I won't compare DDDD to the author's previous works because it differs greatly from his usual style. This new work emphasizes much of what he had introduced, for example, in "Goodnight Punpun" the political aspect and the group of fanatics.
DDDD talks about a pre-apocalyptic scenery where people have to live under the constant anxiety of an uncertain world, where the future is no longer as stable and taken for granted as it once was. On one hand, ironically, this anxiety is represented with a certain nonchalance towards an alien invader who "threatens" them. The Japanese population, in fact, is more anxious about minor concerns rather than the overall situation, and this is what characterizes the manga.
The manga blends three different genres very well: comedy, slice of life, sci-fi, and drama. At no point did I feel one of these genres overshadowing the others. In fact, in my opinion, it managed to give them a lot of value depending on the situation. One of the moments that struck me the most was when the possibility of time travel was revealed, not in the literal sense, but only from one consciousness to another. It reminded me a lot, in some ways, of "Interstellar," when at the end of the movie the father manages to enter the wormhole and then enter the fifth dimension. I'm not saying that the manga was directly inspired by the film, but, since it reminded me of it and gave me the same dramatic intensity when Ouran entered the time capsule, it makes it even more a work that resonates with me.
The characters are all well characterized, both sides of the coin. Each single individual is a piece that serves its purpose, and there is no one out of place. An honorable mention goes to Ouran's brother, Hiroshi, who, no matter which timeline he is in, his brotherly love always prevails. The reader is never ceases to be amazed at how open-minded he can be despite his quirky characteristics and hikikomori personality. The relationship between Ouran and Kadode is platonic; they have been through various difficult and carefree experiences since they were young. And even though Ouran witnessed Kadode's fanaticism for justice that led her to madness and violence, she did not hesitate to forgive her and try to save her in another timeline.
From an artistic point of view, I was amazed. Initially, the style didn't convince me, but as I read the chapters, it weighed on me less and convinced me more and more that it was the most suitable choice for the title. The photorealistic backgrounds blend well with the characters, and hats off to Sensei Inio Asano for dedicating an entire chapter just to the explosion of the invaders' Mothership from different perspectives, without losing a single detail or dramatic intensity in the panels.
I don't want to dwell on other technicalities or details; rather, I would like to talk about the work from a more personal point of view now:
If, as I watched in an interview, it is true that Inio Asano wanted to draw in this manga what causes him the most anxiety in life because it lightens the weight of the fear he carries in his heart, then this comforts me.
He dealt with themes such as life after death, and when I read it, it made me feel calm. Calm in knowing that I am not the only one afraid, calm because I could fantasize about a sweet death and not a terrible one as we imagine in our world. A reunion with peace and our beloved ones. Perhaps you won't understand this very well, but given my circumstances, death is something that weighs heavily on me, and honestly, this part is what struck me most in the entire series.
As you may have noticed, this is not a review, but more of a sharing of thoughts. The manga, regardless, I would recommend to anyone who has already read something by Inio Asano and wants to try something different. I think it can easily fit among my best reads of 2024, hoping to read many more in the years to come.
