Reviews

No Longer Human by Junji Ito

Only show reviews with written explanations

vinicoelho's review

dark sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Interesting for sure to see Junji ito's interpretation of the story, his art work is beautiful and grotesque as always. Where he lost me was the tone, I think this manga read more like a supernatural horror story where the novel is an unabashed character piece on one person's descent into depravity, I think this takes away from the original intent of the novel as it blames Oba's actions on external forces like ghosts and curses. Interesting as a standalone piece but I don't think it matches up with the novel and I did not appreciate some of the liberties taken like his sexual involvement with his cousins or takeichi's suicide. Maybe that's on me for expecting a 1:1 recreation of the novel in manga format YMMV.

rach_eb's review

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4.0

I've been in the very specific mood for "Japanese fiction about/by people who feel like outsiders in society" since I read Sayaka Murata's "Earthlings", so this book fit in with that niche nicely. Extremely disturbing, sad, and at times sexist (which is exactly what I expected from a novel originally published in the 1940s), but absolutely gripping. Ito's adaptation and illustrations bring this story marvelously and horrifyingly to life.

untitledlullaby's review

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5.0

We truly do live in a society

arae0311's review

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3.0

I was kind of hoping for more, but that might just be because I've had this book hyped up in my head for so long, that expectations are through the roof. In all honesty, I read this with the intention of learning the basic plot and characters of the book for when I finally read it in Japanese (just for a little extra security). Ito's art is nonetheless stunning and there were moments I audibly gasped at (at three in the morning, looking at ink on paper....)

zombie_loves_books's review

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

As always Junji Ito's art is astonishing! I doubt I would have been able to read this otherwise.

Spoiler

A person you come to hate pretty fast going through a never ending spiral of momentary content quickly followed by self-imposed dispare that almost always leads to death of a mostly innocent party. Even being haunted by those he wronged he never acknowledged his part in it and instead justifies everything in his own mind, blames the victims and just women in general.

Content Warnings

jbmorgan86's review

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2.0

Rape, incest, murder, suicide, alcoholism, drug addiction, demons. Another lovely recommendation from a twelve year old student. I guess I get the appeal. It’s edgy. The art is wild. I’m just at a stage in my life where I don’t care to engage in stories that are simply about suffering. There’s enough suffering in the real world. I don’t have a need to delve deeply into fictional suffering.