It might have something to do with me finding some, ahem, alternative means to reading them. What? I’ve tried the local library, but they’re useless. I wish there was some sort of online rental alternative. Maybe your library has some comics. If you’re super lucky, there’s some manga included in that collection. But good luck finding anything aside from like one copy of the most well-known properties. Apparently, for example, there’s only one copy of One-Punch Man, Volume 1, for example, hence why I had been waiting for at least a week before giving up and cancelling my hold request. I know there are websites that allow you to read manga on them for a fee, yet comics of any sort are the one kind of book I’ll always prefer reading a physical copy of. Admittedly, I read these four on my computer; however, the experience was severely lacking in comparison to having the mangas in my hands. Maybe I’d change my mind if I had one of those fancy e-readers that’s meant for this sort of thing. Regardless, it’s only used as a last resort at this point in time.
As I believe I’ve said before, I’ve been trying to get myself over that innate bias against manga that was bred by years in Japanese classes with manga/anime obsessed weirdos that I oftentimes didn’t want to turn into myself. They weren’t all your stereotypical weeaboos/otakus, but there was enough there to make me leery of manga and anime for some time to come. I checked out some of the most notable ones here and there, since I felt almost like I had to being in that friend group, yet that was about the extent of it. And there were plenty I avoided just the same due to them having reached such a point of saturation, this series included. But I was giving all the series Target had available a peek and was surprised to find that there was something to this one.
Before reading this, I knew nothing about One-Punch Man aside from the fact that he’s a silly-looking bald boy who, as the title states, defeats things with one punch. I like silly as much as the next guy, but that rough idea always struck me as silly bordering on stupid. I didn’t understand where you could take the story if it was as simple as one punch and it’s over. Thankfully, it leans hard into that silliness and One-Punch Man himself is as bored with his super-heroing as any prospective reader might be. I remain uncertain how this could possibly go for as long as it has, since I’m going to eventually want a little more from it narratively than just some dumb fun. Still, for the time being, I’m sold enough to continue, so I guess that’s what counts, right?
Rating: 4/5.
Having exhausted both of Fujimoto’s series, I decided to delve into his one-shots. First is Look Back, which one has to imagine is the most personal of Fujimoto’s stories. Look Back follows Fujino, an elementary schooler who draws manga for her school’s paper, and the other student, Kyomoto, who pushes her to improve herself. At first, I thought I was simply getting a harsh look at the life of a prospective artist, Fujino’s manga pursuits being frequently belittled and discouraged, namely by her own parents. But once Fujino and Kyomoto meet, Fujimoto treats us to an even more comprehensive look into what it can be like for prospective artists.
Little did Fujino know, Kyomoto, the one she was jealous of all this time, was her biggest fan, and it’s her coming to personally deliver her diploma (since Kyomoto was an agoraphobic truant) that inspires her to finally leave the house. The two go into work together on manga, seeing their success and fame grow with each passing day. Eventually, though, priorities change for both and that’s where the story becomes heartbreaking. I won’t spoil any more, except to say that Fujino’s assessment of why she continues to write gutted me, and I can’t help but wonder if Fujimoto might have similar feelings as a manga artist himself. I hope not.
Rating: 4/5.
Damnit, Fujimoto, stop toying with my emotions. Goodbye, Eri is one of those stories that takes pleasure in leaving you guessing what’s real and what’s not, as well as playing your emotions like they’re an instrument and he’s the damned musician. What starts as a heart-wrenching tale of a young child given a phone to record his mother’s final moments is quickly subverted as we learn he’s turned this home footage into a film for his school. Fujimoto really nails putting us in the position of his classmates there. I was on the verge of full-blown tears when his chosen ending for the film jarred me suddenly out of that headspace. Moreover, it wouldn’t work if it didn’t feel so much like watching his home-videos, only translated perfectly to the page. This is one of the best marriages of art and story that I’ve ever seen, and I might have loved it largely because of that.
Only it’s not just that, there’s also so many subversions of expectations, so many things to think about, so many different emotions elicited in such a short amount of time. I don’t want to say any more about the story itself because it truly is one of the books best gone into blind. To think that this man is only 29, born 2 years before me. I’ll watch his career with great interest from here on in.
Rating: 5/5.
Much like with One-Punch Man, I’m confused about how they could milk so much content out of the concept. Looking online, it appears there are 21 volumes of this particular series, and I don’t know how that can possibly not feel drawn out with the set-up we have here. One day, a weird octopus-like creature destroys part of the moon, leaving it now forever a crescent, and promises to destroy the earth within a year if he’s not assassinated first. The only ones with a proper opportunity to assassinate him? His students. Yup, he agrees to teach Class E, the students others have given up on, and does so rather earnestly. There’s an expectation that they’ll all try to assassinate him, and he even gives them pointers, but mostly he seems to be there out of a real desire to teach these kids something.
There’s an air of mystery about him for sure, with nobody, not the kids nor the adults that are offering the huge reward for his assassination, understanding what his deal is. But 21 volumes??? It’s amusing enough, but I’m hoping it stops being a parade of failed assassination attempts and starts getting delving more into who he is and why he’s doing all of this. I don’t know if I’ll stick with it if it’s 21 volumes of this, just dashes of plot here and there between the assassination attempts and teaching. That being said, if it’s a year stretched out over 21 volumes, I feel like that’s all it’s going to be, so I’m not about to get my hopes up. Maybe I’ll just watch the anime instead…
Rating: 3/5.