by Yoshihiro Tatsumi
Drawn and Quarterly
Not all manga is about magical schoolgirls, hyperactive ninja orphans, or half human/half dog demons. An example of a work that doesn't fit the mold is a book called Good-Bye by Yoshihiro Tatsumi. Originally published between 1971 and 1972, this book contains 9 stories that are set between the end of World War II and then. Though the stories are not interrelated, they are mostly about the bottom of society. Tatsumi tells small tales about prostitutes, sexually repressed loners, closeted cross dressers and other members of society many would consider fringe elements.
Tatsumi doesn't really put any moral values on his sad characters. Instead, he relates their tale without any comment, though we know that the characters often feel shame themselves. The tales end ambiguously with no clear resolution. Unlike morality tales where the bad guy has to get it in the end, the stories in Good-Bye, though often depicting reprehensible people, conclude before any clear resolution.
I guess Japan in the early seventies an interesting place. While World War II was still in peoples memory, it was far enough away in the past where young people didn't have direct memory of the war. Also, the county was about to boom economically. So these stories by Tatsumi are almost a warning not to fall into a decadent lifestyle or loose. In an interview with Tatsumi in the back of this volume, he describes his condition at the time. "As an alienated manga artist working away in a cramped room, I couldn't help but feel disconsolate."
This book is something libraries should carry, but not in the teen section. The subjects are certainly something young teens should be wary of reading. But there are many older teens and adults I've meet here in the library who are really into Japanese history and culture. These people usually have read most of the manga in the library, but haven't seen works like this before.
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