Blood on the Tracks - Vol. 17 Ch. 153 - A Quiet Space

[Dundun123]

Being able to forget her face and her not influencing him any longer are two very different things. We are who our upbringing and surroundings turn us into. If not for her influence he would probably living a happy life with a family, instead he is here alone. I wouldn't say the result seems like a happy life, so more as it is a content one. Yes he has moved on but stuff like that stays with you regardless.

Being able to forget her face is a clear indication by the mangaka saying that by not remembering her, her relevance in his life has faded. Back when he hated her to a volatile extent, he was literally trying to repress her constant image in his head. Now even if he tries, he can't piece together her face.


Also, he lives his life doing what he wants, how he wants. He's picked up hobbies that he enjoys, he observes his surroundings with appreciation. What more should the mangaka show to make people believe he's happy. And yeah maybe a family would've made him happy too, but family doesn't equate to happiness only. But I can admit that him not being too social or having a family could be because his own family fucked him up, lol.

 

[Toxin45]

Bittersweet ending seichi finally overcame his trauma and his memories of his past are just long forgotten and vague to him living a normal life.

Shame we didn’t see yuko though or her family as an old lady with her two daughters probably grown up with families of their own.

 

[lemika96]

honestly, going through the comment section, it really shows everyone has their own view of what happiness means for Seichi.
Personally, I am satisfied with this kind of ending. It felt "right" for this kind of story. It's a story of an abuse survivor finally able to let go of his hatred, and lessen the influence that his mother had on him after her death (and partial understanding where her fucked-upness came from). Time doesn't heal scars completely, but it was enough. I also quite enjoy how the last chapter depicted Seichi's peace.

 

[risotoo]

Oshimi at it again with the most polarizing endings in the business

Jokes aside, I personally really enjoyed it. It would have been nice to see him living a more colorful life with more meaningful relationships, but I like that the story ends on a nice slice of a quiet day in his life. He's so much older now than when we knew him, what we see is doubtlessly very little of what he ultimately has going on, but. Even if he does have a thriving social life on other days (which I doubt just from the kind of guy he is but it's not impossible), I honestly couldn't have asked for it to end in any other way. No matter how awful things become tomorrow always comes, and for a lot of people you just... wake up one day and everything is behind you. Him making peace with his past and living on enough to actually forget details, exemplified by his mother's face, is honestly kind of beautiful imo. Incredibly grounded and mundane for the heights that part 1 reaches, but that's Oshimi. The bombast is always representative of grounded concepts, and it always comes back to those ideas.

I was definitely disappointed that he was never able to start a family too, but while I was reading the comments I remembered thinking starting a family like she was "supposed" to would fix her was a part of what made Seiko like that in the first place, so. Fair. Of course it's something he could have overcome, and it would've been nice to see him reattain love for himself as himself if we'd gone on for another arc, but I'm satisfied. Good chapter. I hope he takes a break before he starts the new serial he's planning.

 

[Tomibiki]

I don't particularly enjoy media that serves to remind me that "real life is like this" so the ending was just okay for my personal tastes.

That being said, it's a pretty strong ending in the context of the entire story and how it's written.

Kinda Pops could get some panel time in the last chapter but they been doing him dirty since the beginning.

 

[CrazyLips]

In the end we can see that Seiichi actually got to experience and live a tranquil and peaceful existence, the kind that his mother attacked and abandoned him for.

At this stage of his life he is clearly comfortable around people. He is able to acknowledge positive bonds between people and nature. The fact that remembering Seiko no longer brings him feelings of pain, guilt, shame, sadness or hate means he has overcome her influence.

Does it even matter that he dies alone? He made a home/life. He found love in books. He has completely healed from his trauma and is immortalized in the heart of his true love.

No fluff, pointless romance or drama. Sure, i liked this story more when it was spicy and juicy but this clean ending is a better fit all things considered.

 

[flak]

really nice ending

 

[AnotherRat]

Just binged the manga after not reading this for 2 years...

I'm just mad we never got a hot teenage girl sex scene 😡😡😡💢💢‼️‼️‼️⁉️‼️⁉️‼️💢💢💢

 

[AnotherRat]

Now seriously tho, it's really debilitating and soul-crushing taking care of an elder person in that state..... I was about to write more but I don't even know what to even write xd

 

[aa11bb]

I wished he would meet Yuiko since he’s old, like a closer to the chapter.

 

[reaperbreeze]

hooooly shit

 

[reaperbreeze]

I'm sure lots of people would normally expect something more climatic for an ending for mangas and animes, but I'm not opposed to more subdued endings such as these. It feels more real and cathartic for Seiichi to have found closure and simply let go of his troubles and forget about his painful past, with the series ending on that quiet note. It feels like a real story with an optimistic feeling for those with a painful past hanging over them
Thank you for the chapter.

that's so entirely true. this was such a fitting end, i don't think everyone here realizes it

 

[SimpGodx]

Thats it? Kind of a “eh” ending imo, narratively speaking its a good ending but personally I didn’t want him to live life alone.

 

[Chromaticum]

What a ride! Highly looking forward to the next Oshimi Shuzo work that comes out

 

[Chromaticum]

Thats it? Kind of a “eh” ending imo, narratively speaking its a good ending but personally I didn’t want him to live life alone.

That was the answer he came to though. After everything he went through, being content in solitude isn't the worst thing.

Look at it through numbers:

If you lived your life (and especially your foundation of existence) in the negatives, couldn't you see being content making it back to zero, or single digit numbers, being comforting?

We don't all have great starts or teen years in our lives. After living that way, getting through it, being alive then feeling whole in your own skin is a blessing. A simple one, but still a blessing

 

[PantsMan]

A fitting conclusion. Oshimi was really killing it with the two page spreads throughout this series, and this final one is no exception.

I'm very relieved the ending didn't try to pass off something trite like Seiichi starting a post-timeskip family as a conclusion to all that misery. You'd just be left doubting whether he actually got his life together, or whether he's just faking it because it's the only way he can feel "normal" after being denied his youth and teenage years.

Seeing him alone but undeniably at peace with himself feels more appropriate.

 

[Madsrc]

Maybe Sei didn't want to start a family because he was afraid of repeating the mistakes his family did. It's possible that after living such a life he thought, "I'm not fit to start a family." The bloody trail thus ended with him.

I followed this series for 3 years and this was a masterpiece for me. When all the volumes come out, I want to read them all in one sitting. I will buy all the volumes and support the author.

 

[BeeBeyond123]

Did I like the ending? Sure… Did it come way too soon? Also yes!

Author defs went back in that, “Just ya’ll wait” comment from around chapter 100… 🙄

 

[Darkchango]

What a ride. A fitting ending.

 

[Absent666]

If he forgot the trauma of his mom, then it's a happy end in my books, even though he ended alone.
This ain't a romance manga unlike Shounen no Abyss or other dark dramas, but a motherhood and family drama, so i'm both happy and stressed out. Reaching old age alone isn't something very pleasant.
Thanks, Oshimi, already waiting your new manga.