Dessapearance Diary

A nonfiction work which depicts the roller-coaster daily affairs of the artist himself from his sudden disappearance to a suicidal attempt, life on the streets, physical labor, habitual intemperance, and forced hospitalization. Through the writer’s capability of creating a manga, the reader is enabled to read a work which has a heavy theme in a detached manner.

This work belongs to the already quite popular genre of “personal manga”. Although much of the work produced for this genre takes the form of “essay manga”, this award-winning work has its own style, which is worthy of appreciation. The writer observes his own severe situation from a sober viewpoint but, by excluding his personal feelings and opinions, is able to present it as a comedy. It is a great surprise, and a great pleasure, that this artist, who once quitted manga writing, has come back in this way and is exercising his talent.