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The human mind is extremely complex and intricate, almost like a labyrinth. Every person feels the need to venture into this labyrinth, sifting through every corner in search of themselves. But what if someone else, whom we do not know, were to emerge from this labyrinth?
Yosuke Kobayashi, a young rookie detective in Tokyo, finds himself immediately dealing with a particular case of a serial killer. After just a few days, the young man will finally come face to face with the criminal, and, possessed by a second personality, will kill him in cold blood. From the moment of the murder, one after another, many dormant personalities will awaken in Yosuke's mind, taking control over him. The main ones (those of Kazuhiko Amamiya and Shinji Nishizono) will give life to an exciting conflict between the sharp and rational mind of the former and the rebellious and defiant spirit of the latter in their quest for their true identities. What lies behind the mysterious barcode present under the left eye of all serial killers? What role does the mysterious figure of the musician Lucy Monostone play? What is the fearsome Gakuso organization hiding behind its terrible plans?
The visionary mind of Eiji Otsuka and the precise pen of Sho-U Tajima come together to create a brilliant mix of thriller, science fiction, and noir with a good dose of splatter.
The refined and complex plot and sensational graphics have made the comic a cult work in Japan, but due to the extreme violence depicted, it was quite contested, and the Japanese publisher itself long refused to grant rights for overseas. Regarding the excessive violence, screenwriter Otsuka has expressed himself in this way:
"Working on the script for a story for young people, the question was whether or not to give a representation of death. In the end, the decision was to show the true face of death, precisely because this is a comic aimed at young people. Being the author, I wanted to provide precise instructions to the artist, asking him to give the mutilated bodies meaning, so that they do not remain mere drawings. In comics as in video games, violence is usually much criticized, as it is almost always an end in itself. Generally, in science fiction comics, there is often talk of destroyed cities, but the signs of death, which thus remains an abstract and meaningless concept, are hidden. My aim is not to show corpses, but to photograph reality, including the life and death that are part of it. At the end of this series, I will be ready to accept any criticism."
In summary: it is an interesting and original comic, with themes that oscillate between thriller and psychology, proving extremely relevant, and as the icing on the cake, a rich and complex plot that reminiscent of some mythical TV series of the '90s ("Twin Peaks," "The X-Files," etc.). Recommended for all fans of the genre.
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