Gin's manga / #to read(5)

Rather more representative of the Nishioka siblings' writing style than Kami no Kodomo, this is a collection of one-shots that explore the thoughts and feelings of ordinary people in an odd, surrealistic manner replete with atypical and symbolic illustrations. More than one reading may be required if you are to completely grasp the core message behind each of these stories. The first story, A Broken Soul (translated here as A Broken Heart) was featured in the anthology Ax: Alternative Manga.

Collection of stories

Collection of stories.

Weird, tripped-out Japanese comics. Subtly twisted, delicately detailed but with a strong line, with elongated bodies and shades of Art Deco. Somewhat reminiscent of both Gorey and Dali by way of Edvard Munch, but the style is unique and distinctive and very much the artist's own. About as far as you can get from manga and still be in the same country.

The story of a young boy who decides to commit suicide, only to find himself in a strange world after his death, told in the form of a picture book.