Old Boy had an interesting start. With the premise that it offers, it’s easy to get absorbed in its story. The mystery it presents early on is done well enough to be gripping. Violence is promised, with its very crisp action sequences. The execution is good with its captivating paneling of scenes. The art is well done, albeit character designs could’ve been done better. Yet, it started to fall apart halfway with its villain growing ever present by the chapter.

One main problem it has is pacing. When it comes to mysteries, it’s often natural for a slow yet steady buildup that is heightened by cliffhangers. Old Boy assures its readers with a payoff, but the story can only be dragged so much to be remotely engaging. It worked well for the first 20 chapters or so, but then you will realize that it becomes a repetitive cat-and-mouse scenario. It also attempts to be complex by setting the plot into a psychological maze, but the exposition is so lackluster. A lot of vital and even unnecessary info is revealed to the point that it’s considered spoon feeding. It could’ve been done more subtly, as it’s a strong asset in terms of exploring the mystery.

Another point is that the villain is not even that interesting. His motives felt weak and unjustified as he obnoxiously insists that it’s something very life-changing. His background isn’t properly explored well despite being the story’s main key to solving the mystery. His interaction with the cast is like of Friend’s in 20th Century Boys, only that manga did way better in terms of characterization and layering plot points. He even reveals himself way too early into the story, losing most of the essence of the mystery. It felt too lazy because the main character was being too slow in remembering things. Let’s not forget their past teacher who became a plot device in order to speed things up. Just as the story reaches the finale, the conclusion of the entire “Remember your past” detective game was so unfulfilling. At that point, almost everything that what made it so interesting in the first place was almost gone.

Overall I think it’s still a recommendable manga to a degree since it pulls of that noir vibe well. If you’re looking for a well-developed mystery game that has enough suspense to keep you going, look somewhere else. A disappointing read, but there is still merit from the reading experience. It’s an example of a well-executed manga that can still turn overwhelmingly boring when the plot leaves more to be desired.