Tsurebito

I recently completed reading "Tsurebito" by Akihito Yoshitomi and felt compelled to share a brief review. This manga is self-contained, spanning just 23 chapters. It delves into the theme of death and what lies beyond. Additionally, it narrates a poignant tale of love lost due to tragedy.

This tragedy spawns further tragedies and new loves. The manga beautifully illustrates how profoundly another's soul can be understood, including its darker aspects. Despite its brevity, it introduces few characters but effectively connects with those pivotal to the story.

Set in the liminal space between life and death, the manga cleverly manipulates the concept of time. This allows for an ever-evolving environment where reality intertwines with human emotions, presenting surreal imagery from this plane.

Though fundamentally simple, the story develops well and manages to evoke tears during key moments crafted meticulously. Being concise, it’s a swift read, and while there are a couple of good twists, it doesn’t demand intense concentration.

"Tsurebito" confronts the fear of death and accepts it as a tangible reality. We don't know our destination post-mortem, nor if we even have one, and the manga doesn’t pretend to offer answers. Instead, it emphasizes living life to the fullest, cherishing every moment. One day you exist, and the next, perhaps not.

Tsurebito is a captivating tale, unparalleled in its uniqueness. Though its concept may not be groundbreaking, the execution was exceptional. I cannot recall any stories quite like this one.

Despite its brevity, this manga tugs at my heartstrings repeatedly, and with its thrilling narrative, I found myself wishing it would never end. However, its concise length turned out to be a strength. Indeed, there are lingering questions and the world portrayed could easily support numerous additional stories. Yet, it's precisely because of its limited scope that the story concludes beautifully, leaving its message indelibly etched in the reader's mind.

Beyond the storyline, the breathtaking composition and meticulously detailed backgrounds are standout features. You must read this manga, if only for the art alone.

If you enjoy stories with satisfying resolutions, this one will definitely catch your interest. I’ve never come across a narrative that starts off so mysteriously and maintains an open-ended feel, yet manages to wrap up every loose end in such a fulfilling manner. Every question you might have is addressed by the conclusion. The author excels at weaving all elements together, and while some aspects remain enigmatic throughout the story, everything eventually clicks into place like pieces of a puzzle, making perfect sense in the end. The storytelling is exceptional, and I found myself unable to put it down, reading the entire series in one go.

“Companion” or “Tsurebito” isn’t just a masterpiece of storytelling; it’s also a profound exploration of life and death, fairness and injustice, from multiple perspectives. This makes it a deeply thought-provoking read. I sincerely hope you decide to give it a chance.

I've been eagerly awaiting a group to pick up this manga again for years, and I'm overjoyed now! Just like the first time I saw it, I can't help but exclaim: "Those backgrounds!" The plot and characters are solid too, but what truly stands out is the surreal, intricate, imaginative backdrops. They deserve a 20/10 right now; their beauty cannot be overstressed.

The "Interstice," a place beyond the world of the living where the protagonist ends up, is one of the most imaginative surreal spaces in the manga medium. It embodies its role as a repository for human emotions. Cities float in the air, curled like balls, reminiscent of Inception. Electric lines form giant nets, surfaces ripple with paper. Time, space, and gravity are irrelevant here; souls and wills shape the landscape. The Interstice connects with the living world through its inhabitants and opens into the vast unknown of death, perhaps personal death, as it manifests through individual gates. The level of detail poured into depicting the Interstice is mind-boggling; I almost feel guilty about turning pages because you could spend hours studying each one.

I don't want to spoil your joy of exploring this new world alongside the main character (MC), as that's the crux of this manga. I merely want to clarify what it isn't. Looking at the suave white-haired guy on the covers or reading the initial chapters might lead you to think the Interstice is an educational space for the heroine, where everything is figured out and only new or passing souls pose problems. But it's not; the Interstice has its own troubles. It's a world inhabited by people, albeit dead, so it has issues, cruelties, and room for mistakes.

And the MC seems set to make those mistakes. Mako, our protagonist, is a schoolgirl who didn't get to fully experience her blossoming love. She's inexperienced, somewhat selfish, and possibly overly fixated on her crush, though she has a good heart. I appreciate her complexity. The author previously worked on yuri, which may show positively—his protagonist has agency and drives the events of her life. However, I can't say she always makes me sympathetic, and personally, I find her trait of being in love starts to define her too much.

Unfortunately, there's unsettling sexualization present, perhaps a yuri artifact: there's an unhealthy focus on naked feet, and the mangaka insists on making most attacks on the main cast look extremely sexual. If anything dampens my goodwill towards this manga, it's this aspect. (By the way, I looked into Eat-Man, also by the same author, and stumbled upon a damsel-in-distress rape scene and a bizarre muck-formation scene, so there are similarities. Yet, Tsurebito feels more refined.)

There are several other characters, who I assume will get flashbacks eventually. For now, they act as Mako's mentors, and this dynamic, along with their rank and personality dynamics, works well for me.

The art for the characters is notably weaker than the backgrounds: they lack detail, the faces are somewhat schematic, but the designs are distinctive enough to recognize the cast easily.

The author mentions the story took three years to create, and I believe it. I don't know if the manga will shift from episodic to overarching plot entirely or partially, but some things are certain: the main character development will be central, there are mysteries in their world, and that world mirrors the unfairness of real life. The author states the story revolves around the word "companion," someone close but not necessarily a friend, someone who stays for their own reasons or gain. How they do so and whether it's better than being alone for their charge is what this manga explores. People learn to compromise and deal.

I may not always appreciate the storytelling of Tsurebito, but I deeply enjoy its suspenseful atmosphere and visual storytelling prowess. I've teared up at its cathartic moments more than once. Its overall direction keeps me engaged, and then there are those breathtaking backgrounds to compensate for any shortcomings.

I hope this series won't be dropped this time and garners more attention from manga readers. It's unique, atmospheric, and complex, with evident soul and effort invested. Tsurebito has its weak points and questionable elements, but I believe it can and should be recommended to most manga readers, especially those who enjoy seinen.