Yukionna to Kani wo Kuu

I read this out of whim. I was baited for it being a Smut Manga. The first chapter made me question what I just read, then when I continued reading the hooker pulled me into a bittersweet adventure between a suicidal man and a housewife. Eating Crab with a Yukionna isn't just a simple story. There's a lot of layers you have to understand before you find the answer you need, and once everything comes together, it's a beautiful, bittersweet story that shouldn't be really viewed as one, but it is. Without getting too much into details, as I know there are other reviews out there thattackled about who the characters are, this manga offers complex main characters that aren't just who you see from what they show they are. It shows how the world isn't completely black and white, how decisions that you think is right, won't give you the happy end you thought you'd achieved. It's a story about realization. Self-introspection that makes you question what you truly want in life. I fully recommend this manga for a psychological read, where you witness a bond blooming at the simple goal of their journey together: to eat crab before summer ends.

The series is decent, but I feel people overstate how philosophical or existentialist it is. The manga is a 7/10 take on self-introspection and the weight we carry throughout our lives. It has its beautiful moments, darker melancholic takes, and some episodes of sending the reader on an eerie trip into the human psyche. Unfortunately, the impact is marred by several drawbacks: 1) The Hokkaido side story with one particular character was so obviously shoehorned in and felt cheap. One of the most out-of-place plot points I've seen recently. 2) Weak delivery of the resolution/conclusion: I'd say this could be attributed to spending so much time on theside story and then rushing through the focal conflict. 3) At one point, the suspension of disbelief required of me as a reader was waaay too much. 4) The post-story Okinawa-hen (Volume 9, basically) swaps the atmosphere so abruptly I got whiplash. Fanservicey to the maximum - not in the NSFW way, it featured quite a few moments that were absolutely out of character for the main duo. What I liked: 1) 'The Night on the Galactic Railroad'. Beautiful weaved into the main story and a well-executed allegory based on the original. Masterful work there. 2) As I pointed out, on some occasions, the series hits the nail on the head with its gloomy, dreadful atmosphere and existentialist ponderings. The psychological factor shines through in some chapters, just to fizzle out in others. 3) I dig most of the art. Yeah, the main characters are hot and the NSFW stuff is steamy. But where the series shines through are the cityscapes and depictions of nature. Paired with the cosmic shots from 'The Night on the Galactic Railroad', they transform the manga into a rather scenic experience. 7/10 with mixed feelings, because this could have been so, so much better. Might hit the spot for some, but I still think 'Yukionna to Kani wo Kuu' gets oversold.