Life

LIFE is a drama set in high school that deals with suicide, bullying, depression, and self-mutilation. I liked how LIFE took an interesting turn after the beginning of the story. But the twist in the plot is brutal, and this is not a happy story by far. It is a heavy drama that delves into the emotional pain and suffering of a girl who has been betrayed by her closest friend (being rejected for having a higher exam score is pretty harsh), and only gets a worse hell after that.

The key reason why I gave my score of 7/10 for LIFE, despite how the author daringly took on writing an entire manga around bullying and self-harm, is because of the drama itself. At times, the drama is very much contrived, or else something is compromised so the mangaka can put the heroine Ayumu, who is constantly bullied and sometimes cuts as a result, in any situation to move the plot along. I had some questions throughout the series that needed to be addressed, but even by the 40th chapter, I felt they'd never be answered.

Why in God's name does Ayumu's mother know nothing of her suffering and pain? Usually, mothers are more receptive to these types of things, and although in one chapter she half-heartedly calls Ayumu crazy, her mom doesn't seem like a witchy woman who wouldn't notice what's going on with her daughter. Maybe Ayumu is extremely good at hiding this problem? I suppose it's that... but still. I also wonder why the hell Ayumu doesn't attempt to transfer schools during the bullying. Even if she *tried* to do so and never could, it would have made the plot better. If I were ever in such a school, I'd try to transfer out of there right away!

Why is Ayumu a target for danger wherever she goes? This is where the plot fails. And you can immediately sense the mangaka is forcing her character into beyond realistic situations so she can develop her character further. Even when Ayumu is hanging out with her first genuine friend since junior high named Hatori, she /slips on a bottle/ near a group of rude teenage guys, which proceeds to them /eventually kidnapping her and putting her in an abandoned hospital which blows up/. Yes, for a shoujo, the plot itself is pretty good, and miraculously - I enjoyed it anyway. That's the weird part. I think the mangaka saved herself from failing with this story because Ayumu and Hatori are two strong characters with good character development. I loved Hatori especially. She's a wonderful friend to Ayumu and not typical for a shoujo story.

I hate how every single person in Ayumu's life save a few people seems to think she is delusional or psycho for being bullied or hurt by someone, including her mom. Why does this happen? I'm relieved that eventually, the mangaka added some minor characters who call out the psycho band of girls for bullying Ayumu. But God, the things that happen to her are beyond nightmarish, and if the school had a normal administration, the girls who did such a thing would have been instantly expelled in just one instance. What bothers me about the bullying is that it seems near-constant to the point of ridiculousness, and it actually happens on school grounds, and in such a way where SOMEONE should have seen it firsthand. The mangaka sometimes sacrifices the quality of the story to provide incidences of bullying that should get the evil girls expelled, but they never do.

I'm halfway finished with LIFE. I've enjoyed it despite a few of its pitfalls, like how Ayumu got a one-way ticket to Psychoville just from graduating junior high. It's a genuinely interesting manga that takes on an extremely heavy subject, which it can overdo sometimes, but nonetheless, the art is pretty good, and the characters will make you want to continue on.

This manga truly resonated with me. I cannot express enough gratitude to the mangaka.

Story 10/10
This story is a blend of various emotions, and I mean that in the best way possible. It touches on bullying, suicide, friendship, true friends, self-harm, sexual assault, and much more. *May contain mild spoilers* We meet our protagonist Ayumu, who makes a new friend named Manami at her new high school. Manami seems kind, and Ayumu starts feeling optimistic about things. However, after Manami's boyfriend breaks up with her, she attempts suicide by jumping in front of a train. Ayumu saves her, and Manami coerces Ayumu into helping her win back her ex-boyfriend Katsumi due to a promise they had made. Things spiral out of control, leading to misunderstandings, and Manami believes Ayumu has betrayed her. Consequently, Ayumu becomes the target of relentless bullying led by Manami.

Art 10/10
The art is so beautiful it leaves you trembling. Seriously, every emotion depicted in the manga felt real to me. When Ayumu was sad or crying, I felt it deeply within myself. The smiles were like sunshine breaking through clouds, scared faces genuinely conveyed fear, blank stares showed no emotion, and expressions of determination filled me with hope for Ayumu's victory. The eyes are one of the most captivating aspects of this manga's art.

Characters 10/10
I found the characters to be dramatic yet wonderfully portrayed.
Ayumu: Initially weak, overly concerned with others' opinions, and resorted to self-harm as a coping mechanism.
Manami: The typical popular girl, similar to a cheerleader in such stories. She had the perfect boyfriend, stood out in class, was a big liar, and disliked anyone seeming more popular than her.
Miki: The strong lone wolf who didn't care what others thought and did her own thing, providing strength to Ayumu when needed.
Katsumi: Appeared to be the nice jock but was actually a sadist who enjoyed bondage. He was tied to Manami due to their families' business connections.

Enjoyment 10/10
I thoroughly enjoyed this manga from the depths of my heart. I devoured each volume as soon as I could get my hands on it. My enjoyment was so intense that when I learned the publishing company translating it into English was stopping at volume nine, I was devastated. I had to finish it. So, I ordered volumes ten to twelve in Japanese from eBay and slowly collected all the rest. I even learned how to read Japanese because of this. ^__^

Overall 10/10
If I could give this manga an even higher rating, I would. It was incredibly epic, beautiful, and heartwarming. Even after ordering the remaining volumes in Japanese, I also got volumes one to nine in Japanese, so now I have all twenty volumes in Japanese and volumes one to nine in English.

I recommend this to anyone who needs their heart touched. The story is filled with heart-wrenching disasters but also heartwarming moments of happiness.

I personally think LIFE is a really good Manga. It's about a girl named Ayumu Shiiba, who isn't the brightest student. However, she was friends with another girl called Shii-chan (that’s what she referred to her as in the story; I don’t know her real name). Shii-chan dreamed of attending Nishidate High School. Later, Ayumu realizes she doesn't want to be separated from Shii-chan just because they might go to different high schools. So, she studies hard (using Shii-chan's notes, which makes it difficult for Shii-chan to study herself) and gets into Nishidate without Shii-chan, who fails her test and lets her grades slip because she didn't reclaim her notes from Ayumu. You'll soon realize that Ayumu is quite slow and doesn't grasp things quickly enough. That's exactly what happened; she didn't notice the signs that Shii-chan was failing until it was too late. Now, Ayumu has lost her best friend and goes to high school alone, only to make worse friends.

When Ayumu arrives at Nishidate, she meets a peppy girl named Manami Anzai. Manami loves being the center of attention and doesn't care how she achieves it (like lying, blackmailing, or anything else). Manami has a boyfriend, Katsumi Sako, who has a fetish for bondage and keeps a scrapbook of the girls he has raped. For unknown reasons, Sako breaks up with Manami. Manami then asks Ayumu to get them back together. Ayumu tries to be a good friend and works to reunite them but comes across this book. He molests her and makes her his slave. However, his evil plans are thwarted because he has an abusive father who beats him to ensure his future relationship with Manami (both their fathers are rich CEOs of famous companies). Around large groups of people, he acts polite and sweet, but when it suits him, he reveals his manipulative and abusive self. He stalks Ayumu, tries to make her call him "Master" for blackmail purposes, and even tricks Ayumu's mother into thinking he is a nice person (Ayumu's mother hired a home tutor because she was worried about Ayumu's performance in school). After the first rape attack on Ayumu, Sako promises to get back with Manami for Ayumu.

Manami then follows Sako to Ayumu's house for "study" (earlier that day, Manami's other friends told her they saw Ayumu going into a house with Sako, claiming Ayumu was trying to steal Sako away from her. Manami didn't believe it because she had asked Ayumu to talk to Sako for her). But before going to Ayumu, Sako bought some flowers, and Manami thought the flowers were for Ayumu (Sako had never given Manami flowers). So, Manami starts believing what her friends said about Ayumu. She then gets the whole class (later the whole school) to start bullying Ayumu (at first, Manami was bullying another girl named Miki Hatori, who later becomes friends with Ayumu). Finally, Manami gets the teachers to do nothing about the bullying happening in the class.

So now, Ayumu and Miki are at the mercy of Manami. Until they find proof that Manami and Sako aren't the angels they've convinced the school they are.

The first chapter was the best; it was moving, relatable, and overwhelmingly emotional with full of potential. However, as I continued reading, it became increasingly frustrating. The main character's weakness was unbelievably painful for me to witness. I waited for the story to portray her weakness as something wrong, but it didn't. It merely presented her weakness as a given. Of course, there are people with similar levels of weakness and misfortune, which is why I saw so much potential and wanted the message to be clear. The characters, including the main character, were all good, but their development lacked the most crucial part.

The story is about running from darkness rather than finding light. Yes, she did find light, but it was within the context of running. The way she handled her first painful experience versus how she dealt with actual danger had a philosophical flaw that was never addressed. She never realized that humans can be stupid to the point of harming others and that people who are difficult to keep up with can be removed from her priorities. For example, she didn't need to curry favor from classmates known to be worse. We can set aside what she could have done, but the way she perceives and thinks is problematic. She groups her best friend and an ideal friend into the same category as trash bullies, the worst individuals, and classmates she has to smile at and endure pain for. She isn't offensive in mindset, even after sexual assaults (though sometimes defensive), but she runs from darkness towards poison and chases after it without ever chasing after any of the lights in front of her.

Lastly, it was painful because it was beautiful; the drama was good. In short, I love what the writer created but hate how he thinks. If only she had been portrayed as chasing after the actual thing she should have at some point.

From the very first chapter, I was hooked. The story and character development are outstanding. There were moments that brought tears to my eyes. It touches your heart and makes you reflect on the reality of the world we live in.

For me, this manga is truly exceptional! It resonates deeply. Every scene, from the beginning to the end, feels like something I've already lived through.

I highly recommend this manga. For anyone considering reading it, please approach it with an open mind. It has the power to shift your perspective on bullying. I hope this manga helps you realize how you're living your life.

Please read.

When I first read the description of this manga, I was intrigued but also concerned that it might be overly edgy and difficult to take seriously. To my pleasant surprise, the story turned out to be mature and well-developed in its approach to the subjects it tackled. I found myself completely engrossed and ended up binge-reading it in one sitting. There were moments that brought me close to tears, although I do tend to get emotional over plots like these, such as the opening of the Kotoura-san anime.

A few warnings though: this story isn't for the faint-hearted. It doesn't shy away from addressing topics like bullying, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, suicide, assault, and rape. While these themes are generally handled with gravity, they can become quite graphic at times. If these topics are sensitive for you, it might be best to skip this one for now.

The artwork in this series is remarkable during its best moments. Without giving anything away, some of the character expressions can be incredibly intense.

In summary, I really got into this manga. Although it felt a bit dramatic at times, I still read it all the way through and enjoyed it immensely.

Just finished reading "Life" and I must say it's an incredible story that delves into some very dark themes. The raw, unfiltered portrayal of school bullying was brutally honest, uncompromising, and left me deeply unsettled by the end.

I thought this era of ultraviolence, tension, and psychological thrillers had desensitized me to a lot, but hats off to Keiko Suenobu for reminding me just how damaging bullying can be and the many forms it takes. It took me back about 10 years, recalling times when I was caught up in that cycle...despite being in another country with a totally different culture, the similarities were eerie. Personal relationships, cliques, petty triggers, senseless violence. This is life, the school life most of us remain oblivious to despite either seeing it or actually having been part of it. The ugly side we conveniently ignore. The author nailed this.

While "Life" was well-written, after the halfway point, I felt Minami (the main antagonist) became a bit too cartoonish with her scheming and ability to sidestep every obstacle. All she was missing was a monocle to fit the stereotypical villain mold. The emotional impact was still there, but it's like having a hero who's perfect. In retrospect, I think the escalation of bullying went further than necessary, despite already having established enough elements to work with. Many series have a middle section where things drag, and this is where "Life" stumbled a bit.

The art is good—clean, simple, yet easy to follow with effective layouts. Nothing groundbreaking, but solid work.

In conclusion, if you're looking for a grounded story that doesn't shy away from the topic of bullying and doesn't sugarcoat anything, give this a shot.

This tale revolves around a girl desperate to fit in, only to find herself tormented by those she believed were her friends. It's an emotionally gripping narrative that might bring tears to the eyes of sensitive readers, especially as they follow the protagonist's journey. Ayumu’s trials mirror the daily struggles many children face, resonating deeply with countless individuals experiencing similar emotions.

Suenobu-sensei's depictions of bullying and the resilience shown by the main characters offer profound inspiration. Overall, LIFE is a story I found thoroughly engaging, and if you're inclined, I recommend giving this manga or another work by Suenobu, Keiko titled 'Vitamin' a read.