There are two universal truths in today’s rapidly changing comics industry. The first is that Dog Man is the defining comic of our era. The second is that more people are reading manga and Webtoons (aka vertical scroll comics) than ever before. Therefore we at The Comics Beat have chosen to embark on a new venture: Beat’s Bizarre Adventure. Every week we’ll have three writers recommend some of their favorite books and series from Japan, Korea and elsewhere. This week we have a kindly old man and former assassin, an evil old man and psychic monstrosity, and, of course, CLAMP.
Sakamoto Days
Writer & Artist: Yuto Suzuki
Translator: Camellia Nieh
Shonen Jump Series Lettering: Eve Grandt
Touch-Up Art and Lettering: Snir Aharon
Design: Kam Li
Editor: John Bae
Publisher: VIZ
Taro Sakamoto was once Japan’s most feared assassin. Now he is a middle-aged convenience store owner living happily with his wife and daughter. Despite his peaceful intentions, Sakamoto’s past comes knocking when his mind-reading former protégé Shin tracks him down.
Sakamoto Days is the perfect blend of intense action and light-hearted comedy. The manga balances fight scenes with charming moments from Sakamoto’s domestic life. Whether he’s fighting assassins at an amusement park without letting his family know, or trying to get a backpack for his daughter, the humor is always on point. A running gag I especially enjoy is Sakamoto imagining killing Shin because he annoys him; since Shin can read his mind, she always says, “What? Did you just think about killing me now? Why?” It’s so funny.
The characters are distinct and memorable if not overly complex. Each contributes something unique to the story. Sakamoto’s John Wick-like skills are a hilarious contrast to his everyday dad persona. Meanwhile, Shin’s development from sidekick to key player adds depth. Yuto Suzuki’s art balances rough sketches with detailed clothing and backgrounds. Carefully drawn lines, shadows and sound effects capture body movement as well as the sheer speed of action.
Sakamoto Days is an exhilarating mix of thrills, laughs and heartwarming moments. It resembles Spy x Family, and Assassination Classroom but retains a unique flavor that makes it impossible to put down. A TV anime adaptation produced by TMS Entertainment is scheduled to debut on TV Tokyo in January 2025. I can’t wait to see how they execute Suzuki’s stunning action choreography on screen. — Ilgın Side Soysal
Domu: A Child’s Dream
Writer/Artist: Katsuhiro Otomo
Translation: Dana Lewis and Toren Smith
Lettering and Graphics Adaptation: Tomako Saito
Editor: Greg Vest and Peet Janes
Publisher: Dark Horse
Katushiro Otomo is indisputably one of the living giants of manga, whose influence extends to animation, film, and comics. His reputation in the United States rests on his magnum opus Akira, the story of biker gangs in a future Tokyo that soon goes to hell. Before Akira, though, Otomo created Domu: A Child’s Dream: a masterwork of horror and Akira’s thematic predecessor
An apartment complex in Tokyo bears witness to a series of suicides and strange deaths. Police think there might be something behind the deaths, but they just can’t figure it out. The true culprit is a strange old man named Cho. While he has the mind of a child, he also has psychic powers, which he uses to torment the residents of his complex. Then one day a young girl named Etsuko moves in. Etsuko has psychic powers of her own, and soon the complex becomes a battleground of wills.
Otomo builds an entire world out of one apartment complex in Domu. Residents all know and gossip about each other. They also all know Cho, who they go out of their way to avoid. That makes the horror of him being a monster all the more palpable. As the battle between Etsuko and Cho ramps up to almost apocalyptic proportions, the destruction is that much more felt.
Domu is a precursor to much of what Otomo would explore in Akira. The imagery, as well as the presence of psychic powers, will be familiar to readers. But this is a leaner, meaner book. Otomo keeps the visuals claustrophobic. Even when the story leaves the complex, the buildings themselves tower over the characters as if to remind them that they are trapped. Domu also features some of Otomo’s most haunting visuals, like the scene where Cho reveals himself to a doomed inspector as well as the double-page spread signaling the book’s denouement.
While it’s been out of print for a while in the United States, there is still hope. Kodansha and Otomo are producing “The Complete Works Project”, a massive undertaking to reprint his entire body of work including Domu. While there is no English publication date as of yet, hopefully it will soon see print. — D. Morris
CLOVER
Writer: Nanase Ohkawa (CLAMP)
Artist: Mokona (CLAMP)
Translation: Ray Yoshimoto
Lyrics Translation: Tetsuto Sokura
Publisher: Dark Horse
Perhaps you’ve heard of CLAMP, the incredibly famous (and talented) manga group responsible for Cardcaptor Sakura, Chobits, xxxHolic and so many more. But not very often do I see people discuss CLOVER, a short-lived series from the 90s that had a profound impact on me as a reader and a creative growing up.
CLOVER is a four volume sci-fi series about “Clovers,” superpowered humans that have been locked away (whether literally or through servitude) from the world. The first two volumes focus on Sue, a four-leaf Clover whose only wish is to visit an abandoned theme park. Her escort Kazuhiko has Clover connections of his own.
The third and fourth volumes feature stand-alone stories that tell the stories of other Clovers before Sue’s journey. One features a singer with a limited lifespan named Ora, and a young boy named Ran who wishes to be free from his cage. The series is melancholic but beautiful. It explores the rich depths of connections between individuals when they are nurtured.
What makes CLOVER so different is its experimental style. Its heavy use of negative space and unconventional panel layouts make for a truly unique experience. The story is framed by lovingly crafted song lyrics that allude to the emotions Sue and her peers harbor within themselves.
I first discovered this series at my local library when I was in middle school. It was the first manga I read by CLAMP, and I devoured it. Since then it has held a place in my heart as one of my favorite manga of all time. While there were plans for two more volumes in the series, the stories that do exist are complete as they are. I’m happy with what we were given.
CLOVER is a masterclass in atmosphere that explores characters via minimal dialogue. It proves that comics as a visual medium can be crafted in any way. There is no “one true form.” On that note, I recommend this official music video anime that retells Sue and Kazuhiko’s story in less than 10 minutes. — Derrick Crow
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