Misaki de basu wo orita hito (The person who got off the bus at the cape) is a one-shot manga that is perhaps the most powerful short story you'll ever read. It's from Yuki Urushibara, the creator of the highly-acclaimed Mushishi. Surprised? I didn't think so.
Just from the premise alone one gets the feeling that they're in for an interesting read. Mitsuko has inherited a shop upon her grandmother's death in which she spent most of her childhood. The shop has the most precarious of roles: It's the last stop for people looking to commit suicide by way of throwing themselves off a nearby cliff. This also means that the shopkeeper also has the opportunity to save many a life. Herein lies the dilemma for Mitsuko: Does she close up the shop for good? Or does she take it upon herself to be the last beacon of hope for people who've all but given up?
Grim, isn't it?
In spite of this, Urushibara does a masterful job of pacing this story to fit within an astounding 46 pages, without feeling rushed and without losing even an ounce of its impact. Not to mention she takes a grim subject and turns it into an uplifting story of deliverance, all while utilizing her trademark supernatural storytelling style.
Any doubts one has over the power of the short story will be eliminated upon reading this little gem. Heck, even reading or watching Mushishi should leave a similar impression -- just perhaps not quite as powerful an impression.
Overall:
(out of 5)Story:
Art:
4 comments:
Hmmm, interesting. Especially coming from the creator of Mushishi, I can easily see it being the way you describe it. Looks like I've got yet another series to put on the list of stuff I need to read sometime.
Certainly won't take up much of your time to read this. It's definitely well worth the few minutes it'll fill. :)
Alright, just barely finished reading it not too long ago. Just like you said, very beautiful and touching story indeed. I definitely have to say I got quite the Mushishi vibe from this. Of course I say leave it up to the creator of Mushishi to write a story like this too, since Mushishi in and of itself is sort of a collection of short stories of sorts. But yes definitely a very wonderful read.
Your comment put a smile on my face; I'm very glad you liked this. It'd be nice if Del Rey were to include it as an extra in a Mushishi manga volume.
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