This week's manga
Gannibal
By Masaaki Ninomiya (Nihonbungeisha)
Once in a while, I come across manga such as "Gannibal" -- an incredibly entertaining story that you might hesitate to recommend to others. In this case, the reason is simple. The taboo subject of cannibalism is the manga's main theme, and it confronts the controversial topic head-on.
Despite the grisly subject matter, I feel compelled to recommend what I think is one of the most riveting releases out now.
Young police officer Daigo Agawa moves to the picturesque village of Kuge with his wife and daughter. Situated in a deep valley, the village appears to be a rural idyll, but life in Kuge is not without its dangers.
One day, a wild bear attacks an old woman so Daigo and a member of the village's dominant family, Keisuke Goto, venture into the mountain to hunt it down. Daigo tries hard to adapt himself to life in the community, but at the same time, he has reasons not to trust the villagers. Daigo's predecessor disappeared while on duty and his whereabouts remain unknown. Just before he went missing, he is said to have lost his mind, claiming that "villagers were eating people."
A stifling, close-knit community that keeps a constant eye on outsiders while hiding behind fake smiles. A family with a bizarre bond of solidarity and peculiar values that controls the village from behind the scenes. The existence of a nameless being who is feared even by members of the family. These various elements all add up to create a world reminiscent of Seishi Yokomizo's popular horror novel "Yatsuhaka Mura" (The Village of Eight Gravestones).
Add to this setting the mystery of whether cannibalism has occurred in the village, and you find yourself in the manga's world of staggering tension and urgency. The illustrations are marvelously detailed and precise, with no blurring or simplifying of the subject matter. I must warn you that some scenes are so graphic and grotesque you might want to avert your eyes.
Daigo is not as innocent a character as he first appears to be. He may come across as weak, but in the past he was involved in a violent incident while protecting his daughter. Daigo apparently has a history of resorting to violence in the name of justice. The plot starts to thicken as his true personality emerges. Keisuke, who initially appears to be hostile toward Daigo, actually has a strong sense of justice.
Mangaka Masaaki Ninomiya also created the action-packed monster horror manga "Choso no Babel" (Babel of Bird Funerals) just before "Gannibal." In spite of the dramatic drawings, I found "Choso no Babel" slow and lacking a climax, which perhaps explains why there is no hint of the supernatural in "Gannibal." The horror builds up as the psychological drama unfolds. Ninomiya has clearly worked out where his true strengths lie.
The subtitle of the manga series, "A cannibal village thriller," is admittedly dreadful, but "Gannibal" is actually reliable entertainment -- profound and intense, much like watching a great movie.
Will Daigo succeed in revealing the secrets of the village and protecting his family? More so than any other manga out now, I can't wait to find out what's going to happen in the next installment.
"Gannibal" was originally serialized in Weekly Manga Goraku, which has the reputation of being -- with all due respect -- a B-rated, under-the-radar, manga magazine for middle-aged men. If I want to continue encountering stories of the likes of "Gannibal," I'll avoid letting such generalizations cloud my judgment in the future.
Ishida is a Yomiuri Shimbun senior writer whose areas of expertise include manga and anime.
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