
a review by TedMan123

a review by TedMan123
~~~~~~Inuyashiki: An Exploration of the Value of Human Life and Empathy In a Modern World
Hiroya Oku's Inuyashiki is just as equally grotesque as it is human and fulfilling. This balance is used to cover two sides of the spectrum of morality, humanity, and alienation.

The story starts off with Ichiro Inuyashiki. A 58-year old man with a withering appearance from stress, an unseeming man who, if you were to see on the street, would blend into the crowd. This man, who worked hard to provide a house for his ungrateful family, has his life turned around with a sudden diagnosis of stomach cancer. This is where the comparisons between Ikiru, the black and white Japanese movie that this manga takes place from, stop. Ichiro, after being blown off by his family while trying to explain his cancer diagnosis to them, walks into a park as an attempt to relax and calm down, only to be killed by an alien spaceship crash, along with a young man named Hiro Shishigami. As an attempt to resurrect the both of them, the aliens rebuild their bodies with weapon kits. Ichiro's response to becoming this half-robot half-man is to try and save as many people as he can. In contrast, the young man, Hiro Shishigami, uses it to cause trouble and kill. This is what sets the stage for the main conflict of the manga, Ichiro's altruism and Hiro's nihilism.

The thing that I think this series prioritizes and mainly excels in is its exploration of the ideologies of altruism and nihilism with Hiro and Ichiro as vehicles. Ichiro is the representation of deciding to do good inside of a world filled with bad, a thankless job that is fulfilled by the knowledge of knowing what you're doing is good. Hiro, in contrast to Ichiro's altruism, and as a result of his alienation and disconnect from others, takes on a much more nihilistic ideology, not sharing empathy for people he isn't close to, and killing them for fun. Ichiro saves people to feel human, Hiro kills to feel human.


Hiroya's art is absolutely beautiful, contrasting drawings with actual physical objects to highlight the uncanniness of the world and using shading to represent corruption or proximity to darkness. The contrast between drawings and real life objects help show while this is a realistic world, something is off. While I'm not the most qualified in relation to speaking on art style and how it affects the tone and narrative of a manga, Hiroya delivers it perfectly.


In conclusion, I find Inuyashiki a somewhat overhated, but also flawed experience that has an interesting concept and execution. It's pretty good, and I'd recommend it considering its length.
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