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シガテラ / Ciguatera #1
シガテラ 1
あこがれはバイク。恋心もほんの少し。そんな青春17遁走曲（フーガ）!! 見た目も成績も「中の下」で、完璧イジメられっ子な17歳、荻野優介（おぎの・ゆうすけ）。ダメダメ平凡な彼の夢は、バイクの免許を取得して、教習所でチラ見している美人なゆみちゃんに近づくこと……。ムリめな妄想と諦（あきら）めてたのに、なんと彼女の方から急・接・近？ これはあれか、ワナなのかっ!? 青春という名の、毒やドロ沼がモニュッと凝縮。『稲中』の巨匠・古谷実による、「読んだら語りたくなる系」青春ドラマ!!
- GenresManga
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 22, 2003
2 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Minoru Furuya
138 books21 followersMinoru Furuya (古谷実; FURUYA Minoru, born March 28, 1972) is a Japanese manga artist from Saitama Prefecture.
His debut work was Ike! Inachū takkyū-bu, known in English as Ping-Pong Club, published in Young Magazine. It was adopted into a 26 episode anime in 1995. In 1996, he won the Kodansha Manga Award for Ping-Pong Club.
Two of his series have been adapted to the big screen, namely Himizu in 2011, and Himeanoru in 2016.
His debut work was Ike! Inachū takkyū-bu, known in English as Ping-Pong Club, published in Young Magazine. It was adopted into a 26 episode anime in 1995. In 1996, he won the Kodansha Manga Award for Ping-Pong Club.
Two of his series have been adapted to the big screen, namely Himizu in 2011, and Himeanoru in 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 17, 2022
Four and a half stars, rounded up.
I first came across this author when I read his 'Saltiness', that became my surprise hit of the season. Then I realized that one of the series I had passed up on often was also his; many had mentioned his 'Ciguatera' on those long lists of "best manga ever". However, I had ignored it because all the mentions emphasized how much the protagonist cared about motorcycles, and I don't give a shit about motorcycles. However, the subject of motorcycles could have been substituted here for any other passion that would align with someone's instincts to the extent that indulging in it would help the person escape from the nonsense that life hurls around.
This story is a slice-of-life / Bildungsroman that follows an unpopular, somewhat unhinged high school kid who isn't intelligent enough nor talented enough at anything to stand out. He also seems to be as tall as the average girl. As if that life set up for mediocrity wasn't bad enough, both the protagonist and his best friend are regularly tortured by a local psychopath that some in general terms would call a bully. That guy is the run-of-the-mill psychopathic type that only finds pleasure in abusing others, and it comes naturally and cheerfully to him. The protagonist and his pal understand that they have no choice but endure being the target of that bastard's whims, and they figure that once they graduate they won't have to deal with him anymore. The two friends bond over their mutual love of motorcycles, as it allows them to imagine themselves riding into the sunset away from their miserable lives.
A minor spoiler is inevitable: the entire story ends up revolving around the relationship between the protagonist and the girl he starts dating maybe in the first volume. In contrast with many other fictional relationships, particularly at that age, the protagonist is constantly worrying about the future: he has realized that he loves this girl to death, that if she ends up getting sick of his sorry ass and moves on, he'll eagerly welcome his own demise. He wants to become a dependable man, a well-adjusted member of society, even if he has to work hard to change himself in the process. I thought it was a realistic depiction of what someone with low self-esteem goes through when having to measure up to the person he loves, with all the anxiety and sleepless nights that involves.
I really liked the girlfriend character, but my main complaint throughout this story was that she simply was too good for him. She's beautiful; has lovely tits; is kind, accommodating and understanding; and it doesn't bother her that she has more resources than him. As a girlfriend, she's ideal, so this reeked to me of wish fulfillment. Often I would be on board with that, but not in a story that revolves around how complicated it can get to sustain a normal relationship when life keeps throwing so much shit at you; most other girls would have broken up quite early. The ending, that I've read a couple of hours ago, changed my impression of her character, but it's too soon for me to articulate my feelings on the subject beyond mentioning that it made an impact on me.
Plenty of weird, often episodic stuff happens in this series. Four distinct sequences end in very disturbing stuff that would have potentially scarred the people involved for years to come, but one of the mirrored points of this story is the sense that no matter how terrifying or disturbing the nonsense that life forces you to endure, and that you believe you won't get over, somehow you adapt and keep shuffling forward.
This series left me cold and unsettled because it illustrated how that lesson also applies to your personal passions or the most important people in your life: even if you can't imagine yourself existing without them, you wake up some other day and discover that you can keep putting one foot in front of the other, for good or ill.
I vibe with this author's sense of humor, the odd stuff he comes up with, and how he makes you feel as if you are right there along with the characters as they experience their little lives. I hope to read everything else this guy has made.
I first came across this author when I read his 'Saltiness', that became my surprise hit of the season. Then I realized that one of the series I had passed up on often was also his; many had mentioned his 'Ciguatera' on those long lists of "best manga ever". However, I had ignored it because all the mentions emphasized how much the protagonist cared about motorcycles, and I don't give a shit about motorcycles. However, the subject of motorcycles could have been substituted here for any other passion that would align with someone's instincts to the extent that indulging in it would help the person escape from the nonsense that life hurls around.
This story is a slice-of-life / Bildungsroman that follows an unpopular, somewhat unhinged high school kid who isn't intelligent enough nor talented enough at anything to stand out. He also seems to be as tall as the average girl. As if that life set up for mediocrity wasn't bad enough, both the protagonist and his best friend are regularly tortured by a local psychopath that some in general terms would call a bully. That guy is the run-of-the-mill psychopathic type that only finds pleasure in abusing others, and it comes naturally and cheerfully to him. The protagonist and his pal understand that they have no choice but endure being the target of that bastard's whims, and they figure that once they graduate they won't have to deal with him anymore. The two friends bond over their mutual love of motorcycles, as it allows them to imagine themselves riding into the sunset away from their miserable lives.
A minor spoiler is inevitable: the entire story ends up revolving around the relationship between the protagonist and the girl he starts dating maybe in the first volume. In contrast with many other fictional relationships, particularly at that age, the protagonist is constantly worrying about the future: he has realized that he loves this girl to death, that if she ends up getting sick of his sorry ass and moves on, he'll eagerly welcome his own demise. He wants to become a dependable man, a well-adjusted member of society, even if he has to work hard to change himself in the process. I thought it was a realistic depiction of what someone with low self-esteem goes through when having to measure up to the person he loves, with all the anxiety and sleepless nights that involves.
I really liked the girlfriend character, but my main complaint throughout this story was that she simply was too good for him. She's beautiful; has lovely tits; is kind, accommodating and understanding; and it doesn't bother her that she has more resources than him. As a girlfriend, she's ideal, so this reeked to me of wish fulfillment. Often I would be on board with that, but not in a story that revolves around how complicated it can get to sustain a normal relationship when life keeps throwing so much shit at you; most other girls would have broken up quite early. The ending, that I've read a couple of hours ago, changed my impression of her character, but it's too soon for me to articulate my feelings on the subject beyond mentioning that it made an impact on me.
Plenty of weird, often episodic stuff happens in this series. Four distinct sequences end in very disturbing stuff that would have potentially scarred the people involved for years to come, but one of the mirrored points of this story is the sense that no matter how terrifying or disturbing the nonsense that life forces you to endure, and that you believe you won't get over, somehow you adapt and keep shuffling forward.
This series left me cold and unsettled because it illustrated how that lesson also applies to your personal passions or the most important people in your life: even if you can't imagine yourself existing without them, you wake up some other day and discover that you can keep putting one foot in front of the other, for good or ill.
I vibe with this author's sense of humor, the odd stuff he comes up with, and how he makes you feel as if you are right there along with the characters as they experience their little lives. I hope to read everything else this guy has made.
November 20, 2024
This shit piss me off bruh. Such a great story, great characters, and extremely relatable. Loved the dynamic between the characters and watching how the characters change and grow into adults and mature.
Ending pissed me off. Furuya Minoru count your fucking days pal.
Ending pissed me off. Furuya Minoru count your fucking days pal.
August 24, 2021
Never a more relatable manga, the boy at times did steer into areas that I would consider to be highly inappropriate but nonetheless I found myself relating to him more than I have any other protagonist.
December 15, 2024
C’est drôle, c’est réel, c’est touchant, c’est bizarre c’est fait de haut et de bas. C’est rafraîchissant rien de fou mais c’est bien raconté les dessins font réagir. C’est ma came en histoire.
April 20, 2022
Le début est un peu déroutant et l'ambiance globale est assez froide, sinistre et cynique. Mais j'ai beaucoup aimé la deuxième partie, où le personnage principal se fait des amies.
En bref, je ne sais pas encore trop quoi en penser, je suis mitigée. Je continuerai avec le deuxième tome au moins.
En bref, je ne sais pas encore trop quoi en penser, je suis mitigée. Je continuerai avec le deuxième tome au moins.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews