A man wakes up one day to find that outside nothing looks alike to how it did before, and the world he knew ceases to exist.
What starts out a bit whimsical and harmless soon makes clear it’s really a nightmare. As we betray all sense, the reader sinks headfirst into a manga equivalent of LSD Dream Emulator. The ideas are truly a sublime blend of the macabre and surreal. A major “plot structure” is the Traveller encountering horrifying and confusing alternate societies where he tries to fit in. Everything is from the perspective of the Traveller, so discerning other characters almost becomes pointless. They serve to further the loose plot (really a series of dreams) rather than to feel any emotions over said characters. Our protagonist being amoral and going with the flow emphasizes the dreamlike nature of it all.
One last huge draw is how Nishioka Kyoudai employ a distinct art style you will spot immediately whenever you see it. It’s ugly by conventional standards, but for any art house lovers is eye candy. All in all, this was my favorite manga by this brother sister duo so far. It gets their outlandish storytelling and dark sensibilities across perfectly, without becoming too sickening like Kami no Kodomo.
