My Broken Mariko: Manga Review (No Spoliers)

This short and harrowing manga follows Shiino, a young woman who discovers that her best friend has committed suicide. The story provides flashbacks into Shiino and Mariko’s friendship from school to young adulthood, following Mariko’s trials in an abusive home and the way in which her father’s treatment affected her romantic relationships as a young woman.

Shiino resolves to steal Mariko’s ashes from the father’s house, and after doing so (standing up to him in glorious fashion), she then goes on a journey to the ocean, to lay Mariko to rest properly.

This was a difficult read for many reasons: the subject matter is heavy: child abuse, self-harm, domestic violence, depression, and molestation all feature in these four short chapters, and Shiino’s pain is visceral. It is always upsetting to follow the account of a depressed and suicidal character, but My Broken Mariko is all about the people left behind, the pain of loss, and the unanswered questions. As Shiino tells herself after she finds out about Mariko’s death: they had just spoken the day before, and Mariko had been happy, offering no indication of what she planned to do. The sudden unfairness of suicide is carefully and thoughtfully explored, and Shiino appears increasingly distressed and confused as she tries to piece everything together. The silent ashes appear as a burden and a weight on her chest at times, and other times, Mariko is like a comfort to Shiino as she continues her treacherous journey to the sea.

All of these complicated emotions are reflected in the artwork. Hirako’s pen is thin and wispy, and the characters fluctuate from deft beauty to incomprehensible scribbles during times of distress. This is seen the most when they cry: their faces dissolve into globs of messy tears, with facial features totally unrecognisable. It brings another devastating element to the story’s premise: there is nothing pretty about it. Every page either makes you sombre, or remorseful, or wistful, or confused.

It was hard for me to get through this only because this has been a difficult two months for me. And even though the manga is so short, I did need to take a few breaks to catch my bearings and consider if it was the best thing to read at this time: but it is always worthwhile to be reminded of the necessity of our existence, and that, if we were to leave this earth suddenly, a unique space would be left behind that only we could fill. And that space will remain to haunt our loved ones left behind, gaping and open, groaning distressfully in the wind, or casting a shadowy chill on them in the summer. So if you are feeling down, or lost, or if you’re struggling, My Broken Mariko might help you see the worthiness of your self, and appreciate the good impact you have on others. I do think it’s worth a read, anyhow.

It feels careless to give this a rating. It’s a very though-provoking manga.