AxelNeuman88's manga / #One Shot(56)

A beautiful story of a demon that collects body parts and a girl whose hands are so beautiful that he cannot resist. The bizarre plot that hides behind a story about kindness, acceptance, generosity of the spirit, and love. The story itself is not sweet or sugary, the characters have depths and the artwork is enjoyable. What more to wish? I actually shed some tears at the ending of this story so heartwarming it was. Strongly suggest reading it.

I did enjoy this story, strangely enough. The story is not stale, the female character is a breath of fresh air, what with this cunning side of hers. There is a bit of silliness (like the male character's name, like, common) or female pheromones? The twist is unexpected and gives the readers a nice moment of "you got me". The artwork is pleasant and I greatly appreciate that the story is a one-shot rather than a long series as it gives the opportunity to fantasize about what happens next.

Despite me not being a fan of stories depicting relationships between older people in power and their students, this one is alright in my book. The MC is a girl who finds everything boring, she is closed off and everything around her is mundane and tiresome. She has a liking for her professor (a liking that is akin to crossing an item in the to-do list). One day, she finds the prof's phone that contains a dirty secret... And the main protagonist is far from being an innocent and blushing maiden to not take advantage of the situation. I am simply in awe of the characterization of the female lead. She is dimensional, has many sides of her, and is interesting to observe at any moment. Thanks to the amazing Yamashita Tomoko the face of the MC is animated, alive, you can read her emotions and thoughts on each and every panel. The male character is not discussed in detail as the focus is mainly on her. The power dynamic is, of course, twisted and off-balance and I am sure that the BDSM community has some valuable insights on the portrayal of their relationship, but still the story is... original and unexpected, which is rare to find. The story takes bold turns that you do not expect, surprising at each panel in order to deliver a peculiar ending.

Usually, I approach stories like that with a grain of salt, finding them pretentious and often banal. But this one, with its morbidness and gloomy art, the uniqueness of the story told in 8 pages.. it resonated with me. In the afterworld, there is a bar. Nothing special, just a small and dingy bar at the crossroad between Heaven and Hell. A haven for those stuck between heaven and hell, waiting for their angel's share. A man comes in, so sure that he is destined for hell, but is that right? And why does he get the exclusive angel's share? The story provides a lot of food for thought. Is the bartender in reality God who sees the remorse in the man? Is being the 10000th customer enough to get in Heaven? Does really a lucky number cleanse your sins and allows you to bypass Hell and a long wait in the Afterworld? Is really luck what gets in you Heaven? Why him and not the 10000th customers before him, was the number just made up? For those who do not know, "angel's share" is just a term referring to the whiskey that evaporates When the liquid is slowly maturing in its cask.

As always, the stories by Kiriko Nananan are incredible to read. The sheer tragedy of the situation, the character of Yuko who knew from the start what this meeting was about, the loss of friendship, and the desperation that comes when you know that you destroyed something that will never be fixed. The 8 pages are flawless in their execution, both in artwork and storyline. The situation seems so real, you are an unwilling witness to the situation, feeling almost uncomfortable when the main character provides her thoughts. But the real sadness is in Yuko, this strong and kind individual, who until the end stands strong despite losing the two closest people to her to a terrible betrayal. And at the end, you know that the main character is right in thinking that it was their last meeting because their shared chapter of life is ended.

Na-chan's father is an odd man, collecting things that many throw away, seeing beauty in what people find repulsive, refusing society as society refuses him. He lives under his own rules, speaks strange languages, and talks about things that are far from mundane or understandable to us, the common folk. When he dies, Na-chan is left alone, with people around her telling "good riddance" and "finally". And then, she seems to get it. But what exactly? There is a certain tragedy in this story that is hard to define in simple, human words. Maybe the unknown language that the man has spoken would be able to do so. Was Na-chan's father a schizophrenic and if yes, was the trauma of his death and her forced relocation the push for Na-chan's schizophrenia to develop? Was it the "small stone" that forces "the world to collapse"? Or was he the holder of some truth that after his death was transferred to his daughter? Was it neglect the way of their living or a form of protection from the cruel, unbalanced world full of suffering? Why the death of this man, essentially a hermit in a city, was accepted with such happiness and relief? There are a lot of questions that cannot be answered, but the story made me reflect on how I treat this kind of people, people that I cannot understand or find repulsive or strange or bizarre due to their style of living. Do they maybe hold some secret of the universe that I will never get? Well, or maybe they are just simple lunatics trying to live day by day until the world is destroyed as "its collapse is only a question of time". Just like me.

Aramiya Satoshi is a friendly hermit, he lives a simple life, enjoying each and every day with a broad smile on his face. But his peace is always disrupted by armies that are trying to capture him due to his supernatural abilities of unknown origins and seemingly without any limits. Who is he and why a child genius named Grimm is so invested in him? The story is simple, enjoyable, and uncomplicated. The main characters - Aramiya Satoshi and Grimm are both fairly engaging in their different approaches to life. Aramiya Satoshi had a turbulent past, but despite it, he is friendly, a bit naive, and he still finds joy in a simple, carefree life. Grimm is a young genius, at 10 years he published a scientific thesis that changed the world, he is arrogant, cocky and full of nervous energy. The dynamic between them is interesting and the story would only gain more if we saw more of it e.g. how their approaches to life and their life, in general, changed thanks to each other. Nevertheless, I digress, the story is nice, the characters are cute and the manga panels are animated and bright.