Inside Mari

Here's my take after reading 80 schizophrenic chapters of Boku wa Mari no Naka (I'm inside Mari) Shuuzou Oshimi. How would I put this... Mari no Naka is not your typical body-swapping manga since it is not a body-swapping manga. It is a story that dives into the psyche of the characters and their actions on given the circumstances similar to other of Oshimi-san's works. In this mind-bending story, we are looking into the eyes of Mari Yoshizaki a seemingly perfect high school girl that everyone adores, and Isao Komori one particular college hikikomori (reclusive adolescents or adults who withdraw from social life) that is obsessedwith Mari. The story started after one incident where Mari was on her way home from the convenience store and was being followed by Isao when she suddenly passed out and woke up not Mari anymore, but "Isao" in Mari's body. There are only a few out there that would appreciate this kind of story about deconstructing the human psyche's inner workings through the experiences portrayed by the characters. And I am one of those people, as the story for me exposes each of the character's darkest secrets truthfully in their own way. Mari's character is one of the most interesting characters out there as she is able to create a sense of open mystery for you to uncover all throughout the story up to the last volume which held me as a reader to finish it in one go. The supporting characters Isao, Yori, and the others complement the evolution of Mari through each chapter of your read. As with every Oshimi manga, the art is really based on the reader's preference, but it wonderfully works for me. It is the perfect art to push the story to stand out more. But keep in mind that there is sexual content in the story so this is not for the young audience. All in all, if you are looking for an unconventional story that keeps you hooked with the thrill of solving a mystery and not afraid to experiment with new genres. Mari no Naka is the one for you. With that said, I give Boku wa Mari no Naka 9 chocolate bars out of 10.

This isn’t a “geeky guy living in an idol’s body” wish fulfillment manga. This is a horror story. The story follows a hikikimori who was suddenly thrust into the body of a popular, beautiful high school girl. With a premise like this, you might be expecting some ecchi hijinks ala highschool DXD. However, the situation is instead approached in a raw, realistic and at times even disturbing way. I could hardly tear my eyes from the page- that is, until it became too much to bear and i needed a breather. Multiple times i had to turn my head, close my eyes or put the mangadown for a while on account of how jarring it can be . The situations the main character gets put through are so pathetic, so painful, so gut wrenching that it can be hard to stomach. But I believe this is the mangas greatest strength. This story is ultimately one of empathy. It teaches you by putting you in the shoes of our main character. And it isn’t shy about the less-than-presentable aspects of the female experience. Toxic friendships, masturbation, even painful periods are presented in stark, realistic povs. As a cis man, i went into this manga hoping to I’d glean at least a little knowledge of the female experience. Lets say I got that and then some. Even though it could be painful to read at times, I’m grateful for the author spelling out everything in such vivid detail. It really broadens the mind. The art is consistently amazing and this translates to the wonderful facial expressions. Happiness, sadness, dismay, hope, anger. These emotions always shine through clearly and speak much more than any text bubble ever could. They help convey the story, which is bittersweet at best, but mostly just bitter. But this tone works for the message of the story. It’s supposed to put us in uncomfortable situations with no easy answers. The characters themselves are all broken in some way or another. At first, they seem irredeemable or downright unlikable, but the author does a painstaking job of convincing us that there is good in everyone, no matter how much grime you have to dredge through. Likewise, there can also be evil in everyone, no matter how sparkly and clean they may seem on the surface. If you like psychological and existential horror, want to know what it might be like to live life as a girl, or even just want to try something unconventional that’ll get you stuck in your own head, then give this a shot. The mangaka, i believe, set out to make us as readers question our own perceptions of ourselves and the people around us. And if we change for the better because of it, or even just become a bit more understanding towards others, then i’d say its mission accomplished. Overall rating: 10/10

This is not a regular gender bender story, is in fact a bold and extraordinary manga. That is the reason why it is a masterpiece, but also why it is so disliked by many. Inside Mari is a story about a hikkikomori who switch sides with the girl he adores, and so suddenly sees himself on difficult situation having to live on as the girl he worships. Although, it is a simple and overused premise, it goes beyond by exploring this genre from a more psychological approach and by doing it with absolute finesse. It's a worth looking bizarre masterpiece.

good lord.... this gaves me so much nightmare fuel. It made you question your idea of self, your self image, your consciousness, your reality and your perception of the world around you and how the world sees you. This is the kind of work that evokes disturbing question to yourself.... one that gives you existential crisis. We met a character who wasn't real, but became real over the course of these chapters. He built many relationships from the drivers seat of an unfamiliar person. In the end, he was a creation of a frightened and deeply disturbed girl who could only run away when confronting thehand that life dealt. When backed into a corner, even giving up her very humanity in order to escape. In the end, we see this character, breathing with life, die. The death is unceremonious and very abrupt. It is a bittersweet end to a very sad story. Seeing that hand pulling away from Kakiguchi's shoulder is very sad to me. Too bad we never really get to see where their relationship would go, and we're left with a Mari we've only just met. I read some of this author work and found similliar type of ending. The ending is kinda always the same and i love it. Those ending give u the feel of a "real" ending in live, it goes on, these stories are only some chapter in life and there's more to come. It's the same we found in life. One event will eventually turn into memory of the past, sometimes it change your whole world, sometimes it just another passing experience with or without continuation in future event. came for gender bender tag got some empty feeling in the end and mental problems But i really enjoyed a lot 8/10 characters were little meh they could have better character than yori 6 or 7/10 Binge worth manga if have any interest in physcological ecchi gender bender things , you gonna like this sh*t