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Opus #1-2
Opus
Brilliant anime director Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Paranoia Agent, Tokyo Godfathers, Millennium Actress, Perfect Blue) died tragically young in 2010 at the age of forty-six. But before he became a director, he was a manga artist, and Dark Horse is honored to remember Kon with the release of Satoshi Kon’s OPUS,an omnibus collection of a two-volume manga from 1996, created by Kon on the eve of his first film. OPUS contains the mastery of both realism and surrealism that would make Kon famous in Perfect Blue,as a manga artist planning a shocking surprise ending to his story gets literally pulled into his own work—to face for himself what he had planned for his characters!
OPUS is Kon's metafictional tale of Chikara Nagai, a creator under pressure to finish his latest graphic novel, Resonance, who finds that the harshest critic of the shock ending he's got planned is the character who'll have to die in it! Nagai's stregths and weaknesses as a creator are tested beyond their limits as his present and his past, and the worlds of the manga and of reality, become the levels of a maze he may never escape... let alone get a chance to resolve the story!
OPUS is Kon's metafictional tale of Chikara Nagai, a creator under pressure to finish his latest graphic novel, Resonance, who finds that the harshest critic of the shock ending he's got planned is the character who'll have to die in it! Nagai's stregths and weaknesses as a creator are tested beyond their limits as his present and his past, and the worlds of the manga and of reality, become the levels of a maze he may never escape... let alone get a chance to resolve the story!
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
94 people are currently reading
3183 people want to read
About the author
Satoshi Kon
28 books214 followersSatoshi Kon was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, animator and cartoonist.
Kon started his career as a manga artist in the middle of the 80's, when still in university. He served as an assistant to famous manga author Katsuhiro Otomo, who will also play a role in steering Kon's career towards animation.
Besides a few short stories, Kon's only finished graphic novel is Tropic of the Sea (1990). His unfinished manga series include Seraphim 266613336Wings (1994), in collaboration with anime filmmaker Mamoru Oshii, and Opus (1996).
In 1991 Kon started a prominent career in the Japanese animation industry, eventually becoming one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation. Kon's movies often explore the boundaries between dreams, reality and cinematic fiction. His directorial debut came with the critically acclaimed thriller Perfect Blue (1997), followed by Millennium Actress (2001), Tokyo Godfathers (2003) and Paprika (2006).
Satoshi Kon died of pancreatic cancer at age 46.
Kon started his career as a manga artist in the middle of the 80's, when still in university. He served as an assistant to famous manga author Katsuhiro Otomo, who will also play a role in steering Kon's career towards animation.
Besides a few short stories, Kon's only finished graphic novel is Tropic of the Sea (1990). His unfinished manga series include Seraphim 266613336Wings (1994), in collaboration with anime filmmaker Mamoru Oshii, and Opus (1996).
In 1991 Kon started a prominent career in the Japanese animation industry, eventually becoming one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation. Kon's movies often explore the boundaries between dreams, reality and cinematic fiction. His directorial debut came with the critically acclaimed thriller Perfect Blue (1997), followed by Millennium Actress (2001), Tokyo Godfathers (2003) and Paprika (2006).
Satoshi Kon died of pancreatic cancer at age 46.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 370 reviews
May 28, 2018
Satoshi Kon was sort of like Japan's own Grant Morrison, only working primarily in anime rather than comics. He specialised in metafiction, and Opus, one of his few mangas, is as meta as you can get — it's about a manga author who ends up inside of his own manga, as reality and fiction start to intersect and bleed into one another. It's a pretty cool read, and quite a fun story in its own right. Unfortunately, life imitates art, and in mid-90's, just as the fictional story of Opus started to collapse onto itself, the magazine in which it was published was shut down, so the manga never was finished and collected. That was the case until Satoshi Kon's untimely passing in 2010, when a sketched out final chapter to the manga was found among his files. With an agreement from Kon's family, Opus was finally published as an omnibus a couple of years later, including the final chapter which turned out to be a perfect finale for this story. Opus got a tad too convoluted towards the end, and I started wondering how on earth this could end... Turns out, the answer was there all along, and I liked the finale a lot. Overall, Opus is a fascinating book from an immensely talented author, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in metatextual stories.
April 4, 2024
My only real problem with this is that it doesn't have an ending. For various reasons, chief among them his untimely demise, poor Satoshi Kon never got around to finishing this. That's a shame, because this is one of the best metacomics I've ever read. We open, seemingly in the middle of a thriller involving psychics and a masked villain. It turns out to be the latest chapter of Chikara Nagai's manga, Resonance. But he soon finds himself literally drawn into his creation as the characters take issue with plot developments ... This is very nicely written and drawn work, as one would expect from such a legendary creator as Kon. The story never feels like it's getting out of hand, and there are all sorts of clever twists on what's normally such a familiar idea. The last chapter of this book was discovered among Kon's papers after his death, and it shows an intriguing direction for the storyline. It would be interesting to see this completed, though I must confess I'm not sure who would be up to such a task. For now, we have this lovely translation from Dark Horse, which is as definitively incomplete as we're likely to get for the foreseeable future.
July 7, 2016
Thanks to Stewart for the recommendation to read this great--but unfinished--manga volume of more than 350 pages. Kon, known also for doing anime, was first a manga-ka, whose only work I had read before this was the short Tropic of the Sea, which I thought was subtle, and just all right.
But now for something completely different, THIS! Opus is the metafictional tale of Chikara Nagai, a manga-ka working on his latest graphic novel, Resonance, which actually opens Opus for us. In other words, we open to the first page of Opus and it is actually a story called Resonance, this thriller Nagai is writing, and he kills off the popular main character. . . who we find out actually resists this decision. Basically, the artist, Nagai, gets lost in the world he creates, and the world he creates bleeds into his own. I really liked all the twists and turns; it felt funny and fresh, an entertaining reflection about the artistic process.
For years it was completely unfinished, but then a later chapter was found in still-sketch form that helps to give it just a little more closure, maybe. What a cool find for them, and what a cool find for me to read this novel!
But now for something completely different, THIS! Opus is the metafictional tale of Chikara Nagai, a manga-ka working on his latest graphic novel, Resonance, which actually opens Opus for us. In other words, we open to the first page of Opus and it is actually a story called Resonance, this thriller Nagai is writing, and he kills off the popular main character. . . who we find out actually resists this decision. Basically, the artist, Nagai, gets lost in the world he creates, and the world he creates bleeds into his own. I really liked all the twists and turns; it felt funny and fresh, an entertaining reflection about the artistic process.
For years it was completely unfinished, but then a later chapter was found in still-sketch form that helps to give it just a little more closure, maybe. What a cool find for them, and what a cool find for me to read this novel!
January 12, 2025
(3.5) satoshi kon is just incredible in every thing he does
June 22, 2021
I absolutely adored every moment of this but something doesn't feel right about giving it the full five stars. Maybe because, despite the publisher's reassurances, it's still not complete. Maybe because I feel like I don't quite understand the world, the powers or the villain well enough to say I fully understood the plot.
But Satoshi Kon's busy work schedule aside, I'm not afraid to call this a masterpiece. It breaks the fourth wall from the inside and the outside, it breaks it again when you least expect it and if you get the edition with the bonus chapter unearthed from Kon's personal effects, well, let's just say there's another surprise in store.
The visualisation of how reality starts to fracture, and following the main character step into and out of his own manga creation is absolutely fantastic. So incredibly imaginative. I had a stupid grin on my face from the very beginning when we start "inside" the manga and the frame gradually pulls out until we realise it's being read by a character inside our manga.
Fantastic. Twisty and mind-bendy. Suddenly I have an intense craving for meta-fiction.
But Satoshi Kon's busy work schedule aside, I'm not afraid to call this a masterpiece. It breaks the fourth wall from the inside and the outside, it breaks it again when you least expect it and if you get the edition with the bonus chapter unearthed from Kon's personal effects, well, let's just say there's another surprise in store.
The visualisation of how reality starts to fracture, and following the main character step into and out of his own manga creation is absolutely fantastic. So incredibly imaginative. I had a stupid grin on my face from the very beginning when we start "inside" the manga and the frame gradually pulls out until we realise it's being read by a character inside our manga.
Fantastic. Twisty and mind-bendy. Suddenly I have an intense craving for meta-fiction.
November 10, 2019
When the writer falls through the pages of his own manga the characters have no choice but to believe that he is God. He did create them and knows everything about them after all.
But this god is not all powerful, he has editors and publicists to answer to. He also needs assistants to create the world.
He also completely loses control over his own creation. The characters were unaware before that they were not real so they have their own wills and continue on with their own plans despite the author being present. The author struggles with his own writers block and conflicts with his own creation.
He also then must come to terms with the consequences of how he's treated his creation. He had planned to kill off one of the main characters in order to end the series with a bang but the characters obviously don't want to die and don't like the idea of their world no longer being written into existence.
The book is more a commentary about the creative process and the tortured psyche of artists than it is about the characters and their plot within the plot. It is also semi autobiographical about the author as he attempts to transition his career from manga artist to film director.
Readers always want the series they love to continue forever. But not all series get satisfying endings. The ending of this book is just as meta as the story and may not satisfy all readers. But we do not always get the ending we want. Sometimes artists are finished with their creation. And more unfortunately, as was the case with this artist, they die before they can get all of their creations out into the world. It is a melancholy truth. Let's enjoy what we do have and try not to mourn too much for what could have been.
I would recommend Opus for any fans of Satoshi Kon, it's a great insight into his mind and process. Also for any writers or creators themselves, this is actually quite relatable as an over the top metaphor.
For the full review with all the pictures please visit https://amanjareads.com/2019/11/10/op...
But this god is not all powerful, he has editors and publicists to answer to. He also needs assistants to create the world.
He also completely loses control over his own creation. The characters were unaware before that they were not real so they have their own wills and continue on with their own plans despite the author being present. The author struggles with his own writers block and conflicts with his own creation.
He also then must come to terms with the consequences of how he's treated his creation. He had planned to kill off one of the main characters in order to end the series with a bang but the characters obviously don't want to die and don't like the idea of their world no longer being written into existence.
The book is more a commentary about the creative process and the tortured psyche of artists than it is about the characters and their plot within the plot. It is also semi autobiographical about the author as he attempts to transition his career from manga artist to film director.
Readers always want the series they love to continue forever. But not all series get satisfying endings. The ending of this book is just as meta as the story and may not satisfy all readers. But we do not always get the ending we want. Sometimes artists are finished with their creation. And more unfortunately, as was the case with this artist, they die before they can get all of their creations out into the world. It is a melancholy truth. Let's enjoy what we do have and try not to mourn too much for what could have been.
I would recommend Opus for any fans of Satoshi Kon, it's a great insight into his mind and process. Also for any writers or creators themselves, this is actually quite relatable as an over the top metaphor.
For the full review with all the pictures please visit https://amanjareads.com/2019/11/10/op...
December 15, 2019
4.25 🌟
If it was not abruptly ended it would truly be an opus. But still it is great metafiction with a ingenious idea. The artwork and story are top class .
Satoshi Kon works truly messes up with mind whether it is through his manga or anime ( Perfect Blue etc.) He perfectly knew how to play with both the characters and the mind of audience.
If it was not abruptly ended it would truly be an opus. But still it is great metafiction with a ingenious idea. The artwork and story are top class .
Satoshi Kon works truly messes up with mind whether it is through his manga or anime ( Perfect Blue etc.) He perfectly knew how to play with both the characters and the mind of audience.
January 10, 2021
This just blew my mind.
August 14, 2016
Satoshi Kon died way too early at the age of 46 in 2010, having directed some of the most amazing anime films ever: Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress and Paprika. Before his animation career, he was a manga artist, and Opus was his last manga work before getting entirely sucked into the world of film production. Like those three films, Opus operates at a meta level, playing with reality, illusion and identity, all underscored by a precise, imaginative art style.
In Opus, a ruffled manga artist is putting the final touches on the dramatic climax of his most recent series when he discovers that one of his characters refuses to die as scripted. In fact the character steals the page depicting his own death, and the artist is sucked into the hole that resulted from that theft, into the world of his own creation, trying to chase down the thief as the characters around him slowly realize he is the rather odd 'god' of their world. And that's just the first of many reality twists and inversions.
It's a fun ride, and any Satoshi Kon fan will feel right at home, but the last quarter of the book veers abruptly into dark and graphic territory with a villain who's a serial-murder-of-children (a plot-point of the beginning of the series-within-the-series) - somewhat jarring given the mostly playful feel of the rest of it. While it shows Kon's mastery of creating different tones, by the time Kon was making his movies, he had more successfully figured out how to move between vastly different tones/genres while still making the whole cohere. But regardless, recommended overall.
In Opus, a ruffled manga artist is putting the final touches on the dramatic climax of his most recent series when he discovers that one of his characters refuses to die as scripted. In fact the character steals the page depicting his own death, and the artist is sucked into the hole that resulted from that theft, into the world of his own creation, trying to chase down the thief as the characters around him slowly realize he is the rather odd 'god' of their world. And that's just the first of many reality twists and inversions.
It's a fun ride, and any Satoshi Kon fan will feel right at home, but the last quarter of the book veers abruptly into dark and graphic territory with a villain who's a serial-murder-of-children (a plot-point of the beginning of the series-within-the-series) - somewhat jarring given the mostly playful feel of the rest of it. While it shows Kon's mastery of creating different tones, by the time Kon was making his movies, he had more successfully figured out how to move between vastly different tones/genres while still making the whole cohere. But regardless, recommended overall.
May 20, 2021
Actual rating: 3.5
My first foray into the Manga world, and I was not entirely disappointed. The metafictional storyline is a great choice, and the additional meta-metafictional direction of the rough-released "last chapter" is intriguing, but seeing as how this story has no proper ending, it falls short of brilliance.
Satoshi Kon's untimely demise was a loss to the Anime and Manga world (the brilliant ‘Paranoia Agent’ remains a personal favorite). It's strange to think what would have become of the characters in Opus had he had the time to finish it... I guess we'll never know.
I've come to the end without an ending, and that's frustrating. I wasn't aware of the absence of a conclusion to the storyline when I started reading, and then all of a sudden I'm slapped in the face with... nothing. Regardless, I had a fun time reading this, and it most certainly won't be my last Manga.
My first foray into the Manga world, and I was not entirely disappointed. The metafictional storyline is a great choice, and the additional meta-metafictional direction of the rough-released "last chapter" is intriguing, but seeing as how this story has no proper ending, it falls short of brilliance.
Satoshi Kon's untimely demise was a loss to the Anime and Manga world (the brilliant ‘Paranoia Agent’ remains a personal favorite). It's strange to think what would have become of the characters in Opus had he had the time to finish it... I guess we'll never know.
I've come to the end without an ending, and that's frustrating. I wasn't aware of the absence of a conclusion to the storyline when I started reading, and then all of a sudden I'm slapped in the face with... nothing. Regardless, I had a fun time reading this, and it most certainly won't be my last Manga.
February 18, 2024
Одна з кращих незавершених манґ що я читав. Сатоші Кон - Опус.
Сюжет розказує про манґаку Творця ...., який хоче завершити свою серію манґи. Бо він втомився писати. Дивним чином він опиняється у свої ж манзі. Бачить своїх персонажів. Веде діалог з ними, щоб завершити її, поки не стало пізно.
І боже. Це просто неймовірно. Ми вже знали Сатоші Кона як талановитого режисера. Але тут він просто робить неймовірне. Те як манґака знає свій світ, зустрічає "межі" на які не було часу чи бюджету на розмальовки. Як герої дізнаються що їх світ не справжній. Пусті картонні замальовки будинків. Ескізи недомальованих персонажів. Розмови персонажів. Стурбованість персонажів їх подальшою долею та світом. Проходи з манґи у реальний світ і навпаки.
І другий аспект. Це намагання деяких персонажів змінити події вигаданого твору. Один з протагоністів намагається вбити антагоніста у зародку. Протагоніст намагається взяти контроль над Творцем. Антагоністка #1 дізнається що світ несправжній, попадає в реальний світ, де читає історію про себе і їй кажуть що класний косплей. Творець який намагається "фіксити" тріснутий світ манґи поки всі персонажі не рознесли його.
Це все поєднання ідей робить манґу неймовірною. А тепер до сумного. Автор не встиг завершити свою через проблеми з закриттям журналу та своєї смерті. Через це все несподівано обриваються. Проте знайшли замальовки скажім так епілогу. І він прекрасний. Який є трохи логічним завершенням. Або міг би ним бути. Де Творець зустрічає Сатоші Кона. І у них проходить цікава розмова.
Загалом я прочитав цю манґу не відриваючись, бо тримає прям до кінця.
Сюжет розказує про манґаку Творця ...., який хоче завершити свою серію манґи. Бо він втомився писати. Дивним чином він опиняється у свої ж манзі. Бачить своїх персонажів. Веде діалог з ними, щоб завершити її, поки не стало пізно.
І боже. Це просто неймовірно. Ми вже знали Сатоші Кона як талановитого режисера. Але тут він просто робить неймовірне. Те як манґака знає свій світ, зустрічає "межі" на які не було часу чи бюджету на розмальовки. Як герої дізнаються що їх світ не справжній. Пусті картонні замальовки будинків. Ескізи недомальованих персонажів. Розмови персонажів. Стурбованість персонажів їх подальшою долею та світом. Проходи з манґи у реальний світ і навпаки.
І другий аспект. Це намагання деяких персонажів змінити події вигаданого твору. Один з протагоністів намагається вбити антагоніста у зародку. Протагоніст намагається взяти контроль над Творцем. Антагоністка #1 дізнається що світ несправжній, попадає в реальний світ, де читає історію про себе і їй кажуть що класний косплей. Творець який намагається "фіксити" тріснутий світ манґи поки всі персонажі не рознесли його.
Це все поєднання ідей робить манґу неймовірною. А тепер до сумного. Автор не встиг завершити свою через проблеми з закриттям журналу та своєї смерті. Через це все несподівано обриваються. Проте знайшли замальовки скажім так епілогу. І він прекрасний. Який є трохи логічним завершенням. Або міг би ним бути. Де Творець зустрічає Сатоші Кона. І у них проходить цікава розмова.
Загалом я прочитав цю манґу не відриваючись, бо тримає прям до кінця.
January 7, 2024
The author becoming a main character in their own fiction has been done quite few times. But the way Satoshi Kon's Opus starts where the author, Chikara Nagai, author of the manga Resonance is meeting with his editor. This action adventure thriller is at a turning point as the protagonists face the primary antagonist of the Resonance manga. This is when Chikara shows the latest panels where he has killed off one of the main characters.
And the character refuses to accept this fate and rebels.
Chikara falls into the world he has created and creates a dynamic relationship with the characters. From here on, the story is both thrilling and explores metaphysical nuances of higher power, influence, destiny, self-worth, and other debates. Its a fascinating journey where there is some fourth wall breaking, author-character confrontation and pretty decent story.
And the character refuses to accept this fate and rebels.
Chikara falls into the world he has created and creates a dynamic relationship with the characters. From here on, the story is both thrilling and explores metaphysical nuances of higher power, influence, destiny, self-worth, and other debates. Its a fascinating journey where there is some fourth wall breaking, author-character confrontation and pretty decent story.
February 18, 2025
Reality and fiction are like nesting dolls, which is a reoccurring theme in Kon’s work. Where does the story go and where does it come from? The role of the writer, the amalgamation of their life, interests, the world they live in, the people around them all combined to create whatever they create. If you enjoy his movies you’ll like this manga BUT I think this would be an amazing movie, it loses just a smidge from not being able to be live- seeing the movement of the world he is making
January 20, 2021
Another master piece by satoshi kon.
Really unique Manga it is.
Really unique Manga it is.
January 20, 2022
An artist’s need for control and power told in this really smart story of the artist coming in conversation with the characters he’s created. Gets into some fascinating art-specific ideas of why anyone creates, and of the responsibility of a creator to the world of their work. When the characters are interacting with past issues of the comic and the whole world is ripping apart, it felt like another cool layer on the control idea. It’s impossible to control the past - what’s happened has happened and we can’t change it. We can only look to write a better future.
The section where Satoko is in the real world is probably my favourite. She previously bemused that Chikara would create a world for her of only suffering and tragedy, as if that’s the only interesting story to tell (why must the artist, if they can create anything, choose to torture the characters?). Then she sees that the world is full of even more suffering than her comic world. Or at least a more complex, confusing suffering. The comic is a reflection of reality but it is also a simplification. A way to make sense of the world in broad strokes of good-vs-evil.
You can also read the whole thing as a metaphor for existence and why we’re alive in the world. And what it would mean to come into conversation with God. It’s a super rich text that also very clearly builds out a potentially confusing concept. Starting within the story, then pulling out to reveal Chikara creating the story, then bringing Chikara into the story, then bringing Satoko into the world, then Chikara and Satoko going back into the beginning of the story, then the whole thing begins to crumble. It’s great structuring, and doesn’t need to spend too much time forefronting explanation. We’re just slowly getting it all as the thematic and emotional threads always remain the focus. I love!!
The section where Satoko is in the real world is probably my favourite. She previously bemused that Chikara would create a world for her of only suffering and tragedy, as if that’s the only interesting story to tell (why must the artist, if they can create anything, choose to torture the characters?). Then she sees that the world is full of even more suffering than her comic world. Or at least a more complex, confusing suffering. The comic is a reflection of reality but it is also a simplification. A way to make sense of the world in broad strokes of good-vs-evil.
You can also read the whole thing as a metaphor for existence and why we’re alive in the world. And what it would mean to come into conversation with God. It’s a super rich text that also very clearly builds out a potentially confusing concept. Starting within the story, then pulling out to reveal Chikara creating the story, then bringing Chikara into the story, then bringing Satoko into the world, then Chikara and Satoko going back into the beginning of the story, then the whole thing begins to crumble. It’s great structuring, and doesn’t need to spend too much time forefronting explanation. We’re just slowly getting it all as the thematic and emotional threads always remain the focus. I love!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2024
I enjoyed it for the most part! Very meta. However, I do think some of the big twists near the end were cheap copouts/low hanging fruit with very serious and transmisogynistic implications. Trying to keep this vague so as to not spoil anything too much, but also to warn anyone who’s interested, yet unfamiliar of this going in (as I was). It was very captivating though, i read the last 200 pages just now in one sitting lol.
Edit: feeling really annoyed because I did enjoy what they were doing with the twist near the end, it just extremely upsets me that he opted for the easy out by buying into the “predator” stigma that many queer, especially trans, people have to live with daily. I knocked the rating down another star because it left a really bad taste in my mouth and I’m still ruminating over how those scenes could’ve been written differently.
Edit: feeling really annoyed because I did enjoy what they were doing with the twist near the end, it just extremely upsets me that he opted for the easy out by buying into the “predator” stigma that many queer, especially trans, people have to live with daily. I knocked the rating down another star because it left a really bad taste in my mouth and I’m still ruminating over how those scenes could’ve been written differently.
Read
October 4, 2015The story pulls you right in from the beginning and then keeps throwing unexpected twists at you.
April 2, 2017
4'5/5
No se lleva las 5 estrellas porque está inacabado, pero ¡¡wow!!
No se lleva las 5 estrellas porque está inacabado, pero ¡¡wow!!
August 15, 2024
A ironia de ler uma banda desenhada inacabada onde o autor entra na história sobre uma banda desenhada inacabada onde o autor entra na história... aaah! Podia ter sido muito mais confuso mas Satoshi Kon força-nos só in media res e não perde tempo com detalhes pouco relevantes nem com cenas só de exposição. O surrealismo visual típico dele está presente mas usado de modo prático e real dentro da história, em vez de ser uma ferramenta metafísica de apresentação só para a apreciação da audiência, como é mais o caso nos seus filmes.
November 19, 2021
Fuck. I'm speechless.
Wasn't too much into it initially, but fuuuck, the unfinished pages(!!!!)
Wasn't too much into it initially, but fuuuck, the unfinished pages(!!!!)
July 16, 2023
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)
That was a wild ride!
That was a wild ride!
May 5, 2019
It was an alright book. I liked the metatext/metafiction aspect of the story, it's rather fitting that the character in Opus has his manga series canceled when in real life Opus wasn't finished because the magazine was canceled. The merge of reality and fiction and fiction and reality.
Opus has a conclusive enough ending, thanks to drafts found by Satoshi Kon's family and that they allowed to publish them.
One of the interesting aspect of the story is focus on pain, inflicted on women in fiction by their male authors. Opus was published not too long before the release of Satoshi Kon's highly acclaimed Perfect Blue. Perfect Blue is a female-lead story with big focus on her pain and suffering, inflicted on her by her environment.
I'm getting derailed. Opus has interesting ideas and the concept of bending fiction with reality inside a fiction is a fun one. Unfortunately, I did not like the execution. The panels were boring for the most part, character designs were forgetable.
Opus has a conclusive enough ending, thanks to drafts found by Satoshi Kon's family and that they allowed to publish them.
One of the interesting aspect of the story is focus on pain, inflicted on women in fiction by their male authors. Opus was published not too long before the release of Satoshi Kon's highly acclaimed Perfect Blue. Perfect Blue is a female-lead story with big focus on her pain and suffering, inflicted on her by her environment.
I'm getting derailed. Opus has interesting ideas and the concept of bending fiction with reality inside a fiction is a fun one. Unfortunately, I did not like the execution. The panels were boring for the most part, character designs were forgetable.
September 6, 2020
Good Story line. A manga writer lost his last page of a manga. And, then he got lost in his creation. When you create something and it comes to alive or if I elaborate more, if you create a world from your imagination and you realized that your imaginary world is real. Every character is real. Every struggle you made for them is real. They also have feelings, they eat, they sleep, they bleed. And, you are the one behind it. How would you feel? When they know you are the reason behind their suffering; what would you do to make things right?
What i liked most about this manga, is Ending. Perfectly smooth. Give it a try. You Won't regret.
What i liked most about this manga, is Ending. Perfectly smooth. Give it a try. You Won't regret.
September 5, 2016
Like being back with a good friend. Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue was one of my first anime experiences and it was great to read a manga of his.
February 22, 2023
Bastante entretenido. Una lástima que no tenga un buen final (o que esté sin acabar y lo terminó de forma improvisada)
February 11, 2021
Opus is a manga from the mind of Satoshi Kon. Sadly, the manga remains unfinished, and in the wake of Kon's death in 2010, it will never be completed. Death is always a tragedy, but in the case of Satoshi Kon, it is something even worse. He was a creative genius and Opus was a masterpiece - to lose two such blessings in one single moment truly is a great loss to this world.
The story itself focuses on a manga artist who decides to kill off one of his main characters in the final scene of his comic. The problem is, the self-aware protagonist isn't happy about this and does everything he can to spoil his creator's grand plans. From here, a tug of war for control begins, as the world of fiction blends with that of reality.
This story is classic Satoshi Kon. If you have ever seen any of his movies, this premise will not surprise you. All of his trademark tropes are present and accounted for. Kon loves questioning the boundaries of reality and does it more succesfully than any of his contemporaries. His stories are always tremendously inventive and he is never afraid of becoming too dark.
I feel sad this this story will never reach fruition. It really hooked me in and had such fantastic potential. It could easily have gone on to become Kon's greatest work. Unfortunately, we will never know what Kon had planned for his finale - that mystery is forever lost. However, judging by his rough sketches for his next chapter (included in this collection as an extra), perhaps we are better off not knowing.
As the manga progresses, the further and further down the rabbit hole Kon ventured, the story growing more surreal with each page. I can't help but feel that maybe Kon went too far this time and lost track of where he was going with his story. He claims in the extra chapter that he could've completed the story in just three more chapters, but I'm not sure if that was true. And even if he had ended it, judging from the direction he was heading, I think it would have been too weird and wacky, even for HIS readers.
Nonetheless, this is a terrific manga and one that I couldn't put down. I can't help but feel lucky for discovering the works of Satoshi Kon. I have always loved Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress, and now I can say that I love Opus too.
Rest in peace, Satoshi Kon, you wonderful, wonderful man. 4/5.
The story itself focuses on a manga artist who decides to kill off one of his main characters in the final scene of his comic. The problem is, the self-aware protagonist isn't happy about this and does everything he can to spoil his creator's grand plans. From here, a tug of war for control begins, as the world of fiction blends with that of reality.
This story is classic Satoshi Kon. If you have ever seen any of his movies, this premise will not surprise you. All of his trademark tropes are present and accounted for. Kon loves questioning the boundaries of reality and does it more succesfully than any of his contemporaries. His stories are always tremendously inventive and he is never afraid of becoming too dark.
I feel sad this this story will never reach fruition. It really hooked me in and had such fantastic potential. It could easily have gone on to become Kon's greatest work. Unfortunately, we will never know what Kon had planned for his finale - that mystery is forever lost. However, judging by his rough sketches for his next chapter (included in this collection as an extra), perhaps we are better off not knowing.
As the manga progresses, the further and further down the rabbit hole Kon ventured, the story growing more surreal with each page. I can't help but feel that maybe Kon went too far this time and lost track of where he was going with his story. He claims in the extra chapter that he could've completed the story in just three more chapters, but I'm not sure if that was true. And even if he had ended it, judging from the direction he was heading, I think it would have been too weird and wacky, even for HIS readers.
Nonetheless, this is a terrific manga and one that I couldn't put down. I can't help but feel lucky for discovering the works of Satoshi Kon. I have always loved Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress, and now I can say that I love Opus too.
Rest in peace, Satoshi Kon, you wonderful, wonderful man. 4/5.
December 27, 2018
This was so typically Kon! An absolute mindfcuk!
Things are happening but you cannot really answer how or why - not even within the limited logic of the plot. Within its fast-paced chaotic turn of events, this unfinished story creates a unique thought experiment, likes of something we've seen before. Chikara Nagai, a manga artist, gets pulled into the manga he's writing and is brought face to face with his characters, and they aren't all thrilled to meet their creator. And you can't blame them either, because they soon realize that all their life's suffering and pain was only to keep the readers interested in this other 'real' world. It's easy to write about gritty events knowing that it's not real but when everything you wrote, comes to life, how do you react? Do you reevaluate? Do you see your characters more than just your creations, your puppets? Can you, in turn be someone's puppet too?
This idea reminds me of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It was a lot more philosophical and heartbreaking than Opus, and a lot more detailed. I was also thinking of Ghost in the Shell (the first two movies) where the whole debate between human and machine is so brilliant and complex that I'll never tire of watching them.
Opus stands as an unfinished work, although there is a roughly sketched ending provided which was found in Kon's notes after his death. I am a huge fan of his anime movies and I wonder what ideas would have been buzzing in his head to create so many mind-boggling and gritty stories. He was a real talent and it's sad we lost him so suddenly and so soon.
Things are happening but you cannot really answer how or why - not even within the limited logic of the plot. Within its fast-paced chaotic turn of events, this unfinished story creates a unique thought experiment, likes of something we've seen before. Chikara Nagai, a manga artist, gets pulled into the manga he's writing and is brought face to face with his characters, and they aren't all thrilled to meet their creator. And you can't blame them either, because they soon realize that all their life's suffering and pain was only to keep the readers interested in this other 'real' world. It's easy to write about gritty events knowing that it's not real but when everything you wrote, comes to life, how do you react? Do you reevaluate? Do you see your characters more than just your creations, your puppets? Can you, in turn be someone's puppet too?
This idea reminds me of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It was a lot more philosophical and heartbreaking than Opus, and a lot more detailed. I was also thinking of Ghost in the Shell (the first two movies) where the whole debate between human and machine is so brilliant and complex that I'll never tire of watching them.
Opus stands as an unfinished work, although there is a roughly sketched ending provided which was found in Kon's notes after his death. I am a huge fan of his anime movies and I wonder what ideas would have been buzzing in his head to create so many mind-boggling and gritty stories. He was a real talent and it's sad we lost him so suddenly and so soon.
Read
December 6, 2024After being grabbed by the start I gradually lost interest until I was ready to drop the book, which I can only imagine is what happened to Satoshi Kon himself.
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A really exciting opening full of metaphors, humor, mystery, and a strong cast, all of which ultimately never tie together or become more than the sum of their parts. As fun as this can be, it rehashes most of the metafiction gags seen in Morrison’s Animal Man from earlier in the decade, and never presents a cogent argument from its ideas the way Animal Man does in its iconic finale.
I wish I could temper my dissatisfaction with the knowledge that this would be better if only Kon had a chance to finish it, but I already could feel this spinning its wheels and stretching it’s page count in the second half. I began to lose faith that that mysteries would be revealed in a meaningful way or that the narrative elements would be deepened with metaphorical meaning. The drafted final chapter shows Kon was sort of figuring this out as he went, but still has some moments that made me laugh like when Kon asks Nagai if he could draw backgrounds to help Kon finish Nagai’s own story. The narrative became more wrapped up in the in-story “Resonance” which is far less interesting than the metafictional narrative of Nagai finding his ending. At the very least this is honest to Kon’s experience as a writer getting lost in his own sauce.
———
A really exciting opening full of metaphors, humor, mystery, and a strong cast, all of which ultimately never tie together or become more than the sum of their parts. As fun as this can be, it rehashes most of the metafiction gags seen in Morrison’s Animal Man from earlier in the decade, and never presents a cogent argument from its ideas the way Animal Man does in its iconic finale.
I wish I could temper my dissatisfaction with the knowledge that this would be better if only Kon had a chance to finish it, but I already could feel this spinning its wheels and stretching it’s page count in the second half. I began to lose faith that that mysteries would be revealed in a meaningful way or that the narrative elements would be deepened with metaphorical meaning. The drafted final chapter shows Kon was sort of figuring this out as he went, but still has some moments that made me laugh like when Kon asks Nagai if he could draw backgrounds to help Kon finish Nagai’s own story. The narrative became more wrapped up in the in-story “Resonance” which is far less interesting than the metafictional narrative of Nagai finding his ending. At the very least this is honest to Kon’s experience as a writer getting lost in his own sauce.
October 30, 2017
No tu jest grubo. Gość, niczym bohater teledysku "Take on me" - grupy a-ha, zostaje wciągnięty do mangi i zaczyna się jazda bez trzymanki. Sporo odniesień do kultury zachodniej (najprostsze: Maska - Alan Moore) i do samych mang.
Oczywiście mnóstwo zagadnień, które przychodzą na myśl. Czy istniejemy tylko jako czyjś wymysł? Jeśli tak to czy są w tym świecie "dziury", dzięki którym jesteśmy w stanie poza niego wyjść? Czy bycie stwórcą jest w ogóle moralne? Czy artysta jest odpowiednikiem Boga w przestrzeni swojej działalności? Ile tych spiętrzeń? Gdzie jest granica? Jeśli ty kogoś wymyślasz, ktoś wyżej musiał wymyślić ciebie. Czy gdyby dało się zmieniać przeszłość, to świat zacząłby się rozpadać? Uff... Koniecznie.
Oczywiście mnóstwo zagadnień, które przychodzą na myśl. Czy istniejemy tylko jako czyjś wymysł? Jeśli tak to czy są w tym świecie "dziury", dzięki którym jesteśmy w stanie poza niego wyjść? Czy bycie stwórcą jest w ogóle moralne? Czy artysta jest odpowiednikiem Boga w przestrzeni swojej działalności? Ile tych spiętrzeń? Gdzie jest granica? Jeśli ty kogoś wymyślasz, ktoś wyżej musiał wymyślić ciebie. Czy gdyby dało się zmieniać przeszłość, to świat zacząłby się rozpadać? Uff... Koniecznie.
November 2, 2023
This is the most immersive book I have read up to this point. I really don’t know what to say other than please read this yourself. Reality doesn’t quite feel the same way after finishing this.
I cried when i learned that Satoshi Kon deemed Opus a failure, especially after seeing the beautiful sketches of the final chapter. I disagree with everyone who says this book is unfinished. It tells a complete story, regardless of the state of the final chapter. I’m so thankful it was able to be published, and I think the nature of it works so well with the theme and story of the rest of the manga.
I wish Kon was here to see how loved Opus is. This book made me feel so many things I’ve never felt before. It isn’t a failure… I wish he could know that.
I cried when i learned that Satoshi Kon deemed Opus a failure, especially after seeing the beautiful sketches of the final chapter. I disagree with everyone who says this book is unfinished. It tells a complete story, regardless of the state of the final chapter. I’m so thankful it was able to be published, and I think the nature of it works so well with the theme and story of the rest of the manga.
I wish Kon was here to see how loved Opus is. This book made me feel so many things I’ve never felt before. It isn’t a failure… I wish he could know that.
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