Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #98932 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-05
• Released on: 2006-09-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The second volume of Drawn and Quarterly's ambitious reprinting of selected works by manga master Tatsumi picks up where the first left off. This outing once again showcases Tatsumi's pitch-perfect psychodramas, but this time with stories that are a bit more ambitious and sure-footed. Tatsumi more or less invented his own genre, making compelling manga out of everyday moments that otherwise pass unnoticed. His characters are anonymous faces we pass on the street, and he gives them an unsuspected inner life. In the opening story an artist for children's stories discovers a new, sinister vocation until he's found out. In another story a man is held captive by a woman who blames all men for her own psychological (and physical) scars. And in still another, an old man, once a proud business owner, returns to his derelict office day after day, despite the end of his company. Tatsumi lends all of these characters sympathetic voices through his minimal dialogue and deft line work. No one captures urban Japan quite like Tatsumi—even the streets feel nuanced. This collection of seminal work by a comics master is essential reading for anyone interested in the artistic development of the medium. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* The stories in editor Tomine's second collection of this groundbreaking comics creator originally appeared in 1970, when Japan had recovered from the psychic setback of World War II and embarked on its "economic miracle." Tatsumi reveals, however, a segment of Japanese society that remained defeated, made up of weary, emasculated, working-class men, often paired with resentful women. In the title story, a frustrated truck driver taking care of his decrepit, demanding mother reaches his limit. In others, a disgraced businessman returns to his deserted office every day, long after the company has gone under, and a burned-out children's manga artist turns his talents to more disreputable pursuits. It's hard not to read an autobiographical element into that last one, related to the fact that Tatsumi combined the words for drama and art to coin a term,gekiga, for his work to set it apart from comics aimed at children. His powerful drawing style depicts the characters with a starkness and simplicity that matches what is presented of their lives and conjures a convincing urban milieu through detailed backdrops. These decades-old tales are unlike anything published in the U.S. before or since, and it's gratifying that America is now finally catching up with Tatsumi's genius. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
Praise for Yoshihiro Tatsumi:
“These stories . . . reveal an artist who was making comics that weren’t just adult, but truly mature.” —The Village Voice
“The author’s careful control of line expresses a broad range of emotion, and his layouts are so thoughtfully paced that his craft becomes invisible, always serving the story rather than drawing attention to itself.” —The Washington Post
“Tatsumi makes it so any of his characters could be any of the others, crafting a powerful and still-potent commentary on the social and sexual roles of Japanese society.” —The Miami Herald

Customer Reviews

Perhaps I didn't "get" it?
The book had nice artwork, clean lines that were very good. Nicely detailed.

The stories themselves I didn't find that great. One of them was a bit odd, kind of wondering what happened with the story... most really weren't worth much. Maybe these are the stories that you need to understand the context in which they were created and intended for... because I myself didn't find them too great.

I'd recommend checking this out in your library before buying it.

Different isn't always good
Very different from other manga but I wasn't terribly impressed. I guess I appreciate the historical context but the work itself didn't move me at all.

If you want to feel estranged and depressed in a Japanese context, check out the movie Nobody Knows.

A darker grittier sadder view of modern Japan - the one without giant robots, sexy cyborgs, ninjas, or magical creatures
This is a collection of manga stories by Yoshihiro Tatsumi. If you have only experience with Astroboy or the more recent Pokemon/Naruto/mecha manga this will be a surprise and perhaps not to your taste. There are no magical creatures, cyborg computer hackers, fantastic robots, ninjas or samurai. Tatsumi shows a realistic gritty dirty often sordid Japan. The people are often frustrated, disappointed and have lives lacking meaning and satisfaction. Taken together, they offer an interesting look into the oily, dirty underbelly of the normally glossy techno efficient face presented by postwar Japan. If you like more serious comics (Chris Ware, Harvey Pekar, Art Spegelman, etc.) you'll probably appreciate Tatsumi.