Old Boy, Vol. 8

オールドボーイ [Old Boy] #8

by Garon Tsuchiya, Nobuaki Minegishi (Illustrator), Kumar Sivasubramanian (Translator)

Imprisoned without explanation for a decade by a wealthy former schoolmate, Goto now comes to the endgame against his tormentor. If Goto cannot uncover the secret behind the schoolyard grudge, he'll earn his death and the death of the girl he loves - just as his adversary will accept death if Goto can unlock his memories and the meaning behind them. But there's more to the game locked away in memories, and even the end of the game may not mean the end to the war!

Genres: Manga, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Mystery, Seinen, Crime

216 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

We've finally reached the last volume, and I couldn't be more obsessed with uncovering why Shinichi Gotō has been imprisoned for 10 long years! It's rare for a book to get me this excited about the ending.

"Old Boy" has been a fantastic thriller from start to finish, consistently keeping me on edge and eager to turn each page to see what happens next. Although the pacing is slow, the narrative is so well-crafted that I was never bored. Honestly, I think this manga is highly underrated. I would put it on the same level as Monster—they both share a similarly intense, psychological vibe.

The highly anticipated conclusion comes only in the very last chapter, and I'll admit, it might leave some readers disappointed. The ending isn’t entirely clear-cut. While you do discover the event that led Kakinuma to imprison Gotō, the full reasoning behind it remains ambiguous, maintaining the series' signature mysterious atmosphere. In essence, it leaves the door wide open for interpretation.

Personally, I'm okay with this. I enjoyed the series thoroughly, and if a higher-quality edition is ever published, I'll definitely pick it up, as the current one is lacking in production value.

I also had a chance to check out the movie adaptation. Although the plot structure is similar, the reason behind Gotō's imprisonment is completely different—a more straightforward tale of vengeance with a clear motive. It makes sense that the movie didn’t go with the manga’s more abstract ending, which might not have translated well to film.

In any case, Old Boy is an amazing series—highly recommended and, in my opinion, highly underrated.

My Interpretation of the Ending: (Spoiler Alert!)

We learn that Takaaki Kakinuma imprisoned Shinichi Gotō for 10 years because Gotō cried during a music rehearsal where Kakinuma was singing a particular song. Gotō, feeling sorry for Kakinuma as he sang, triggered something deep inside Kakinuma. They were classmates at the time.

Kakinuma was what you might call the "ugly duckling"—marginalized by everyone because of his appearance, physical frailty, and social awkwardness. He had accepted that the world was full of awful people and that he was alone, the only "good" person in a bad world.

But when Gotō, someone popular and well-liked, felt pity for him, it made Kakinuma feel shame. This is where the story gets a bit unclear. Perhaps Kakinuma realized that not everyone was bad, shattering his worldview.

Kakinuma’s goal in imprisoning Gotō was to provoke him into seeking revenge, to prove that Gotō wasn’t truly a good person. But it backfired—despite being unjustly locked away for a decade, Gotō never felt hatred or a desire for vengeance. He just wanted to understand why it happened.

[Mike Pearson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on the ending and the disappointment in the lack of payoff (especially compared to the movie), I would have given it two stars. But since my heart was in my mouth as I charged through this volume, I have to give it props for building the tension and suspense so brilliantly.

I wasn't as struck by the manga's signature atmospheric art style, I'm not sure if that's because I was rushing the read or if it had genuinely run out of steam by the end.

I hate to be 'that guy', but I'd recommend the film over the manga. The obsession, the twist, the desire for revenge was so much more believable and rewarding, and I still think about it years after watching it. This was pretty cool and different (I loved it that the manga and film are so different!) but it was ultimately frustrating and forgettable.

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 3 out of 5]

After such an enthralling build-up, the big reveal was definitely, a let-down. The problem with the big reveal is not the reveal itself, but the way it has been executed, like the "Martha" Scene in BVS. And, there are still some subplots that the writer didn't explain at all.

Despite the disappointing revelation, the volume is still good, and the epilogue opens the road to so many possibilities.

[Essareh · Rating 3 out of 5]

-ریویوم فقط برای این جلد نیست.



اولش چنان شباهتی بین شروع مانگا با فیلم بود که می‌خواستم بی‌خیال خوندنش بشم، ولی خب هر چی رفت جلوتر تفاوت‌هاشون بیشتر شد.

من تصاویرش رو خیلی دوست داشتم. به نظرم معلمه و شعبده‌بازه خیلی جذاب بودن. خیلی خیلی جذاب بودن. خیلی خیلی خیلی جذاب بودن. شاید یه روزی از وب گودریدز اومدم عکسشون رو گذاشتم که فیض ببرید.

بعضی وقت‌ها احساس می‌کردم که دیگه واقعاً الکی داره کش میاد. خیلی جاهای جنگ/بازیشون باعث می‌شد پلک نزنم (مخصوصاً جلد آخر) ولی سر یه قسمت‌هایی هم حوصله‌م سر می‌رفت.

آخرش [سعی می‌کنم اسپویل نکنم.] اصلاً مثل فیلم چندش نبود ولی خب من همینش رو دوست نداشتم. وقتی فیلم رو دیدم (البته خیلی وقت پیش بود و درست یادم نمی‌آد.) آخرش در حالی که سعی می‌کردم بالا نیارم اینجوری بودم که «اوه، عجب دلیلی داشت. ایول ایول.» ولی آخر مانگا گفتم «خب، باشه... ولی جدی نیاز بود؟»... خلاصه‌ش کنم، به نظرم دلیل انتقام ناکافی بود.

یه نصیحت هم بکنم که چند جلد اول رو از سایت مانهوا نگیرید، اگه گرفتید انتظار دیدن هاله‌های محوی که کله‌ی آدم دارن و حرف می‌زنن رو داشته باشید.

خلاصه این که از خوندنش اصلا پشیمون نیستم. اگه نمی‌خوندم هم چیز خاصی نمی‌شد، ولی خب بهتر که خوندم.

[hamna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Umm.... what the hell? Why is the ending so shit? All that torture and everything for what? God this is such a rare case of a movie being better than a book.

[Zombie_Phreak · Rating 1 out of 5]

How do you start a series out that was so amazingly awesome and have it end with utter garbage such as this?

When this series started out it was a gritty street level crime story. The main character (Goto) is thrown in a cell for 10 years and then without warning he is released back into the world. He's willing to go to any length to find out who imprisoned him and why they did it. He goes into horrible Chinese restaurants and seedy bars to track down his enemy.

In this volume we find out that the guy who threw Goto in the cell was a former classmate named Doma or something. And the reason that Doma had him locked up because when they were in middle school, Doma sang a song in front of the whole class and everyone was laughing at him. But Goto saw this and felt sorry for him, so Doma swore revenge.

That's it? Seriously, that's it? That's the main villain's motivation? Did the author just run out of ideas when he got to this volume? I can't tell you what a disappointment this was when I finally got this far in the series. Plus when Goto finally figured out why Doma did what he did, Doma sings the song he sang all those years ago and then shoots himself in the head.

...why?

So then at the end Goto says the "war" isn't over. Uhhh... yeah it is. The guy who locked you up is dead. Kinda hard to have a "war" with someone if your opponent is dead.

The first 5 or 6 volumes of this series are awesome, but the last 2 are just stupid.

[Felipe Sarmiento · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dojima’s motivations were a bit more superficial than what I was expecting, which was very disappointing. However, the mystery behind the epilogue double-hypnosis situation was clever, and redeemed an otherwise lackluster ending.

The fact that we will never know what is the double-hypnosis situation and trigger, left for an open ending with the main character always wondering what may happen (unable to actually end the game/war). This make me reconsider my 2 starts to 3.

All in all, a fun ride.

[Tyler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fans of the movie will be greatly disappointed in this manga version's weak ending and agonizingly long build up. Absolutely brutal final chapter to what had been a rather decent series.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

As many other reviews have stated, this series did a fantastic job of building suspense. I think most of us were reading this while holding our breath as we had been waiting since Vol 1 to find out why the main character had been imprisoned for 10 years.

Honestly, the big reveal was a let down to me. I think it was a little over my head, but it just didn't have the impact I was expecting. The ending itself was similar to what I expected, but I'd have preferred a better reason for locking someone up for 10 years. I did get it, but still didn't quite fit the narrative for me.

Overall, however, this was a very good series, even though it did have some weirdness that stretched believability at times. I'm sure others found the reveal more satisfying. I still enjoyed this series, even with the slight letdown.

[Zeynep Dilara · Rating 4 out of 5]

amaaan be bu muydu

[Carolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Todos los elementos de la tragedia se desarrollan en está historia. Una decisión imposible y patética en la que todas las opciones posibles condenan al héroe. Una historia así no puede tener un desenlace amable, sería decepcionante.

Al final de las tragedias siempre me queda la sensación de que si los finales fueran felices esas historias serían malas y termino preguntándome si las personas con vidas terribles simplemente moldean su voluntad para vivir una buena historia o si es que al no tomar responsabilidad por nuestros actos necesariamente la vida se torna trágica.

Volviendo al manga me encantó, leer y releer fue interesante.

[Alex Quinonez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a series that I've held in high regard for a big portion of my life. After re-reading it now from different point of view when I'm older I have a few thoughts on it. This was probably one of the best manga I've read. it was a great story and all of the art was crazy good. the story ended in a way that left things open and felt somewhat unsatisfying. but like with many things that I've enjoyed, my head cannon can shape it so that the last bit doesn't matter. The ominous and uncertain ending has its place and I do think it was good, but I choose to see the ending as a happy one. 4.5/5 it was a good read.

[Tamarix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zengin komplekslilerin dünyasında yaşıyoruz gerçekten.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I was browsing for a series to read, I found out that the movie from a YMS's review on youtube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR8sR...] was actually an adaptation of a manga. So I went and checked out the manga.

Old Boy by Garon Tsuchiya is a Seinen manga where Goto Shinichi has been imprisoned for 10 years. He didn't commit any crime nor is he dealing with a corrupt authority system. Goto has been imprisoned through someone's personal request and he has no idea who or why. After his sudden release, all that's left for him to do is answer the reasoning behind his imprisonment.

The great:

Old Boy was all in all a quick read. The paneling was excellent and fast-paced. There isn't a whole bunch of dialogue where it doesn't need to be and it maintains a consistent tone throughout.

I overall enjoyed the mangaka's art style, although Tsuchiya falls into same-face syndrome with his women, even those that should be well into their middle age.

The good:

If you noticed looking through the other reviews: the movie adaptation(s) both deviate from the manga--especially in the reveal. And regardless of which adaptation, the reveal is part of what makes Old Boy quite a doozie. And that major plot point is absent from the manga, so understandably that gut punch miss would give many a reason to be disappointed. I mildly was as well, it wasn't until I mulled it over and had one of those infamous "shower thoughts." Spoilers for the ending and surrounding mystery:


The reason that the villain, Kakinuma, imprisoned Goto was unbelievably simple and in its very own way petty--and yet. Goto was tracked down, kidnapped, and imprisoned for 10 years for the simple fact that when he was in 6th grade, he cried while Kakinuma sang in music class.

Not for incest reasons like in either movie adaptation. At first glance, it appears to be to such a downgrade. "We've been dragged through this cat and mouse game because of THAT?? 10 years??" Then I thought about it more and more and actually LOOKED at the surrounding context, and I actually took the teacher into account beyond another carrot that Kakinuma uses to jog Goto's memory. It brings something else into question that isn't all that obvious until you notice it: Wait, this is a cat-and-mouse game, right? Why is Kakinuma helping Goto out by giving him all these clues? Doesn't he NOT want to be found or known?

That's when it hits me. Kakinuma wanted to be found. He wanted to be known. And not only found and known but recognized as someone better. The heart of his motives is found in the involvement of Goto and Kakinuma's teacher, Kusuma. Kakinuma had the unfortunate hand of being an ugly, awkward, and generally off-putting kid. Genuinely off-putting that even his teacher felt uncomfortable disdain for him that was so strong that Kakinuma recognized it.

He had no friends and was avoided, mocked, or bullied by others in his class. Goto wasn't one of them, the two arguably had little to no interaction, and other than the two being noted as smart kids, there was nothing to really connect the two. On the day it was Kakinuma's turn to sing, unsurprisingly the rest of the class mocked and laughed at him as he awkwardly struggled on the piece. All except Goto, instead of laughing or jeering, Goto cried because he felt the absolute loneliness that Kakinuma was in. How could someone who was as liked, competent, or normal looking as Goto ever even begin to understand the depths of Kakinuma's isolation? It was the ugliest, worst, and loneliest he ever felt at that moment.

It didn't appear as clear at first until I thought back to the teacher, who also had a loose connection with Kakinuma. Miss Kusuma during her time as their teacher was going through a divorce among other personal issues not delved deeper. So she was likely going through her own form of loneliness and with the previously mentioned feelings of being unsettled around Kakinuma likely added her to his revenge list for similar reasons.

Kakinuma didn't stay the ugly, mocked kid forever. Due to a surgery, he had his face reconstructed to someone less off-putting. He entered and exited the Japanese economic bubble in optimal time to make and have more money than is beyond wealthy. He's around beautiful women, he has his subordinates fear him. Yet, he still felt isolated and back-handed by those two specific people in his past who made him feel utterly inferior. He explains his case to Goto and Kusuma, it wasn't enough for him to "live well as his best revenge," it was that and to make the other two "invalids."

Goto by uprooting his modest life the day before he was to get married and imprison him for 10 years. Kusuma by giving her false expectations of her writing career that were so high that it crippled her writing capability, with the plan of regardless of what she submitted he would make her feel like her efforts were worthless trash. That wasn't all, he wanted them to remember him and to see how much further, and better he's gotten compared to them. That loser kid wasn't a loser anymore.

He was in control the whole time and all Goto or Kusuma could really do was react to whatever was given to them. And even when Goto originally lost the initial game, Kakinuma didn't want it to end and declared "overtime" so he'd get more time within their headspace. It could also explain the reasoning behind the times he spent around Goto in the bar or fishing. Kakinuma was still incredibly isolated and felt worthless, in some sort of sick way he may have felt a closeness with Goto. So when it was finally time for them to part, Kakinuma felt there was nothing left to do but kill himself as he wouldn't have access to that closeness again.


So upon thinking about the reveal further, I don't believe that it's terrible at all and works in its own way. The only reason that it keeps it from being in the great section is that there are still portions of the villain's plans that don't make too much sense or add anything.

The Ehhh...

This appears as a cat-and-mouse, and in the beginning volumes, it is. But after it goes on, Goto becomes more and more reactive to events vs instigating events. This could work in Old Boy's favor if you take it to show how much in the villain's mercy Goto and the rest of the cast was.

I have to agree with other readers, this could have been made shorter with some needless plot points dropped that weren't expanded on anyways.

Old Boy also may have the issue of being a little too "macho-man" fantasy wish fulfillment. Goto is a ripped, brooding tough guy who has random chicks throwing themselves at him. Which is ehh... It left a little more to be desired of Goto's character and his journey.

All in all, it was a pleasant read and I liked it more after thinking about it further. At the very least the villain was great to follow, it was unfortunate that the main guy really couldn't keep up with him.

3.5/5

[Tom Ewing · Rating 4 out of 5]

(This review is of volumes 1-8)

It's hard - especially if you're a Western reader with limited access to the breadth of manga - not to compare Old Boy to Naoki Urasawa's late 90s work: Monster (which ran parallel to Old Boy) and 20th Century Boys (which appeared after it finished). Both series share some of Old Boy's themes - in particular the impact of childhood events on emotional development and the need to somehow reconcile those early traumas as an adult. The comparison is also made easy by Nobuake Minegishi's art, which takes a similar realist line to Urasawa's, though his faces are softer and less lived-in and the storytelling styles are quite different. Minegishi likes to tell his story through emphatic small-panel close ups on objects - whisky bottles, plates of sushi, guns - and cutaway shots to ordinary Tokyo social life as it goes on around the psychological drama he's establishing.

It's these irrelevant moments that linger from Old Boy - continually working to remind us that protagonist Goto, thanks to his 10-year imprisonment, has become a kind of ghost in this everyday world, which he once (the story reveals) worked hard to fit into. It makes the manga into a study in alienation, which it probably does a better job at than at being a thriller. The first four volumes work brilliantly on thriller grounds - Goto is resourceful but also massively out-resourced by his unseen opponent, which makes for a tense game of cat-and-mouse. The plotting falls apart in Old Boy's weaker back half, though, once the game becomes literalised: the enemy is simply too far-reaching, and Goto becomes passive, having secrets and revelations drip-fed to him. Urasawa's plots are no less goofy, but his psychological questions and dilemmas have more bite. Ultimately what drives Old Boy and makes it well worth reading is its style and atmosphere, not its slightly disappointing development.

[Laura (ローラ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great finish. I know some people found it weak. But, it was just what I'd expect from a master of the Japanese psychological thriller. So good. So frustrating. And sometimes totally irritating. And so hard to put out of my mind after reading it. It's been sitting on my bookshelves for a couple years now, I don't know why it took me so long to actually read it. Definitely my best "new" read for the year so far!

[Noah Soudrette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, while I found the ending and revelation of the "incident" to be quite disappointing, the build up was still excellent and the epilogue leaves the ending open and somewhat overshadowed by possible future events. All in all a great series, but, as usual, the end just didn't live up to the ride.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10

[Robin Burton · Rating 2 out of 5]

The entire manga was a build-up to an ending that was uninspired. Quite anticlimactic.

Compared to the film adaption, I wasn’t impressed.

[Asif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when you think that stalker is crazy, you see how crazy he really is. Very good finish.

[el · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I prefer the movie ending.

This was an extremely anti-climactic ending to the light novels series. What do you mean you locked Goto up because he was moved by the way you sang a song when you were in elementary school together, so much so that he cried, which made you think that there was some inkling of good in you, which keeps you from being a full on abusive tyrant and instead keeps you committing only mid-level abuses, barred from being a full-on monster? "I observed you were emotionally moved by a thing I did, and now I can't be the true dick I was intended to be because there's this mark of purity to me that you picked up on and resonated with"?
You locked ol boy up for thaaaaat?

Nah. HELL nah.

The movie though? THAT ending? Yup, that'd do it that's the one. So you've heard it from a very big fan here, this wasn't it. But the suspense, the mystery, the slow dance towards understanding and clarity of this series? Absolutely magnificent.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked up this series, I had the movie in my mind. I was surprised with the lack of violence in the manga.

That brings us to the main thing I wanna discuss: motivation. The motivations of the protagonist and the antagonist are completely different from the movie and for me, that was the best part. Ohk, the villain's motivations, which we find in the last chapter, made little sense to me. But that gave the ending even more impact. We will keep guessing whether this deranged maniac had any other cards up his sleeve. Some mysteries are never solved.

This is in stark contrast to the movie as the motivations were not vague. The characters were not doing things because they were deranged. They cards are all on the table. It is an action thriller.
I believe that one should both read this manga and watch the original Korean movie in order to really enjoy the full experience.

And a non-brutal ending isn't such a bad thing, is it?

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't remember any specific thoughts I had on the Park Chan-wook film adaptation of the series when I saw it forever ago, but I'm sure it's still the better version of the story. The mystery and suspense stuff in the manga never quite clicked for me and the end reveal isn't as impactful as it should have been. I like that the whole crux of the mystery is essentially the M. Bison "For me, it was Tuesday" speech; the idea that you could unwittingly become someone's mortal enemy for a perceived slight you can't even remember is really interesting, it's just not handled all that well here. Oh well, I don't feel like I wasted my time on this series or anything. I guess I need to rewatch the movie now!

[Naricadou Nicolas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Je viens de finir la lecture de la réédition de ce manga qu'est old boy. j'ai vu le film il y a bien longtemps maintenant (chef d'oeuvre) je pensais que le film était plus ou moins un copié/collé du manga... et bien pas du tout !!

La trame principale reste quasi la même, mais dans le manga le héro a tout d'abord un caractère différents, il y a plus de perso (très intéressant pour le coup) une narration qui m'a bien plu dans son ensemble, surpris de dévorer ce manga qui m'a agréablement surpris... jusqu'à ce final qui pour moi tombe a plat et m'a laissé sur ma faim... grosse déception qu'est ce final malgré l'abstraction que j'ai pu faire par rapport au film. vraiment dommage.

[libro_tsundoku · Rating 5 out of 5]

👉 Ha sido uno de los primeros mangas que leí, ya hace un tiempo de ello, y la tensión, furia e historia se mantienen durante los tomos de la obra.

👉 El guión en mi opinión es muy bueno, te va mostrando la inteligencia del protagonista y cómo no se deja llevar por el ímpetu una vez lo liberan. Poco a poco va labrando un plan para conocer quiénes han sido sus captores y hacérselo pagar.

👉 El dibujo con fondos definidos y oscuros, acompañan perfectamente la narración. Aunque el guión para mí está por encima.

👉 La película que si bien no es totalmente fiel al manga, transmite su tensión y tiene sin duda su hueco en el apartado de psycho thriller.

[Jerry Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problem with the Old Boy series is that I saw the movie first. The movie is this the wonderful violent ode to revenge and has all these really intense moments that are highly motivated by very specific circumstances. The comic series has some of the same format as far as mystery and circumstances and situations but it lacks the violent release and the specific highly motivated events that triggered everything. The book meanders around and is a bit wishy washy with motivations and so it’s just not as powerful or compelling. If you love the movie, I don’t think you really need to bother with the comic series, it’s just so mid compared to the movie.

[Alasblancas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha tenido enganchada hasta que lo he terminado. El dibujo es simple sin dejar de transmitir la emoción principal de cada escena que se desarrolla. Respecto a que el argumento sea distinto a la película, me ha gustado porque no era nada de lo que me esperaba pero admito que me gusta más el desenlace dramático de la película al final simple y un poco confuso del manga. Eso no le quita mérito a la obra y la he disfrutado muchísimo, pero si que puede decepcionar un poco y dejarte con la sensación de que han quedado preguntas sin respuesta.

[Guyna · Rating 2 out of 5]

It would have my 5 stars plus my appreciation if the ending was a bit more... Satisfying! Yeah, I was expected it like it is on the movie. Maybe that's the problem other people have, too. But anyway, the storyline is detailed much better than the movie, and a good amount of characters (sidekicks, henchwoman etc) get involved in some necessary situations which shouldn't be left unfilled. And I liked the graphics.

[JuanmaSumi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un manga seinen muy adulto y con una historia absorbente. Un hombre lleva 10 años encarcelado en alguna parte de Japón y ni el mismo recuerda como o porque acabo en esta situación. Una propuesta llamativa y muy misteriosa (que daría lugar al clásico de cine asiático también titulada "Old Boy", aunque comparten premisa está difiere del manga en cuanto a trama), pero que de resuelve de una manera muy burda y con poco sentido, una pena.

[Hibikiyume · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avis intégralité : Découvrez une saga captivante qui vous emporte dès les premières pages ! Après avoir dévoré les extraits lors du festival de la BD en 2023, je suis devenu accro à cette histoire palpitante. Les premiers tomes m'ont totalement immergé dans leur univers, mais le troisième m'a laissé sur ma faim. Malgré cela, l'intrigue reste passionnante et le développement psychologique du personnage principal est remarquable. Un manga à ne pas manquer pour les amateurs de récits captivants !