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血の轍 [Chi no Wadachi] #15
Blood on the Tracks, Vol. 15
From the creator who brought you notable works such as The Flowers of Evil, Happiness, and Inside Mari, comes his latest suspense drama centering on the theme of a toxic parent.
Dive into this latest thriller by master storyteller, Shuzo Oshimi.
"..if you enjoyed Oshimi's previous work with "Flowers of Evil", and you enjoy dark storylines with twisted characters, you'll no doubt enjoy "Blood on the Tracks"! Recommended!" - Neo Tokyo 2099
Ordinary middle school student Seiichi Osabe receives love and care from his mother Seiko.
Until one summer an incident changes the family dynamic forever.
This is a story of a mother's love that has gone too far....
Dive into this latest thriller by master storyteller, Shuzo Oshimi.
"..if you enjoyed Oshimi's previous work with "Flowers of Evil", and you enjoy dark storylines with twisted characters, you'll no doubt enjoy "Blood on the Tracks"! Recommended!" - Neo Tokyo 2099
Ordinary middle school student Seiichi Osabe receives love and care from his mother Seiko.
Until one summer an incident changes the family dynamic forever.
This is a story of a mother's love that has gone too far....
Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
February 1, 2023
Someone make this stop please, this manga is not making any sense now.
February 5, 2023
Don't pay attention to these people who say that the series is getting longer or meaningless. They are totally incapable of making a proper explanation anyway, all they do is whine meaninglessly. This is one of those stories that can be understood very easily if you read it carefully. Maybe the story is not meaningless, maybe it's you who don't understand... And keep in mind that this is a bit of a biographical work.
Those who say that the story should have ended a long time ago don't realize that it would have been a contrived and meaningless ending. Seiichi is an extremely addicted child and such an addict cannot recover in a short period of time, and he did not recover and got worse.
In this volume too, the author continues to perfectly describe the lives of two people like Seiichi and Seiko whose lives have sunk to the bottom.
In this volume, we got a glimpse into the mother's past, and we were able to better understand the mother's life of giving up, being looked down upon, her troubled childhood, and the ever-growing nothingness inside her. This volume made the mother's behavior in the earlier chapters more meaningful.
From this point on, I hope that we will start to see how two people like Seiko and Seiichi, who have sunk to the bottom of the void, can find a common path and move on with their lives, and maybe find a little bit of peace.
The artwork is excellent as always.
Those who say that the story should have ended a long time ago don't realize that it would have been a contrived and meaningless ending. Seiichi is an extremely addicted child and such an addict cannot recover in a short period of time, and he did not recover and got worse.
In this volume too, the author continues to perfectly describe the lives of two people like Seiichi and Seiko whose lives have sunk to the bottom.
In this volume, we got a glimpse into the mother's past, and we were able to better understand the mother's life of giving up, being looked down upon, her troubled childhood, and the ever-growing nothingness inside her. This volume made the mother's behavior in the earlier chapters more meaningful.
From this point on, I hope that we will start to see how two people like Seiko and Seiichi, who have sunk to the bottom of the void, can find a common path and move on with their lives, and maybe find a little bit of peace.
The artwork is excellent as always.
August 13, 2024
Reading Vlog
Honestly, the only suitable ending I can imagine is double-murder/suicide. Nothing else would be able to garner the validation and vengeance and closure that we've been desperately seeking for 15 volumes and 30-odd years of Seichi's life.
I'm readying myself for disappointment with the finale but what a wonderful, disturbing, beautiful and tragic journey it's been.
Honestly, the only suitable ending I can imagine is double-murder/suicide. Nothing else would be able to garner the validation and vengeance and closure that we've been desperately seeking for 15 volumes and 30-odd years of Seichi's life.
I'm readying myself for disappointment with the finale but what a wonderful, disturbing, beautiful and tragic journey it's been.
February 2, 2024
I’m sorry y’all but the love that I once had for this series just isn’t there anymore. I’m going to finish it out because I’m so close to the end, but it’s lost its steam and parts of it just don’t work. We get this back story on Seicho which is supposed to make us consider the idea of “hurt people hurt.” Unfortunately, it’s not enough for me to reconsider all the wild shit she did in the first story arc.
January 15, 2024
This one dragged a lot- really boring -like I’m so confused.
March 12, 2024
Overall I recommend this so far, but I’m with other reviewers in that the series has lost its intensity after the first ten volumes. I will finish it when the remaining copies become available, and I still overall recommend for a bleak and uncomfortable reading experience!!
April 3, 2023
We finally got Seiko's full back story—but heck, what does that mean? This volume broke my heart for Seiko, though. At least, I know now where she's coming from. But she's still a psychopath! Everything is slowly unfolding, the clouds of mists evaporating bit by bit. Still my heart won't settle. Enlightenment me, sensei!
December 10, 2023
It’s like every volume hurts my brain more but I can’t stop reading because I have to know what happens and if EITHER of these poor people will GO TO THERAPY
May 30, 2023
Incredible volume of an incredible manga. I now understand why Oshimi said that the first twelve volumes were just the splendid prologue.
February 25, 2024
Most of Seiko’s backstory I would’ve rather remained a mystery but I did enjoy the cliffhanger ending. I understand why a lot of people seem to be disappointed in where the story has been going since the time jump. Although I thought the first part (pre time jump) was better, I’m invested enough to keep going and finish this series out.
July 15, 2023
It's interesting to get a backstory on her, but it still doesn't excuse the actions and things she's done. The start of the series was soooo good it was truly messed up, psychologically twisting, terrible to witness and see this mother do the things she did, but now for me it feels like it's dragging.
February 24, 2023
All the reviews begging for this to end is making me LOL. I do think the series needs to wrap up sooner rather than later though
January 11, 2024
Ahhh things are starting to make sense now. Still doesn’t give her the right to treat her son the way she did though
January 19, 2024
And we're back! We are getting back to central, toxic relationship that hooked me in the beginning.
April 4, 2023
I dropped this series a year ago and, now that I come back, it hits me different. The skill Shuzo has to destroy the world and bring the pieces back together! It's deeply moving to see characters you've targetted as the "villian" all along prove that nothing in life is black or white. One year away from finishing college, I feel I can understand loneliness, apprehension, and the fear of making important decisions in life better than ever.
May 11, 2024
I read this awhile ago but never reviewed it. A fucked up view into mama dearest that helps make sense of her ways but not forgive it if that makes sense.
January 16, 2024
This volume finally confirmed my suspicions about Seiko’s past. I’m relieved to finally have more answers, though they’re incredibly dark and depressing ones.
March 22, 2024
I never expected to rate a volume from this series with less than 5 stars.
THAT is how much I think this series is amazing. However, it happened.
This volume was not particularly exciting.
Basically, this entire volume is Seiko telling Seiichi about her past. I guess it is a way for the author to try to explain to us why she is the way she is, and why she did the things she did.
I was not convinced. I don't think her past justifies her personality. A person can't perpetuate a cycle of evil just because something bad happened to her, at some point that cycle needs to stop and that requires character and strength, something she doesn't have, obviously.
Only 2 more volumes left in this series.
I'm curious to see how their relation will end up.
THAT is how much I think this series is amazing. However, it happened.
This volume was not particularly exciting.
Basically, this entire volume is Seiko telling Seiichi about her past. I guess it is a way for the author to try to explain to us why she is the way she is, and why she did the things she did.
I was not convinced. I don't think her past justifies her personality. A person can't perpetuate a cycle of evil just because something bad happened to her, at some point that cycle needs to stop and that requires character and strength, something she doesn't have, obviously.
Only 2 more volumes left in this series.
I'm curious to see how their relation will end up.
May 17, 2024
“I wished they’d all burn.”
For 14 volumes we’ve wondered, how does someone (“mommy”) become like that? And now, here in volume 15, we finally figure out…or do we?
In an epic, sweeping sequence, Oshimi shows us Seiko’s whole life up until the part of the story we know. Her life has its fair share of tragedies, maybe slightly more than the average person, but still, not so much that it makes sense to go throwing children off cliffs. We see early on, before most of the trauma, that something is off with Seiko. Her own bad mother sure played a role in her troubled psyche, but you still get the sense that it’s odd that she’d wish everyone would “burn.” It’s clear that she is a psychopath. That’s not an insult, just a diagnosis: she is someone with a lack of empathy, withdrawn, and devoid of feeling. And when she does finally feel something? It’s tragic.
Outside of this large flashback sequence, the art continues to shift into bizarre surrealism. Even the (second) author’s note at the end is sort of surrealist and hard to follow.
It’s hard to believe there is only two volumes left. How can a series with such a long prologue wrap up so fast in its “body”? What about Fuikishi??? It seems there’s a path to a happy ending…but knowing Oshimi and the tone of this series, it’ll only end in tragedy. Well, this has always been a slow motion train wreak and I’m here till the final bloody end.
For 14 volumes we’ve wondered, how does someone (“mommy”) become like that? And now, here in volume 15, we finally figure out…or do we?
In an epic, sweeping sequence, Oshimi shows us Seiko’s whole life up until the part of the story we know. Her life has its fair share of tragedies, maybe slightly more than the average person, but still, not so much that it makes sense to go throwing children off cliffs. We see early on, before most of the trauma, that something is off with Seiko. Her own bad mother sure played a role in her troubled psyche, but you still get the sense that it’s odd that she’d wish everyone would “burn.” It’s clear that she is a psychopath. That’s not an insult, just a diagnosis: she is someone with a lack of empathy, withdrawn, and devoid of feeling. And when she does finally feel something? It’s tragic.
Outside of this large flashback sequence, the art continues to shift into bizarre surrealism. Even the (second) author’s note at the end is sort of surrealist and hard to follow.
It’s hard to believe there is only two volumes left. How can a series with such a long prologue wrap up so fast in its “body”? What about Fuikishi??? It seems there’s a path to a happy ending…but knowing Oshimi and the tone of this series, it’ll only end in tragedy. Well, this has always been a slow motion train wreak and I’m here till the final bloody end.
August 15, 2024
It did pick up the pace a little bit, and it was somehow interesting to finally get a glimpse into Seiko's life and past... though, to be honest, I was expecting something more impactful that would explain her behavior to a greater extent.
Over all, I'm feeling a bit disappointed with the general direction that the series is taking, even if I do understand better now what the author is trying to do here. Still, it felt like the first part, even though it might have been conceived as a mere prologue, was slightly deceiving when it comes to the actual and current tone and mood of the story.
Once again, we get a bit of a disturbing epilogue from the author... Nay.
Over all, I'm feeling a bit disappointed with the general direction that the series is taking, even if I do understand better now what the author is trying to do here. Still, it felt like the first part, even though it might have been conceived as a mere prologue, was slightly deceiving when it comes to the actual and current tone and mood of the story.
Once again, we get a bit of a disturbing epilogue from the author... Nay.
July 7, 2024
I'm so close to the finish line so I'll keep going but damn her explanation feels so frail and empty when you know all the shit she did. It was a weak volume overall for me because so much of it was dedicated to try and explain (hopefully not try to excuse) why she is like this and behaves the way she does. Sorry but at some point personal responsibility must take the front seat, especially because of the impact her behaviour had in so many lives. Good cliffhanger though
May 23, 2023
We could finally know intimately the mothers side.. what made her act and be like that.
Finally I feel some empathy for her
And, a sad story to know about
This manga is so powerful
Finally I feel some empathy for her
And, a sad story to know about
This manga is so powerful
Read
October 20, 2023امممم نوثينغ... افتكرت صملتي ان بقرأه للنهاية
May 7, 2024
This story gives the flashback I've been waiting for and it handles it really well.
June 16, 2024
Hate that I'm giving this one star but here we are. This felt fillery. It's as if the author became afraid of committing to anything sembling the paranormal. Sigh
February 3, 2024
This was the best manga yet. I love this series so much!
June 1, 2024
A gaming PC would fix him
October 23, 2022
Someone make it stop.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews