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

[checkmy4]

My condolences to anyone who read past the timeskip.

 

[AlexMCS]

Whoa boy, what a waste of time.

Obviously some people out there will relate to it, but this was a terrible ending to a manga that had great potential to go somewhere... and it kinda went nowhere.

It has its merits as we see Seiichi grow and overcome everything that happened to him, but the lack of a satisfying conclusion is just sad.

This story really adds pretty much nothing to anyone who has a normal life. It might be more impactful for those who have been abused or can relate to it.

It feels way too "artsy" (those are almost always trash for a math-oriented mind like mine) to be good.

Post timeskip was really downhill all the way, except for that one time he met his old girlfriend and then the manga did nothing with it.

0-3/10, overall. 8-9/10 before timeskip/random cousin killing.

 

[eviljackspicer]

Whoa boy, what a waste of time.

Obviously some people out there will relate to it, but this was a terrible ending to a manga that had great potential to go somewhere... and it kinda went nowhere.

It has its merits as we see Seiichi grow and overcome everything that happened to him, but the lack of a satisfying conclusion is just sad.

This story really adds pretty much nothing to anyone who has a normal life. It might be more impactful for those who have been abused or can relate to it.

It feels way too "artsy" (those are almost always trash for a math-oriented mind like mine) to be good.

Post timeskip was really downhill all the way, except for that one time he met his old girlfriend and then the manga did nothing with it.

0-3/10, overall. 8-9/10 before timeskip/random cousin killing.

Did you know why our MC took his elderly mom in? (Genuine question, because I sure has heck didn't pick it up)

That is what I was just trying to figure out. Was it out of guilt, anger, familial duty, wishing for some sort of reconcilation? Because he just had a 100 yard stare the whole time. She dies and then he just walks off with yet another time skip.

 

[misskaneki]

And so it ends… I feel sorry for Seiichi, he definitely deserved a better life but I’m glad he was able to find some peace at the end.

Thanks to the team for all your work with this series!

 

[nhernandez90]

personal opinion, but it felt underwhelming.

Sei lost, so the manga ended in "hey at least he didn't kill himself amiritea aha ha".

He never heal and could only find full closure once he grew old and forgot his mother's face (implying he kept on thinking about it lmao). He didn't build other meaningful relationships, he just drifted by himself. This is kinda fetishizing trauma, personally speaking. Like, it takes no professional psychology knowledge to know that you heal by building a support net. Yet, Seichi just went on and it all slowly fixed itself. So the damage quite deep and he carried through it for the better part of his life and in the end.

The manga built itself on a strong premise, the first half was absolutely gripping. Then it all started whimpering out in this lukewarm, "now let's be realistic" ending. Truly underwhelming imho but I can see how people enjoyed this latter half and last stretch.

One thing that I am content with is that Seichi found a way to live. Throughout the whole read I was considering this was not gonna be the case.

 

[kiero13]

Wait so he really did kill/pushed his cousin off that cliff? /s

It was a good read at the start and mid. But went down when he became an adult. Seiichi's and his parents life was sad and tragic for me.

Made me realize again how important your life and age is. He can't do much now that he's old.

 

[poopymonky]

we really gotta remember that art isnt just about giving you nice, pleasant feelings. sometimes art is uncomfortable, and makes you feel frustrated, or sad, or whatever else. this is a good ending thats faithful to what it set out to do and does not lose itself in theatrics. it is grounded, complicated, and had the will to see its protagonist through. what other ending for a work on the impact of an abusive mom on her son? the mom is dead, and the son has forgotten her face. there is no more story to tell. there is a reason there was a timeskip for the period where he was no-contact- the manga is about this relationship and only that.

this is not a work that wants to teach you how to heal, how to cope, or give you catharsis, or tragedy. it only shows you one guy, the intensity of child and teenhood while abused, a lonely adulthood when youve cut all family ties to protect yourself, and the turmoil of having to reconnect and understand that the parent who abused you is not the parent in front of you today. time passes and people change. sometimes you do not get closure, but you do eventually forget the details of what made you so upset. the childhood friend cameo is also important in showing us someone else who survived parental abuse. she has a family now, and seemingly a normal, healthy life. this is another way for these things to go, healing looks different for everyone. this is not a loose thread!!

with Welcome Back, Alice ending recently too i find a lot of people dont know how to approach this author's works, which is fine if theyre not your speed but it also does not make them lesser. as Reinhardt said in How to Look at Art, Arts & Architecture, "You get from it what you bring to it. it will meet you half way but no further. It is alive if you are." you do have to react to art first if you want it to react to you.

 

[AlexMCS]

what other ending for a work on the impact of an abusive mom on her son? the mom is dead, and the son has forgotten her face. there is no more story to tell.

It could be more than "random simple story" though, like it was at first.
I felt bored at the end, not entertained.

His other work "Happiness" was much, much better, even if it also had a semi-crappy ending.
The whole "resolution" was kinda dumb since it went nowhere. No drama, no impactful revelations, not confrontation with his previous school mates, girlfriend.... in summary, a whole nothingburger.

if theyre not your speed but it also does not make them lesser.

It does, for me.
I don't need to put a "/opinion" on very post when it comes to subjective matters, such as personal taste for entertainment.
And, IMHO this is, overall, a waste of time. It was fun up to (significant) timeskip #1.

Was it out of guilt, anger, familial duty, wishing for some sort of reconcilation?

Gotta reread since it all becomes a blue in my mind due to how slow/boring it became, but it was a mix of the above IIRC.

 

[ftvdeadmark]

Honestly, this is an ending I’m happy with. For a manga that just feels like suffering, this feels like the perfect result for Seichi: Closure. I wish he could at least have met with his childhood crush one more time, but this will have to do. Happy for him, and what a wild ride.

 

[kingzavis]

I feel like this manga was consistently entertaining up until chapter ~100, but ever since it feels really drawn out. Kinda just happy its over at this point.

 

[poopymonky]

It could be more than "random simple story" though, like it was at first.
I felt bored at the end, not entertained.

you found it simple, i found it complicated. we can agree to disagree but fundamentally if youre seeking fights and drama, seinens might not be for you. what last big reveal are you seeking? do you need spectacle to care about a story and be entertained? immature fights with people the protag would have no way of recontacting? confrontations but to say what? its been an inner journey from the start if youre disappointed it remained an inner journey the whole way through thats not on the author. why keep reading something thats been disappointing to you since the timeskip? half of my questions r rethorical i dont really care to change your mind on this but if you took my comment personally maybe it hit something real to you idk. food for thoughts. are you willing to meet a story halfway?

 

[zsjaz]

oh wow!

 

[Dennis-aka-Denji]

What does it mean then? He spends his days in an idyll state, doing what he wants, whenever he wants to. His mother has no bearing on his life anymore clearly, but if you want to assume he's still not happy, fine

That bliss is being free to do what you want without mommy interfering is a super 16yo thing to say. Which is OK when you're a teen I guess. But as people age their priorities change, and old people who never once formed a meaningful relationship in their life tend to not be happy.

 

[Dennis-aka-Denji]

Whoa boy, what a waste of time.

Obviously some people out there will relate to it, but this was a terrible ending to a manga that had great potential to go somewhere... and it kinda went nowhere.

It has its merits as we see Seiichi grow and overcome everything that happened to him, but the lack of a satisfying conclusion is just sad.

This story really adds pretty much nothing to anyone who has a normal life. It might be more impactful for those who have been abused or can relate to it.

It feels way too "artsy" (those are almost always trash for a math-oriented mind like mine) to be good.

Post timeskip was really downhill all the way, except for that one time he met his old girlfriend and then the manga did nothing with it.

0-3/10, overall. 8-9/10 before timeskip/random cousin killing.

I bet you love Marvel

 

[Chromaticum]

Whoa boy, what a waste of time.

Obviously some people out there will relate to it, but this was a terrible ending to a manga that had great potential to go somewhere... and it kinda went nowhere.

It has its merits as we see Seiichi grow and overcome everything that happened to him, but the lack of a satisfying conclusion is just sad.

This story really adds pretty much nothing to anyone who has a normal life. It might be more impactful for those who have been abused or can relate to it.

It feels way too "artsy" (those are almost always trash for a math-oriented mind like mine) to be good.

Post timeskip was really downhill all the way, except for that one time he met his old girlfriend and then the manga did nothing with it.

0-3/10, overall. 8-9/10 before timeskip/random cousin killing.

I'm curious, how old are you?You don't need to be specific if you choose to answer my question.

I'm simply asking because it might be that you're younger and still need to experience what its like living life through your older brain.

If its not that, than its the things you mentioned above. You haven't had a "hard because someone fucked your trajectory up" life to be able to relate to the MC and authors worldview fully. Or also like you mentioned, it could just be how your brain is wired compared to others.

All this to say. I love this ending because after a tough upbringing, simply being able to forget those tough times, the person/people who put that on you for childishly selfish reasons and to enjoy the simple things in life, is comforting and so relateable to me personally.

Hope you can reread this manga one day and end up forming a separate but still uniquely yours, opinion. Well wishes to you in life homie

 

[nonexistent696969]

"A Quiet Space" . damn that really toched me, im so glad that he finally found peace

 

[Nuwanda1313]

I hate to be that guy, but this was a perfect ending and I seriously don't understand how some are saying that the ending should've been happier or that it went nowhere.

This has been both one of the most intense and disgusting manga I've ever read and one of the most beautiful and hopeful mangas I've ever read.

Shuzo Oshimi is a master and this story has changed me

 

[tinyali]

Finally… it’s over

 

[eviljackspicer]

I think my issue here is that he was in a zombie-fied state practically the whole time post time skip.
And he just took his mother in, just like that. I mean, I guess he just gravitated back toward what he knew already, but still, it just felt.....off.

I mean in the movie "Shawshank Redemption", after YEARS of injustice and abuse, our character embraced the feeling of the rain and freedom, and accepted that quiet life he was longing for. Despite all the hell he endured, his character/spirit did not break. The ending to that movie felt earned.

This character just felt like he was broken from the half point forwards. He took in the person who broke him for some unspoken reason. He has to imagine this reconciliation with his mom. And when she dies, he just walks off. To a quiet life to where he is "less broken"? It doesn't feel earned.

If I reworked Shawshank like this, where the main character was just a zombie the whole movie and was let go at the end and is just reading books on the bench, it just wouldn't have as much as an impact.

Shawshank's character survived and protected what was dear to him and live his life.
Blood on the trail's character just survived.

And surviving just isn't enough.

 

[SerpensR]

Very powerful stuff, my heart goes out to the poor saps in the comments sections who don't understand the gravity of stories like this.