Exploring Manga #2: Is ‘Onanie Master Kurosawa’ worth reading?

One theme that seems to be prevalent in anime and manga storytelling is the portrayal of perversion. Now, we can write home all day about how anime and Manga, over the years, have portrayed creepiness and things that aren’t okay as comedic occurrences, and we can’t avoid the “Fanservice” debate. For my take on it, I’m okay with Fanservice as long as the character being used has a role in the story and isn’t just there to be sexualized objects. Even then, defending some of the questionable stuff that anime and Manga promote is hard.

This is all the more reason why “Onanie Master Kurosawa” might seem like something you should instead not associate yourself with.

With English names that range from “Masturbation Master Kurosawa” to literally “Fap Note,” yes, this is supposed to be a low-key parody of Death Note.

However, this Manga develops into something way more complex and meaningful.

So without further ado, let’s get into why you should read this Manga!

The story and what it represents

The story follows Kakeru Kurosawa, an introverted boy with a superiority complex. Despite his relatively normal outer image, he does some weird things to pass the time. When alone, Kurosawa would walk into a girl’s toilet and use his vivid imagination to masturbate to various girls in his school.

While it is morally incorrect, it is also true that many teenagers have done that, and at first, it might seem like the Manga is supporting such an act, but the story keeps developing more and more as the chapters pass by.

One day, Kurosawa witnesses a girl getting bullied by a group, and he decides to serve “justice” by ejaculating on the uniform of those girls.

He thought that his doings were something noble until the girl getting bullied approached him and told him how she was aware of what Kurosawa had been doing and that he needed to keep continuing to do so to girls that she wanted to see suffer.

Left with no choice, Kurosawa agrees to work for her, but it doesn’t take long for him to realize that what he is doing is wrong and that the consequences of what he is doing are and will further affect his life and relationships.

As I mentioned before, the story starts silly, but after a while, the story explores these themes that are so prevalent in the lives of so many teenagers.

The Characters

I think Kakeru Kurosawa is one of the best main characters in Manga.

Why? Because of the character development he goes through throughout the series.

While many main characters start as cool characters to begin, establishing them as great characters in many people’s books, there are also people out there who like their main character to start with an obvious flaw. As time goes on, we eventually see the character working towards fulfilling that said flaw.

This makes for some of the most compelling consumption, and Kurosawa is one of those characters.

He starts as a very flawed person, but as time goes on, he starts realizing his shortcomings, and while that may have been tough for him to accept at first, he works towards the goal of changing himself. What makes this development even more remarkable is how Ise Katsura goes ahead with it. It is very organic, and the pacing is just perfect.

Other characters are also nuanced. While not likable, Aya Kitahara is a good character, especially when she’s with Kurosawa. Kurosawa’s friend, crush, and the bully girls are also good characters who add to the story.

However, it can’t be denied that the story is all about Kurosawa, and he is the best character in the story.

The Bad

From how I’ve been singing the praises of the Manga, it might seem like this is the most flawless piece ever written, but no, it is not.

While I did praise the Manga for the realism in the development of its main character, it is also true that the talking scenes can sometimes be seen as a bit unrealistic and redundant. Another issue the Manga suffers from is the Death Note parody. I do love myself a bit of a parody now and then, but I think this story could’ve made do without the Death Note parody, as that would’ve brought more seriousness and legitimacy to the plot.

One last negative thing that I will talk about is the series’ art style.

I don’t think a manga must need fantastic art to make it a good manga, and that is certainly the case with this Manga as the art style looks a bit amateurish compared to other Mangakas, and this might be a turn-off for some. Still, honestly, I don’t care if the art is terrible. If a manga has good art, that is a very good point for me, but even if it doesn’t have good art, I’ll still be able to enjoy it if the story is good.

Conclusion

Overall, I wouldn’t say that this is a masterpiece by any means, there are flaws in the story, and even the good of the story isn’t something that hasn’t been done before, so calling it a masterpiece would be unprecedented.

However, I praised the Manga so much because of just how much story and character development it managed to showcase in such a short manga. It also has just about everything I would want from a quick read, and the story means something in the grander scheme of things.

So, for what it managed to achieve in such a small packaging, I think that Onanie Master Kurosawa deserves classic cult status, and you should read it because of everything I mentioned above.

And bro, it is short. Damn, go ahead and just read it!

Ratings

Story- 3 out of 5

Art- 1 out of 5

Characters- 4 out of 5

Enjoyment- 4 out of 5

Overall- 3 out of 5

If you’ve already read this Manga, then I would love to know your views on it, and if you haven’t, then go ahead and read it so that we can eventually discuss it someday and if you want to check out more blogs like this then follow @Quriverse | 1st ever interactive Anime community for fans and creators. Sign up and stand an opportunity to get your hands on cool anime merchandise, Netflix premium, Amazon gift vouchers, and more!