Chikan Otoko

There is a common problem with character-driven stories that is often overlooked. They're supposed to engage the characters in various trials and tribulations, and by way of these occurrences, shape them into stronger individuals. It sounds simple, yet so many works fail to create memorable characters, instead relying on banal and insipid cliches to make the work seem more than it is. Chikan Otoko is the antithesis to this trend. It relies on the most frivolous acts and interactions between characters to naturally explicate the beauties of everyday life and characters. Moreover, Chikan Otoko never tries to be more than it is; and through its sincerity, itis laudable. Laudable for its shameless use of memes and potty humor. Laudable for it weaving together a narrative that is so ludicrous in concept. And laudable for its ability to blend heavier elements like loneliness and depression together with comedy and mundane follies, yet in a manner so lighthearted as if to remind us to laugh at our own miseries. Be honest. Be yourself. A hackneyed phrase it may be, but simply put, you won't be able to get through life by being anyone else. This is a creed that our protagonist, Molester Man, follows closely. He's never been a hot-shot with girls. Since elementary school, he's engrossed himself in what one would consider typical "otaku" activities. However, his life takes a one-eighty when, during his college years, he coincidentally bumps into a beautiful female of the human species and, well, ends up trying to protect her, thinking that there's a stalker chasing them. And so originates the name: Molester Man is, in reality, mistaken by Miss Understanding (the beautiful female of the human species) to be a stalker, and there was no one following them to begin with. Long story short, he gets accused of sexual harassment. Sounds ludicrous? Sounds insipid? Good, that's just what they want you to think. The beginning chapters are arguably the weakest part of the entire story. Molester Man looks as if he's another two-dimensional geek who spends too much time browsing 2chan. Miss Understanding is yet another immaculate angel who has transcended the holy earth to become a cutesy reincarnation of Venus. Although initially unimpressive, these personalities and tropes quickly become entertaining quirks that will grow on the reader. Once the pacing picks up, the story also builds upon these quirks, making them a cherished and integral part of the manga. A virgin he is, but an absentminded and oblivious individual he is not. Unlike innumerable other got-it-from-the-recycling-bin harem leads, Molester Man bares honesty. He is perceptive of his actions and, as such, reflects upon their consequences; he has the upbringing of a chivalrous man gone insane. At first, Molester Man feels apathetic towards (3-D) women, but by the end, he understands the importance of human relationships. He slowly reaches the epiphany, begins to feel original, vivid emotions, and most importantly, accepts his own flaws to reach a new perception of his world. His development feels so tangible that it's almost as if the author intended to involve the reader directly. It is not a call to action, but more so an emphasis on Molester Man's inner thoughts and emotions through the entire process. He grows, he trips, he falls over, and we experience this vicariously as we see him stand up. That's life. Accompanying Molester Man's main development are numerous side characters that contribute to the story. Eventually, as Molester Man attempts to clear his allegation of being a stalker, he reconciles his relationship with Miss Understanding, becomes friends with her, and is introduced to her circle of friends. Contrary to the depictions of trite and (literally) flat characters, these newly introduced female leads all carry realistic personalities, more so than your generic blow-up dolls. And more than being believable, they are invaluable to Molester Man's development. Although not completely free of cliches and conventional tropes, most side characters are given a substantial role within the story that literally churn the gears of the plot. They influence Molester Man to feel feel-good feelings and become a feeler of all feelings that can be felt. Molester Man truly begins to taste the feeling and feel for the sentimentalities of manhood as he cops a feel from other characters. He feels more than just feelings; he is the feeling. The simple-looking artwork, familiar setting, and its basic paneling are all largely why Chikan Otoko's comedy works so well within the context of its mundanity: unobtrusive speech bubbles, average-looking phone texts, and standard 2chan messages; plain, white backgrounds and plain, modest looking human figures. The art does not aim to impress, but rather, aims to complement the down-to-earth tone of its character interactions and conversations. It not only enhances the naturalism of the manga, but also enriches the dynamic and cleverness of the dialogue. The comedic antics are all so diverse and unpredictable that the reader will never know what bizarre nonsensicality is coming next. And the comedy is just that: simple, direct, and clever on the one hand; at times shrewd, dark, ironic, and immature; or in many cases, it's just downright base and coarse internet humor. These may sound inappropriate in text, but Chikan Otoko manages to make it work. Some of the most memorable scenes from the manga stem from its brilliant humor, which range from exaggerated expressions to allusions made to Kuso Miso Technique. One might laugh so hard that they would actually spit orange juice through their nostrils while reading it. Not that I'm suggesting that I did such a thing... But in any case. Bravo, bravo. Between its zany humor and breathtaking drama, Chikan Otoko is a manga that aspires to be something simple and ultimately shines in its simplicity. It's hilarious, silly, random, and presents to us a mundane story with phenomenal characters. Chikan Otoko is more than an example of a character-driven story done correctly, it is a story that will make one feel. Feel the feels. Live the feels. And become the feels. Feels the become.

The plot is somewhat basic, but it's also unpredictable. There is a highly realistic element to it, accented by the simplicity, which adds to it's emotional impact. Even though Yokota Takuma did not actually invent the story, he does deserve some credit for its pacing and exceptional balance between comedy and drama. Some might criticize the sketchy art style, but I thought it complimented the minimalist nature of the plot exceedingly well. It got the point across, while managing to make the characters unique and expressive. There was never a part when I was blown away by the art, but never a part when I thoughtit was a problem either. It definitely feels sufficient for the story being told. All of the main characters are unique, realistic, entertaining, and play off each other surprisingly well, given their differences. The character development is one of the best things about this manga; the main character starts off as an anti-social loner and slowly progresses as a person. He realizes that many of his initial assumptions about the girls are not true and watching his opinions of them change comprises a large aspect of the development. None of the characters are archetypes or cliches, and they all manage to hold my interest and sympathy. It started off sort of slow, but about a fourth of the way through it gripped me and I couldn't put it down. It's funnier than most comedies and simultaneous sadder than most tragedies. It is very down-to-earth and it never becomes self-indulgent or overblown. This, combined with an unexpected amount of unpredictability, gives the manga an exceptional enjoyment score. This manga is highly recommended, seeing as it has wide appeal, and is a decent 8. It is much more of a conventional romance than Onani Master Kurosawa, this artist's previous and more renowned work, but it should not be overlooked either.

Ok so I've never written a review before, but I thought this manga deserved one sooo here I go: Story (9.5 round it up idk) - The story is freakin hilarious ok. The manga has this slice-of-life feel, but it does have some sort of plot where Molester fumbles through his relationships with this group of girls after he gets mistaken for a molester by one of them (Miss Understanding). It's very realistic and down to earth, like I can really relate to Molester and all his awkward, otaku, nerdyness. At the same time though the story still keeps this manga like feeling that isreally enjoyable. The only drawbacks I would say are: the whole 2ch lingo that I don't really understand, and I think the translators should have explained more (or maybe they did and I'm dumb), and maybe the pacing, sometimes it feels a little weird to me like in some places, like it should be faster in some or slower in others (that might just be me being overly anal though). Art (9) - Some might say it's a drawback, but I quite like the art, it's sketchy, comical and it's clear to understand so I don't see any problem. It's also done by the same person who did Onani Master Kurosawa (check that out too). Characters (9) - All the characters do have development. You get to see new sides of Molester as you get to know more about him and the girls as he slowly makes friends with them. Although sometimes I find the way the characters act annoying, and usually its the girls, but it's not "shoujo" annoying it's "they're based off of real people and I find that person's personality annoying". Enjoyment (10) - I 100% enjoy this I always look forward to whenever the new chapters come out, I 100% recommend you read this. Overall (10) - I give this a 10 because I really do laugh and find this a fun read, and end up really relating to Molester, it feels like he's a friend, as sad as that sounds. So go out and read about Molester and all the shenanigans he gets into with all his new friends in Chikan Otoko.

“You’re so narrow-minded!!” “I’m broad-minded!!” Life. What is its meaning? Why are we here? Why were we born? Depending on the one you ask these questions, the answers could be several, or none. However, someone will eventually reply: love. Life is nothing more than a quest for love. Love is no trifling matter. Sometimes making a relationship work is tough. More common, however, is the problem of actually managing to establish a relationship with someone we love. The focus of this doujinshi is the latter. Our socially awkward main character, a guy in his 20’s with no friends or close ties to his family, boringly attending college everynow and then for the credits, working part-time to survive and spending the remaining of his time in front of a computer screen, browsing 2ch and reading manga, has never been in a relationship. Actually, being loved by someone is nothing more than a dream to him. However, after being mistaken for a stalker, he meets a cute girl. A girl that was actually nice to him despite all the previous confusion. Excited with the sudden possibility of developing a romance and the chance to be a new Densha Otoko (the train man; for more information consult the manga of the same name, which I, by the way, recommend), he decides to share his story and ask for advice on 2-chan. We follow the curious twists of fate and the despair and inexperience of a boy in a world he has never lived in. Thus begins the story of Molester, Miss Understanding and her group of friends. Characters - 10 As one would expect from the author, just like in Onani Master Kurosawa, the strongest point of this amazing doujin is the superb characters and their development. It is impossible not to “fall in love” with them as we read more and more, as we get to know them better and as we watch how everyone else develops their relationships with the main character. The dialogue is extremely well-written despite its simplicity, and it feels quite natural. The constant struggles of the main character and his attempts to look cool and manly after persistently asking for advice on the internet is not only hilarious but also shows us how indecisive and inexperienced Molester was at love matters, and how much a person can change without really changing. Art – 9 Even though it looks sketchy, it was nothing new if you’ve read Onani Master. If you haven’t though, it may feel weird at first, but as you get used to it you really start to understand how well it fits the story. I’ve read somewhere that the art makes it look like a diary, and I couldn’t agree more. Thanks to the art, everything looks and seems a lot more personal, which really brings out the fondness for the characters, and the fact that the main character is the narrator really adds a lot to this comparison. Personally, I think it would be impossible to make such a story work this well with any different art style. So I give this a 9 not out of how good the art is, but of how well it suits the story. Story – 9 The story is not complex at all, au contraire; it’s simple and feels realistic. Well, that’s to be expected, since it was based on real events posted on 2-chan by one of their anonymous visitors. Yet despite the realism, some events seem so out of the ordinary… The story has such an odd feeling, it’s hard to describe. But odd in a good way. Actually, throughout the story, there’s always a feeling of duality regarding several aspects of it – and that’s another brilliant point of this doujin. There aren’t a lot of unexpected or unbelievable twists, but that doesn’t mean it gets boring. Quite the opposite, actually, it gets better and better. It proceeds smoothly, and as it unfolds we find ourselves being carried by the love Molester feels and tries to transmit, and the choices and difficulties he finds on the process and the repercussions of those factors on his personality and on his way of acting towards the world and people. Enjoyment – 10 I had an amazing time reading this. Once you start, it’s almost impossible to stop. It’s so compelling and every little thing is so deliciously well orchestrated that you will often times find yourself amazed, laughing, feeling sad, cheering for Molester… It is truly an emotional rollercoaster. It’s one of those mangas that make you look at the ceiling and ponder about your life choices after finishing it. After spending some years reading manga, it gets harder and harder to find something that really touches you. This doujin, however, did it for me, and as I finished it with tears in my eyes, I simply laid back and realized that life really does have a meaning, and that maybe we should all just indeed be searching for the ones we love. Overall – 9,5 So just sit down, put on some music and enjoy a wondrous journey through this simple yet mind-blowing tale of everyday relationships and heart-warming love.