No Longer Human by Junji Ito

Adaptation of the novel, No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

Published: 17 December 2019

Genres: Graphic Novel, Horror, Fiction, Psychological

Available as: Hardcover, E-book

Summary:

No Longer Human tells the story of Yozo Oba and his struggles to connect with the other people in his life. His perception of others fluctuates between two extremes: either he feels he has to behave as a clown for people to care about him or he feels that everyone is judging him and he opts to find ways to avoid or numb himself to their gaze. This dichotomy leads him to struggle in his relationships and search for distractions from his internal conflict through promiscuous relationships with women, alcoholism, drug abuse, and suicide attempts. Nudity is also portrayed.

Review

I would recommend this book to young adults and adults who struggle with adapting to other’s expectations of them and with mental health. Reading this novel made me cry because I identify with having expectations placed on me and having to take the time to realize that I cannot be everything that everyone wants. The artstyle worked very well with the subject matter of this text because it had a darkness that represents being bogged down by the weight of these expectations. This text also expresses the idea that misery loves company because people – women, men, and later, Osamu Dazai – feel uplifted by knowing their life is not at their worst point compared to Yozo Oba’s life story. One aspect that can be difficult for readers is remembering to engage with both the images and the text. This is a short read if one only reads the text. However, it is important to take the time to sit with the way the images are created to add to the messages of the text.