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Back to topNejishiki (Yoshiharu Tsuge #3) (Hardcover)
Description
The most critically acclaimed comic of the Japanese counterculture
Nejishiki unveils the most iconic scenes from Yoshiharu Tsuge’s highly respected body of work alongside his most beloved stories. A cornerstone of Japan’s legendary 1960s counterculture that galvanized avant-garde manga and comics criticism, the title story follows an injured young man as he wanders through a village of strangers in search of emotional and physical release. Other stories in this collection follow a series of weary travelers who while away sultry nights and face menacing doppelgängers. Even banal activities like afternoon strolls uncover unsavory impulses. The emotionally and erotically charged imagery collected in this third volume remains as shocking and vivid today as it did upon its debut fifty years ago.
Tsuge’s stories push boundaries, abruptly crossing the threshold of conventional storytelling. Unassuming protagonists venture further into eerie symbolism against a shadowy, perceptibly dreamlike landscape easily mistaken for the real world. The angst that pervades postwar Japanese society threatens to devour his characters and their pastoral sensibilities as each protagonist’s wanderlust turns surreal.
About the Author
Yoshiharu Tsuge was born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1937. Influenced by the realistic and gritty manga of Yoshihiro Tatsumi, he began making his own comics and was briefly recruited to assist Shigeru Mizuki in the 1960s. In 1968, while working for Garo magazine, Tsuge published the groundbreaking story “Neji-shiki” (commonly called “Screw Style” by Western readers), which established him as an influential manga-ka and a cultural touchstone in the changing Japanese art world. He is considered the originator and greatest practitioner of the I-novel method of comics-making. In 2005, Tsuge was nominated for the Best Album Award at Angoulême International and in 2017 won the Japan Cartoonists Association Grand Award for Yume to tabi no sekai.
Yoshiharu Tsuge was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1937. Influenced by the realistic and gritty rental manga of Yoshihiro Tatsumi, he began making his own comics. He was also briefly recruited to assist Shigeru Mizuki in the 1960s. In 1968, working for Garo magazine, Tsuge published the groundbreaking story “Neji-shiki” (commonly called “Screw Style” by Western readers), which established Tsuge as an influential manga-ka and a cultural touchstone in the changing Japanese art world. He is considered the originator and greatest practitioner of the “I-novel” method of comics-making. In 2005, Tsuge was nominated for the Best Album Award at Angouleme International and in 2017 he won the Japan Cartoonists Association Grand Award for Yume to tabi no sekai.
Praise For…
“A revelation… Tsuge throws open his inner gates of possibility and lets the world rush in with all its complexity, humanity, beauty, uncertainty and violence.” —Chris Ware, The Washington Post
“Fascinating… one of Japan’s most celebrated and reclusive artists.” —The Guardian
“Tsuge’s raw and profound work is equal parts pathos and poetry, streaked with irony and ribaldry.” —Kirkus Starred Review
“Exemplary... an elucidating glimpse into modern manga’s origins.” —Publishers Weekly Starred Review
“This third of seven planned volumes of The Complete Mature Works of Yoshiharu Tsuge promises casual manga fans and committed aficionados plenty to applaud and appreciate.” —Booklist, Starred Review
“Tsuge’s career path frequently features people unsure of themselves or their place in the world, and the existential concern is fully embraced as a constant theme in this collection.” —Slings and Arrows
“The stories in Nejishiki are surreal, disconcerting, and provocative, many utilizing dark, and often sordid, eroticism to convey the psychological underpinnings of their characters and narratives.” —Manga Bookshelf
“Tsuge implies that the waking world is as abstract and strange as the ones we encounter in dreams. Sublime and disturbing.” —Comics Beat, Best Manga of 2023
“An absolute must-have for all gekiga or alternative manga fans and collectors. It’s a wild ride charged with raw emotions.” —Comics Beat