Sayonara Shikyu

A manga biography by Yuki Okada about being diagnosed with cervical cancer and the surgery she underwent to remove her uterus.

We’ve discussed this on an previous episode.

Once again I have found another emotional non-fiction series. However unlike other depressing books about child abuse this one covers cancer. While the subject matter is serious I really loved Okada’s adorable art work and really funny expressions that helped add levity to everything. She effectively conveys her anxiety about her health and there’s a lot of heavy issues she addresses with the decision about leaving her ovaries or removing them.

Okada’s husband and her 2 year-old daughter are also featured along with other members of her family who helped support her. Surprising enough, the husband Yuji Terajima is the creator behind the mega-hit baseball manga Ace of the Diamond. A fair bit of the manga is dedicated to Okada’s relationship with Terajima and how Okada went out of her way to allow him to work uninterrupted but he quickly decided to take time off to take care of their daughter during her surgery. It’s very touching to see them both care for each other during this difficult period in their lives. And the moment when the daughter cries quietly after finally being reunited with Okada makes me cry every time.

This is a wonderful non-fiction manga about overcoming cancer. I know Okada is currently in the middle of drawing a followup to this series and I’ll definitely be reading it when she’s finished.

~dakazu