/manga/30149/blame
A few days ago, I went to this very large mall all by myself. I only went there to buy some necessities but upon my arrival, I started searching for stores I have to go and because it's such a large place, I roamed a lot. I'm seeing so many stairs, walking through escalators many times, viewing it's attractions, going to places I shouldn't be going or looking, avoiding all the strangers, starting to forget what & where I am, and during all this aimless misadventure of mine, there's one question that's revolving in my head;
#
Why am I here?
Blame! takes one big risk that every story tries to avoid, making the reader feel lost. Throughout the entire 66 chapters, you don't quickly grasp what's exactly happening in every scene. There are humans, semi-humans, cyborgs, aliens, guns, swords, body horror and so much shit starts to happens, that you don't really understand what's even the purpose of our characters to roam in this horrific & insanely large mega structure but that exactly what it's going for. It doesn't go any deeper for all it's made up terms like Net Terminal Genes, Net Sphere, Safegaurd etc.. because it isn't about story, plot or characters, but it's about it's one hell of a world;
#The Labyrinth of Tsutomu Nihei
Blame! exemplifies the power of background art. The backgrounds does an excellent job in bringing this terror inducing world to life, thanks to the Tsutomu Nihei, the mangaka's art work. Apparently, Nihei studied architecture and worked in construction, which you can really tell if you've seen atleast one panel of those lumps of metals and concrete. And you're going to feel that large structure with it's;
#Non-Human Characters
Generally, we need some sort of connection to care about characters, which normally done through adding some emotional moments here & there but in Blame!, none of these characters don't show any emotions to feel for them. Their character designs have this sharp edges, from their faces & eyes to their entire body, which comes of as non-human, like they're dejected from feeling anything. They'll loss their limbs, gets shot in head and constantly walks for God knows how many years; yet we somehow feel connected to them because they are the same as us.
#Alone(in this nightmare)
Most of the manga, is about our main character Killy and his allies, walking around in dead silence. There are relatively few dialogues in this Manga. Heck! There are many chapters without even a single dialogue yet it perfectly conveys what it's trying to show. There's fair amount of well directed action that comes with it's plot, the gunshots and the angles really make up for the best of the fight scene;
but it's really the non-dialogue section that are interesting to read. You start to see a new place every time, and while you'll be amazed by the art and it's ingenious designs, you can feel the lifeless and lonely atmosphere. It's this feeling of lost, the alienation that you're in a place that you aren't supposed to be or you should be in a place that it isn't here yet you don't know where or what or how to go to that place; this immersion of being in a completely unrelated place, is what the Manga is aiming for. In;
#Conclusion
You might forget all the plot points, you might forget all the characters, you might even forget the amazing art but you won't forget one thing. And much like my visit;
#You were in a Nightmare. And you were LOST 
