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シメジ シミュレーション
49
5
Finished
Jan 26, 2019 to Nov 27, 2023
9.7/10
Average Review Score
83%
Recommend It
6
Reviews Worldwide
Shimeji Simulation is not a manga. It's not a piece of media to be looked at through the lens of what we deem "good" or "bad," "simple" or "complex." It's not another thing to read and review as an eight out of ten for being "pretty good." Shimeji Simulation is an experience. Not in the way a modern Disney amusement park ride is an "experience," but in a way where the true beauty of the series lies not in the fun ideas and surface dialogue presented, but rather in the raw feelings one experiences while reading it. Because yes, there are layers and layers of subtext, metaphors,and more phenomenally used rhetoric by Tsukumizu. It bends the medium of manga to tell a story that would be difficult in any other style of storytelling. I could spend hours droning on about the immense philosophical core behind every single line of dialogue, every panel, and every weird twist. But I won't. Because Shimeji Simulation captures more than the mind and heart- it captures the soul. When I say the series is "not a manga," I don't mean that in a sense of what it does for the medium- although it does quite a bit- I mean that it shouldn't be digested in a "this is a series i will get through and think about a bit, then move on." It's not some consumeristic slop that gets the job done. But it also shouldn't be viewed as some high and mighty pretentious work of art. It's just Shimeji Simulation. It's just a story about two girls getting to know each other. ...Right? Well, no, it's so much more than that. It's a journey, one filled with the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. The predictable unpredictability of the world of Shimeji Simulation can't be found anywhere else. The calm, yet unsettling tone of the series dives further and further into insanity until it reaches a breaking point and everything changes. Yet, at the core of this aberrational mindfuck of a story are two seemingly normal people who can't seem to find themselves, whether it be their position in their relationship or their own humanities and identities. Who would I recommend this series to? Anyone who feels unsure of their place in this world, anyone who feels either underwhelmed or overwhelmed by their life, whether it be a monotonous, boring slog, or a frightening, fast-moving mess. I think anyone can get something out of this series, with that differing depending on the reader's headspace and place in life at the moment. And by "getting something out of it," I don't necessarily mean plain enjoyment. Let the series fill you with emotion, let its palpability linger in your soul as you attempt to make sense of it all. Dig that hole a bit deeper, really ask yourself what you feel when reading, and allow Shimeji Simulation to make its voice heard. It has a lot to say, but you have to be willing to listen. "Emotional." This is an adjective thrown around, rightfully so, to many series that draw tears. But there are so many more emotions than sadness. There's confusion, curiosity, enlightenment, playfulness, and so much more. Shimeji Simulation plays with ALL of these emotions, rather than just pulling on the heartstrings. It's "emotional" in every sense of the word. It evokes so many powerful feelings and says so much about them in the brief moments that this manga has. When I read other reviews and look at discussion for this series, I see almost no any commonality between anyone's takeaways from it. Does that mean the series was incapable of portraying a concrete theme? No. Because unlike a series that has vague, interpretive themes, where its subject matter can often be vague and go over audience members' heads, Shimeji Simulation has been able to convey its themes to people in a way that has left everyone with genuine, concrete thoughts about it. I've yet to see someone who finishes the series and goes "What just happened? I'm so lost!" It's not indistinct or shallow, it's unique for each person who reads it. Its voice may be different for everyone, but it still always has something to say. The different, complex emotions it evokes in every reader is precisely what it was going for. It's not about Majime and Shijima. It's about you. It's about everyone. What did you get from the series, if anything? Why is that your takeaway? These are the questioned posed by this work, among others. This review is not about what I got from the series. This isn't a conclusion I arrived at when reading, or when thinking about its themes. My takeaway from Shimeji Simulation is very personal, about establishing a unique identity for yourself and becoming capable of individual fulfilment, but not without the support of others. There's more, but those are the real, raw emotional themes I got from it. So then why wasn't my review about those feelings? Simply put, those feelings are my own unique identity. It's my Shimeji Simulation. With this review, I wanted to ask: What's yours?
After locking herself inside her closet for two years, Shijima Tsukishima finally comes out of isolation to attend high school. However, when she looks at herself in the mirror, she discovers two shimeji mushrooms growing on the top of her head. This odd occurrence, combined with a lack of social ability and being bullied in middle school, leads Shijima to keep to herself when she arrives at school. While reading alone, Shijima is approached by her classmate, Majime Yamashita, an eccentric girl with a fried egg on her head. Majime pesters Shijima to be her friend, giving her the nickname "Shimeji" upon seeing the mushrooms growing on her head. After enough insistence on friendship, Shimeji gives in and decides to keep Majime company. Shimeji tries to get through a less-than-normal high school life as she explores the mysteries and wonders of this strange world with her new tenacious companion. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
humans have this strange idea that all movement in one's life can be spurred by a single epiphany. that one singular experience can change someone's entire outlook on life. it misconstrues, stretches, and distorts the value of true growth. growing as a person is earned through a variety of experiences, both good and bad. it's easy to twiddle your thumbs and wait for someone to come save you. it's hard to change your shape. shimeji simulation pushes the very boundary of what's possible with a 4-koma structure. it's confusing, adorable, heartwrenching, and miserable and will leave you stunned by the end.. all while asking a simplequestion about what it really means to exist. tkmiz has such an incredible talent that's showcased as well here as it is in their other works, being able to write so freely and seemingly endlessly about the confines of our existence. if girls' last tour is about the beauty in the absence of knowledge in life, then shimeji simulation is about the terrifying presence of the unknown. the work feels very personal from all angles, from all of shimeji's introspection to the scenery of loneliness drawn onto the pages. i get the feeling that being able to draw such abstract shapes and concepts is refreshing for tkmiz and that they're really able to express themself more through their art in this manga. it's such an evolution of the style present in GLT that i can't help but once again compliment the experimentation done with the shapes of everything: characters, backgrounds, objects and all. tkmiz has really outdone themself. the pitfalls of this manga lie in the fact that it takes a bit for the ball to really get rolling. you really need to put about ~10-20 chapters into this before things really start taking off, and the entire experience feels pretty favorable to the ending. it's a worthwhile ending at its core but some readers will have a hard time putting in the investment and that's why i can't recommend it to everybody. if you're really a fan of slice of life manga though, i'd really recommend this for its take and commentary on the formula. shimeji simulation is a manga, plain and simple. a manga about pushing the limits of what's possible in reality, our hollow loneliness, and the beauty of company. it's a commentary on singularity as human beings. it's an escher painting, penned with impossible complexities and probability and published by love. or.. was it a flounder? i can't remember.
It took me a long time to gather my thoughts about it. It's one of those which just hits in that cord you don't think you know. Was the entirety of the first act so entirely different from the second and third one? YES. If you asked me right after I finished the first section of this manga if I enjoyed it, I'd say many times that I didn't. It was cute girls asking questions about life, and things around them, and sporadically, it went on and on about the why of life and why we interact with others. Super long-winded, and completely unnecessary, right?… No. It wasn't completely unnecessary, and I'd argue, reading every aspect of this small friendship Shimeji has with her classmate, and enjoying how it builds, and how they both connect deeper than many people do, it was entirely necessary. I loved in retrospect everything the first section had, and it ties SO WELL to everything that comes afterwards. This is a story you'll love thinking about, even if some aspects felt, or feel, too slow. It's a mundane philosophical manga that eventually puts those philosophies to the test. When the manga finally shifts, and yeah, it shifts, something happens which changes EVERYTHING into one of the most creative, most insane manga you've ever read. But, when you start connecting every dot, and every element, it all goes back to the true theme of this story, on why we need… friends. The mystery and the reason the manga is named that way isn't relevant. Even if that maintained my attention through the first section, when it all crumbles away, the message lands so preciously on your mind. You'll remember that person who motivates you to keep moving forwards. Someone who didn't do a lot to change your everything, but they did, and you didn't know how much they did until the world around you allows you to appreciate it. Alongside Shimeji, all we experience is the Evangelion perspective on why we need to connect, why we're humans, and why it's so beautiful to exist in this world. I cried. I cried so much when I saw Shimeji by herself, potentially lost to the universe. When told you can be alone and survive, when told you can live your life in isolation, we should never take it. Not for some logical reason like “I hate people”, or how more safe it is, but because we deprive ourselves of love. This manga is unlike anything else I've read, unlike anything else I've seen. It doesn't hide its philosophy, rather it challenges you to get it through how the main character experiences it herself. We might experience things which at grand scale mean nothing, and the manga knows this, but it still gives us the tool to understand. Whatever happens in the universe doesn't matter, when our lives can be filled with love. If we can love each other, if we can find at least one person who we believe understands us, then life was worth it. To live a thousand, millions, or trillions of years, or just a few, it mattered if we found someone we think about when reading this manga. 10/10. Imperfect, yes, of course, but in its imperfections, it was perfect. Two masterpieces by the same person. Tsukumizu, you've created two of the greatest manga I've ever read.
Hidamari Sketch on mushrooms (on head). Cozy, silly and surreal, but with an ominous atmosphere, like something bigger is happening, something special and strange. I love that feeling, especially when told in Tsukumizu's style of depression-infused optimism. The low-effort panels are charming and great, and the high-effort panels are so wild and creative that it's worth buying the Japanese volumes for the artwork, even if you can't read it (like I did). The odd moments we spend in West Yomogi would be worth reading 49 chapters on their own, but there's an actual story as well, and it's so good. It builds into something bigger, with lots to thinkabout and interpret. The supporting characters are the best. They all bring their own charm and strangeness to a manga that's already charming and strange. If you're looking for a 10/10 niche manga and can handle moe blobs figuring out how to get along when reality itself seems to be malfunctioning, jump in. It's my #1 manga, if that matters. Read it twice and spread the good word of the egg and mushroom. Do your part so we can finally get English volumes to collect.
There isn’t another manga or experience out there quite like Shimeji Simulation. No matter who you are or what your interests are I think there is something here for you. Even if somehow upon finishing Shimeji find yourself dissatisfied or disappointed I don't think you will forget the experience that this manga is. Shimeji Simulation is my favorite manga of all time and I didn't even realize how much it affected me until I took the time to think about it. I used to think when it came to media that unless it fit my extremely specific criteria or niche I wouldn't look into it. Howevertime and time again I found series that I never expected to like and series that blew my expectations higher than I could've have imagined. One of those series being Fooly Cooly which seemed practically made for me, and Shimeji Simulation made me feel the same way. Everyone sees things differently and I haven't seen one person thats thinks about this manga the same as anyone else. When you read Shimeji Simulation you should find what you think the series means to you, even if it means nothing at all. Reading Shimeji Simulation changed the way I think about manga in that within a manga anything can happen and that you can find something in anything. Sometimes a series may look boring or uninteresting on the surface but you'll never know what you will miss if you don't give it that chance.