Manga 416 Sidooh

Sidooh is a manga I've been waiting to finish, as it's a masterpiece in the work of Tsutomu Takahashi, one of my favorite authors. The plot appealed to me enormously, as I appreciate samurai works, and also everything that makes up the author's bibliography. His very raw style, the way he tells stories and the ideas he uses in his manga ... He's really one of the authors who helped me deepen my knowledge of manga. So I had high expectations of Sidooh, and I might as well tell you that they were truly met. Before even starting the review: you've got to give this ... manga a try.

The story's setting is rather catchy, and will be familiar to fans of Samurai manga. We're at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in Japan, and foreigners are gradually starting to arrive. We are quickly drawn into the brutal and obscure daily lives of two orphans, whose parents have died of disease. By a twist of fate, they end up becoming samurai, and their actions have repercussions for the whole region. The review won't contain any more spoilers, so I'll just cut to the chase.

The first thing I appreciated was the atmosphere of the story. As usual with the author, you can feel that there's a permanent tension, with a sustained rhythm where events follow one another without concession. In the case of Sidooh, the author shows us without detour the violence of the world in which the orphans have landed. The story is full of conflict and twists and turns. I was really into it while reading, and the pace didn't bother me. This proves, I think, that the storytelling is perfectly mastered.

Secondly, I really enjoyed the character development. I tend to find that the author doesn't always go all the way on this level, but it seems that in Sidooh he really went all the way with what he wanted to do. No character is left by the wayside, and every time we get a backstory associated with them that really adds depth. These developments are perfectly matched to the masterful narration. In fact, there's no exaggeration, and everything remains truly realistic, unlike other works that go off in all directions. The development of the antagonists is particularly successful in my opinion, especially in the finale.
Still on the subject of development, I really appreciate the fact that the author has chosen not to make any concessions and to stick to pure brutality. He doesn't hesitate to sacrifice certain characters in order to advance others, or to pause the story.

On the technical point, as usual with the author, I thought it was brilliant. His drawing style is as magical as ever. His unmistakable line gives his work a truly enchanting quality. I find it even more fitting in a samurai work!
There are some magnificent double-page spreads, and certain dazzling cuts and dialogues that hooked me more than usual in his work. Everything is meticulous; from the simple lines of dialogue of the secondary characters to the idealization of key moments.

It'll be hard to go any further without giving away key elements of the story. In any case, I enjoyed catching up with the author once again. Sidooh is an uncompromising work, which touched me at times because it's still a rather complicated story that I found sad at heart. Against a backdrop of family drama, we follow two orphans as they try to make their way in the most ruthless world of the time. It's the kind of story I enjoy reading, and one that proves to me every time that I can go further in discovering manga.

You should consider discovering this manga and Tsutomu Takahashi.

Sidooh at times may seem like a story about the history of Japan and how the samurai age came to end but at it's heart it's just a story about 2 brothers growing up and finding their path in life. It may bore some people with the historical text vomit but it shines everywhere else.

I'm not a fan of huge mucho texto reviews, so just read this if:

a) You love samurai manga
b) You love Takahashi Tsutomu (and his manga too i guess)
c) You like to read a beautiful story with amazing art, characters that you will root for and a fitting ending

First let me just say I was surprised when I saw that there are no reviews for a manga with 65 chapters scanlated (so far). You would think that at least one of those 1000+ members (18 favorites- at this time) that have read Sidooh would sum up a few ideas they had about it and shared with the rest of us by now but, i digress.

The story is pretty straightforward, even though it has it's share of twists, it's plot keeps moving in the same direction; the survival of two teen brothers, in some era of Japan, wouldn't matter if I said the ... name all you need to know is that the Americans have already started meddling in their business- if you saw "The Last Samurai", I believe that's about the right time frame. That's also how politics is included in the series. There's not enough of it to make the action-hungry shounen fan get turned off by the series, and just the right amount to make things a little bit more interesting.
It's also important to note that Sidooh is not a manga for the lighthearted, there is blood involved, as well as flying limbs, heads and other body parts but, it's no gore-fest either. It starts dark and keeps it that way (I think 6 out of the 9 characters we are introduced to in the first 2 chapters die).

Speaking of characters, this is one thing i think Sidooh pulled off well, not only do the characters have their own distinct personalities but, there's enough of them to keep the plot moving and just the right ammount so you don't start wondering who the hell this guy is and why should I care about him. This also ensures that all of them are fairly well developed and we actually get to understand their personalities.
Character design is also pretty well done, very samurai-ish and very fitting to the manga as a whole.

The art is one thing that may put off some readers. It's either love it or hate it as far as I see it. If you have read any of the other Tsutomu Takahash's mangas, you will certainly notice his unique style emerge in Sidooh. For me, at least, it's a breath of fresh air to see actual semi-realistic humans that don't seem to come from a long line of models and that actually have distinctive characteristics.

Overall I must admit that Sidooh is a great ride, and i found myself getting drawn into the story quite a few times (the kind of thing where if someone were to offer you a bag of money you would keep your head turned to your laptop with a hypnotized stare and say -yea one minute). That is not to say it's perfect, it surely has it's flaws both art and story-wise. It's just not your typical shounen or samurai manga and that is by all means a good thing.