This is an autobiography and a historical document of the development of manga in Japan in the 50s and 60s. If you’re interested in that at all, you’ll have a great time with it. If you’re not interested in the subject matter, this can become a slog. Like I said, at almost 900 pages, most of it is dedicated to the conflicts between the magazines and the mangaka, trends in artwork and script, important publications, important authors at the time and so on. Fortunately for me I’m interested in the world of comics and manga, so I had a great time with it. It was very interesting to read about manga before the great magazines, how they came to be and what they destroyed to become the hegemonic method of manga publication. There’s a bittersweet tone to the whole thing, and the feeling of longing the author has for the past is very evident. It’s like he’s trying to capture as much as he can from his young years and the events that made those days so important to him. I was very moved in many places during my reading of it. I say longing but there isn’t a sentiment of nostalgia, or a combative stance of ‘the good old days’ vs now. The work has a quiet peace about the whole thing, even in the moments of struggle. Like the previous work I read from this guy, I have to recommend this one.
