Kizu

I like to read sad stories and Kizu is one of the saddest stories I've ever read. It's about friendship and love. That sounds a little bit cliche, right? Maybe it is. But Kizu has a very interesting premise and I found myself pretty involved in discovering this premise while the main character, Keigo, told me about his life. Here are the reasons why I appreciated this manga so much: Story - I don't want to give spoilers to anyone, so I'll just say that Kizu made me think of the meanings of cruelty and kindness. How can some people suffer profoundly, I thought to myself,and still find a way to be good to others? Art - The manga is beautifully drawn. It's not cute. It's not awesome in a shonen style. It's just beautifully realistic. This characteristic caught me in the first pages. Character - The main character, Keigo, and his best friend Asato are just kids. But they proved to me how complex can be a child's feelings. Sometimes, they act like adults and this is touching. Enjoyment - I had a pretty good time reading the manga. Can't think of anything I have disliked. Overall - Kizu is a story I'd like to remmember. Although it's a very short manga, I really appreciated all its aspects and the capacity of Keigo and Asato continuously walk through the pains they have to face.

Note: the following comes from a video review, links on my profile page. Kizu holds a certain premise, but, probably due to the author's self-professed reluctance in writing it, doesn't quite follow up to its possible potential. It introduces dark themes, but doesn't very much counteract them with a kind of release or catharsis, and in some instances seems to be illogical (e.g. in suggesting anything positive might happen, at the end, when proof wasn't forthcoming). It is, in this sense a bit like Narutaru the anime, in that it is unfinished, but also presents a case of negativity with no definite conclusion. On the otherhand, the concept of healing wounds is also presented in Esma's Frat, except that takes it to its logical conclusion. It's not that Kizu, as a story, isn't told well, but the macabre mood isn't bookended by a sensible closure. Why did Shiho leave? Why are Asato's siblings seemingly not able to see him? And, as he was on the verge of killing himself, would he do that in the future? The ending doesn't work very well with what it presented earlier, and one might be left feeling that, despite the regular gloominess, its continuation and appropriate finish would have been better.