Introduction

This is my first review, so I appreciate any comment, critique or hint you might have. I try to improve my future reviews accordingly. For now, I've segmented this review into four main points and rated them on a scale of ten. This rating is, of course, completely subjective to my personal taste. But, I tried to be as impartial as I can.

Plot and story development (8 / 10)

Shissou Sengen is a manga that tackles the issue of personal and professional fulfilment. Our protagonist is a female office worker in her 20ies. Since she is generally unhappy with her current situation, she thinks of disappearing for good. To just leave everything behind and start a new and, hopefully, better life somewhere else. To achieve this goal, she embarks upon various tasks intended to prepare her for this quest. She even makes a "disappearance dry run". The story progression is consistent and always focuses on the protagonist, bringing in only a few new characters every now and then. We are also able to catch a glimpse into her personal life and what lead her to the situation she is currently in. All in all, the story is concise and the development goes on at an appropriate pace. Yet, I would have preferred a bit more backstory about her. I liked the addition of the disappearance statistics at the end of each chapter - they were quite informative.

Artwork (6 / 10)

The artwork of this manga is alright, albeit a bit minimalistic. Especially the backgrounds felt quite lacklustre at times. But since the art is not the main point of this manga, it didn't bother me that much. It was clear enough to identify all characters without any issues and I liked the general feel of the art style.

Theme (7 / 10)

Only a few people have their whole life planned out from the beginning. Most of us enter the workforce without an exact and final idea of where we will end up professionally - or personally - ten or twenty years in the future. Often, we have to do some soul-searching and questioning the status quo to find a new goal or a new direction where we want to head to. This is the situation the protagonist of this manga finds herself in. The overarching theme of this manga is the pursuit of happiness by a woman unsatisfied with her current work and life situation. Below this lies the issue of understanding what you actually want to change. Sometimes, it is not only the current work that makes you unhappy. It could also be a lack of purpose or direction. Or a general lack of fulfilment. If your change does not address the underlying issues, it will be in the end a futile effort. You will find yourself back at where you started once the daily grind replaces the excitement of the change. I find this a very good point to make, as it is something most of us can relate to in some way.

Enjoyment (8 / 10)

I enjoyed this short manga quite a bit since I found myself in a similar situation a couple of years ago. Without any real idea where to go from the professional position I was in, I had to reevaluate my status quo and set new goals. During that time I also dealt with similar worries and anxieties as the protagonist. Because of this, I can relate to her struggles. The manga is also a good read even if you haven't experienced this situation before. It is short enough to reasonably read it in one sitting and the developments happen at a pace that does neither feel too fast nor too slow.

Conclusion

Based on the above-mentioned points, I can rate this manga a 7.25 out of 10. I would recommend it to anyone that is looking for a realistic short story that tackles the woes of modern life.