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血の轍 [Chi no Wadachi] #17
Rastros de sangre, vol. 17
Cuando Seiko sufre una caída por las escaleras, el hospital avisa a su único familiar: su hijo. Seiichi pronto se da cuenta de que su madre ya no puede valerse por sí misma y, aunque ella ni siquiera es capaz de reconocerle, decide llevársela a casa. Allí es testigo del declive físico y mental de Seiko día a día. Y finalmente, a través de un sueño, llega la última conversación entre ambos.
Aquí termina la historia de amor, obsesión, dolor y odio entre una madre y su hijo.
Aquí termina la historia de amor, obsesión, dolor y odio entre una madre y su hijo.
208 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2023
10 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
Shuzo Oshimi
137 books1,046 followersShuzo Oshimi (押見修造, Oshimi Shūzō) is a Japanese manga creator.
Drawn in a realistic art style, his comics tend to be psychological dramas exploring the difficulties in human relationships and often touching on disturbing situations and perversions.
Oshimi debuted in 2001 with the manga series Avant-Garde Yumeko, appeared in Kodansha's 'Monthly Shōnen Magazine.' Most of his works since then have been published by Kodansha and Futabasha.
Among his first successes the single volume manga Sweet Poolside (2004), later adapted into a live-action film, and the series Drifting Net Café (2008–2011), also adapted for TV.
Oshimi reached international acclaims with The Flowers of Evil (2009–2014) and Inside Mari (2012–2016), both adapted into successful anime. Other notable works are Blood on the Tracks (2017–2023) and Welcome Back, Alice (2020-2023) .
Drawn in a realistic art style, his comics tend to be psychological dramas exploring the difficulties in human relationships and often touching on disturbing situations and perversions.
Oshimi debuted in 2001 with the manga series Avant-Garde Yumeko, appeared in Kodansha's 'Monthly Shōnen Magazine.' Most of his works since then have been published by Kodansha and Futabasha.
Among his first successes the single volume manga Sweet Poolside (2004), later adapted into a live-action film, and the series Drifting Net Café (2008–2011), also adapted for TV.
Oshimi reached international acclaims with The Flowers of Evil (2009–2014) and Inside Mari (2012–2016), both adapted into successful anime. Other notable works are Blood on the Tracks (2017–2023) and Welcome Back, Alice (2020-2023) .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
April 27, 2024
Um… Why is no one talking about the afterword???? The actual photo with blurred out faces of a mother and son. The apology to the “real people who appear in the story”? The apology to F san who I think Yuriko Fukiishi was based on? The fact that Seiichi Osabe, the main character, shares the same initials, the same birthday, the same prefecture with the author… Is this based on a true story???
If this is the case, I’ve got to say, this was incredibly brave to put this out there. Reading this series was horrifying at times but extremely cathartic. I’m definitely going to reread this start to finish later on.
If this is the case, I’ve got to say, this was incredibly brave to put this out there. Reading this series was horrifying at times but extremely cathartic. I’m definitely going to reread this start to finish later on.
July 1, 2024
The last volume of one of the great manga horror series of all time, completed with a sense of catharsis and healing. I see at a glance that there is a graet difference of opinion about this work, but I will say it has to be his most personal, to date, a point made clearly through two (electric, concerning) letters by the author appended to two of the last volumes. Oshimi makes it clear here that this work is about his relationship to his own smotheringly over-protective and (probably) mentally ill mother.
I'll agree with critics that the series is best when focused, as does the first half does, on images of psychological horror, a boy raised by a mentally ill mother who may have attempted to kill her nephew. These pages are amazingly drawn, with few words, and all the horror happening in us as we see what it might be like to be raised by such a person. It's breathtaking.
Then the second half gets more verbal, and we begin to get lots of answers to what has been going on. The first half is psychological HORROR and the second half is more PSYCHOLOGICAL horror, as things get spelled out much more and lots of action--including an actual murder and the deaths of both hsi father and mother. It's very dark, but in part because of the letters I admire the obvious courage in the work. And most horror ends in catharsis, in a kind of hopeful resolution.
This has not been released in English officially yet, but a friend sent a digital copy to me of the last volume, which I found powerful. Again, if I were just looking for horror manga, I might have preferred it ended much earlier, with little information--I prefer my horror spare--but knowing what I know no about its being autofiction, I am glad to read that Oshimi wrote this out of his troubled relationship woth his own mother, that he is all right, and that he brings it to some kind of resolution with his mother, who did so much damage to him as he grew up.
I'll agree with critics that the series is best when focused, as does the first half does, on images of psychological horror, a boy raised by a mentally ill mother who may have attempted to kill her nephew. These pages are amazingly drawn, with few words, and all the horror happening in us as we see what it might be like to be raised by such a person. It's breathtaking.
Then the second half gets more verbal, and we begin to get lots of answers to what has been going on. The first half is psychological HORROR and the second half is more PSYCHOLOGICAL horror, as things get spelled out much more and lots of action--including an actual murder and the deaths of both hsi father and mother. It's very dark, but in part because of the letters I admire the obvious courage in the work. And most horror ends in catharsis, in a kind of hopeful resolution.
This has not been released in English officially yet, but a friend sent a digital copy to me of the last volume, which I found powerful. Again, if I were just looking for horror manga, I might have preferred it ended much earlier, with little information--I prefer my horror spare--but knowing what I know no about its being autofiction, I am glad to read that Oshimi wrote this out of his troubled relationship woth his own mother, that he is all right, and that he brings it to some kind of resolution with his mother, who did so much damage to him as he grew up.
Read
September 19, 2024I don't know what to think or how to feel. I am in desperate need of some TikTok or YT video titled "Blood on the Tracks Ending EXPLAINED!"
June 20, 2024
This is my review for the entire series (all 17 volumes). It really is a tale of the first half vs. the second half.
Damn... the first 9 volumes or so are beyond stellar. The story and art are impeccable. Perhaps among the best horror literature experiences I've ever had. Truly an elite unsettling tale....
Then came the second half. Sure, the art is still there, but the story plodded. It's as if this was written by a different person. This should've ended earlier. Was it a contractual obligation to keep this going?
I'm still recommending this horror manga but yeah... only the first half.
Damn... the first 9 volumes or so are beyond stellar. The story and art are impeccable. Perhaps among the best horror literature experiences I've ever had. Truly an elite unsettling tale....
Then came the second half. Sure, the art is still there, but the story plodded. It's as if this was written by a different person. This should've ended earlier. Was it a contractual obligation to keep this going?
I'm still recommending this horror manga but yeah... only the first half.
January 9, 2025
I know I'm angry at this series for its betrayal. The first half of it is an intense psychological thriller with volumes that earned four-star ratings from me and left me eager to read the next volume ASAP, but then the author writes himself into a corner and uses hallucinations, dream sequences and a time jump to turn the whole thing into a maudlin and depressing study in being whiny, pathetic losers. Bait and switch. This may be one of the biggest letdowns I've ever experienced in all my years of reading.
September 27, 2024
In the end, I don’t think this series surpasses "Flowers of Evil", which remains my favorite work by the author.
The final volumes didn’t meet my expectations. While I’m not a fan of the ending, I can accept it as the conclusion the author chose. That said, I believe the protagonist deserved a better, happier ending.
There’s some speculation that the story might be based on real events. If that’s the case, then it is what it is, but it doesn’t change my feelings about the ending.
Still, it’s a great series from one of my favorite manga authors.
The final volumes didn’t meet my expectations. While I’m not a fan of the ending, I can accept it as the conclusion the author chose. That said, I believe the protagonist deserved a better, happier ending.
There’s some speculation that the story might be based on real events. If that’s the case, then it is what it is, but it doesn’t change my feelings about the ending.
Still, it’s a great series from one of my favorite manga authors.
September 23, 2024
5 stars
There is no other ending for this story. This is what needed to be for Seiichi and even Fukiishi. It felt final for me. This final volume captured exactly how it feels to be destroyed by a parent as a child and to find your peace as an adult when they no longer have power over you. As someone who experienced extreme abuse as a child that often mirrored the extreme abuse of Seiichi's mother, I, as an adult, have experienced what Seii feels at the end of his life. Peace, books, and living on despite the pain that was inflicted on me for larger portions of my life than not. I get it. For me, it was healing and I see what Oshimi was trying to say because this is biographical in his own right. He carries a lot of guilt of even telling this story and, sadly, those who are abused always protect those who abuse and will do anything to shield others from passing judgment on abusers.
There is no other ending for this story. This is what needed to be for Seiichi and even Fukiishi. It felt final for me. This final volume captured exactly how it feels to be destroyed by a parent as a child and to find your peace as an adult when they no longer have power over you. As someone who experienced extreme abuse as a child that often mirrored the extreme abuse of Seiichi's mother, I, as an adult, have experienced what Seii feels at the end of his life. Peace, books, and living on despite the pain that was inflicted on me for larger portions of my life than not. I get it. For me, it was healing and I see what Oshimi was trying to say because this is biographical in his own right. He carries a lot of guilt of even telling this story and, sadly, those who are abused always protect those who abuse and will do anything to shield others from passing judgment on abusers.
November 5, 2025
i have no idea how to feel about this series but i made it through to the last volume anyway
May 7, 2024
I’ve read this series over years at this point, I know a lot of people will be dissatisfied with the conclusion, perhaps hoping for a more dramatic ending, but to me the ending mirrors the reality of how complicated it is to feel about a ‘toxic’ family member towards the end of their life. You start to doubt what is real, what is not and still as a person yourself feel empathy and sympathy seeing the situation they’re in, age and death don’t allow us much dignity, our personhood slowly diminishes and it’s hard to view someone the same way even if they have terrorised you psychologically/emotionally - it’s something victims struggle reckoning with.
On a purely aesthetic note the art is consistently pretty amazing, imaginative to the end as well.
I hope the author felt some catharsis in this series, from interviews it seems like he was perhaps using this series as a way to release some of his own emotions and feelings about his family relationships.
On a purely aesthetic note the art is consistently pretty amazing, imaginative to the end as well.
I hope the author felt some catharsis in this series, from interviews it seems like he was perhaps using this series as a way to release some of his own emotions and feelings about his family relationships.
April 8, 2024
I’ve read other 2 manga series and one one-shot from him and his stories are not that good, but also not that bad. But clearly not so extraordinary as I’ve seen people say
October 5, 2025
Wow! I ended up loving this manga. Chi no Wadachi or Blood on the Tracks written by Shuzo Oshimi, is a psychological horror manga about a boy named Seiichi, whose mother is overprotective, abusive and a master gastlighter.
The manga starts off slow, but you can already notice something is wrong with Seiichi's mother. Im glad that i kept reading even after volume 3. I just hate anything that come close to incest.
The characters are wonderfully written and realistic. At the start, Seiichi seems like the kind who struggles to stand up for himself, desperate for his mother's approval. As the story goes, something in him begin to shift. Soon, he finally has the courage to find his own voice.
The art style compliment the creepy vibe of the story. Oshimi's impression of tension, abuse and exploration of how trauma affect the characters are the main highlight of the manga; making it disturbingly brilliant.
The thought of somebody out there that might have experienced the same fate like Seiichi is tragic. For me, this may be the best psychological manga i've ever read but it is definitely not for everyone. Not to be re-read too. This is without a doubt a 5 stars read!
The manga starts off slow, but you can already notice something is wrong with Seiichi's mother. Im glad that i kept reading even after volume 3. I just hate anything that come close to incest.
The characters are wonderfully written and realistic. At the start, Seiichi seems like the kind who struggles to stand up for himself, desperate for his mother's approval. As the story goes, something in him begin to shift. Soon, he finally has the courage to find his own voice.
The art style compliment the creepy vibe of the story. Oshimi's impression of tension, abuse and exploration of how trauma affect the characters are the main highlight of the manga; making it disturbingly brilliant.
The thought of somebody out there that might have experienced the same fate like Seiichi is tragic. For me, this may be the best psychological manga i've ever read but it is definitely not for everyone. Not to be re-read too. This is without a doubt a 5 stars read!
March 23, 2024
I don’t know if I’ll ever have the words to properly describe my thoughts or feelings about this story or this series as a whole.
It’s unsettling, bleak, bizarre, grotesque, and beautifully illustrated in a way that’s unforgettable.
The first 10-12 volumes are the strongest before the series fizzles out over time and I have mixed feelings about this ending.
It’s quieter than I was expecting but also a bit…underwhelming.
It’s a perfectly fine ending but definitely not what I expected from this series.
The whole thing is very………….
yeah
CW: child abuse (psychological & physical), incestuous relationship dynamic between parent and child, animal cruelty, child murder, violence, blood and bodily disfigurement, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, gaslighting, psychosis, parental abandonment, dead loved ones, grief, nudity & brief moments of sexual content
It’s unsettling, bleak, bizarre, grotesque, and beautifully illustrated in a way that’s unforgettable.
The first 10-12 volumes are the strongest before the series fizzles out over time and I have mixed feelings about this ending.
It’s quieter than I was expecting but also a bit…underwhelming.
It’s a perfectly fine ending but definitely not what I expected from this series.
The whole thing is very………….
yeah
CW: child abuse (psychological & physical), incestuous relationship dynamic between parent and child, animal cruelty, child murder, violence, blood and bodily disfigurement, suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, gaslighting, psychosis, parental abandonment, dead loved ones, grief, nudity & brief moments of sexual content
January 9, 2025
this whole series was a lot. the author is truly so talented at making you feel the most complicated emotions ever, i felt so exhausted just reading it. but i’m so content with how it ended and definitely won’t forget about it any time soon.
June 27, 2024
Si può mai guarire dal dolore di una vita che non è mai stata giusta? Da chi doveva darci tutto e invece ci ha tolto ogni cosa? Non lo so e non lo sa nemmeno il maestro Oshimi. Forse però, un giorno, possiamo ritrovarci ad ammirare la bellezza del cielo e iniziare a dimenticare il passato...
Grazie maestro per aver scritto questa storia.
Grazie maestro per aver scritto questa storia.
February 3, 2025
La serie empieza bien, moviéndose en el terreno del terror psicológico, pero en los últimos tomos gira hacia el drama y en mi opinión no es un giro que la favorezca.
Aunque es una historia difícil de juzgar por los tintes autobiográficos que parece que el autor confiesa en los últimos tomos.
Aunque es una historia difícil de juzgar por los tintes autobiográficos que parece que el autor confiesa en los últimos tomos.
April 16, 2024
reread the whole series again just to catch up on last few volumes, and it still holds up the same!🥲
March 18, 2025
5/5
Sensationnel ! Je l’avais déjà commencé et jamais fini, et de tout relire d’une traite c’était réellement transcendant.
Une des rares œuvres où je dirait que la narration est au service de l’art tant il est parlant.
J’appréhendais la fin, mais j’ai pas été déçue bien que pas mal surprise sur les 7 derniers tomes !
Une collection en plus que j’aimerais bien avoir car les tomes sont superbes !
Sensationnel ! Je l’avais déjà commencé et jamais fini, et de tout relire d’une traite c’était réellement transcendant.
Une des rares œuvres où je dirait que la narration est au service de l’art tant il est parlant.
J’appréhendais la fin, mais j’ai pas été déçue bien que pas mal surprise sur les 7 derniers tomes !
Une collection en plus que j’aimerais bien avoir car les tomes sont superbes !
January 22, 2025
all 17 volumes were SO good.
But the actual photo at the end… HUHHHHH!??? what do mean by that sir!?
But the actual photo at the end… HUHHHHH!??? what do mean by that sir!?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2025
Welp. I guess that's the conclusion Shuzo Oshimi chose.
I very much dislike that the last chapter and the author's note completely re-contexualize this entire goddamn series, but it also sort of explains the last few volumes and how they felt so disconnected from the entire rest of the series post-time jump. It explains it, but I still don't have to like it.
The first part of this series is still fantastic, and the art is the true storyteller here. I just wish it ended better.
I very much dislike that the last chapter and the author's note completely re-contexualize this entire goddamn series, but it also sort of explains the last few volumes and how they felt so disconnected from the entire rest of the series post-time jump. It explains it, but I still don't have to like it.
The first part of this series is still fantastic, and the art is the true storyteller here. I just wish it ended better.
March 28, 2024
wow, this is one of the greatest series I’ve ever read, holy shit. I was not expecting it to take the path that it did but I’m so glad it went that way. I have been bawling for the last like 4 volumes while reading them in rapid succession lol.
February 26, 2024
One of the few mangas I'll always remember. Thank you for this ride Shuzo Oshimi.
October 5, 2024
(ma review pour toute la série)
histoire d’horreur psychologique vraiment dérangeante qui dépeint une relation mère/fils d’une manière à la fois brute et délicate.
j’aime beaucoup les deux faces du talent d’oshimi, dans le sens où il arrive à mélanger frissons et douceur.le récit est majoritairement porté sur l’artstyle et le panelling, qui est très lent, posé et simple, tout ça pour nous guider avec brio dans une ambiance glaçante à partir du tome 4.
dès lors on est témoin de la face cachée de la mère qui commet un crime impardonnable, mais surtout incompréhensible. et pour moi c’est le point le plus important car la figure de la mère est inaccessible, elle est très difficile à cerner car elle cache toutes ses émotions derrières un sourire glacial. puis quand elle pleure, on ne connaît pas ses vraies intentions et sentiments. elle me rappelle beaucoup le personnage de makima, toutes deux des mères à l’aura maternelle apaisante mais qui font très peur car elles sont d’excellentes manipulatrices et par leur position sont impossibles à atteindre, elles ont l’ascendant sur leur fils qu’elles dominent et c’est comme si elles étaient mises sur un piédestal par leur enfant.
le thème des relations parentales toxiques est très bien abordé, seiichi a une relation love/hate avec sa mère, il cherche à la fois son approbation et son amour mais il est traumatisé d’elle. de plus, même quand elle est absente on sent sa présence, on le voit très bien lorsque seiichi grandit et qu’il est toujours sous le joug de sa mère.
cependant en avançant dans l’histoire on se rend compte que la mère est une personne fragile, je trouve que c’est un commentaire pertinent sur la maternité. seiko ne vit que pour seiichi, elle ne voit jamais d’amies, elle est femme au foyer, voulait avoir un fils pour se racheter… pas étonnant qu’elle couve son fils comme pas possible, traitée comme tel et avec toute cette pression sociale.
la fin du manga est parfaite, c’est celle qu’il fallait.
l’inversion des rôles parent/enfant est bien faite. on se rend compte que nos parents avant d’être notre père ou notre mère, sont des hommes et des femmes qui ont un jour été enfants qui ont eu eux-même des parents toxiques et qui ont dû porter des charges qui ont été mises sur leurs épaules.
maintenant juste pour revenir sur l’artstyle (le yapping infini de la go💀) j’adore le style d’oshimi, au premier abord c’est très simple mais il a une manière de dessiner les expressions faciales et l’ambiance générale qui est sublime… en tant qu’humain on communique principalement par ça, et mettre l’emphase dessus c’est très intelligent pour faire de l’horreur psychologique. y’a pas de jumpscare, pas de créature fantastique, juste des humains complexes traumatisés dans des relations toxiques.
voilà j’ai probablement pas tout dit mais c’est les points les plus importants je pense. malgré tout j’ai ressenti quelques plot holes dans le récit et aussi quelques passages trop dragged out mais sinon c’est une belle tentative de représenter les relations parents/enfants et la maternité.
histoire d’horreur psychologique vraiment dérangeante qui dépeint une relation mère/fils d’une manière à la fois brute et délicate.
j’aime beaucoup les deux faces du talent d’oshimi, dans le sens où il arrive à mélanger frissons et douceur.le récit est majoritairement porté sur l’artstyle et le panelling, qui est très lent, posé et simple, tout ça pour nous guider avec brio dans une ambiance glaçante à partir du tome 4.
dès lors on est témoin de la face cachée de la mère qui commet un crime impardonnable, mais surtout incompréhensible. et pour moi c’est le point le plus important car la figure de la mère est inaccessible, elle est très difficile à cerner car elle cache toutes ses émotions derrières un sourire glacial. puis quand elle pleure, on ne connaît pas ses vraies intentions et sentiments. elle me rappelle beaucoup le personnage de makima, toutes deux des mères à l’aura maternelle apaisante mais qui font très peur car elles sont d’excellentes manipulatrices et par leur position sont impossibles à atteindre, elles ont l’ascendant sur leur fils qu’elles dominent et c’est comme si elles étaient mises sur un piédestal par leur enfant.
le thème des relations parentales toxiques est très bien abordé, seiichi a une relation love/hate avec sa mère, il cherche à la fois son approbation et son amour mais il est traumatisé d’elle. de plus, même quand elle est absente on sent sa présence, on le voit très bien lorsque seiichi grandit et qu’il est toujours sous le joug de sa mère.
cependant en avançant dans l’histoire on se rend compte que la mère est une personne fragile, je trouve que c’est un commentaire pertinent sur la maternité. seiko ne vit que pour seiichi, elle ne voit jamais d’amies, elle est femme au foyer, voulait avoir un fils pour se racheter… pas étonnant qu’elle couve son fils comme pas possible, traitée comme tel et avec toute cette pression sociale.
la fin du manga est parfaite, c’est celle qu’il fallait.
l’inversion des rôles parent/enfant est bien faite. on se rend compte que nos parents avant d’être notre père ou notre mère, sont des hommes et des femmes qui ont un jour été enfants qui ont eu eux-même des parents toxiques et qui ont dû porter des charges qui ont été mises sur leurs épaules.
maintenant juste pour revenir sur l’artstyle (le yapping infini de la go💀) j’adore le style d’oshimi, au premier abord c’est très simple mais il a une manière de dessiner les expressions faciales et l’ambiance générale qui est sublime… en tant qu’humain on communique principalement par ça, et mettre l’emphase dessus c’est très intelligent pour faire de l’horreur psychologique. y’a pas de jumpscare, pas de créature fantastique, juste des humains complexes traumatisés dans des relations toxiques.
voilà j’ai probablement pas tout dit mais c’est les points les plus importants je pense. malgré tout j’ai ressenti quelques plot holes dans le récit et aussi quelques passages trop dragged out mais sinon c’est une belle tentative de représenter les relations parents/enfants et la maternité.
October 12, 2024
Ok, now that i have finished reading all the volumes i can give my full opinion about this series.
This was a roller coaster of emotions. On many occasions i even asked myself what the reality was, there is a point where you have doubts about everything and everyone.
The author's work in portraying the main character's mental state through the illustrations is phenomenal, his perception of reality is changing as his mental health is deteriorating.
The ending is FINALLY the peace that the main character needed so badly, and although i'd have liked to see more of this peaceful life without manipulation and emotional abuse, it seems that this is the best way to bring it to a close.
I'm not sure if i would recommend this series but i definitely want to talk about it because i have a looooot to say.
This was a roller coaster of emotions. On many occasions i even asked myself what the reality was, there is a point where you have doubts about everything and everyone.
The author's work in portraying the main character's mental state through the illustrations is phenomenal, his perception of reality is changing as his mental health is deteriorating.
The ending is FINALLY the peace that the main character needed so badly, and although i'd have liked to see more of this peaceful life without manipulation and emotional abuse, it seems that this is the best way to bring it to a close.
I'm not sure if i would recommend this series but i definitely want to talk about it because i have a looooot to say.
January 12, 2025
"this is the thing he once called 'mother'"
overall, this was an extremely well done take on the complication of relationships and self-identity from the suffocating depths of mental illness to the complete 180 with the time jump where it became an exploration of forgiveness and healing. I was not expecting to see this dude's whole life, but I think it really added to how much the events of his childhood really stuck with him and I loved that it went into the shift from seeing your parents as these almighty beings to them being just another human that was also a kid once
overall, this was an extremely well done take on the complication of relationships and self-identity from the suffocating depths of mental illness to the complete 180 with the time jump where it became an exploration of forgiveness and healing. I was not expecting to see this dude's whole life, but I think it really added to how much the events of his childhood really stuck with him and I loved that it went into the shift from seeing your parents as these almighty beings to them being just another human that was also a kid once
January 5, 2025
me alegro por él espero que le vaya bien
July 23, 2025
Unfortunately I didn’t get the hype around this series at ALL. It was incredibly mediocre for me.
September 21, 2024
After seeing so many 4 & 5 stars for this book I decided to reread it, because I thought I must have missed something. I read it very slowly this time and I will be changing my rating.
Read
September 24, 2024Jesus.
Haunting, horrifying story of a screwed up mother who screws up her son so intensely that it takes decades for them to understand each other, and decades for the son to find a semblance of a happy life.
Oshimi makes it so easy and so hard at the same time to feel sympathy with the characters.. you beg for them to escape their mental shackles only for them to fall back in even deeper. There’s also the question of personhood- how other people shape you, and what it actually means to be your own person. Can you be your own person if someone else has made your decisions for you for your whole life? If they inflicted the trauma that defines your reactions? Can you truly love a person who did that to you? I’d never be able to execute such a massive, difficult concept like this, to the degree it was executed. Holy shit. I hope Oshimi is okay.
I can also speak to the artistic value- the hatching is mouthwatering. The lighting is immaculate. The grotesque horrors, delectable. Must have busted his hand in ways that go beyond physical. Oshimi is a master of ink.
And I’m not as good with symbolism, but I checked out some reddit threads dissecting the volumes one at a time for thematic stuff, foreshadowing and symbolism and BOY HOWDY ARE THEY PACKED. I would not have thought of that!
Just. Damn.
Thanks Abi for the rec and for the website on which to read it. You’re a real homie
Haunting, horrifying story of a screwed up mother who screws up her son so intensely that it takes decades for them to understand each other, and decades for the son to find a semblance of a happy life.
Oshimi makes it so easy and so hard at the same time to feel sympathy with the characters.. you beg for them to escape their mental shackles only for them to fall back in even deeper. There’s also the question of personhood- how other people shape you, and what it actually means to be your own person. Can you be your own person if someone else has made your decisions for you for your whole life? If they inflicted the trauma that defines your reactions? Can you truly love a person who did that to you? I’d never be able to execute such a massive, difficult concept like this, to the degree it was executed. Holy shit. I hope Oshimi is okay.
I can also speak to the artistic value- the hatching is mouthwatering. The lighting is immaculate. The grotesque horrors, delectable. Must have busted his hand in ways that go beyond physical. Oshimi is a master of ink.
And I’m not as good with symbolism, but I checked out some reddit threads dissecting the volumes one at a time for thematic stuff, foreshadowing and symbolism and BOY HOWDY ARE THEY PACKED. I would not have thought of that!
Just. Damn.
Thanks Abi for the rec and for the website on which to read it. You’re a real homie
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2025
And it's over. Just like that. Finally free.
This series was phenomenal. From beginning to end. I was enthralled with every page. I didn't want to put the series down. The series is sad. Extremely sad. A boy who loves his mother and a mother who loves her son. Perhaps their love is too much. Perhaps their love is fake. I think that's all up to interpretation. The lengths people will go for love. It's beautifully tragic. The story as a whole was fantastic. The pacing was a master class. Speeding up and slowing down. Even forcing full stops. It's hard to do well, but this series succeeds in dragging the reader exactly as planned. The art is perfection. Using multiple styles to show different things. Present day, hallucinations, flashbacks, stopped moments in time, etc. Going from polished inks to sketchy pencils to full color. Every page is so deliberate and perfect for the story. The last few books have artist notes that make me feel this is based on reality. Once you read his words, it makes everything hit that much harder. This series was special. I can't recommend it enough. This is a must read.
This series was phenomenal. From beginning to end. I was enthralled with every page. I didn't want to put the series down. The series is sad. Extremely sad. A boy who loves his mother and a mother who loves her son. Perhaps their love is too much. Perhaps their love is fake. I think that's all up to interpretation. The lengths people will go for love. It's beautifully tragic. The story as a whole was fantastic. The pacing was a master class. Speeding up and slowing down. Even forcing full stops. It's hard to do well, but this series succeeds in dragging the reader exactly as planned. The art is perfection. Using multiple styles to show different things. Present day, hallucinations, flashbacks, stopped moments in time, etc. Going from polished inks to sketchy pencils to full color. Every page is so deliberate and perfect for the story. The last few books have artist notes that make me feel this is based on reality. Once you read his words, it makes everything hit that much harder. This series was special. I can't recommend it enough. This is a must read.
April 29, 2024
The author leaves the reader to fill in the blanks towards the end, but I’m happy to see that Seiichi seems content and at a peaceful place in his psyche, especially that he can no longer remember his mother. It seems that he was able to heal from the deep scars that are within his heart to some extent. It was a really well thought out way to finish the story and I wonder how I would have felt if I read it as the story was released rather than reading it in one go. The ending is hopeful and I felt so relieved, like a weight off my shoulders for Seiichi, when I saw his clean room and his reading hobby. I wonder how much this was based on reality…I know that the author did say he based the trauma he endured when his mom found a love letter at a young age…so there have to be even more similarities. I really hope that he feels at peace and healed, in a way, by creating this scary, and very realistic world for us to glimpse and (hopefully) empathize.
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