The most notable thing about Oshimi's approach to storytelling is his use of space. Very, very little actually happens in any given chapter. There may be a chapter titled "The Battle" (note: there isn't, this is just an example to avoid spoilers) and the chapter itself will only get to the point of the combatants meeting before anything breaks out. The actual battle starts in the next chapter, titled something like "Perdition" despite being the battle chapter. That sort of thing. A substantial amount of time is taken to express the breaths between thoughts and the jointed feeling of one's own speech when all that comes out are stutters. The start of a chapter could be someone getting provoked to slap someone else, and the rest of the chapter somehow takes place before the hand even connects with the face. That's why there's 153 chapters of this thing -- matters are stretched out in a way I imagine is intentional to convey the passage of time and counteract the quick speed readers are likely to scan over manga pages with. Even if you marathon this (which I recommend, given how action-packed the chapters aren't), you will find yourself frequently brought to halts to sit and think and dwell, just as Seiichi does. The pacing is at times excruciating, but in a way that I can't fault because it felt entirely with purpose to feed you into the character's mindset.

I feel like gaslighting as a concept is a difficult action to convey through any medium that can be re-read or re-watched, because you can always just review the reality of what occurred. Despite suffering from that exact problem (we, as the audience, witness and can go back to confirm what actually happened), Oshimi's depiction of the gradual and painful rewriting of traumatic memories feels credible.

Another point is that while this manga is not a beacon of unsubtlety, it does NOT take time to provide egregious explanations for why people feel certain ways or do certain things. Sometimes someone will look somewhere and you have to read their expression. This is somewhat of a low bar to clear in manga, but after reading Juujika no Rokunin, I'm desperate for a story that shows rather than tells lol. The distorted, warped reality that Seiichi attempts to navigate is grey, blurry, and inconstant. Is his mom evil? Are his actions justified? That's your job to figure out!

It's not a fun time and, tbh, I don't think it's a masterpiece either, but it's an emotionally compelling saga with noticeably calculated pacing that makes the pages fly by fast.

... Last updated on October 17th, 2023, 5:58am

Despite being able to relate with the story I just can't tell if the way the ending being good or not, the first few chapter start from hitting me in the right spot to the several chapter before the ending being so slow. Probably because i always try to read it everytime new chapter come out but it always fell short. I recommend reading it now and just read it in one go so it doesn't felt like too slow.


It kinda remind me of revenge porn genre but this manga is clearly not one of those, this manga is giving me mixed feeling. Do i like it? I guess so hmm.. its something i would remember for sure.

It's hard to know what to make of this one. Spending just over half a decade with this manga was an investment, one I think was worthwhile, even if I might quibble with the ending.



I highly recommend Chi no Wadachi. Are there caveats? Well, I would start with the fact that Oshimi's work is not for everyone; he does not possess the sort of general appeal that would fit in Shounen Jump, for example. Also, there are certain themes present in this manga that could be quite off-putting for certain readers.

That said, I think those that choose to read this will find it as rewarding as I did, and those who already have esteem for Oshimi and his work even more so. He has been incredibly prolific and incredibly consistent in his oeuvre, and I eagerly await what he does next.

It's pretty triggering and not cathartic. I quit after a few volumes. The narrative seems interesting from an outsider's perspective but I think it has some unhealthy ideas presented for people with similar circumstances.

... Last updated on June 23rd, 2023, 7:56pm

This is Oshimi's magnum opus. Just the sheer emotion and psychological distress on display by the main character's journey through life put this manga many cuts above any of its contemporaries. I frequently compare this to Shounen no Abyss (Boy's Abyss) due to many overlapping themes - most critically, the central antagonists both being extremely controlling mentally ill mothers - and putting it simply, Chi no Wadachi outperforms the latter in almost every regard.

When Seiko is on screen, she physically causes dread in the reader. The sheer terror she inflicts upon Seiichi is shown in full by the very artistic nature of Oshimi's drawings, and the way we feel Seiichi's life going through momentous change, hits even harder with more recent chapters.

Is it any wonder why the likes of Tatsuki Fujimoto puts Oshimi on a pedestal?

... Last updated on July 26th, 2022, 12:53pm

Currently on chapter 101.
I'm gonna be honest with you, at first it was an interesting read, but just has got more confusing and messed up than ever.
At some point, a bizarre plot twist is gonna take over the whole manga, making it more interesting but confusing.
But then, right after that climax, script is gonna slow down with a lot of cryptic, pseudo-artistic, semi-abstract story telling with lots of dreaming, hallucinations and that kind of stuff, bringing no answers to the audience whatsoever.
So yeah, at this point it could easily turn out as a masterpiece or a complete disaster. No one knows...

... Last updated on July 27th, 2021, 8:10pm

The scariest part is how so many kids out there are in abusive relationships like the one in this series.

Reading Oshimi's "Happiness" is what led me here.

So far, the read has been intense and unpredictable, which is always good in a book (or a movie). I love that the artwork keeps true to ordinary people; it is not grand, over exaggerated, or over dramatic. Oshimi wants the realism of facial and gesture expressions of normalcy to really shine through. He gets moods like "creepy" and "weird" expressed almost immediately through the awkwardness of relationships or silence in the air without having to do much. I really applaud how Oshimi is able to do this.

This manga so far has been pretty good. Although most focused on Seiichi's intense relationship with his mother, Oshimi also focuses on relationships between Seiko and Seiichi & the people around them (family, in-laws, school, extended family, neighbors, etc.). Seiko isn't a typical mother who wants her son to go out into the world; in fact, she is the exact opposite. She clings only when she is emotionally attached or feels threatened, but she is emotionally abusive & manipulative to gain control of people. Seiko is aware of this intent and she really doesn't care about who she hurts, but ironically, she wants everyone to know her pain. On the other hand, Seiichi isn't a typical son. He knows moral ethics but ignores them in order to gain favor by his mother. Emotionally, he is scared and doesn't acknowledge the fact that his mother is damaging his mental condition. At this point in the manga, he shuns a normal-looking lifestyle in favor of his mother who latches on to him but also finds him a nuisance. He doesn't know how to act around her so he unwillingly reverts to a childlike manner of speaking when he's around her, not knowing that this is really out of fear.

A few dislikes: 1.) The scanlations are moving at snail speed. 2.) I don't have favorite characters even though I enjoy the read. 3.) It feels like the manga might be coming to an end after just one more climax.

... Last updated on May 9th, 2020, 8:08am

I usually enjoy the theme that brought up on Oshimi sensei works. Sadly, I usually end up being disappointed by most of his works. Usually they tend to have a strong and interesting start but end up being a disappointment. Aku no Hana for example, I find it uninteresting anymore after long time skip and make me dropped it. This one seems about possessive mother and I am enjoying it so far. I hope there will be no long time skip that could ruin this manga for me.

... Last updated on June 12th, 2018, 4:02pm

I really liked flower's of evil from this guy, but some of his work can be rather dull as well. OSHIMI Shuzo seems to really have a thing for mentally ill women because most of his subject matter has a mentally ill herione. Makes you wonder if his mother, wife, or girlfriend suffered from some form of mental illness. Anyway, it's a Mother this time. I've read 13 chapters and I have to say, the Mother is completely insane. It's even making me feel awkward, and I usually like sicko type stuff. I'll probably read a little bit more, but if I'm not sure if I like this or not. Flowers of evil was great, but now it just seems like he's writing for shock value.

... Last updated on February 28th, 2018, 1:39pm