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溺れるナイフ [Oboreru Knife] #1
溺れるナイフ 1
どうすればいいのかわからないけど、欲しいのはこの子だけだ――。小６の夏芽（なつめ）が越してきたのは、東京とあまりに違う田舎の町。そこで出会った一人の少年に、夏芽は自分の中の「何か」が、大きくうねるのを感じていた……。せめぎあい、追い上げ、追い込んでいく、破裂寸前の10代のこころを描いたジョージ朝倉の傑作長編！
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 11, 2005
18 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 8, 2017
I am so tempted to classify this as "horror" as well as romance - I feel like one or both of these characters are going to end up dead from this unhealthy relationship. We'll see how long I can stare at this particular train wreck.
December 31, 2024
3.5 stars
I'm a huge fan of dark romances, but I liked and hated this story.
Many Japanese authors base their stories on rape for that dramatic element, you know, but I must mention that this manga deals with rape throughout the volumes, turning it at times into a weapon used on the main character - not a spoiler, just a warning.
I hated most of the characters. Even the heroine, Natsume, isn't always likeable, although she's well developed and not weak.
Kou is a fascinating, complex character, with a dark, dangerous side that attracts people (like a moth to the flame); he in turn is attracted to violence after Natsume's incident as a way to deal with trauma, but that's when he starts acting less like a God and more like a demon, which was interesting at first .
Yet I enjoyed this manga for the environment, pace and writing. I loved the town's atmosphere and festivals and the way the country and sea are depicted.
The dialogues hold a dark, bittersweet poetry and they're never superficial.
As for the story itself, well, adolescence is violent. The characters "drown" and it's all a metaphor for their suffering, for the suffocating hatred and anger they eventually express through psychological and physical violence. Sometimes it's overly dramatic for my taste (for example, I know that classmates can be cruel, but not when it comes to rape, not like this), other times their reactions are slightly more realistic.
The ending was bittersweet and not very satisfying.
I'm a huge fan of dark romances, but I liked and hated this story.
Many Japanese authors base their stories on rape for that dramatic element, you know, but I must mention that this manga deals with rape throughout the volumes, turning it at times into a weapon used on the main character - not a spoiler, just a warning.
I hated most of the characters. Even the heroine, Natsume, isn't always likeable, although she's well developed and not weak.
Kou is a fascinating, complex character, with a dark, dangerous side that attracts people (like a moth to the flame); he in turn is attracted to violence after Natsume's incident as a way to deal with trauma, but that's when he starts acting less like a God and more like a demon, which was interesting at first .
Yet I enjoyed this manga for the environment, pace and writing. I loved the town's atmosphere and festivals and the way the country and sea are depicted.
The dialogues hold a dark, bittersweet poetry and they're never superficial.
As for the story itself, well, adolescence is violent. The characters "drown" and it's all a metaphor for their suffering, for the suffocating hatred and anger they eventually express through psychological and physical violence. Sometimes it's overly dramatic for my taste (for example, I know that classmates can be cruel, but not when it comes to rape, not like this), other times their reactions are slightly more realistic.
The ending was bittersweet and not very satisfying.
February 10, 2025
Mais svp c'est quoi ce poulet ???!!!!!! J'en avais jamais entendu parler et c'est incroyable, + le chara design est magnifique
June 15, 2017
Guys! This manga is absolutely amazing. I have been thinking about it for like 2 days. Watching amv on youtube again and again. Captivating. Intense. it is something that I will re-read one day.
Basically, as the story unfolds, we learn that Natsume is a model who moved from Tokyo to "god-knows-where" village. There is a place by the sea where the locals believe God dwells. There she encounters a boy swimming in the sea whose " internal shining" captivates her. Both of them are not good people, they have their own secrets and curses. I liked how it brought up the topics of social pressure and "the rape" consequences. How people try to fit in society, pretending to be someone else.
The characters are so charismatic and relatable.
They are only 12 but the manga follows their whole lives. There are a lot of drama and psychology themes and it still makes my heart hurt.
Basically, as the story unfolds, we learn that Natsume is a model who moved from Tokyo to "god-knows-where" village. There is a place by the sea where the locals believe God dwells. There she encounters a boy swimming in the sea whose " internal shining" captivates her. Both of them are not good people, they have their own secrets and curses. I liked how it brought up the topics of social pressure and "the rape" consequences. How people try to fit in society, pretending to be someone else.
The characters are so charismatic and relatable.
They are only 12 but the manga follows their whole lives. There are a lot of drama and psychology themes and it still makes my heart hurt.
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May 20, 2022Ive been trying to get into this since like last year. But i have nothing to read so im committed to finishing it..
June 9, 2024
What big eyes you have Natsume
While the artwork is really nice and I can see this turning into some dark romantic tale between the description of the book and what I have read there is something that bothers me that may be there to deliberately bring discomfort and will be the building blocks to a life built on misfortune. That something is the fact that the main female character, Natsume, is only 12 and is potentially being sexualized. Having originally come out in 2004 this series reflects an acceptance of younger models being depicted in questionable displays of dress or in this series case . So far nothing sexual has been displayed but there is a scene where and considering this is supposed to be a turbulent tale according to the description it might be to much for more sensitive readers.
Two troubled pre-teens struggling with their own issues while being drawn together can turn out all sorts of troublesome ways. I for one am not continuing the series but hopefully those that enjoy the potentially darker elements of it will enjoy as the story continues to evolve.
While the artwork is really nice and I can see this turning into some dark romantic tale between the description of the book and what I have read there is something that bothers me that may be there to deliberately bring discomfort and will be the building blocks to a life built on misfortune. That something is the fact that the main female character, Natsume, is only 12 and is potentially being sexualized. Having originally come out in 2004 this series reflects an acceptance of younger models being depicted in questionable displays of dress or in this series case . So far nothing sexual has been displayed but there is a scene where and considering this is supposed to be a turbulent tale according to the description it might be to much for more sensitive readers.
Two troubled pre-teens struggling with their own issues while being drawn together can turn out all sorts of troublesome ways. I for one am not continuing the series but hopefully those that enjoy the potentially darker elements of it will enjoy as the story continues to evolve.
June 2, 2019
This makes me feel vaguely creeped out and I'm not 100% sure why. Maybe it's the fact that the main characters are 12, maybe it's the artwork, which is usually pretty but also somehow unsettling, maybe it's a combination, or maybe it's something else. Whatever it was, I didn't enjoy it, and I can't wholly put my finger on it.
The heroine is likeable enough, a girl forced from her big city life to hicktown (at least, by the way the characters talk. It's weird to have a manga where a lot of characters basically have Southern accents), trying to find her own way.
The main boy, however ... yeah. It looked like he tried to drown her for a minute? And he definitely attacked an adult because he didn't like the fact he took artistic nude photographs. He might be just a 12 year old boy, or he might be a baby psychopath. Who knows? DON'T LIKE HIM. Don't want to read more about him.
The only way I think this would work for me is if this morphed into a horror manga, as the mood would make more sense to me. Without any proof of that, I am not going to be following the series. Do not recommend.
The heroine is likeable enough, a girl forced from her big city life to hicktown (at least, by the way the characters talk. It's weird to have a manga where a lot of characters basically have Southern accents), trying to find her own way.
The main boy, however ... yeah. It looked like he tried to drown her for a minute? And he definitely attacked an adult because he didn't like the fact he took artistic nude photographs. He might be just a 12 year old boy, or he might be a baby psychopath. Who knows? DON'T LIKE HIM. Don't want to read more about him.
The only way I think this would work for me is if this morphed into a horror manga, as the mood would make more sense to me. Without any proof of that, I am not going to be following the series. Do not recommend.
July 21, 2021
This is a review of the entire series (17 volumes).
This series started out so amazingly, but some of Kou's actions are unforgivable and ruin it for me. From the start, I liked the whole obsessive love concept. Because of the creepy vibes that this manga gives off, I knew that something bad would happen, but not THAT bad. It was completely glossed over and I hate it.
I'm torn about rating this manga because I really loved the beginning and still think that it told a wonderful and unforgettable story. If that awful portion of the story (you'll know what it is if you've read the series) was not included, I probably would have given this 5 stars and put it on my favorites shelf. I guess I will settle for 3 stars (some may still think this is too high).
This review isn't too spoiler-y, but I'm gonna mark it as such because it is embarrassing to give 3 stars to a manga that I said has "unforgivable" actions. I can't get over the fact this manga had so much potential.
This series started out so amazingly, but some of Kou's actions are unforgivable and ruin it for me. From the start, I liked the whole obsessive love concept. Because of the creepy vibes that this manga gives off, I knew that something bad would happen, but not THAT bad. It was completely glossed over and I hate it.
I'm torn about rating this manga because I really loved the beginning and still think that it told a wonderful and unforgettable story. If that awful portion of the story (you'll know what it is if you've read the series) was not included, I probably would have given this 5 stars and put it on my favorites shelf. I guess I will settle for 3 stars (some may still think this is too high).
This review isn't too spoiler-y, but I'm gonna mark it as such because it is embarrassing to give 3 stars to a manga that I said has "unforgivable" actions. I can't get over the fact this manga had so much potential.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2023
The art style reminds me of the manga series "Say I love you". Hopefully this series is much better but so far I'm getting a weird vibe. I really don't like how the main characters are just twelve years old because the topics discussed in this series is definitely for older people. It's definitely uncomfortable. The relationship between Natsume and Kou is disturbing. I really hope it's not going to be one of those relationships where the guy treats the girl like crap and the girl has absolutely no backbone...
Overall, I don't know what the exact plot is but I'm curious enough to read more.
Overall, I don't know what the exact plot is but I'm curious enough to read more.
July 26, 2024
- complete -
vraie poésie dans ce manga, un vrai univers quasi enchanteur qui emporte lea lecteurice : entre la mer qui accompagne sans cesse les pages, les paysages montagneux, le petit village dont on suit le défilé des rites, des saisons & des croyances. les habitants, comme il peut être de coutume dans de si petites communautés, vivent essentiellement de ragots & de mythes, mythes qui se construisent ici autour de la famille riche de kou, le personnage masculin principal, mi-homme mi-dieu, qu'on ne saisit jamais vraiment, condamné à répéter les mêmes erreurs (?) en boucle, comme sisyphe, personnage qui l'obsède. insaisissable, il brille démesurément, il fait peur. futur héritier de la famille, il porte le poids de croyances et d'espoirs bien trop lourd pour ses frêles épaules, lui qui n'est qu'un enfant et qui ne saisit même pas ce que c'est que de grandir et d'être ado encore. vient alors la perso principale, natsume, de tokyo. entre eux se tisse une histoire obsessionnelle, quasi destinée, mais non sans embuches, incompréhensions et désespoirs.
les + pour moi : je trouve l'univers parfaitement ficelé, on est direct transporté dans ce "bled" que natsume apprend à connaître en même temps qu'elle-même. les planches sont super jolies, et j'adore le style de dessin. je trouve la narration & le scénario très efficaces. l'hisoire n'est pas dénuée d'humour (otomo <3) même si indéniablement, ce sont des thèmes plutôt sombres qui rythment cette histoire : on y parle de SA, de violences, de la place des enfants dans le monde du showbiz et aussi en général. en même temps, c'est parfois super léger, notamment entre les tomes 8 et 10-11 où natsume sort avec otomo. elle y respire de nouveau, mais il n'est pas celui qui lui est destiné. elle est censée être avec quelqu'un qui brille tout autant qu'elle, et en même temps qui possède cette noirceur dont elle peine à se départir. en bref l'idée est simple en apparence mais l'exécution est fine et unique dans ses thèmes et symboliques.
TOUTEFOIS les points négatifs et ils n'engagent que moi : je déteste kou, je ne ressens aucune pitié ni compassion ni quoi que ce soit pour lui à vrai dire. je le trouve pas développé, insipide... je trouve sa lumière forcée, il n'a rien de spécial : il est violent, manipulateur, bref, un homme comme un autre quoi au final. il n'a rien de divin. pareil pour natsume, qui tourne autour de lui sans cesse comme une meuf désespérée, et encore plus pour kana, qui me sort par les yeux.
sûrement que it's the lesbian in me talking mais si ç'avait été une femme, j'aurais sûrement pensé autrement.. d'autant que la mention à des êtres divins passe nécessairement dans l'histoire par des femmes. tout est féminin dans ce village. donc pourquoi ce dieu en kou ? entre la grand-mère, la déesse qui protège la petite cabane, la soeur de kou plus forte que son propre père, kana qui se bat à sa manière contre le monde, idem pour natsume... seule mention spéciale pour oji. mais donc voilà, pourquoi un énième MEC pour jouer le rôle "suprême" ?
vraie poésie dans ce manga, un vrai univers quasi enchanteur qui emporte lea lecteurice : entre la mer qui accompagne sans cesse les pages, les paysages montagneux, le petit village dont on suit le défilé des rites, des saisons & des croyances. les habitants, comme il peut être de coutume dans de si petites communautés, vivent essentiellement de ragots & de mythes, mythes qui se construisent ici autour de la famille riche de kou, le personnage masculin principal, mi-homme mi-dieu, qu'on ne saisit jamais vraiment, condamné à répéter les mêmes erreurs (?) en boucle, comme sisyphe, personnage qui l'obsède. insaisissable, il brille démesurément, il fait peur. futur héritier de la famille, il porte le poids de croyances et d'espoirs bien trop lourd pour ses frêles épaules, lui qui n'est qu'un enfant et qui ne saisit même pas ce que c'est que de grandir et d'être ado encore. vient alors la perso principale, natsume, de tokyo. entre eux se tisse une histoire obsessionnelle, quasi destinée, mais non sans embuches, incompréhensions et désespoirs.
les + pour moi : je trouve l'univers parfaitement ficelé, on est direct transporté dans ce "bled" que natsume apprend à connaître en même temps qu'elle-même. les planches sont super jolies, et j'adore le style de dessin. je trouve la narration & le scénario très efficaces. l'hisoire n'est pas dénuée d'humour (otomo <3) même si indéniablement, ce sont des thèmes plutôt sombres qui rythment cette histoire : on y parle de SA, de violences, de la place des enfants dans le monde du showbiz et aussi en général. en même temps, c'est parfois super léger, notamment entre les tomes 8 et 10-11 où natsume sort avec otomo. elle y respire de nouveau, mais il n'est pas celui qui lui est destiné. elle est censée être avec quelqu'un qui brille tout autant qu'elle, et en même temps qui possède cette noirceur dont elle peine à se départir. en bref l'idée est simple en apparence mais l'exécution est fine et unique dans ses thèmes et symboliques.
TOUTEFOIS les points négatifs et ils n'engagent que moi : je déteste kou, je ne ressens aucune pitié ni compassion ni quoi que ce soit pour lui à vrai dire. je le trouve pas développé, insipide... je trouve sa lumière forcée, il n'a rien de spécial : il est violent, manipulateur, bref, un homme comme un autre quoi au final. il n'a rien de divin. pareil pour natsume, qui tourne autour de lui sans cesse comme une meuf désespérée, et encore plus pour kana, qui me sort par les yeux.
sûrement que it's the lesbian in me talking mais si ç'avait été une femme, j'aurais sûrement pensé autrement.. d'autant que la mention à des êtres divins passe nécessairement dans l'histoire par des femmes. tout est féminin dans ce village. donc pourquoi ce dieu en kou ? entre la grand-mère, la déesse qui protège la petite cabane, la soeur de kou plus forte que son propre père, kana qui se bat à sa manière contre le monde, idem pour natsume... seule mention spéciale pour oji. mais donc voilà, pourquoi un énième MEC pour jouer le rôle "suprême" ?
April 9, 2025
Not too sure how I feel about this story yet. Natsume is a young girl who moved from Tokyo to the country side and had to quit her modeling job, something that brought her joy. Now she’s struggling to find this new place home as she struggles with missing her old life in Tokyo. Natsume then meets a boy named Kou and she first thinks he’s a god for how he “glows” in the moonlight in the water. She quickly learns that Kou can be very bratty and a jerk. Kou catches Natsume in a vulnerable moment and so he takes her to Shibuya so she can do a photoshoot to cheer her up.
Throughout the story Natsume grows to be infatuated with Kou despite his bratty behavior. It’s also shown that Kou does care for Natsume a little bit when he protects her from that creepy photographer. I’m sort of intrigued how Natsume and Kou’s relationship progress. I have a feeling that their relationship going to form into something toxic.
The art is gorgeous and contains really beautiful double spread pages I could gawk over for hours.
I’ll be honest I can sometimes lose interest in slice of life stories if I don’t find the characters interesting. I’m not sure how I feel about this manga since I’ve only read the first volume but Natsume and Kou have grabbed my attention. Hopefully this manga doesn’t disappoint me since it’s been on my tbr for a while. Anyways looking forward to see how this one goes!
Throughout the story Natsume grows to be infatuated with Kou despite his bratty behavior. It’s also shown that Kou does care for Natsume a little bit when he protects her from that creepy photographer. I’m sort of intrigued how Natsume and Kou’s relationship progress. I have a feeling that their relationship going to form into something toxic.
The art is gorgeous and contains really beautiful double spread pages I could gawk over for hours.
I’ll be honest I can sometimes lose interest in slice of life stories if I don’t find the characters interesting. I’m not sure how I feel about this manga since I’ve only read the first volume but Natsume and Kou have grabbed my attention. Hopefully this manga doesn’t disappoint me since it’s been on my tbr for a while. Anyways looking forward to see how this one goes!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2020
This was on my reading list for quite some time, but I had to begin TODAY because the place where I read my manga is dying and it is literally THE ONLY PLACE where this is fully scanlated 😭
So I read vol 1 and I already regret it: none of the characters (so far?) are likable, I don't really understand the plot (if there is any), and the only good thing going on for this is the art. The art is indeed pretty.
But I'm not sure yet if I'll just drop this or if I'll power through and read through it all (truth be told, I'm curious. I hope this gets better at some point).
So I read vol 1 and I already regret it: none of the characters (so far?) are likable, I don't really understand the plot (if there is any), and the only good thing going on for this is the art. The art is indeed pretty.
But I'm not sure yet if I'll just drop this or if I'll power through and read through it all (truth be told, I'm curious. I hope this gets better at some point).
April 5, 2020
2020 Read #321
This manga really surprised me, reminding me of a mix between Sand Chronicles and Paradise Kiss. My only problem is that the characters are a bit unlikable. Plus, I don’t know if I can read 15+ volumes of a series that may just go in circles. We’ll see!!
This manga really surprised me, reminding me of a mix between Sand Chronicles and Paradise Kiss. My only problem is that the characters are a bit unlikable. Plus, I don’t know if I can read 15+ volumes of a series that may just go in circles. We’ll see!!
March 12, 2022
Ce premier tome est une super lecture. J’avais déjà adoré Piece of cake de l’autrice, et A fleur de peau s’annonce être une série géniale. On est vite plongé dans ce shojo, les personnages (même si très jeunes) sont envoûtants. J’ai hâte de lire la suite!
September 18, 2024
Read chapters 1-4 on KManga.
This story starts with the trope of a girl from a big city moving to a small town but this quickly picks up complexity. I really dislike the bullying and modeling sub-plots but there's something supernatural going on that I find compelling.
This story starts with the trope of a girl from a big city moving to a small town but this quickly picks up complexity. I really dislike the bullying and modeling sub-plots but there's something supernatural going on that I find compelling.
January 3, 2019
3.5 stars...series could get better or worse with the set-up
January 10, 2020
Oh my beating heart!
December 11, 2021
cried while reading
June 8, 2023
An enjoyable read.
December 5, 2023
Degrading.
November 24, 2024
Series Oboreru Knife adalah komik romantis favorit aku sejauh ini. Mungkin aku udah baca sampai lebih dari 6 kali dan masih aja tetap suka baca ulang.
February 12, 2024
the kind of story i could write poetry about
February 22, 2017
Gorgeous art with compelling and flawed characters, Natsume and Kou. It is a captivating coming-of-age romance manga that feels more realistic than other mangas I've read because of how the characters dealt with the situations they experienced. I love the fact that although this is a shojou, the layers of complexity in this manga not what you see in other mainstream shojou manga. It's deep, dark and intense. Throughout the story you can see both characters evolve physically and mentally, from 12 year olds to adults. This is one of my top favorite shojou manga because it showed me something I didn't know I liked.
April 7, 2021
Welcome to "Why it's wrong to idolize people" the manga. [This applies to volume 1 to 7; chapters 1 to 40.]
Oboreru Knife doesn't have the ditzy tone some shoujo possess. I liked this manga with its flow of the story, art, and characters, but Natsume creates some serious cause of concerns. He's definitely disturbed. This series is dark, lovely, and oh-so-frustrating.
Oboreru Knife doesn't have the ditzy tone some shoujo possess. I liked this manga with its flow of the story, art, and characters, but Natsume creates some serious cause of concerns. He's definitely disturbed. This series is dark, lovely, and oh-so-frustrating.
December 12, 2011
Natsume est jeune et modèle mais ses parents déménagent en pleine campagne et elle doit se faire cette nouvelle vie. Elle rentre Kô et sa vie va changer. Entre les nouvelles découvertes et l'envie de continuer d'être ce qu'elle est, sa vie va basculer.
February 13, 2010
I really like this manga and George Asakura is awesome.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews