I wanted to read a story with elements that delve into the human psychology. As a student of the subject, it always serves to be great food for thought when done the right way. Even though the story was about Mountain Climbing which I have no interest for, I felt that I may get something out of this. My hunch was RIGHT!
It started off in a very edgy manner. Did not really sink in. Felt very abrupt and was establishing itself like a standard story (not necessarily a bad thing) But then, it CHANGED. The whole approach changed. The past trauma for the mc that was being developed, the new characters that could have been potential rivals and important characters, all suddenly ditched. It felt as if a standard shounen-ish story suddenly changed towards a more mature audience. It abandoned the usual troupes and patterns you find in typical stories and aimed for something totally different.
A part of me questioned if this was actually a wise move. The answer I came up with was, YES. Because this really changed the message and vision the manga and story wanted to deliver to the readers. But, that is not all, the best thing about the story is HOW it delivers. The SYMBOLISM is beautiful. Its a work of ART. To me, this story was like watching an exquisite piece of art and imagining all that was going in the artist's mind while also coming up with original ideas for ways I would describe the art myself. And I mean that metaphorically, not as in the 'art style'. The art was amazing too, but the way it was done was more amazing.
It was a shame how the initial characters that could have served to be wonderful counterparts to the mc in the future were literally turned into shitty side characters but I guess that's also life. To see people with potential, hopes and aspiration simply waste and rot away.
I kept in touch the the author's comments in every volume. It was apparent that he was growing as an artist and as a person while writing the story. In short, the manga was like his kid and he was raising it, nurturing it and connecting to the real Katou Buntarou.....
Now, Kato Buntarou was a real life mountain climber. He died in the year 1936, and was regarded as a top tier solo climber. The mc of this story is inspired by him, but it is to keep in mind that this story is not depicting his biography. The story is based in modern times.
Its as if the author was saying, "What if Buntarou was born in this era" Hence why it deviated from the classic novel it took its roots from.
One of my favorite things about this manga was the topic of "sex". The way it delved into this human need in a way that deemed it necessary but also a distraction at the same time was beautiful.
Each and every single character that came in Butarou's life pushed him further in his development.
He did not want to be alone. But he was forced to be left alone due to the fact that he could not bond with others. He was different. He had a humanity he did not feel in others and vice versa. There was a mountain between him and others and this was the one mountain he had to climb. But it was not easy, so he took the apparently harder way out by finding solace in solitude. He took shelter in the mountain where his loneliness was justified. But to his surprise, it would help him climb the mountain of humanity and eventually he would find it easier to interact with others. A big part of that is his love life. He does find a woman who he marries, this was proof that he wanted to connect and finally managed to do so. And while his body and mind were still somewhere in the mountains, he was able to live a life down below.
Till the end, the power of love and family drove him. While it sounds cliché, it is how humans are structured. For me it was a beautiful representation of strength. At first, he climbed solo to be alone. But later, he climbed solo to come back to his family.
The symbolism that was shown to depict the struggles and desires of other climbers within the story was simply *chef's kiss*
During a certain climb in the story, the aspect and "The desire to hang on to ones desire" was simply beautiful. it was beautiful how a part of them wanted to get away from the struggle of the climb. The part that made them want to be more normal like others, but the part of wanting to climb. The way it was depicted is what makes this manga unique and impressive.
Lastly, The ending. The fight within one's heart, buntarou vs buntarou, the desire to go up and go down. The symbolism, art, imagery, execution, .... everything was perfect. The real Katou Buntarou figured died at a very young age of 31, but this story was not his biography, the author struggled with himself, how should he end it?
His conclusion was perfect in its own way, but to witness that, you will have to read it for yourself !!
The only flaw that would like to point out might not actually be a flaw but certainly could have been improved upon, was the consistency. The story felt pretty broken in pieces. While that too might be a charm for others, for me, I felt that it took a hit at the story telling flow and narration of the story that it builds up. It is because of this that you are unable to connect to many characters properly, in the way the author wants you too.
