Sou Yayoi's ReLife is a heck of a ride. In addition to being able to capture the comedic/dramatic, the art is great, and the mc is a truly decent dude. After finishing it, I realize how much I like the manga. Sometimes it's hard to discern if that’s the case while reading. The external conflicts that threaten the lives (love, happiness, well-being, etc.) of characters can be somewhat stressful while reading, but this should be viewed as evidence of good storytelling.
There are a number of different reasons as to why someone may get wrapped up in a story. Particularly when it comes to manga, it could be anything from the plot to the art--or even because of the mangaka themself. On more unconventional occurrences, a reader may feel compelled to pour through a manga due to resonating with a specific character. This was the case for me and ReLife. Thanks to the protagonist, Arata Kaizaki, I was able to become invested in the story. Along the way though, I realized that this was an emotionally compelling portrait of youth’s blossom into adulthood.
(review may contain some light spoilers)
ReLife centers around an individual known as Arata Kaizaki, a 27-year old man who quit his first job out of college after merely a few months. This decision leaves a permanent stain on his reputation, as his attempts at finding another job all end in failure. With nowhere to turn to, Kaizaki-san spends his early 20s living as a NEET, supporting himself through an allowance and part-time jobs. Knowing that he cannot continue on living forever in this same manner, he comes face-to-face with the answer to his prayers: Yoake Ryou, a supervisor of ReLife. Kaizaki is offered an opportunity to be a part of the ReLife Research program. He decides to follow through with it, gaining the appearance of a 17-year old while he goes back to high school to start over.
Realistically speaking, it wouldn't take much at all for any one person to end up in a similar situation as ReLife’s mc (disregarding the ReLife part). Life takes no prisoners. It only takes a moment, a split-second, one measly decision to alter the course of an entire life. Everything can change in the blink of an eye, and time doesn’t turn back or stop for anyone. Reality is harsh.
Things only grows more complicated as we age. The process of transitioning into “adulthood” and a state of self-independence does not come without difficulty. Our feelings are often unrelenting and fail to show us mercy. Doubt, fear, and regret are parasitic beasts. To be able to go back in time, or become younger, to correct our mistakes seems invaluable. I'd be willing to argue that this is something everyone eventually thinks about from time to time.
What makes this manga so compelling is that it puts a viable piece of the human experience on display. Not only can it act as a comfort and encouragement to many readers, but this manga is thought-provoking in its own right. There are a number of chapters and panels which exhibit the psychological nature of this story, as insight is provided into the mental state of the protagonist. The mangaka makes it very easy to relate to the mc in this way, and the other characters as well. The cast is filled with individuals that are dynamically flawed: their emotional states which ebb and flow in a believable way are shown throughout the manga.
ReLife is an incredible slice of life with realistic interactions between high schoolers. So many situations are set up in a way that breed misunderstandings between characters (an example of this would be during the volleyball arc with Tamarai and Kariu). Those sort of moments where one friend thinks the other friend's angered over something, which leads the other friend to become upset as well. And both parties end up upset, suffering alone due to a simple misunderstanding. Lack of communication is harmful for relationships, and it is an incredibly common issue. To capture these situations is hard to do effectively, but this manga pulled it off pretty well.
It is phenomenal to see how different lives are connected and permanently changed (for better or worse) as a result of their encounter with the relifed 17-year old Kaizaki Arata. Without going into too much detail, I just want to say that it's cool to see how friendships are formed, along with how the characters develop as a result of those friendships. I can't speak for anyone else, but reading this as someone in their early twenties, this provoked feelings of nostalgia. It captures feelings in a way that I'd be unable to put into words on my own. Growing up and being surrounded with people that you can rely on is a special experience. Human connection is something we are all in need of; this manga shows how important these relationships are and can be, especially during our youth.
One of the virtues of the manga (that I almost forgot to mention) is the art. The art is great, and it makes for an immersive experience for readers. The fact that it is comes in a webtoon format, with colored pages, only adds to its appeal. It's unique to have a fully-colored manga, and this should be taken advantage of.
Any criticism I had for ReLife pretty much boils down to my emotional/personal preferences. I was reading through the manga pretty quickly at when I first started it, but I took a bit of a break around 70ish chapters in. It began to feel somewhat repetitive because there was an area of his life where Kaizaki wasn’t making any progress...
Whenever I picked it back up and began reading, I fell right back into the swing of it.
In short, I definitely recommend checking this out. If you think this isn't worth reading, I would ask that you would think twice about overlooking this manga. And after you finish reading it, I would think that you would take a step back while you think twice about your life--as many of us who have read this have. Great manga.
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