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Arigatou   
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Description
(From Prisms):

A depressing story about how a Japanese family's life goes wrong: an immoral protagonist, her sister who was gang raped before, her alcoholic mother who later devoted her life to a cult, and her father who lost favor with his company... full of sexual content and highly violent.

Type
Manga

Related Series
N/A

Associated Names
Arigato
Thank you
Спасибо
شكرا
ありがとう

Groups Scanlating

Latest Release(s)
v.4 c.45-47 by Hawks over 17 years ago
v.4 c.43-44 by Hawks over 17 years ago
v.4 c.41-42 by Hawks over 17 years ago
Search for all releases of this series

Status
in Country of Origin
4 Volumes (Complete, 1994)
2 Volumes (Wide-ban, 1998)

Completely Scanlated?
Yes

Anime Start/End Chapter
N/A

User Reviews
N/A

Forum

User Rating
Average: 7.2 / 10.0 (286 votes)
Bayesian Average: 7.11 / 10.0
10
 
 16%
9+
 
 12%
8+
 
 24%
7+
 
 22%
6+
 
 9%
5+
 
 5%
4+
 
 4%
3+
 
 2%
2+
 
 2%
1+
 
 5%

Last Updated
February 7th 2023, 4:45pm


Genre

Categories

Category Recommendations

Recommendations

Author(s)

Artist(s)

Year
1994

Original Publisher

Serialized In (magazine)
Big Comic Spirits (Shogakukan)

Licensed (in English)
No

English Publisher
N/A

Activity Stats (vs. other series)
Weekly Pos #602 increased(+95)
Monthly Pos #1607 (No change)
3 Month Pos #2773 increased(+373)
6 Month Pos #4044 increased(+343)
Year Pos #5645 increased(+425)

List Stats
On 261 reading lists
On 484 wish lists
On 740 completed lists
On 67 unfinished lists
On 216 custom lists

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User Comments  [ Order by usefulness ]
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Enjoyable yet with certain flaws  
by VampireBanana
April 12th, 2010, 12:44pm
Rating: 7.0  / 10.0
A very very spot-on social commentary which reflects the issues and decay of a society which still tries to cling onto "old values and mentalities(interpreted from a 21st century point of view)" that are long outdated in this day and age. And it's also about the generations who had to cope with a post-war Japan where a country on the brink of destruction had to survive and respond towards recession and the "boom age" and other events that completely affected their lives, as well as those who were born far later. It's a pity the plot is very disjointed because it's basically a random sequence of events strung together, so they can serve as the basis of the commentary.

It's the same for the characterization because the casts are simply based upon different types of people and also mentalities within the middle-class aspect of Japanese society and they have all sorts of details stuffed into them, regardless of consistency. So, it's all quite a jumbled mess.

I'm no Japanese and can't really speak for another culture I know little about but being an Asian, some of my generation and many of the older generations sure do deal with things just as depicted.

And unfortunately, much of these details are probably lost to those who don't understand Japanese society or even certain Asian societies at all. Hence, the confusion of a number of readers.

Spoiler (highlight to view)
Everything is quite interesting and likely, depicted quite accurately:
the mentality and attitude of the father as in how he tries to be a "man", how he refuses to trust the police and attempts to use connections to "fix" things, how he tries to be strong, bright and cheery even when things go wrong(but often in the wrong ways) which follows the concept of harmony(wa) and so on. He is based on the type of middle-class salarymen who were brought up to the ideology that they'd to dedicate themselves selflessly to contribute to society, without regards to the effects these had to their family. Btw, it truly is ironic that though he tried so hard to keep his family together, it was only his impending death which did so.

The school's authorities keep blabbering about policies and everything which is very typical of the Asian method of sweeping the issues under the carpet in order to maintain harmony as in to present a "perfect picture" which is stained by nothing

As for the older sister, she represents the kind of "young woman" who has been brought up to a certain ideal(in this case, submissive) and to accept things just as they are. Therefore she simply lets the rapists have their way with her. She also likely reflects the typical Japanese who will bury their feelings and thoughts within in order to prevent conflict and maintain harmony(wa). Incidentally, her personality reflects the result of a very stupid form of thinking that likely emerged in the 21st century in order to hold together a society that was rapidly falling apart due to modernization, rapid loss of old values and so on.

The youngest sister probably represents the kind of young generation who has to struggle with the mentalities and the values of the "old and modern". She tries to take action by calling the police but at the same time, on another occassion, when she sees the gang with another girl, she decides to keep quiet because it would cause a mess(conflict with harmony). She does struggle to resist against life but well... her actions of course, reflect the sensibility of her age. At the same time, she uses her father as a punching bag for the things that have gone wrong. She also reflects the cynicality, cold and harsh attitude her generation holds towards others and also, themselves. That is: she has little self-worthiness and so she holds little compassion and understanding towards others and instead, thinks that doing so is being "tough and ballsy". Just like her generation, she is often not afraid to show her true opinions and feelings(honne) in the presence of others and quite often, ignores the concept of showing a behaviour as expected of her position and rank within society(tatemae).

The mother herself probably reflects the kind of woman who is expected to hold together a household, in the face of a society's norms and expectations and her family's problems, and who drinks a lot in order to deal with all these issues. She probably represents a realistic outcome of Japan's drinking culture where a lot of people seem to drink copious amounts(as part of their "harmony" stuff), ignoring how much damage over-drinking will cause your health(sweeping the "dirty things" under the carpet).

The gangs likely represent the kind of youth who are completely lost in this age and for whom "sex, drugs, violence, etc." are the factors which hold them together. Probably because they grew up in an age where convenience, societal pressures, etc. are burdened upon them and the parents completely ignore them. Since they are regarded as the "dirty things" which are ignored and abandoned because they don't fit with the idea of a "sparkling and beautiful society where everything runs smoothly", they are lost and completely well... troubled because they just run loose without anyone to really care for them. And because they don't value themselves and others, so they go on rampages and stuff, without little to no idea or care about the consequences of their acts. They engage in fights, steal, take drugs, commit sexual assault, murder, etc., and so on.



... Last updated on April 12th, 2010, 1:00pm
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would probably be better off as a h-manga  
by mango123
May 28th, 2009, 10:29pm
Rating: N/A
This manga is all over the place. Barely any of the characters keep a consistent personality throughout the manga. You are forced to sympathize with the father despite knowing that there is close no chance that it will end with the father happy. Although it is unique enough for one to finish the story; you won't be satisified at all along the way. This manga is akin to having a nightmare while you sleep with a plot as depressing as a rape hentai.
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I quite agree with Chas  
by Hell_Clues
January 6th, 2009, 10:02am
Rating: N/A
Read his rating too, because I feel the same way. Yet the story does leave a good impression. Whether you like the characters or not. This is more about saying whether its worth reading. This manga is unique enough. The story is entertaining enough. It'll affect your emotions enough. Its a good work.

But he's totally right about the slut girl sleeping with her sister's rapist. Especially since she seems to get along with her. And she saw the damage it did to her sister(screaming at night, later an unwillingness to go outside). Her dad even rescued her sister from it and gets no credit for it. Not to mention her willingness to call 110 but where the hell was that willingness while her sister was drug addicted and being raped.

... Last updated on January 6th, 2009, 10:04am
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one of the greatest manga ever  
by Dargoth
October 9th, 2008, 2:10am
Rating: 10.0  / 10.0
This is one of my favorite manga titles. Although art style is very significant to me, and in this manga it's truly awful and ugly, I just had to endure. Because the story is so interesting, it keeps you glued to the screen until you finish it all. All the characters feel very alive, even if a bit exaggerated, and their actions sometimes really go overboard. As a result, you just don't know what they will do next. There are some really crazy and completely unpredictable turns in the plot, but still the author managed to keep it all somewhat believable.

It's also one of the titles that make you think. In this cases the questions being raised are related to society, humanity and morality. All are introduced in a rather shocking way, making it difficult to stay indifferent.

Overall, it's very interesting, dramatic, shocking and "guaranteed to blow your mind". But only if you can cope with looking at both the ugly art style and the ugly human nature.

P.S. compared to "Believers", "Arigatou" imo is better. "Believers" is more like a spin-off.

... Last updated on October 9th, 2008, 2:12am
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Slice of life.  
by Daiagon
February 21st, 2008, 7:34pm
Rating: 8.0  / 10.0
The funniest thing about this manga is that you can feel a lot of different things on each chapter. I'm glad they didn't make it more than 4 volumes, cuz the speed of the story is just the way I like; no blablabla.
Another amazing thing about Arigatou is the characters. Yamamoto went deep on this and made it so there's no lame judgements such good and bad guys. Everyone is an ass yet so strong. The father, the mother and specially the daughters, who have two completly different points of view for all the stuffs they are going through.
Also, their actions and the others reactions are like a slap on the face sometimes. You can even get mad when it happens cuz you want so much someone to stand up and put an end to everything, but then Yamamoto remembers you that it's just how things are on the real world. By the way, that's the word for Arigatou: realistic.

... Last updated on February 21st, 2008, 7:39pm
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interesting  
by greatedcorn
April 26th, 2007, 1:41am
Rating: 8.0  / 10.0
i think what this manga portrays is how society is so quickly to fall back on bandaid solutions whenever there's a problem with no simple solution and how some problems are 'solved' by getting rid of the victim. there is also this false sense of morality and normalcy throughout the story that the figures of authority seem to hide behind when faced with a problem. it draws upon the fact that there is seemingly nothing sacred, safe, pure, clean... within society and life has no meaning, i think thats called nihlism or something. even though this was written to reflect japanese society, i think that no matter where you're from you'll find something relevent and applicable to whatever society you're coming from. and i'm taking this to be a parable of sorts, not to be taken literally. there are echoes of battle royale in terms of the general themes, but there is more emphasis placed on the disintegration of the family in this story. but worth checking out in any case.
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Arigatou, Yamamoto sensei!  
by pearlesque
April 1st, 2007, 12:13pm
Rating: 9.0  / 10.0
Yamamoto Naoki is an accomplished brain-breaker, and he doesn't disappoint with this story. I interpret this manga as a sort of "deconstruction" of the image of a typical Japanese family -- Yamamoto sensei doesn't shy away from dealing with the cracks that develop beneath the surface, until they come full-blown fissures that threaten the coherence and sanity of his characters' lives. There's a subtle, dark humor that pervades the otherwise bleak plot -- a strange and somehow perfect balance of flavors. I agree with barbapapa that while this isn't what most people will enjoy, for those of us who *do* enjoy this stuff, "Arigatou" is a real find. smile

An awesome mind-trip -- not for the faint of heart.
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Excellent  
by lilbro
December 30th, 2006, 10:27pm
Rating: 10.0  / 10.0
My favorite thing about this authors works are that they are original and focus on topics that most people tend to shy away from. If you love happily -ever-after type mangas then this isn't for you. This manga shows a degree of realism in that the good guys don't always when and every isn't that their different types of views. This manga isn't about getting everybody to come to some realization along with everyone else. This is a manga that I think everyone should read though it is not for those with weak constitutions.
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Top notch.  
by barbapapa
December 30th, 2006, 6:58am
Rating: 10.0  / 10.0
It IS hard to rate; but just like I commented on Believers, the same holds up for Arigatou. Great, funny, thoughtful stuff. But not everyone will be able to appreciate it.
The first volume is a bit of a shocker and a lot to take in at once, but don't give up on it cause it will definitely convince you once the pace settles in and you're allowed to grasp the fine points of this manga. At least as good as Believers imo.
It may seem a tad over the top, but this is as realistic as manga can get to me. People ARE as F'd up as shown in Arigatou. You don't have to get annoyed by it; if you're like me and are amused by how the human psyche works you will eat this up. It is too funny not to observe other people who think they're normal.
For stuff that "feels" somewhat along the same lines, check out Ciguatera or Himizu by Minoru Furuya.

... Last updated on December 30th, 2006, 7:02am
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Hard to rate  
by Chas
November 2nd, 2006, 11:16pm
Rating: 5.0  / 10.0
This is a very hard manga to rate. The drawings are rather sloppy, but still seem to get the job done.
The story is really strange, and starts off with two underage sisters being raped, while their alcoholic mother watches. Soon, their father returns from a 5 year business trip, and a lot of crazy shit happens... and this is only from the first few chapters.

I think my main problem with the story is how blatant immorality isn't punished. Now, I don't mean the sex and violence. That's just fun stuff. It's the fact that the father does everything in his power to help and support his family, even though he does it in a rather extreme manner, yet his family keeps treating him like dirt. Particularly the main protagonist, a thirteen year old slut who ends up willingly having sex with her sister's rapist. Basically, the one guy who does everything in his power to keep his family together, and who's the only one with a spine, always gets the short end of the stick, while the cold, uncaring or evil characters always get away with their behaviour.
The reason I'm giving this a 5 is simply because it's extremely hard to give a good rating to a manga that leaves you depressed and unfullfilled, and wanting to beat the living daylights out of the main female protagonist.

For some reason, rewarding immorality seems to be a trend in most manga trying to portray a semi-realistic view at Japanese high school or family life. For once, I wish someone would make a manga where the protagonist actually had a spine and a sense of justice.
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