Chi no Wadachi

This is the single most unsettling manga I've ever read. All 75 chapters had me tense and bristling with raw anxiety. The characters are realistic but alien, the plot is a nightmare realized, and the art works wonders at imparting a feeling of subtle dread, and the impression that something is always just a bit off. To be frank, I'm not even sure I can say I enjoyed Chi no Wadachi, but what I can say is that for a work of art to elicit such a visceral response speaks to its quality. This manga will make you very afraid of the subtle, horrific emotional abuse that humans are capable of putting each other through.

This manga I'd recommend to anyone who likes more of a psychological, morbid approach. It's art on it's own self as it makes you feel the suspense and the insecurity of the main character with the pacing and the the thought out scenes.

Story: 8/10 The story itself is interesting and fairly original for a manga. It centers around an insecure boy and a psychotic mother who causes... hmm.. a lot of harm in a lot of different ways. To the boy and the family in general

Art 9/10 the art is pleasing to look at. Not the classic style yet very neat and to the point. The artists knows how to scene things and what moments to focus on to make the reader feel suspense and the lead characters inner turmoil

10/10 The characters and their portrayal are what makes this enjoyable. The way you can see Sei's suffering and reactions and totally emphasize with him. The way the psychotic mother is portrayed and all the deranged things she says...

I can say that my enjoyment of this is a 10/10. It's nice to see something original as this.

Now you see, Chi no Wadachi had a wonderful premise. The story was centered around a character study on a very disturbing milf and her son, and the art is what you'd expect from the man who made Flowers of Evil. I read through all 75 released chapters in one sitting, and I was never bored for a single moment.

But there were parts that ticked me off, and it has to do with the psychological characterization of the mother-son dynamic at times. And that's where things get tricky, because there are times where it works, and times where I feel very ambivalent with how the main character recovered from his trauma.

It's clear that the author had to have prior knowledge of certain psychological phenomena, and he tries to portray it with his wonderful art. For example: Falsified memories. Gaslighting. Amnesia. Grooming. But whether he really understands it or just copies and pastes these psychological phenomena like a TV trope?

I get that this is just manga, so hearing someone with a fucking Maki profile pic bring in contemporary lit might sound absolutely pretentious. Sue me, she was my bae back when I was in high school, I got that profile pic a long time ago, I'm 22 now, and I think mentioning this work is useful to my case. Back in the 50s, a guy named Vladimir Nabokov wrote a book about pedophilia called "Lolita". The psychology of Humbert is clearly unlike anything someone has ever scene. It's twisted and full of dark flavor. And Chi no Wadachi is like Lolita, in that they're both character studies in the psychologies of the characters they're studying. Here's the catch: I never realized how fucking complex pedophiles were until I read Lolita, because Humbert is a Subway sandwich LOADED with goodies. I never expected such complexity out of a pedophile, seriously. It defied my expectations, because in my head, I already had a clear cut-out of what pedophiles were like. Humbert was something else.

By contrast, after the 5th or 6th chapter, I already had an expectation of how the mother-son dynamic would unfold. There's something inauthentic about the scene where Osabe's memories are being falsified. It felt like the author went to a pop-psychology seminar and learned about the idea that memories could be falsified, thought, "Haha this might be a good concept to include," and tossed it in. The scene was beautifully drawn, but the content felt a little copy and paste. I was able to identify, "Oh his memories are being falsified", or "Oh, the mom is gaslighting the son," and it felt like I was eating vanilla ice cream because the flavor was something familiar that I've seen in other places. There just wasn't much variation outside my basic monkey-ass understanding of what I've seen in past psychological thrillers. Heck, the copy-and-paste aspect led to confusion on my part, and it might show a lack of understanding on my part. I refer to the most recent chapter at the time of this review, chapter 75. I was honestly shocked that Osabe recovered so quickly from his falsified memory state. Yeah, I get that his mom mentioned to him that he was free from her lies, but I question that Osabe, a young and impressionable 8th grade boy who is EXTREMELY attached to his mom could recover so quickly from a few simple words from the detective giving him a small talk-no-jutsu.

A lot of these scenes feel copy-and-paste and lacks novelty. You have the running away from home scene. You have the gaslighting. In fact, the most interesting part that fascinated me was the stuttering trauma, but the way he did away with his stuttering with the help of his crush was a little cheesy.

It had me, then it lost me. Then it had me again. Then it lost me again. And yet throughout all of this, my eyes never left the screen. I read through all 75 chapters in one sitting, and was VERY hooked. The mom is the obvious crown jewel of this series, largely because in spite of her actions, you can't really get a grip around her. Still, there is a logic and reason to her actions. Her manipulation, her anger, her twisted acting--it all has a reason that we'll likely never get to learn. And I don't think we should learn it, either. The mom is a mystery, and a really morbid, fascinating mystery at that.

Ultimately, 7/10 seems fitting. I can't help but feel that there's something inauthentic about the author's understanding of a toxic relationship, something that he must have grabbed from other television shows, books, and what not. But the ART. Oh man, the art is fantastic and draws you in. It's wonderful. I would definitely recommend. It's a morbid, fun read.

//I want to begin this review by saying this manga doesn't have enough reviews.
I've read 74 of the current chapters of manga. To be honest i'm actually a bit dissapointed overall. Now i enjoy thriller like manga/anime but this is a bit different.

Now i don't want to write much about the plot because there is synopsis, but if you like dark, psychological and a bit of a slow story this just might be for you. I'm not good at writing reviews but overall it's worth reading. The chapters are quick to read and the story will keep you interested. The manga has good suspense, good showing of emotions and artwork yet i feel something is holding it back. There aren't many characters and it mainly concentrates on the main family and main characters connections to siblings, love interest and classmates. Which at times is over the top.

At times manga is predictable and i find the whole turning point of the manga a bit out of touch. Doing something to worsen the situation that would've happened anyways makes no sense to me. Making some of the characters mental problems more apparent. End of the review//

Here's my take after reading the 16 chapters of Shuuzou Oshimi's Chi no Wadachi (A Trail of Blood).

The story centers around the mother Seiko Osabe's uncanny "Over Protectiveness" towards her son Seiichi Osabe which leads to Seiko slowly being broken and unhinged in the process.

This manga will swallow your perception of motherly love, make you experience conflicting emotions, and will shock you in the most unsettling ways.

The characterization of the characters and setup of the story is well established at the beginning of the story which makes getting to chapter 1 to the latest chapter surprisingly easy.

The art compliments the ambiance of the story, it is not the best, but it is perfect for what it is intended for which I like the most.

With that said, I would give Chi no Wadachi 9 Seiko Meat Buns out of 10.

If you're looking for a kind of story that features heavy themes of phycological horror and suspense then this would be a good read. I would say that this story portrays the aspects of emotionally / mentally abusive relationships well. Especially from the point of view of a younger person, like the main character, who might not fully understand. Combined with the feeling of being trapped. Making it the realist kind of horror out there that many can relate to.

I also think the art style compliments well to give the eeriness that this mother is portraying in certain scenes. As well as showing what the main character is feeling or thinking in situations. I personally love shows with dark themes so for me this was an awesome read. I've filled my brain with more messed up things, so I wasn't as emotionally impacted as others have stated after reading but it definitely left me thinking about it afterwards.

Before i started to read this manga i was kinda sceptical, because i prefer more ecchi manga and cute girls. But honestly since i read 2 first chapters i couldn't get my eyes off from it. The storyline together with masterpiece art (even not exactly what i prefer) was (still is, because manga is still releasing) breath-taking. Characters are perfectly described, mommy is lunatic, but hidden behind the wall of "mother-love, taking care of his son and love at all", but behind all of this, there something very worrying and her behave is so far beyond how true mother should behave to her son. For me definitely one of the best i ever read and can't wait for more... *clap* *clap* *clap*

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW!



Plot/Story: 8/10. The story is really interesting and it unravels by every chapter, we get to learn more and more details about the past of the main character and the plot of the story of why this and that happened. There are basically no filler chapters who have nothing to do with the story, the manga focuses on the story A LOT.

For someone who is a big fan of a Psychological genre mangas and read a lot of them in my time, this has to be one of the best out there. It's not some manga that you can pick up and read in your free time imo, this requires your full attention if you want to realize the small details which happen to a person post-trauma and how it affects their daily life because of it.

Characters: 8/10. The manga showcases basically only 3~ characters, at least the ones that are important to the plot itself. And all of the characters are very deep, we get snippets of flashbacks from all the characters to understand why they're in this situation in which they are right there and then. Can't say too much here without spoiling anything.

Art Style: 10/10. This manga is easily in my #3 Psychological genre mangas Art Style-wise. Think of this manga as Bastard, both Art Style-wise and story-wise. They're both really similar. The Art-Style is very realistic, representing the Japanese accurately unlike other mangas who don't really do that, a.k.a don't focus on realism and drawing actual Japanese faces but just focus on drawing and making the faces look well. The manga doesn't focus too much on the background and focus a lot more on the characters themselves, drawing every expression flawlessly and fluidly, so you best believe you won't get lost in a chapter wondering what going on.

Writing: 9/10. The dialogue between every character is really effective and it shows much more about their personality. Every dialogue in the series somehow leads to further uncowering the plot that's happening. And the dialogue shifts from Casual to Complex. Some dialogues you really have to delve into the manga to understand what they truly mean by saying those specific words.

The Verdict/Overall: 9/10. The story, art, characters, writing. Everything is really well done, chapters aren't too long. So if you've got a couple of hours of free time and don't know what to read - This manga is for you. I binge-read the 78 Chapters that it has out right now in a couple of hours and I had A LOT of different emotions during it. Sad/Confused/Angry/Surprised... You name it.

The suspense genre was always something I really had a hard time enjoying, but this manga manages to keep a steady pace that's incredibly enjoyable and actually suspenseful. It's not too slow or too fast and best of all unpredictable, which were issues I had with the suspense genre.

I really enjoyed the first chapters because right off the bat you knew something was wrong but couldn't figure out what it was or if you were just being paranoid. Once everything all goes wrong, it went wrong in ways I didn't even think would happen in a manga with a delicate art style as this.
The characters are wonderfully written in ways that make sense considering the events of the story. Not once did I find myself angrily yelling in my head that the characters were acting dumb, which I do a lot when I watch or read horror, because a lot of horror media likes to have the audience follow dumb characters who make the dumbest decisions for no reason.

The only thing I really disliked was how genuinely uncomfortable the mom would make me at times, to the point I'd have to take a little break in the middle of reading. There was only one instance (which I won't share because of spoilers) where I was really put off to the point of contemplating dropping the series because I was worried of the direction the story would go. Thankfully, this story is far from predictable, and I was able to keep reading and enjoying.

If it wasn't for the genuine suspense I'd feel while reading combined with the unpredictability of this story, I probably would've dropped it. I'm so glad I kept reading, it's definitely going to become one of my favorite manga by the time it's done.

Story: 9
Chi No Wadachi, or A Trail of Blood, is a harrowing psychological thriller about the twisted relationship between a mother and her son that will keep you binging one chapter after another. One of the main things that makes this manga so electrifying is how much thought the author put into the story. Everyday events act as signals for character development (pay attention to what Seiichi eats for breakfast each day) and the plot twists and turns are very carefully laid out and revealed in astonishing ways. And it's because of the ability of the mangaka to make each scene so scary that the story has a continuous atmosphere of tension. Home symbolizes a safe haven away from the dangers and unknowns of the outside world. But when your home is the lair for the very same monster that gave you birth- what can you possibly do to escape?

Adding on to the ambience of terror that makes A Trail of Blood such a spine-chilling drama is its central villain- the mother. Behind her sweet innocent smile hides a manipulative, repulsive predator oozing with evil. The way she gaslights and controls Seiichi, warping this naive middle-schooler kid beyond recognition with her toxic and insidious lies, is both heart-breaking and outrageous to watch. Reading this manga I wanted nothing more than to kick her off the cliffs she wants to throw herself off of so much. She is SUCH a hateable character. The mother is more horrifying than any horror movie monster, and the fact that the protagonist has to live with her- and is manipulated by her 24/7- is what makes A Trail of Blood so nerve-wracking.

Art: 8
The mangaka does an expert job of using art to tell the story. The way he draws certain scenes really adds to the tension, and he also depicts the psychological trauma that the MC goes through in the series in a truly unsettling way. Particularly, I like how the sky is constantly black even at day, making each outdoors scene feel so eerie. And that smile. That damn smile. The mom's killer psycho smile will haunt me in my dreams. While most of the mother's scariness comes from her actions, the way the mangaka draws her makes her even more terrifying.

Character: 9
Let's start off with the mom. And I'm just starting off with the mom because I want to make something absolutely clear: THERE IS NO INCEST IN THIS MANGA. I'm going to warn you in advance, when you get to "that scene" early on in the story, remember that the mom had just found out that Seiichi got asked out by a girl at school, and in her twisted maternal way, wanted to replace and consume the girl's role in Sei's life to "protect" him from harm. The fact that she does not in fact have any sexual feelings for her son is made absolutely clear by the author, since the mom has numerous opportunities to act on any desires throughout the story and never, ever does so. She just really, really, REALLY despises Seiichi's love interest and is afraid of anyone who could take her darling son away from her. Ma is just a murderous psycho, not a horny murderous psycho. If "that scene" turns you off from the manga, don't worry, there aren't any more scenes like it.
All that aside, the mother is a great character, a walking bomb, exploding at sudden moments and fracturing Sei's grasp on sanity and reality over and over again. Her mannerisms, her motives, her cunningly manipulative behavior- all of this contributes to her being one of the scariest antagonists I've ever seen in fiction.
The other important character in A Trail of Blood is the protagonist, Seiichi. An innocent middle school kid, his hopes and dreams are completely dashed to pieces by his insane mother as she tortures him with emotional blackmail, while the poor kid, confused by natural love for his parent, is too helpless to truly fight back. Sei's mental deterioration over the course of the series is heartbreaking to watch and you'll find yourself rooting for the few individuals who try to free him from the chains of "love" that bind him to his mother.
There's minor characters in A Trail of Blood who are important as well. There's the emotionally distant dad who is surprisingly blind to the fact that his wife is crazy. The horny teenage love interest who is abused at home herself. The conked-out vegetable cousin who ends up being the hero of the story (no, seriously.) The author does a great job of characterizing each person in the story overall.

Enjoyment: 7
The one main annoying part of the story is the weird inkling of sexual tension between the MC and his sociopathic killer mom. Yeah. There's a lot of emotional touchy-feely business that goes on between the two and as I was reading this manga I was continuously worried that the situation would escalate, but fortunately it never does. It really took me out of the horror of the story at some parts but as long as you can read without thinking too much about it you'll get through the story just fine. Other than that there's lots to enjoy about A Trail of Blood. The spooky mysteries and startling reveals will keep you on the edge of your seat, I guarantee it.

Overall: 9
As someone who usually sticks to shonen anime and manga, I surprisingly enjoyed this series. A true page-turner doesn't need magic or explosions or aliens to keep you glued, and A Trail of Blood is a convincing example of that. The protagonist has a torturous character arc you'll never forget and the mother is a terrifying villain the likes of which you won't see in any other piece of fiction. After binge-reading all 85 chapters in one sitting, I can't wait to read what happens next in the story. Give A Trail of Blood a try, I guarantee it will haunt you for a long time if you do.

So...

Do you want the steamed meat bun or the steamed red-bean bun for breakfast?

The choice is yours.

Just don't make the wrong one.