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wildelwrcase's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Junji Ito's art is stunning and make me physically cringe back at multiple points. Unlike his other work, the horror presented in the book is less existential body horror and more a deep unpleasantness felt towards reality. I cannot help but keep turning the pages even in the face of my utter disgust.
It makes me both want to read the novel and not, because already it's quite a difficult read. It's quick and that is maybe the only reason I got through it. I hated every second of it, and I want to read more immediately. This I think shows the strength of both the original writing of Dazai and the translation and illustration by Ito since I'm already seeking out more content from both.
The last few chapters starting with the mental hospital wrecked me emotionally. Knowing Dazai's fate following No Longer Human makes it all the more devastating.
There's really not much more I can say for review. It's hard to do since this is partially auto-biographical. The story in and of itself is hard to critique as it's some ones fictionalized lived experience. It's disgusting and horrifying and not for the faint of heart, and I also think that maybe everyone should read it because it's absolutely incredible.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Pedophilia, and Death of parent
afi_whatafireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Personal Ratings : 5🌟
If the novel was already good, the manga somewhat completed it and made it more wholesome and has an in depth insight of the horrendous nature of human beings. I love that Ito Sensei actually stick through the basis of the novel but emphasized more on the pain of others that Yozo had caused alongst with his pain. In the novel, most of Yozo's suffering was somewhat integrated so deeply with his thoughts that there are some parts like the sexual abuse that he had suffered can be undetected. Ito had took the spin of the suffering into his own usual style and added a more grotesque way in showing how it had affected his mind and the people around him.
This manga and this novel as a whole is bloody depressing, and its a comfort read for me whenever I have a relapse on my own. One of the biggest aspects that was included in the manga was the character of Dazai himself as an author to be portrayed in here, as somewhat like a mirror to Yozo. The fact that No Longer Human was somewhat a semi-autobiography made this manga so unique and I cried so much at the end as to a certain degree, it reflected Dazai's suffering as well, and it had translated into the novel that he was writing. Ito was smart in that sense and major respect that he had taken his own spin to include Dazai in the manga.
This manga and story as a whole is depressing. Its a life of a man that went through stages of clowning and hatred for the human kind, to a point that he had resulted to drugs and alcohol to escape his own mind. Was he a character that is likeable? Obviously not. But for what's worth, his suffering and trauma is something that cannot be changed. For those who relate to the story, I'm sincerely sending you the warmest hugs. As for me, this manga became a good companion in a moment of my own darkness.
May everyone find the light that they deserve in their lives.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
srasmus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, and Suicide
Minor: War