Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction, written and illustrated by Inio Asano

When I started reading this manga, I had absolutely no idea what to expect and it remained that way until the very end. 

This manga is described as one having cynical humour but with political intrigue and that's definitely an accurate way to describe it. It's very hit or miss, this manga, as the genre is very absurd, a mix of dystopian sci-fi and slice-of-life, with harsh critiques of social and news media, and political policies. 

Actually, in a way, this manga takes a cynical view of the world as a whole. I say this because, we begin with a spaceship hovering over the Japanese capital city of Tokyo, while the citizens go through their ordinary life, not caring whether or not the world might be coming to an end. 

The manga actually fictionalises and somewhat prophesises the pandemic because the attitude the people of Japan take after three years of living with a spaceship hovering over their capital is similar to the attitude we took after covid had become commonplace, that is, apathy. It showcases how people are given in to apathy even with something as life-threatening as invasion after a while, truly a negative side of our capability of getting used to everything. 

Apart from this social critique of humans, the manga also delves into the political sphere, where we get to see the double dealing and corrupted nature of politicians and corporations alike, which is, in turns, both fun and despairing to read since it makes you realise just how much the government and the wealthy are in control. And honestly, it would have made for a very depressing manga if it weren't for our main characters.

In the midst of a country in turmoil, we get to see the ordinary lives of two best friends in high school. For me, this was the most enjoyable part of the manga. 

I loved the characters and how complex and flawed they were. Their existence and experiences made the plot as interesting as it is. Though, after the sixth volume and the big plot twist, that enjoyment lessened considerably because we steadily headed towards darker things, where the characters' future looked more and more bleak. In spite of that (or maybe because of that), I got more and more invested in the manga, until I had to finish the last four volumes in one go. 

But, this is where things went wrong. The last few volumes build up towards a very promising climax, only for it to fall apart in the last two chapters. I won't spoil but the ending was very rushed. In fact, it felt like the mangaka was simply writing to somehow wrap-up the manga because he'd lost interest in the book. It was sad, really, because this was on the way to become one of my favourite mangas...but, in the end, it couldn't. I was left with a feeling of emptiness and disappointment...

Finally, all I'd like to say is that this manga is not for everyone, especially not for people who are not into absurdism, but if that's something you're into, definitely go for this. Both the art and the storyline are compelling and while the ending still remains... not the best, I think there's still something to be gained out of it.

By

Amian Bent

(A literature girlie who loves to read strange fiction and writes stories just as absurd)

The Click To life

I have the best laugh on 

My own

I don't need someone to 

Make myself happy.

Sad but true, victims we are

Of our own lifestyle 

It is strange how we have in my opinion compressed the world and shrunk it to explore. They say everything is a click away and there was a time when just a click would capture memories that now lie untouched, withering away in a dark corner of the cupboard . When the day you decide to go through it you see the memories so stuck to the page that held them for years that you actually tear it apart if you need to separate it and this separation leads a scar on the photograph telling you it hurts to stay away. The colours fade and all we do is either try to retrieve it or keep it away but what stays back is the memory of that which was once a capture by a click. Today we seem very busy on the so call advancement and modern inventions of this fast pacing world. We live our entire day busy on gadgets and strange it is but true that we feel so connected with everything but actually we are not. There is nothing that we cannot explore or do or experience now sitting in the comfort of our homes. We are virtually present for everything as we have that one click of our finger that can take you wherever you want. Isn't it so convenient and are we not so blessed that we have improved and advanced in our lifestyle. We just scroll up and down to find and the answers are right there.

The click has taken away a lot and yet given so much to us. Life has become so convenient and the chats so available but what is left is the experience of personally being present. I know life is not the same anymore, there is so much to do and so little time even though they say the click ' saves time and energy,' and still we fall back, there is so much work pending and we keep rushing our meals, our rest and our lives. What if you had to stand in a que to buy something, or pay a bill or wait for your turn for everything. I am sure standing in ques at a store when you go to shop is so irritating and so exhausting for each one of us that we prefer being online and get everything just by a click. I am sure you will call me old school , but yes I feel having the experience of both that we have forgotten to balance out lives.

There are times when all are at home or even in a party or a gathering, when I see so many busy on their gadgets with fingers scrolling and eyes glued, oblivious of what is going on around them. We do not attend anything because we are busy on a call that we miss the moment or make others wait till we finish. We are so busy capturing the moment with the click that we being present cannot see it happening live. We all exchange the pictures and the moment with each other that we watch it later when we are free. We are present to capture the moment not to live it. This click is constantly with us , we click  and store and share rather than enjoying what we are there for. The first bite needs to wait as we need to click what we ate and the compliments can be online when we click ourselves to know what people comment on that one selfie that we shared. We are together but that is a great moment to capture because when we are with each other we are busy with the click. We look at ourselves when we click and appreciate how we look. We are more with ourselves trying to understand life and it's philosophy online rather than living it. We have learn to laugh, talk, console, celebrate, eat, dance, hangout, diagnose, treat and capture happiness and love just by one click. 

The picture tore itself apart when seperated from what was with her in the dark gloomy place, which had been with her and worn out with her in these years. Imagine what you preserve never stays, it too perishes away then how do you expect there be life when you are not living it in the present. I hope this will click that which is better to be understood rather than to kept as a memory to see or live later.

By

Mansi Chaturvedi

(She is published writer of the book Shades Of Solitude who being a homemaker has used her time for her passion for writing. She has had her work published as Co author by Exceller  and Oxford  Publication,  Shubharambh  Publication and her very own book as author by Writersgram  Publication. She is active participant on platforms like StoryMirror  and has her own blog Pennedconnections.wordpress.com  where she connects with the world by her words.)