[Categories: Manga Reviews]
Nijigahara Holograph: go read it. Repeatedly
I originally planned to write a post on this after I fully understood the story but after not one but three visits to Inio Asano’s tangled web of genius, I still can’t say with certainty that I can fully grasp what the manga is actually trying to say. It gives a mixture of feelings - the most immediate one of course being my sensation of mental deficiency at being unable to make all of the numerous connections - but fortunately I’m still able to recommend it with only a partial understanding under my belt. This is a challenging, striking and fascinating piece of work that stands up there with the best of the headscratchers, and it looks stunning too.
One comparison that frequently crops up is with that of the feature film Donnie Darko, which is somewhat similar to Nijigahara Holograph on a number of levels, one being its obtuse nature. I didn’t really get Donnie Darko at first either from a thematic standpoint until certain explanations were e-mailed to me (which are also found in the DVD extras) but I admired its storytelling and its ability to reveal more details with subsequent revisits; the frustration was tempered by a gradual drip-feed of “Ah, I see!” moments as the pieces of the jigsaw began to fall into place. Nijigahara Holograph works in a similar way, except the explanations aren’t included in some sort of omake feature; the reader is very much on his or her own, and in my case ends up feeling simultaneously awed and a little stupid. If I were to wait until I got all the pieces in place, this post may never get written.
Before I get all wound up over the story again, I’d like to draw attention to Asano’s artwork: it’s a bleak and mature piece but the art style reflects this extremely well. He doesn’t go out of his way to draw people in a flattering fashion with saucer eyes and unnatural body proportions: the characters, whether they are attractive or ugly, look lifelike and the moments of violence and cruelty are gritty and unflinching. The environs look very true-to-life too with the more fantastical elements blended in so seamlessly it’s as if they always belonged there. Rather than being some strongly fantastical tale, Nijigahara Holograph is a Kon-esque or perhaps Lynch-esque psychological story with supernatural undercurrents: it has solid, if out-there, underlying explanations of Kon rather than the ‘make it up as I go along’ feeling I sometimes get from Lynch, however.
This manga has proved to be a maddening experience for me in that I stubbornly refuse to admit I’m incapable of getting my head around it, but at the same time it’s monumentally rewarding when things start to make sense. The storyline jumps back and forth in time a lot between the present and the events that transpired eleven years previously; through the eyes of Suzuki, a student transferred from Tokyo, it explores the complex and interrelated relationships between the town’s residents and examines how the events at school shape their lives as adults. The fact that Suzuki is thrown into this environment of secrets, lies and repressed desires contributes to part of the confusion but as it turns out he may have secrets of his own.
I really can’t emphasise enough the importance of thinking about the story, re-reading it, thinking about it again and repeating the process until 1. you have to leave it alone to do something else, 2. your head explodes or 3. you finally figure everything out. I must confess I did a bit of digging around and found some interesting theories that seem to explain a few things; nevertheless it’s an immensely rewarding experience if, like me, you’re one of those people who gets a kick out of trying to work things out for yourself first (in which case, I share your pain). There is an element of disorientation that I hadn’t felt since the first time I watched the End of Evangelion but at the time of writing I feel like a thirsty soul in a desert who’s discovered a well that shows no sign of drying up.
Nijigahara Holograph has a strong emphasis on the mistakes and faults of the older generation being forced onto the young, and as a result children feel alienated from the adult world while still having to bear some of the burden for their elders’ mistakes. That is not to say it exhibits a nihilistic philosophy though: Suzuki’s keepsake, a small metal box that allegedly has the power to grant him one wish, gives hints of rebirth and the cyclic nature of life. The adult Suzuki may lament on how “the world is just as wretched as it always was,” but there’s also the idea that, if one “…maintain[s] a strong will,” the cycle can be broken and redemption can be found.
This spiritual aspect is also reflected in that explosion of the butterfly population, coming across as beautiful and awe-inspiring thanks to being rendered in Asano’s detailed monochrome style but also carrying with it a feeling of impending doom or at the very least drastic change. The way in which the connections between the characters’ relationships gradually come to light, the succession of deaths and acts of violence, the urban legend of a monster lurking in a storm drain and the frequent mentions of the oppressively humid weather give an atmosphere that is constantly suggesting in a chillingly understated way that something significant is about to take place.
The sight of countless glowing butterflies appearing out of nowhere and touching flawed souls looks so out of place; and yet it soon transpires that nothing is as it seems. Nijigahara Holograph is in turns intriguing, apocalyptic, frightening and baffling but it’s utterly unique. Heaven knows my head couldn’t cope with this amount of intricately convoluted storytelling on a regular basis anyway, but Asano has created something extraordinary that I fear may never get the recognition it deserves.
Posted on November 2nd, 2008 @ 2:54 am
Ah, the long-awaited post. Good job! I have to say that it took me a ridiculous number of readings to make any sense of it (under ten, say), but when you’re spamming the Spacebar key and it’s an hour to midnight, things more or less fall into place.
Making the links certainly were a rewarding experience, though–it’s like playing the role one of those conspiracy theorists, only that the conspiracy is true, and the cake is a lie.
More people need to read this. Unknown mangaka is unknown.
Owen Ss last blog post..How (not) to enjoy Itazura na Kiss
Posted on November 2nd, 2008 @ 6:08 am
Argh,this isn’t released in the US? I hate reading manga online. Also, since I choose the manga to order for my library I thought I had made a great new find! I don’t suppose there’s any chance of it getting released over here? Sigh, probably not.
Posted on November 2nd, 2008 @ 7:04 am
Peter S: Mail Viz Media about it. Seriously. They just published Solanin, which happens to be one of Asano Inio’s works–I bet they’d license Nijigahara Holograph were there enough demand for it.
Owen Ss last blog post..How (not) to enjoy Itazura na Kiss
Posted on November 3rd, 2008 @ 12:58 am
@Owen S: cheers for recommending me this in the first place! It’s a prime example of how you don’t necessarily need to understand everything about a story to appreciate it - the theories I’ve read about may or may not be correct but I’ve had a great time peeling away the layers of meaning. It’s a dark piece but quite mindblowing. We need more people blogging about this, especially since I can think of several people who would appreciate this manga as much as you and I have.
@Peter S: I’m not a fan of scanlated manga either (I’m an old-fashioned sort who prefers to read large quantities of text and pictures in print, although extensive internet usage has helped me get over that a little). I don’t know if this will get an official English language release, but as Owen pointed out here Solanin is out thanks to Viz (only last month too, iirc) so there’s a chance that Holograph will be too.
In regards to Solanin, it looks like the whole story is on sale as one volume and at a pretty decent price. I have some lengthy train journeys ahead of me in the next couple of weeks so watch this space…
Posted on November 3rd, 2008 @ 11:26 am
This manga sounds really good! If someone as smart as you can’t understand it, I don’t think I will ever be able to understand it either :/
Though I’d like to give this a try since I’m extremely interested in psychology and I love it when a bit of violence is added (in this case, A LOT), but I don’t think they sell this manga where I live, so I’ll find another means … some day. Until then, let me know if you ever fully understand it because if I do happen to finish reading this manga, I’d like to know what it’s all about. But I suppose it’s like one of those book where you’re left wondering how so and so went or what really happened to such and such because the author wants you to use your imagination. Those novels/manga are pretty interesting, I suppose, but sometimes I prefer having a solid answer.
PS. Don’t lose sleep thinking about this manga too much! lol
blissmos last blog post..Doodles: Adopt Your Very Own Pet Today!
Posted on November 4th, 2008 @ 7:06 am
@Martin and @Owen S: I am pleased to say that I bought Solanin for my library, undoubtedly based on good online buzz (I frankly don’t remember ordering it). I’d like to read it but, er, someone else has it checked out. This is of course a good thing, because it means there’s an audience for it and so justifies my buying more esoteric stuff along with the usual Naruto, Bleach, Vampire Knight, etc. But why just Viz? I’d like to see what, for instance, Dark Horse could do with it.
Posted on November 4th, 2008 @ 3:39 pm
Hm hm. What should I say, on the one hand, I am really glad that you have read (and come to like) a manga by Inio Asano; on the other hand, I don’t agree with most people on “Nijigahara Holograph”. Of course the storytelling is absolutely brilliant - as expected from the mangaka - and the atmosphere and the visuals are stunning (not to mention that I have a weakness for beautiful butterflies), but is that enough for me? The characters of “Nijigahara Holograph” weren’t more interesting than in his other works; but the storyline was much more understandable and straight-forward than your usual pointless ‘mindfuck’ series - for me, the little confusement there is makes the whole story lack the subtle depth that “What a wonderful world” has, and the emotionality and realism that “Solanin” has. While “Nijigahara Holograph” might be Inio Asano’s best in terms of storytelling and visuals, it’s my personal last after “Solanin”, “What a wonderful world” and “Good Night Punpun”.
Another reason why I disliked “Nijigahara Holograph” is that it’s about children. And, well, when it comes to the struggles of children in society, there is noone who could be comparable to Mohiro Kitoh for me. Ultimately, I guess the impression of pretentiousness in “Nijigahara Holograph” kept me up from liking it as much as the other Asano titles.
Sasas last blog post..To me, Code Geass redeemed itself with its last episode
Posted on November 6th, 2008 @ 2:47 pm
@blissmo: you’d be surprised. Maybe I’m trying to read between the lines and missing a more obvious meaning to the story? There’s plenty of pyschology and violence here (all in context though) so I’m sure you’d enjoy it.
@Peter S: my main problem with Viz is that they don’t seem to have a UK distributor to high street stores, which means I have to buy them online. Still, it’s good to see Solanin appears to be popular…
@Sasa: …which leads me to your point. As much as I enjoyed Holograph, the premise of Solanin is something that sounds to be closer to my own experiences (graduate, looking for a career change, etc). Owen recommended it to me as ‘Beck meets Murakami’ so I’ll be very surprised if I don’t love it even more than this one!
Posted on March 31st, 2009 @ 5:07 am
[...] Sasa’s comment pointed out you can only empathise with the characters of …Holograph so far because [...]