This is a manga review/response. The manga is Hakuji by Morie Satoshi and no doubt, this is Morie Satoshi's best work yet that has been scanlated in my opinion.
Here is my take on the whole story- a short introductory synopsis. The paragraphs succeeding are spoilers for the manga so you have been warned. Hakuji is about an up and coming mildly successful artist named Manabe Akiharu who meets the beautiful snow white-like high school beauty Ichigo Seika. Much like love at first sight but with more artful curiosity, he is "lovestruck" by her pristine being and asks her to be his model for which she accepts. Akiharu appears in the form of an adult, however his mind has remained stagnant to that of a middle schooler due to circumstances surrounding his talent. This stagnation drives his inner battle with his perception of self impurity throughout the manga in contrast with Seika's mesmerizing innocence and warm light. But through all of this, Seika is forever his "Madonna."
The raw emotions builds up with each chapter. It's not easy to convey a unique perspective of a tortured artist without cliches but this manga was just so amazing. Akiharu's guilt and perceptual sin and dirtiness was so deep. The darkness in his heart that came to realization only by the light of Seika. Then the arc with Seika's blindness and prospective fall into darkness with Akiharu. I was reading another manga and the female lead is quite annoying and the tortured artist in that manga felt so blasé. I disliked the concept of misery loves company in that manga but I love how Morie-sensei was able to allow these characters to overcome it. Despite both of them succumbing to darkness, they were still able to help each other step back into the light (of course Seika did more for Akiharu but he helped her despite his darkness and in turn, it helped him grow) I can't express how much raw emotion and power this story had. I'm happy that Mori-sensei decided to make the two mains happy hence a 2 volume story.
I must say that there is a lot about Akiharu that I wish I knew more about though or more like I wish his development was more expansive I guess. I can't explain this very well because at the same time, what Morie-sensei did felt right (the development of Akiharu). Maybe it's because it was just two volumes when in the story itself the time was probably days and months worth. Just thinking about how long Akiharu was tortured by his belief of impurity is very harsh and do not wish him to suffer any longer after 5 years of stagnation (I may be wrong about the 5 years thing, maybe it was somewhere like 8 years actually? Hmmm...)
Anyways, amazing story. I applaud it. It's definitely something people should read. Not many mangas use such themes and plot devices with such a precision and conveyance of emotions to the readers (excuse me for generalizing). Well done Morie-sensei!!
Oh and one last thing. I read a person's short comment saying s/he is an artist and s/he thinks that Morie-sensei dramatized the whole tortured artist thing. For one, I don't understand how the simple and basic generalization of being an artist allows the person to assume any sort of emotional commonality. In fact I find that somewhat pretentious. As for the dramatization...mmm this is quite ironic considering how the person establishes commonality but then suddenly set him/herself apart. This is just another example of "If I Were In That Position." Hmm....
I read this all in one straight go with a little bit of speed reading so not everyone will have the same response as I have. It's not a pretty paper cut out manga either. The scenes aren't a beautiful shoujo style. It successfully uses the black and white to convey the drama that the main character is going through so don't expect "breath taking scenes" just because it's a shoujo manga. I don't understand why anyone would assume that.
Well that is all.
~Tohukyo
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