"Idleness is the beginning of all vice, the crown of all virtues."
-Franz Kafka

Koko wa Ima kara Rinri desu.
We Shall Now Begin Ethics.
Hereafter, simply referred to as "Ethics."

Preface unrelated to the review itself:

_Once upon a time, a child was born into this world.
This child, despite wanting only the best for their friends and family, in the pursuit of growing up, succeeded in the exact opposite.
Their existence brought animosity between their parents, leading to a separation.
The child thought, "Is daddy going away because of me? Is it because I always took mommy's side?" ...
Their inability to read the room, and their want to assert themselves, lead to a myriad of egregious situations between them and their "friends".
This child became a teenager, and this teenager learned that each individual held their own set of beliefs or philosophies. This teenager learned of "ideology."
What was this teenager's own ideology, they wondered? ...
and wondered...
and wondered........._

_... "It's bothersome to have different ideologies to others" is the answer this teenager came up with.
Perhaps a lack of one's own ideology was, in itself, the ideology this teenager had come to understand as their own?
And so this teenager went forth with this.
They conformed to any group they were a part of. Friends, family, classmates, the teenager identified with each.
This way, they found, it was no longer bothersome.
Their family would no longer argue, their friends would no longer become mad at them, and yet, within this ideology which serves to give one their purpose, their sense of individuality, this teenager lost something very important. They lost their ability to live._

You see, to live and to exist are two very different things. The teenager had never truly been happy, they had never truly felt fulfilled. Instead, the path they took was one of survival. A path that let them live day by day, without the fear of losing those around them, without the pain of hurting or being hurt. And from there, the teenager simply existed... but had this teenager ever truly been "living" in the first place? Did they ever hold passion?

...

_And so the teenager reached adulthood. The adult started their own family, got married, had two beautiful children, one son and one daughter. They came together and created this safehaven, a perfect family. One full of joy, with no hardship, and a loving environment for nurturing their kin.
With this, the adult thought, "My life was devoid of passion. I missed out on my opportunity to do a great many things. My vision may have been tenuous, and so this is my choice, my most salient solution. I have created life, I am nurturing life. As I approach my twilight years, and leave this world, perhaps my act of creation has shifted the tides of the living. Maybe, with this... I did not just exist. Through my choices, my convictions, my hopes and dreams to nurture children of my flesh and blood... have I lived?"_

...

And so, the child's story comes to an end. Perhaps a single story is nothing in the grand scheme of things, but is that really the case? For many of us, I'm sure, a single story woven with precise detail and intricate emotion is enough to create an impact. A single story may bring us up from our deepest despairs, it may knock us down from the peak of our highest hopes, it may connect us, dragging us away from loneliness. A single story is enough to change lives.

The study of Ethics

Ethics are, by all means, unneccesary. This series itself lets you know as much. Ethics is simply something we use to decide between what is right and wrong. But, we have common sense, so why is this necessary? Once again, it is not.
However, something being unneccesary has never meant it is not useful. Learning to ride a bike, to cook, even to swim, none of these are deemed as "necessary", and yet they are all widely considered useful skills.
Of course, in the end, the series of Ethics is a manga. It is something made to entertain, if it failed at such, it would not be worth your time. The series touches upon the wider moral compass and how we use it in our every day lives. As previously mentioned, to know between right and wrong, the study of ethics is not necessary. However, it helps. And so this series comes into play.

Why should you read Ethics?

Ethics as a series will help you to engage more into the ethical study of principles. Not only does it help, but chances are, if you have any interest in the themes of philosophy, human psychology, or episodic narratives, you will enjoy this work to a great extent. The series does a great job at elucidating some every day issues or taxing experiences easy for many people to resonate with. Ever felt like your freedom has led you to become anxious due to an inability to make irreversible choices? Perhaps, do you suffer from a lack of motivation to do every day things on a common basis? Conceivably, you may just have an interest in the study of ethics itself.

I certainly deem this story a must-read to everyone. Why everyone, you may wonder? Well, this series does not stretch from the realm of reality. I believe there is at least something for everyone to take away from this work. It may not be life-changing, it may seem somewhat pretentious at times, but still, I believe you will find something to take away. Because Ethics is a series that beautifully portrays something very simple that we often take for granded - the act of living.

Ethics and its relations to humanity in a modern society

Although it is often very easy to decipher between what is right and what is wrong, there are a plethora of circumstances today where, despite clearly being seen as wrong, continue to breed vice. So what benefit does reading Ethics have for you due to it being written in a modern day society? Simply put, this series helps put into perspective the virtue and vice of mankind we see in media, on the internet, or even coming up in conversations. Oftentimes we don't delve deep into such things, sometimes we may not even give things a second thought. However, a refined knowledge & garnered interest in ethics generally leaves one more inclined to further their knowledge on every-day situations pertaining to judgement via moral compass. And so, this is a simple, needless, yet useful advantage of Ethics.

The character of Takayanagi

Takayanagi-sensei is the main character of Ethics. From my understanding, Takayanagi oftentimes serves as a mouthpiece for Shiori-sensei. He is, by all means, a teacher. Not just to the students in his class, but to us, the readers as well. The knowledge offered in Ethics, whether it be the simple study of what ethics are, memorable quotes from well or lesser known philosophers within our history, or relations of how to apply ethics in our daily lives, is always given through Takayanagi-sensei. I'm sure many of you do not have particularly fond memories of your teachers from your time in education. Takayanagi, however, is a teacher that I'm sure is a figure many of us would have appreciated in our own lives while we studied in classrooms. However, is it really too late for that? I don't think so. When reading Ethics, I feel an established sense of student-teacher relationship between me as a reader and Takayanagi as a character, Despite him being just that, a character, I truly felt a part of his classroom while reading Ethics. And I'm sure it is not just me. Maybe you'll find your experience similar.

Illustrations that carry weight

In my own opinion, art is a truly relative subject. Great art for a particular series may become not-so-great art if placed upon another series. However, the art for Ethics is a superb match. It is apparent that each stroke of the brush that has been put into this work has been enacted with such fine detail. And yet, that fine detail is in its own sense an oxymoron in and of itself, as it is what divulges the simplicity of the story that has been laconically imbued throughout each chapter. The illustrations each help you become more invested with the emotion of each episodic narrative in the series. It did not disappoint whatsoever.

A lesson made enjoyable

I'm sure the act of learning itself may not bring fond memories for everyone. A lot of the time, learning is simply for the sake of achieving a passing grade, putting us on a path to success, or simply for stability. Sure, there are people out there who find areas of study suited to their passion that they can wholeheartedly enjoy. However, despite this, many people do not consider learning and enjoyment to go hand in hand. This is an area in which Ethics truly shines. Its broad narrative can be depicted as a lesson, as it surely does teach us the fundamentals of ethics and perhaps more about humanity and our own individuality along the way. However, it is enjoyable. To those looking for a dramatised slice of life, to those looking for a good philosophical series in relation to our moral capacity, to those looking for a psychological base to a story woven in reality. It is enjoyable.

Right or Wrong; the verdict of the moral compass

Ethics ia a series made to inspire.
Ethics is a series made to educate.
Ethics is a series made to relate with.
Greater than all, Ethics is a series made to be enjoyed.

For what reason, if not enjoyment, do we read manga in the first place?

If you have read this review, I hope you take the time to at least check out this series. If you have any interest in philosophy, ethics, drama, slice of life, or even if you aren't interested in any of these and just happen to be looking for something to check out, I insist that you check out Ethics. It is something special within the industry that I feel is currently unmatched in the medium. And, in the end, for us to garner an interest, there must be a catalyst to cultivate it. Perhaps, Ethics could be that catalyst for you...

Class dismissed