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One Hundred Views of Reality
Kijitori Byu is an independent cartoonist active in the Comitia doujin (self publishing) comics scene, whose style mixes surreal, sometimes humorous situations, with abstract subject matter and a simplified line, effected to deeply thought-provoking and poignant result. Their self-published collection "Zenbu Toki ni Atta", which One Hundred Views of Reality draws from and expands on, was a jury selection for the 20th Japan Media Arts Award.
One Hundred Views of Reality collects 300+ pages worth of Byu’s short story manga for the first time, including their highly-regarded cult classic works A Long Stay, BYTE / Part Time Job, A Country Called America, and many more. A rare glimpse into the slightly surreal alternative Comitia doujin scene of the early 2010s.
One Hundred Views of Reality collects 300+ pages worth of Byu’s short story manga for the first time, including their highly-regarded cult classic works A Long Stay, BYTE / Part Time Job, A Country Called America, and many more. A rare glimpse into the slightly surreal alternative Comitia doujin scene of the early 2010s.
- GenresComics
312 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 4, 2026
A lot of interesting ideas in these gentle, open-ended, dream-like stories. The drawing style is mostly simple but effective and charming (don't come here for obsessively detailed backdrops a la Tsuge etc).
In "Shortcut Lovers", a young man with an oddly shaped ear meets a young woman with a (differently) oddly shaped ear, and they engage in an unusual friendship. In "A Country Called America", the protagonist meets up with a friend with an oddly shaped vase, purchased in America, who convinces the protagonist to travel to America. There, he discovers there is no internet, and encounters inhabitants shaped somewhat like the vase. In "Dreams don't Answer", the protagonist wanders through scenarios with a giant disembodied hand with the finger tips lopped off.
My favorite is probably "Part-time Job", a quiet, meaningless and nightmarish workplace setup, somewhat reminiscent in atmosphere of the dystopian classic Through the Habitrails: Life Before and After My Career in the Cubicles. There's jellyfish handling and abuse, strangely shaped inhuman superiors, and implausible prospects for romance.
Some really nice ideas, though the execution can be a bit uneven. Definitely deserves more attention.
In "Shortcut Lovers", a young man with an oddly shaped ear meets a young woman with a (differently) oddly shaped ear, and they engage in an unusual friendship. In "A Country Called America", the protagonist meets up with a friend with an oddly shaped vase, purchased in America, who convinces the protagonist to travel to America. There, he discovers there is no internet, and encounters inhabitants shaped somewhat like the vase. In "Dreams don't Answer", the protagonist wanders through scenarios with a giant disembodied hand with the finger tips lopped off.
My favorite is probably "Part-time Job", a quiet, meaningless and nightmarish workplace setup, somewhat reminiscent in atmosphere of the dystopian classic Through the Habitrails: Life Before and After My Career in the Cubicles. There's jellyfish handling and abuse, strangely shaped inhuman superiors, and implausible prospects for romance.
Some really nice ideas, though the execution can be a bit uneven. Definitely deserves more attention.
February 2, 2025
This was an interesting compilation of short stories. I enjoyed some of them, but most left me puzzled or indifferent. I think I was not the target for this kind of surrealist stories.
July 5, 2026
I enjoyed about 1/4 of the book. The stories before 'One Hundred Views Of Reality' were fun. My favourite was the one about going to America. After, it became a bit too much of 'nothing is real' for me to really enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews