Tonari no Jii-san - Ch. 26

[MangaDex]

 

[tototototoo]

I’m still so confused as to where this story went.

 

[Skullkrusher]

I’m still so confused as to where this story went.

It started as a potentially supernatural entity that was mind controlling and consuming people of the town. Halfway in, it swapped to and revealed a shadowy government foundation trying to study what turned out to be a well-documented parasite infection, and a conspiracy to find the secret to eternal life that it possesses. It's just...difficult to see what the original main character can do against this powerful well-funded secret society, and her face at the end of this chapter says it all.

 

[zeroto7dan]

so her friend would just walk aimlessly now? I think they will just nominate a new jii-san because the current one is not in range anymore and that would be her friend despite the researcher saying there could only be one jii-san, probably. I think it would be great addition to the MC's motivation.

 

[NippleToaster]

Kirishima or whatever the crazy lady scientist's name was is probably in that cave, ready to eat other people.

I don't know what people are necessarily getting confused about here. I think this story is one of this author's most straightforward ones.

 

[77BLc9JwJGpLVARkamJx]

Fat dude swallowing the others was kinda funny in a way but this new host seems too small for it to be a funny situation when shes going to do the whole eating thing.I hope shes not chopping them to bits first, and most likely our mc will witness that.

 

[tototototoo]

It started as a potentially supernatural entity that was mind controlling and consuming people of the town. Halfway in, it swapped to and revealed a shadowy government foundation trying to study what turned out to be a well-documented parasite infection, and a conspiracy to find the secret to eternal life that it possesses. It's just...difficult to see what the original main character can do against this powerful well-funded secret society, and her face at the end of this chapter says it all.

Thanks. I did get where the story went it’s just I’m confused as to why it went the way it did. I dunno, I miss the supernatural stuff I guess.

 

[misopogon]

Thanks. I did get where the story went it’s just I’m confused as to why it went the way it did. I dunno, I miss the supernatural stuff I guess.

I'm not sure if it's not something supernatural still; the way the parasite is presented, with having one "immortal host", makes it seem like it is an inherently supernatural entity, as presented in the folk tale, that is being studied clinically by this organization.

 

[friendly]

Hoouuuuugh. An embroidery research position? I really enjoy the way the 'reason why they're leaving' feels. Even more ridiculous then usual. We know, she knows. It just makes it even more hollow feeling. This happiness is a lie. These hopeless people don't have any real hope or prospects, they're just being gotten rid of.

Also interesting to learn that the plan to sell water DOES seem to indicate it's carrying some stage of the parasite-life, but isn't actually part of whatever this odd, scientific end of the plot is doing.

 

[biologist]

Imagine not having amnestic agents for an entire area prepared beforehand in case of something goes wrong.
Rookie mistake.

 

[Arexty]

So we finally got to visit Sapporo and catch a glimpse of the actual inner-workings of the research on this phenomena.

I'm not sure if it's not something supernatural still; the way the parasite is presented, with having one "immortal host", makes it seem like it is an inherently supernatural entity, as presented in the folk tale, that is being studied clinically by this organization.

Japanese mythology is a bit unique in how curses and supernatural beings tend to often afflict people by manifesting as bugs or parasites and spreading in a disease-like manner. The Harikikigaki (針聞き書き) written in the mid-16th Century (around the same time modern germ theory was being formulated in the West) categorized a vast array of microscopic parasitic yokai that were believed to cause various ailments. These Kan no Mushi (疳の虫) "lit. disease causing bugs" often accompanied a variety of traditional remedies to drive them out including various spices/herbs, acupuncture, or other rituals.

These physical cryptid-like forms taken by ultimately spiritual beings became the basis for a lot of occult Japanese popular media and may also be the case here.

 

[Microtevn]

Wild theory, only person with memetic immunity able to successfully host the parasite

 

[MsW0lf]

Fantastic that we’re finally getting some actual factual information on the scientific side of things. So, this is all just a research project by corporate entities into how the single adult parasite grants immortality, and the juvenile parasites are just an unneeded (and unsightly) complication.

What’s the bet that it’s the ingestion of the juveniles that keeps the adult host immortal? 😬😬😬😬

And that memetic emission from the juveniles is a reeeeal flimsy bandaid on the water problem. I mean, yes, people on the internet have dismissed the parasites as hoaxes and CG so FAR. But if it spreads unevenly people might get a little suspicious. The memetic effect spreads physically, not digitally. So how are they going to explain a huge rise of ordinary content makers, news outlets, and tv shows suddenly showing people with huge pustulous heads internationally?

 

[EchoGirl]

thanks for the update!