Sadako at the End of the World
I'm not exaggerating in any way when I say that Sadako at the End of the World is the perfect manga. It is, of all the pieces of art in the world, perhaps the most important and life-changing.
Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little. It is a great manga, though, and that first bit pretty much wasn't a lie. As a certified Sadako Apologist™, a manga about her just having a nice week hanging out with people (and occasionally killing them) is a dream. You could say that my specific compliment is that I'm deeply, deeply fond of it. Seeing her get to sleep in a bed after years and years of being stuck in a well did actually, literally make me cry, which of course is (usually) a marker of a good piece of art. While of course I love being made to get emotional over a character—the only reason I like The Ring more than Ringu, really—it’s kinda nice to have it be in a good way instead of a painful way once in a while.
In terms of the visuals, the art style is very nice! Which says a lot coming from me, who doesn't usually like cutesy art styles. The contrast between the way Sadako’s surrogate family is drawn and how she herself is drawn is a nice touch that makes the panels where she is drawn cutely all the more endearing. Even in a sweet little horror comedy, you can’t take the creepiness out of her or pretend that everything is going to be alright.
Speaking of horror comedies, the fact that Sadako at the End of the World manages to make me love one is pretty impressive. It's not even particularly dark, despite being post-apocalyptic; aside from the bits where Sadako kills people, it's very lighthearted. Again, this wouldn't usually be a thing I like—maybe it's because I love Sadako and want her to have a break for once in her (after)life—and it's certainly a nice surprise.
If I had to say one bad thing about it … I guess I wish it were longer? Which of course isn't something I could expect from a story about Sadako, considering the whole “one week” thing, but y'know, it's a nice read! Everyone loves a nice long read. It doesn't have time to get too long for its own good, though, so maybe this is a good thing. Let's look at the bright side: at least it's not a Supernatural situation.
It goes without saying that overall I adore Sadako at the End of the World and believe it to be mandatory reading for any fan of the Ringverse. Is this objective? Not sure, but it's my review and my website and I'll overhype a manga if I want to.
Final rating: ★★★★★
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