge and hope.

The manga is full of symbolism, the most notable of which is the visual representation of the main character, a simple design similar to a bird without wings. Would it be the protagonist's view of himself? Or, a stylistic resource so that the reader can project themselves in Punpun? Is the absence of wings related to the dream of colonizing the stars? It is difficult to answer these questions and all the others that follow, but the surprising narrative ability to tie the plot together and leave the information implied encourages the reader to create theories to unravel the “mysteries” while permeating the most varied existential themes. The manga deals with several pertinent themes, such as religion, sexuality, changes in the human being, nihilism, existential anguish, self-mutilation and unresolved family problems.

About Religion

“Dear God, dear God, shine shine in the sky”, this is the prayer Punpun learned from his uncle Yuichi Onodera to invoke the one who would keep him company in lonely moments, God. Here another aspect full of symbols stands out, the mental projection of the divine entity is represented as a black man, whose personality is ironic and mocking.
The Character "God", who appears constantly throughout the story but mainly in the bird's crises, mocks Punpun in all its phases of transformation and initially acts as comic relief. In contrast to the idealization of deities, he is the character most averse to moral rules. Who exactly is this character? Is he God or a representation of the protagonist's subconscious, as Freud theorized? The question is not just for the reader. The discomfort and possible allegorical relationships with this only increase with the unfolding of events, especially in the final two volumes of the manga, in which the representation of "God" works as a destructive subconscious, capable of annihilating the whole world, including himself.

About Sexuality

The theme is treated at all stages of the protagonist's life. During childhood, children are curious about what sex is and, with the right dose of naivety and malice, they try to obtain hidden information about the topic. The narrator, with unique sensitivity and rawness, even exposes the discovery of masturbation by the main character, in addition to abstractly representing orgasm. At this point a clear contrast regarding gender is highlighted, while boys strive to enter the world of sex through pornography, girls tend to view such attitudes with disgust.
In later stages, all sex scenes or those that refer to sexuality are even more guilt-ridden and, at times, linked to religion. In addition, themes such as sexual abuse, adultery and paedophilia are exposed, and the author avoids Manicheism to do so, but in this process, questions arise about the limits of art. Should there be restrictions on the theme? Is representing a crime through art also a crime? The author provokes the reader from an ethical point of view several times. In any case, actions are not free and much less without consequences.

About Changes and Self-Image

Inio Asano analyzes how today's society makes people prone to depression. As the protagonist changes, Inio Asano uses the tools inherent in the manga. The author modifies Punpun's physical appearance according to the character's psychological state. At a given moment, he doesn't even recognize himself anymore, “Is this how my face has always been…?”, such speech opens wide the experienced identity disorders. Punpun's many faces characterize the intensity of depression he feels as he grows older and matures over time.

Pure Nihilism

The story is set in Japan at the beginning of the 21st century, a period marked by the absence of wars and optimism about the future of children. Punpun, like any other child born in this period, has many dreams and during the chronological unfolding of the story, we see his frustration in not achieving them. This relationship between idealization about the future and disenchantment with reality is marked by most of the characters presented. "After all, that's life, you reap what you sow", this speech by Punpun's uncle to guide him during the transition from adolescence to adulthood introduces ethics whose responsibility for actions is attributed only to the individual himself, that is, according to Yuichi, the environment does not determine the being and people have full freedom of choice. This addition contrasts with the author's apparent intention within the story. From there, the anguish experienced by the protagonist and the reader who accompanies him increases even more.
The characters are in constant reflection about their role in the world, analyzing the past and whether life is worth living. Suicide becomes a constant possibility for some characters, and it is questioned whether there is a risk of serving as a trigger for any reader with a depressive history when approaching such a theme. During these moments, the author uses black ink to set the mood for anxious moments, permeates the darkness and uses visual allegories to portray the agony experienced. In some passages, the work exaggerates the reactions to the events, a fact that is sometimes intentional, but other times, it sounds ridiculous.

Story Inconsistencies

Punpun has a line that says: "At that moment, Punpun felt like he understood all the secrets of humanity", but he has no empathy for the people around him who genuinely want his good, as in the case of his uncle, his wife's uncle, father and potential girlfriend, Sashi Nanjou. How can the protagonist understand all the secrets of humanity without being able to empathize with other humans? No one will ever know;
Punpun lacks maturity, responsibility and masculinity throughout the story. It is not today that men around the world "suffer" a lack of masculinity in society, mainly due to some misandric women who exist today and who want to change the "status quo" of the world. Punpun lives in the same real world as us readers, as he suffers "castration" of masculinity, he is a mangina character, who does everything asked of him just because he wants a girl, this Aiko, his crush since childhood. But why does he feel this? Nobody will ever know. During a boy's developmental phase, the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until he reaches 25 years of age and this makes the boy's brain unprepared to digest a relationship with another human being and this is scientifically proven. Why would Punpun want to be in a relationship if he has nothing to offer to the other person? And why exactly Aiko, when he had Sachi and was happy with her? Punpun always wanted to have sex, and he could now; Punpun always wanted to share his life with someone, he learned that from his uncle and shared the same problem with him and now Punpun could do it with Sachi.

Punpun always dreamed of being an astronaut and discovering the Milky Way, at the end of the story he sees the NASA rocket he dreamed of all his life to be able to dislodge.

Goodnight Punpun invites the reader to reflect and experiment with new sensations, to be able to get out of the sameness and evolve as a person and human being but unfortunately, Punpun does not learn anything from the reflections that he makes and that teach him throughout his journey.

You can see the direction that the author Inio Asano took in the last two volumes of the work, he essentially spoiled what could have been the culmination of the work, without needing to be perfect and without needing to adapt to the expectations of the readers. The paradox that I mention in the title of the review is what Punpun feels throughout the work, he is an unhappy, sad child, who fakes certain behaviours to be on the same level as other people and with these false and mundane experiences, he uses a social "mask" to be able to fit in a society, at the same time that it is an apparent opposition to itself (definition of paradox).

The most interesting characters in the work are Shimizu, Seki and Sachi, not only because they are captivating characters but because they are characters who live their own lives without making statements to anyone, they are true, realistic and 100% pure characters, who are exposed to real problems such as violence or rejection but at the same time, they are not reactive characters, on the contrary, curiosity and confidence are something that defines these characters in some way or shape. Here I will give the examples of Seki and Sachi only.

Seki is a significant contrast to Punpun. He's one of those guys who, whatever you say about him, he's very smart but, tragically, lacks ambition. Seki, it's an admitted bag of shit. He didn't finish high school and instead worked to support his family. He jumps through jobs and dates several women. He doesn't treat his friend Shimizu as "damaged". He doesn't joke about the fact that it's not normal for Shimizu to see a poop god. He doesn't make a point of making Shimizu try to stop seeing him either. He just treats Kou like a friend, buying him food, making sure he's finished high school and checking in on him. Shit, Seki is the only one of them all who realizes Shimizu went and joined a cult because he wanted to stop being lonely. That's the definition of a true friend, it's a sub-theme that the author Inio Asano wanted to get across when talking about reflection. Seki is the friend I have when I need something and he is there for me, he is a friend who has real problems in his personal life but doesn't let them show to me, he is a truly rational male who thinks and acts like a true grown man. Seki is a man I want to be, regardless of who I am, what I do for a living, and what kind of relationships I have. Seki knows he's a bag of shit and always will be but that's what makes him human. Humans are not perfect, they have flaws and that's one of Seki's flaws, just like I have and everyone else has, the difference is that this flaw is real, it's palpable, it's the author's intention and most importantly.

Sachi is the foil to Aiko Tanaka, Punpun's main love interest. She is a dedicated, strong and independent woman with preferences towards men. She has her apartment, her friends and her ambitions in life and now she is writing a manga. She shares her insecurities with Punpun, as at one point they were in a relationship until they broke up. My problem with Sachi isn't as serious as the main character, it's just an inconsistency. If Sachi is a strong and independent woman, why does she decide to wait for a tramp like Punpun, who doesn't know if he wants to be with Aiko or her? Punpun was a coward to turn his back on her and it's frustrating to know that characters like Sachi who are quite realistic with the real world, can have inconsistencies as big as waiting for someone who doesn't want you or never really liked you, especially afterwards when Sachi finds out she's pregnant. Once again, Punpun is cowardly trash that proves the character never really evolved and lacks substance, not even in his nihilistic sub-consciousness.

About Art

Inio Asano's art is impeccable, the world is unique and some scenes have an absurd amount of detail, I have nothing more to say.

Overall

If I could sum up the work in one word I would say "frustrating". Inio Asano condemns the right characters, with random reasons for no apparent reason. The ending of some characters is satisfying at best and dissatisfying for the most part. The title of the work lives up to the final lines of the characters, especially Sachi and the team of doctors. The story is only solid up to volume 5 if you are reading the work in the English VIZBIG volumes.
There are more inconsistencies in the story regarding some main characters like Punpun's mother, Punpun's father, Aiko Tanaka or some secondary characters like Heishido Shishido or even the fanatical cult characters but I'll pass on.

Some productions from past times have become milestones that have marked history and have become classics of their time and segment. Some of them, many even, have an intrinsic technical and artistic quality, which leaves no doubt about their importance. It takes very little to understand why it has reached the status of a “historic landmark”. Others, on the other hand, end up being more mixed, with qualities and defects – sometimes even more defects – but which managed to establish their own unique aesthetic, represent the spirit of an era or simply be in the right place at the right time. Akira, an almost ... mythical name in the midst of comics, is representative not only of a segment but also of an idea. It has its many positive points, but, as a whole, it fits more into the second group.

With more than thirty years since its release, Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira has a lot of history. Launched in 1982, the heyday of punk culture and even before seminal works such as the novel Neuromancer or Blade Runner, the manga appeared during a period of return to the Cold War and a time of intense anti-establishment sentiment. This context ends up being part of the core of the manga, which in its first pages introduces a post-nuclear destruction Neo-Tokyo that is infested with a misguided youth that makes rebellion their greatest weapon against the government and the military. Not only represent the spirit of an era that saw punk culture slowly enter pop culture, but the work also ended up representing the cultural production of Japanese comics.

Akira was brought to the West in 1988 by Marvel Comics.
Otomo's work was one of the first manga to be translated into English and established much of what is thought of as Japanese comic book aesthetics, influencing the Cyberpunk genre. Along with Blade Runner, the manga established a good part of the aesthetic that would be used in works about dystopian futures with pessimistic conspiracies, making possible works like Ghost in the Shell, another great exponent of the genre, and marking tropes and clichés that are used to this day in the segment. In 92, the anime would also come out of the west, and despite having a very summarized history of the original work, it instantly conquered the status of a cult work, marking the imagination of a whole generation of western pioneers when it comes to Japanese works. Despite gradually having his fame diluted, Akira was once – and in some ways still is – a synonym for manga. A legendary work, memorable and full of icons (such as Kaneda's mythical motorcycle).

Even so, despite the legend, the fame and the affection of the fans, the complete work is far from perfect.
Katsuhiro Otomo's care in his work is undeniable. Although Akira is an entertainment-oriented work, it is by no means frivolous and manages to approach timeless themes in its construction. Although never directly exposing the thought, the first edition of the work brings a clear anti-war and anti-militarist sentiment, presenting the social consequences of a third world war and creating an image of a conspiratorial and controlling army, willing to experiment with civilians just for the sake of it. that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Civil obedience is praised. The rebels receive positive exposure, though the delinquent biker gang are the big heroes, despising both the army and society, but not being overpowered by the military's fascist methods.

However, despite making good introductions to these elements within the fiction, the author does not elaborate much on any of these particularities. The group of rebels, of which the character Kei, the only girl in the plot, is part, barely has history, method or motives in this volume, being there almost because it is something that should be natural. The delinquents of Kaneda's gang, in turn, despite being well grounded within their own culture, end up not having a more refined approach. From an almost childish point of view, they use drugs and run away from school, and get into fights and violence because it's all "cool", but at no time is this routine treated in a mature way. It ends up looking like they're just rebels with the cause of being heroes of history.

Still, the author manages to paint an interesting picture of Kaneda and the gang, taking the time to present what the group's school situation is like, how they interact with each other, and some of their other hobbies that don't involve motorcycle racing. Kaneda's relationship with the others is not explored as much, but it is introduced in more than one moment and competently enough that the group's bonds of friendship and loyalty are perceived. It cannot be said, however, that none of these characters is complex or multifaceted. All are almost perfect examples within their environment, showing no negative traits within their own logic, only some characterizing traits. Not only apart and rebellious in relation to society, but they also are almost above humanity itself, not so different from the hedonistic and rowdy vampires of the movie Lost Boys, released in 87.

If Kaneda himself and his sidekicks don't have too many problems with the presentation of his life in the gang, the story's initial antagonist, Tetsuo, ends up being unforgivably harmed. The manga opens with a sequence of nightly motorcycle races by the gang, and soon the event that starts Akira's main plot takes place, causing Tetsuo to be taken to an unknown place and set on the path to antagonism. However, this context loses a lot of strength because at no time does the story effectively show his relationship with the rest of the gang – and especially with Kaneda – when everyone was friends and everything was fine and normal. Later, the manga shows scenes of friendly interactions between Kaneda and Tetsuo, but friction between the two already occurs, and the effect of bonding with Tetsuo's past is not achieved. A very big – and even amateur – flaw in the manga's script.

However, these are not the major flaws of the work. The biggest problem with Akira is that Katsuhiro Otomo isn't very good with the rhythm and his frame passes are, to say the least, clumsy. The story of the first volume is good – although not excellent outside of its own context – and the aesthetics raised and fostered by the work are phenomenal, everything seems to happen in a very artificial rhythm without delimiting the time very well and in several segments, it is even a little tricky to follow the construction that a frameset wants to go through. An imperfect technique, no doubt, but that somehow collaborates with the anarcho-punk poetics that circulates Akira. A trace of humanity and rebellion that – accidentally or not – fits very well into the composition of the whole, echoing interestingly with the poor, dirty and disorganized panoramas of Neo-Tokyo.

No, Akira is not a perfect work, in this first volume, the author oscillates between the very good and the almost amateur. However, the manga is 100% authentic, having an identity that was responsible for helping to establish some segments of pop culture. It is a legendary work that deserves to be read and the treatment given by Kodansha does justice to its importance in the artistic field of comics. Still, it is possible that some younger or less experienced readers will find it difficult to enjoy the material. In that regard, little locusts, be patient. It's taking a deep breath, trying to understand the proposal, the time and the formulation of aesthetics, and trying to enter the world and the context of Akira. For those who have already seen the movie, don't worry, in this volume one alone there's enough worth reading. And anyway, a work as relevant to comics as Katsuhiro Otomo's magnum opus is not merely about reading a story, but having a true aesthetic experience.

To me, AKIRA is only good if you don't read current works of science fiction or if you're stuck in the 80s and 90s at the time of that subculture. The story is worth your time but always with many pre-requirements. The version of the work that I read was the Portuguese version, edited by Meribérica/Lider (the rarest version in the world?) in the 90s and completed in 19 volumes, it is a coloured version with reversed images, just like the first English version printed in the United States in 1988.