Melancholic. Dark. Bizarre. Definitely kind of unhinged.
Boy’s Abyss is one brilliant title for this manga series.
An abyss is defined as:
a deep or seemingly bottomless chasm
… and that’s exactly what you get here. There is a continuous downward pull while turning each page— and our main character, Reiji, seems to be spiraling toward a pit of darker days.
Reiji is a high school boy living in a small, nameless, seaside town. Only known for the lore of a couple’s successful suicide pact upriver— the town has nothing else to go off of.
Poor Reiji is trapped there. He won’t be able to go off to the bustling city of Tokyo for college like his best friend, Chako. He’s just too busy having to help at home. Instead of college— he’s expected to get a job to help provide for the family home. Living with a stressed and overworked mother who seems to forget Reiji is just a kid, a grandmother suffering with an advanced stage of dementia, and a violent, reclusive brother— home life proves to be tough. Chasing dreams doesn’t exist for Reiji Kurose. Life is bleak and depression is heavy in the air.
The town becomes a little less glum when Reiji stumbles across Nagi Aoe, the beautiful pop idol from the girl group Acrylic. She mysteriously begins working in the town’s local convenience store.
Why has she come to such a small, unknown place?
The pair quickly become acquainted and a brewing, dark romance between two individuals struggling with mental health becomes more than apparent as Nagi proposes something destructive to Reiji on the first night they meet. Not only does Nagi seek refuge in the tiny town, but something more— to expose her altered psyche and mentally disturbed state, honing in on Reiji to release her traumas.
It’s one of the bleaker manga, trust me.
From suicidal ideation to bullying— the angsty lust from an innocent teenage boy succumbed to exploitation by an adult woman, continuous instances and reminders of faltering mental health, and sexual situations that can be quite uncomfortable— you can’t help but to feel the weight while reading Boy’s Abyss.
Yet inside of this pessimistic world, there are a couple of elevated moments— mostly coming from Rei’s caring and upbeat best friend, Chako. I adore her, simply because she’s the single character acting as some relief.
This particular manga is not for everyone. If you’re a fan of say, Shuzo Oshimi or Kyoko Okazaki, then this may be for you. If you’re about dread, tricky situations, and edgy undertones that reflect “slice of life” circumstances, then go for it.
There are a few random twists that end up making sense as you read on. I must say, while the panels are not as stunning as some other manga— they do a wonderful job at capturing the rural town feel and overall tone. It truly is atmospheric.
I felt things were a bit surface— flimsy. While the themes are dark, don't expect this volume to have much depth. Ryō Minenami does succeed at depicting teenage angst, confusion, and longing— but there is no deep dive, at least not yet. Volume one left me with plenty of curiosity and interest, and I will definitely continue with the rest of the series at some point.
Random thought: The entire time I was reading, I kept thinking of the song Feel Good by the Gorillaz, specifically the chorus. It gives such similar vibes to the book. If you know the feels I’m getting at, and you’re into that— you’d be into Boy’s Abyss for certain.