Introduction

Introduction

   I’m not someone who routinely reads manga or watches anime, but some stories just grab my attention so completely that I feel compelled to write about them. Chi no Wadachi (Blood On The Tracks in the English translation) was one of those stories.

 

   The reason I felt compelled to write about this subject was due to my inability to reach any satisfying conclusions; I had too many ideas ruminating in my mind, and I didn’t know of anyone analyzing this story with the depth that I yearned for, and the material I found always kept me wanting more. I was aware that part of my frustration stemmed from my lack of knowledge about manga, my lack of psychological insight, as well as my ignorance about the Japanese way of life; reasons that triggered my research for this essay.

   I was always in a great state of confusion while reading this manga, not really knowing if I was reading a really good story or an overblown one. As time went on, and I started doing research, it became apparent that the author was pulling off the unbelievably difficult task of turning a painfully realistic premise into a mesmerizing work of fiction. I started writing the essay as a crude attempt to explain it to myself, trying to untie the knots in my mind. It got much clearer eventually, although it may still seem quite crude to the reader.

   When the research started bearing fruit, insights came quicker, and the words started flooding the screen. I was amazed at how much I could say when I began to understand the inner-workings of this particular subject. That being said, this essay is largely targeted to the uninitiated, but curious, since the manga aficionados and Oshimi fans probably know all of this already. That’s not to say they’re not welcomed here – everybody’s welcome! 

   Inevitably, the essay became too big for a single post, so I decided to divide it in sections. Each of the sections will be interconnected, and every section will connect to the index. I think this partition will make it easier to navigate the text, and allow readers to focus on the sections they deem interesting. 

   It’s Shūzō Oshimi appreciation time. Let’s go!

Index                                    

Life and work of Shūzō Oshimi