Tactical narrative with depth, growth and a solution.

There's a scene from 'Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai' that is quite comparable to what this manga 'Vitamin' achieves:
There's a commissioned painting of scenes from Hell in the back room that has been giving the madam of the house visions of death. The dread doesn't let her sleep, and almost causes a fire in the house. The househelps approach the artist community and ask for a solution. Master Hokusai takes one look at the painting and notices it is "incomplete" - and draws in something that alleviates the restless fear.

'Vitamin' offers a route of hope to the victims of ijime (bullying). It's the first manga I've read that successfully redirects the fear, dread, anger, paranoia, hate, and suffering into a productive and positive outlet - with a tactful taste of revenge that only makes the character rise, instead of making her resort to the same level of violence. That too, in 3 chapters. There's so much depth and character growth offered here, it's an entire journey.

And three very crucial things that stood out that no other manga has managed to offer:
- A character that hides her relationship from her parents (I'm from an orthodox family, and relate to this SO much - my parents still have no clue that I've been in relationships since the past 10 years. Not all families are open about relationships and welcoming as the shoujo genres show.)
- Parents who switch channels when a kiss/love scene shows up (yes, still do that!)
- Trying to please your partner when in a relationship, and hating it. (It's very sticky and tricky area not being able to say no. You tend to blame yourself here not realising that it's actually not okay. It's not a space you're genuinely happy about, despite having deep affections and appreciating the sense of love. It's probably equatable to bearing humiliation, now that I think about it.)

After reading this story, my first reaction was to write a review not for this manga, but for 'Hibari no Asa'. Because I really wish Hibari got to read this manga and Sawako's journey. That's the power these two narratives and their characters managed to have over me.

And as much as revenge narratives are popular, and blood and gore are thrilling for fiction, the horrific part is that reality is quite different. This story actually teetered on the fringe of mass violence and self harm. Neither of which are a solution. And when you're standing alone, bad can turn to worse any moment - tables can easily turn. It's not simple, it's not easy, and unfortunately, there's no one-solution-fits-all. How do you cool your head, confront the situation, and find a way to heal?

I hope those who have faced such abuse find this story and feel that there may be a way they can also redirect their energy. A creative outlet like arts or performance, or gardening, or a sport could potentially help.

This story raises a big question to educational institutions and teacher trainings - what the hell are you doing for these kids? And the bullies who do this for amusement, means there's so much latent creative energy there going to waste too. They also don't have an outlet for boredom. Implementing more recreational activities and facilities could really be a solution for physical and mental engagement. And really just respecting individuality.