MW [Hardcover]

This is the story of the two survivors of an "accident." In the early `60s, the United States stashed away on a tiny Japanese island, with Japanese cooperation, of course, some deadly gas (Tezuka calls it "MW,"--hence the title)--we really did---but in Tezuka's manga some leaks out, killing all 800 inhabitants of the island. The survivors, Iwao Garai, 15, and Michio Yuki, 9, are protected from the gas because they are sheltered in a cave. When they come out the next morning, it is to an island of the dead: men, women, children, birds and beasts--every sentient being. The gekiga (a manga for adults, which MW is, in spades) tells us about the rest of their lives, (almost...) beginning 15 years later. We find out about the events on the island in flashbacks.

What happened to the rest of the gas? (The cover-up has of course been enormous.) And what will Garai and Yuki (now, respectively, a Catholic priest and a loan executive at a Tokyo bank) do about it? Garai is haunted by his memory of the dead, and Yuki is simply a madman: he inhaled some of the gas, which gives him occasional attacks of bad health, but worse, it warped his brain, robbing him of every speck o conscience, so that he takes great joy in using, kidnapping, torturing and killing people. We find out his reason--just as insane as the acts themselves--in the second third of the manga. Yuki always confesses his crimes to Father Garai, who--and we don't understand why, at first-- never tells on him.

Yuki and Garai have (since when?) an uneasy homosexual relationship (Yuki is Tezuka's only true homosexual main character). It's very hard to hate our arch-villain Yuki: he's cute as a button , very smart, has a great sense of humor, and really loves Garai (although he loves nobody else on earth). Garai--until the second part of the manga, when he begins to develop a backbone--is a rather poor creature, although he's a big, handsome fellow, not being able to honestly follow any part of his heart. But it must be difficult to be in love with God and a sociopath at the same time. He lies to his father confessor, the police, Yuki, and himself. Of course Yuki lies to evrybody.

There are many fascinating characters in this manga: the reporter to whom Garai finally tells the story of the island, the public prosecuto0r, who has a face like a misshapen dinner plate, but whose brain is in fine order, Yuki's brother, an onnagata (a man who plays women's parts in Kabuki theater), who looks as much like Yuki as the second pea in a pod. Mistaken identity is common in Kabuki; it occurs here too. Some of Tezuka's best drawing is here--the faces of the dead in the reporter's article, Yuki's disquisition on...Garai's day. There is all you could wish for of political corruption, self-sacrifice, ugly violence, sadness, humor, anger, and occasional very kinky sex (which I have not mentioned). The ending is worthy of the darkest Hitchcock.

The translation (from the French I read) is occasionally disappointing, The French is softer in tone, but--is the French, or the English closer to the original Japanese? I don't know. Sometimes the drawing is too stark. (It'a 30 years since the serialization....what are we looking at?) Perhaps ....an "18+"would be more appropriate than a "l6+" as a rating. The sex is not explicit, nor is the plot just an excuse for it, but a few scenes would be shocking to some, and there is the occasional use of the right word in the wrong place at the wrong time (being used to American films, this really surprised me). I wouldn't want to keep anyone from reading it, but more conservative human beings might see the equivalent of an "X"-----and think, "I think I'll sit this one out."

First off, the previous two reviews do an excellent job of retelling the events of the story and apply the appropriate warnings (this is an adult manga). In addition to those reviews, it is important to note that while this work does have political underpinnings it isn't to the point that it dominates the work. Yes, the history of the Catholic priest is obviously a hippy-esque/radical life style - the character art proves it. Yes, the work refers back to the Vietnam war and the overriding plot is to uncover a military cover-up.

That said the whole of the work is really focused on Yuki's madness. I've read many, many books on psychopathic killers both in fiction and non-fiction, but Yuki truely strikes a cord. He kills without remorse and then feigns remorse. He is completely self-centered and makes no issue with that. He uses people in such a masterful way that a real Yuki is chilling. His homosexual relationship (by the way no male nudity just naked upper torsos together or blanked out male forms) with the Catholic priest is extremely interesting in terms of dynamics.

Lastly, secondary characters like the prosecutor (actually detective/investigator) are highly entertaining. To use an extremely American reference, this character plays Hannibal's Clarice.

It has been said that this is the only Tezuka work without anything "real" to say such as Buddha. It couldn't be more wrong. However, unlike Tezuka's other works the point isn't as obvious. To find it examine Yuki not the political aspects.

Overall, this is a wonderful criminal read with political underpinnings. If politics make you cringe don't worry - this is still a good read. The art is older but refreshing considering the similar looking characters in more modern mangas. The backgrounds are rendered in amazing detail showing extremely deft work with a pen. Manga lovers of horror, suspense, crime, or an excellent thoughtful read pick this up!

Tezuka is too often referenced as Walt Disney's Japanese counterpart. For those who've read the last few re-releases ("Apollo's Song" and this), they know that this title isn't really appropriate; Tezuka created many things -- childhood humor, science fiction, crude drama. I guess "MW" would fall into that last category (though categorizing Tezuka on premise is probably faulted) being an epic war/crime drama.

Michio Yuki is probably Tezuka's most vile character. One that is left scarred by his past (something out of his control); this is a theme that Tezuka comes back to again and again and he knows it well. On the opposite side of the spectrum is Father Garai, Catholic priest and, fifteen years before the books' current events, Yuki's childhood companion. These two are "bound by fate," Yuki says, and it's all because of a deadly, secretive gas labeled "MW".

I won't bother giving away any plot points or points of interest - they're all there for you to enjoy. Though it is worth saying that this is an adult novel (it has infantile death, genital mutilation, and multiple rape scenes) - it even probably deserves more than its (16+) rating. (Some of this stuff is sadistic enough to remind one of Junji Ito (or maybe Mizuno, since there's a "cute" factor here)).

Props have to be given to Vertical for putting out such a fine work. In a hardcover, this is almost too perfect. My only fault with "Apollo's Song" was its flimsy attitude when being held - at over 500 pages you just NEED hardcover, and with "MW", the end product feels much more satisfying. (But who designed this dust jacket? The actual cover and spine are much more aesthetically pleasing!)

This is manga at its best, and shows Tezuka at one of the high points of his career. Truly frightening and deeply psychological work from one of the masters of the genre.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 11 reviews  4.3 out of 5 stars