My Broken Mariko

A manga about a woman who is blindsided by the death of her friend Mariko and ends up stealing her ashes to fulfill their promise of taking a trip together.

We’ve discussed this on a previous episode.

This is a powerful story about abuse, loss, friendship, and regret. Waka Hirako debut is so strong it’s almost surprising she hasn’t been discovered yet. The way she draws character expressions and emotions felt very reminiscent of Jiro Matsumoto. I really appreciated how the story didn’t moralize against Mariko’s suicide or her past actions. Everything is simply presented as such for you to experience and see. If anything, the ending is a bit dramatic and emotional but that’s barely a criticism for this series. I high recommend this if you’re looking for a serious dramatic adult story by a wonderful new manga artist. I’ll definitely be looking forward to more Waka Hirako‘s future work.

Available in English from Yen Press.

~dakazu