Reviews with content warning for Blood - L' astro infernale. Remina

Remina is a tale of obsession and destruction. It’s a commentary on the toxicity of idol culture, particularly as it intersects with misogyny. I think the protagonist’s storyline is complemented fairly well by the more fantastical elements – the harassment the girl Remina is subjected to and the planet Remina’s relentless pursuit are mirror images.

Remina Oguro has no agency whatsoever. Unfortunately, that does make her a little difficult to connect to, but I don’t think she should be dismissed as poorly written. It is demonstrated time and time again that the men and boys in her life constantly make decisions for her with no regard as to what she might want. They tell her what to think and how to feel. They lie to her and gaslight her. They’ll worship her one minute and demonise her the next with no apparent reason for the change in attitude beyond their own fancies. It’s no wonder she’s so passive and unable to assert herself. She barely even has a self to assert. This isn’t just a two-dimensional female character – she has been flattened. Though I admit I would have liked to see her reach her limit and snap instead of always capitulating.

As for the sci-fi horror, it’s all very pulpy. The silliness does undercut the horror somewhat, and the scientific errors are irksome. I mean, yeah, obviously a story about a murderous planet is going to require some suspension of disbelief, but light years as a measure of time? Come on.

Also the ending didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me? Let’s just say I’d have written it very differently.

Okay, no, let’s dissect it. Option 1: Death. This feels like an obvious conclusion to me. Remina (the girl) could have died at the hands of the mob that hunted her, in the all-encompassing cataclysm of the Earth being consumed, or even by suicide. Yes, she only has one year to live in the weird space bunker thing so in a sense her death is imminent, but it doesn’t have that same “destruction” feel to it that was the theme of the story. Option 2: As I said before, it would have been great to see her assert herself. The finale easily could have revolved around a triumphant moment in which she makes a stand and reclaims her personhood. Option 3: Yes, this book explores the horror of being despised and hunted, but there’s also the more subtle horror of being known. Of being perceived. What if Remina (the planet) destroyed the world and turned its gaze upon Remina (the girl), the sole survivor, only to leave and continue its rampage elsewhere in the galaxy? Remina Oguro would be left utterly alone, experiencing a horror that’s the complete inverse of the horror she was subjected to before.

All in all, I kinda liked Remina. At the very least, I appreciate the effort. The artwork was great. The writing could have been better. It’s a shame the execution was a little lacking because Ito was working with some really interesting ideas. Three stars. Not quite three and a half.

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mydearwatsonbooks's review against another edition

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lilybear3's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.0

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librarydeluna's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

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rottendollparts's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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rachelunabridged's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

unfortunately i didn't enjoy this one as much as i do itou's other works. the art was fantastic, as usual, but the story felt like it had pacing problems. it felt really rushed in a lot of places, and something about it felt unfinished somehow. (i might have to give it a reread soon to see if i can pinpoint what exactly it was.) i'd recommend it to people who enjoy itou junji's other works, but it's definitely not his strongest one.

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