This story— The man without talent has 6chapters that deals with the worth of a man. Is a man worth something only if he can make money? Should you keep working a job just for money or should you follow your passion? The protagonist was a mangaka initially, but decided that he wanted to do something new. So he stopped drawing, started a side-gig. Unsuccessfully. Tried again, unsuccessfully.
And so we see how he has lived his life, and continues to do so.
We also get to see poverty up close.
Have you read the story “Lie thee down, Oddity” By T.F. Powys?
That story has a man too, who would rather destroy his life on a whim, than do something that he doesn’t want to. Self-righteous, maybe, but then if you want that level of freedom, you’ve got to be ready for the consequences.
I digress.
Story 8/10
We get a couple of soft instances that shape this man’s life. There is no dramatic action or romance here. This is a slice of life seinen. It has a philosophical aspect. It is short enough to give a shot.
Art 7/10
This is a creation of the hard boiled gekiga world. Art is just a means to tell the story. But I personally liked the art. It is bright, even though it shows dark themes.
Character 8/10
To really love a manga, I must demand it to have likeable and relatable characters. The protagonist here, Sukegawa is a easy go lucky guy, who has can dream big and then go to sleep right after that. That part is relatable. Lol.
At one point his wife quips -You seem to take every action that is against your self interest. And that felt sharp. Because I think all of us have these thoughts, where we feel “Hey, let’s give up. Let’s bunk school, let’s go drink or let’s punch our boss!” But we don’t. This guy does it. He’s an idiot, but a good man.
And his wife is a good person too, for motivating him to draw, because that’s his real passion.
Enjoyment 8/10
I had fun reading this story. Simple, short, fun.
PS
I read about the mangaka. This story is semi-autobiographical. At one point the mangaka even had to sell blood just to make ends meet. He made a comeback in Garo(a prominent Gekiga magazine). And made some money.
After getting money he stopped drawing because he said he can’t draw in a life of ease. He also struggled with depression.
Later his works got adapted to various languages and got many movie adaptations.
Thank you for reading!
