"Oh, my god. My life... is boring. Today, this one day... Began just like any other. And this one day, which started like any other... Was about to end. It was supposed to happen... " -Takahata Shun, Kamisama no Iutoori
Imagine a seemingly normal day in high school: everyone's conversing about trivial matters, getting ready for class to start, and sitting at their desk patiently. Now, what exactly happened that ruined the usual day for every teenager that had attended class?
Sensei's head was blown up, followed by a Daruma doll sitting in front of the class, and the homicide of anyone who moved at the wrong time.
This gruesome tale puts you through a series of compound emotions: Bitter-sweet, exciting-anger, suspenseful-sorrow, and many more fusions of sentiments have had me captivated by this story from chapter 1.
I couldn't help but think, "the kids who didn't attend that day sure did get lucky..." NOT.
Kamisama no Iutoori Ni is a beautifully drawn sequel in modern day Japan that follows the adolescents who had been absent for the sick, horrendous, and unrelenting survival games. But, just because they hadn't made an appearance at school didn't mean that the absentees escaped the fate that awaited them.
The story follows Akashi, a simple-minded juvenile who possesses a credulous and naïve nature. He leads the readers and other characters into a series of games that force morality and life against each other. Knowing of the incident that his school experienced from media, Akashi couldn't help but be worried about his childhood friend, who he had gotten into a fight with that morning. The small conflict resulted in him storming off before class had started and avoiding that day's nightmare. Mind-boggling and idiotic for a few of the more complex personas, I can't say I always escape their resolve.
The story continues testing the characters with childrens' games, such as red-light-green-light. The art doesn't lack in exquisite scenery and changes appropriately with each game, of course having their twists in order to be gut wrenching thrillers. Diversity of setting goes from a haunted school classrooms to a realistic bird eye's view of Tokyo's ground. The realism of the art reminds you that all of these students are just, well, students. The variety doesn't stop there; characters' unique design styles are used wisely from personality to personality, even changing throughout the chronological timeline, and some characters are very effectively drawn with more of a cartoon-like edge.
Exploring the theme of friendship and trust is a consistent overall theme for this manga and one of the reasons I love it so much. But don't let that statement allow you to believe this is some happy ending fairy tale. The story has had me at the edge of my seat a number of times, wondering who and who won't live to the next chapter. Character after character is disposed of, some even being my favorites and well developed. (Avoiding painful flashbacks and spoilers.)
This series is amazing and a must read for anyone who enjoys a survival game. Don't take my word for it and explore into this traumatic tale.
