Manga 1744 Arigatou

Arigatou (4 Volumes/47 Chapters)

Essentially, Arigatou is a depiction of the deconstruction and harmonious breakdown of one particular Japanese family and how one man intends to revive his role as father. In order to protect his family from the many hardships that have befallen them. The author Yamamoto Naoki is a man who in essence, can in every form; portray the adverse effect of the human psyche in conjunction to the way certain actions and events make human beings feel.

One thing to note about this series is that though it's content is aimed at the more mature, it comes complete with a rather heavy comedic overtone ... that's meant to be taken in stride by the readers who indulge this literary work. At times some of the material can seem a bit nonsensical, droll even. However Naoki weaves every event nicely, leaving literary nothing left to be desired.

This series from the start felt more like one of those American gross out films that was meant to be taken as a Slice of life, dealing with a story archetype themed in the "coming of age". The story essentially starts off with young teenagers discussing female masturbation, so one could only imagine the material that follows.

In regards to sex, which is infact very apparent throughout this series. I just want to say that the sexual content was never the focal point of the series. The erotic aspect of this title came second to the series's underlying theme and overall message. That message was essentially; family and how many of us intend to either diverge and or remain within ones own family structure.

All of the characters were indeed wonderfully unique in their apparent roles; we have the cheeky and rebellious daughter Takako, the emotionally depraved and confused older daughter Akiko, the reclused and alcoholic mother figure, and the overprotecting yet embarrassing father figure Susuki-san.

Altogether I had alot of fun reading Arigatou for it humorous antics, depictions strickly for the more mature, and it's ever tangent versatility that can be perceived from so many opposing perspectives. I can now say I'm an avid fan of Naoki's artistic works, Arigatou was truly one of those rare gems in this literary genre we call manga.

Rating: 10/10

If I remembered correctly, they had some unrealistic elements to the story. But it's manga. I feel like it's an average run of the hill doujin of rape, except a more elaborate clarification on the aftermath of how victims reacted, and how it can affect family around them. There was some things that could be done differently, such as how characters reacted or their actions, however I'm not a psychologist.

It shows how dehumanizing humanity can be, and how little care we have to those. However, the only reason I give it a lower rating is bc of the lack of depth we were given to ... characters.

Spoilers below.

To start off, I am not criticizing the graphic scenes themselves. I believe that they can be used as plot devices to advance the story and characters. However, the manga does the opposite. Yes, characters don't have to change in personality or values to be captivating. But within the context of the manga, I'd argue that change is inevitable, leaning on necessary. Who wouldn't change as a person if they had gone through some of the things the Suzuki family has, such as gang rape, cult manipulation, the distribution of child pornography, amongst other deplorable events? I don't think the absurd nature of the ... story justifies the author making it comedic. In my opinion, it comes off as insensitive, especially considering the punchlines are the fact that *insert horrible act* happened, and not on how ridiculous they are in and of themselves. However, despite its glaring flaws, I did enjoy the father's resolve to protect his family, no matter his excessive paranoia. I also liked Akiko, as she seems to be the only character who experienced real adverse effects for the trauma she's endured, like her PTSD preventing her from taking a step outside, making her character more believable. Overall, I think Yamamoto could've handled the mature themes a lot better while still making it humourous. Aritagou, for a bad experience.