No longer human:
Title: No
Longer Human
Author:
Usamaru Furuya
Literary
Level: Intermediate
Rating: 3/5
Content warning: Drug abuse, sexual
assault, depression, and suicide.
Written in 2009 by Usamaru Furuya, which is easily confused with either Junji Ito’s “No Longer Human” or the inspiration for this manga, Dazai Osamu’s “No Longer Human” (1948). This tells the story of a writer looking for material to write about and coming upon a manuscript sent to him. This contained only three images (one of the messenger at a young age, just getting out of high school, and as an adult), and the story of his miserable life. The main character is Yozo Oba who, since his youth, has been playing the part of a good person (partially due to his strict father). He lives as a persona consciously feeling like he was a fraud until he could not manage it past high school. His life then devolves into a series of unfortunate events where life does not go as he wishes. The ending leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
Personal retribution is the paranoia
that life has it against you after not being your true self. It may seem like
self-sabotage but there was no active effort to fail or see himself loose when
he becomes attached. The hatred for humanity fills his daily thought process,
constantly fighting with himself as to whether his existence really matters. So
much so that his hair turned gray, as if he aged overnight. Anger, disdain,
hatred, self-loathing. The sad life of how one man’s life devolves so easily
through misfortune and undesirable circumstances. Not just a hatred for
humanity but also a hatred for God for ruining his life time after time. You
feel despair alongside the main character, just not the same kind. He pities himself.
Do I recommend this manga? Yes and no. It is an interesting read where we see
true negativity in humanity and how one man can ruin his life in such a short
time. On the other hand, this is a tough manga to swallow, even though it is
only 12 chapters. It is sorrow compact into 3 volumes.