This week's manga
Chi no Wadachi (Blood on the tracks)
By Shuzo Oshimi (Shogakukan)
"Toxic parents" are parents who harm their children, and is a term apparently first used in 1989 in a book by U.S. medical therapist Susan Forward. This term is used for parents who physically abuse their children as well as for those who try to control their children psychologically, for example by being overly possessive. In Japan, this term has rapidly gained popularity in recent years. It feels like some kind of cultural trend, since we can now "meet" various types of toxic parents in novels, drama, manga and other media.
"Chi no Wadachi " (Blood on the tracks) is probably attracting the highest level of attention among works on this topic. It would certainly be categorized as a psychological thriller. Those who pick up this manga to satisfy their curiosity about how scary it may be, however, will be taken by surprise to encounter tranquility and beauty.
The story is about Seiichi, an eighth-grade boy living in a suburban town abundant in lush greenery. His mother, young and beautiful, pours out all of her love on him. Even with his father's rather vague presence, this family of three does not appear to have any problems or fears.
That summer vacation, they go on a family hike up a mountain together with the family of Seiichi's aunt. Seiko suddenly pushes her nephew Shigeru -- her son's cousin -- over the edge of a cliff.
The only witness is Seiichi. When the police arrive and question Seiichi's mother, she says Shigeru fell off by himself. Seiichi, shocked and confused, backs up his mother's testimony, but the question remains. "Why did Mom do that?" From this point on, a mother's "quiet" control over her son begins to escalate.
With just this rough synopsis to go by, "Blood on the tracks" may appear ordinary. What makes this manga extraordinary is the technique of meticulously and faithfully drawing the whole world from Seiichi's viewpoint. Conversely, this means that whatever Seiichi cannot see is not shown. In such a world, his mother who affectionately gazes at him radiates heavenly beauty. Caught in a dilemma between the desire to believe in his mother and a longing to leave her, Seiichi is slowly and eventually thrown off course and begins to lose his mental equilibrium.
Although this manga does not have any element of showy horror, reading it is genuinely spine-chilling. In spite of this, its drawings are not harsh but lyrical, created with pen and brush strokes only, and are, if anything, quite gentle. In a way, this is an ambitious manga that attempts to challenge the limits of manga expression.
The title of the manga, "Chi no Wadachi," is the same as the Japanese title of Bob Dylan's 1975 album "Blood on the Tracks." The word "wadachi" means wheel or tire marks that are clearly carved into a road. Even after the heavy wheels have passed over, the "memory" of their passage remains indelible. Slowly but surely, it becomes apparent that Seiko, abnormally obsessed over her son, was not loved by her own parents.
Personally, I don't like the term "toxic parents." I am afraid it is being used too extensively. Often paired with, and directly contrasting, the illusory notion of "perfect parents," I feel that such images push parents (especially mothers) into a corner even harder. I have no idea where this story will lead, but I hope it develops into a manga that addresses these issues and raises questions about the use of the term.
Ishida is a Yomiuri Shimbun senior writer whose areas of expertise include manga and anime.
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