This tale is for me about the need for art to express the inexpressible. Arie Kimura is the main character, who has suffered much and who is often rather silent, but many other characters in the book also seem to have suffered abuse of various kinds largely in silence. This is an artistic accomplishment of the first order: Enigmatic, troubling, moving, and at times difficult to read-in its subject matter, but also it is not a straightforward narrative. If you are tempted to think that comics are for kids, think again. Asano also created Solanin, which I like very much that one is relatable and Solanin as a character is very likeable, but this one (Holograph, which came out in Japan in 2006), is stranger and more disturbing by far and also more powerful. Inio Asano’s Nijigahara Holograph is a very powerful comic. 'A holograph is a document written entirely in the handwriting of the person whose signature it bears.' Hailed as a voice of the current generation in Japan, Inio Asano, whose Solanin was nominated for Eisner and Harvey awards (and was made into a feature film), delves into David Lynchian territory with this psychological horror story. Nijigahara Holograph-complex, challenging, and elliptical-was named one of the most anticipated new manga at Comic-Con International: San Diego. Ten years later, all will have to face what they've done or suffered through-and maybe the end of the world. But this is only the beginning of Nijigahara Holograph, which takes place in two separate timelines and involves the suicidal Amahiko Kohta, the lovestruck bully their teacher Miss Sakaki, whose heavily bandaged face remains a mystery and many more brothers, sisters, parents, co-workers, teachers, aggressors, and victims who are all inextricably linked to one another. To appease its wrath, they decide to offer it a sacrifice-a human one. Butterflies ominously proliferate as children whisper rumors of a mysterious creature lurking in the tunnel behind the school.

Nijigahara holograph