Undercurrent

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

Undercurrent is an excellent, mature, adult, drama. The art isn’t fancy, but the story is a good exploration of abandonment, understanding those closest to you, and living in the aftermath of losing a family member.

It’s also an insight into the way Japanese public baths work, as the story’s main setting is in one. Main character Kanae runs a public bath with her husband, when one day he suddenly disappears from her life without any explanation, leaving no clues whatsoever.

Did he die? Did he run away? There could be a million reasons for why he disappeared, and that is the true horror ... of such a scenario. The constant questioning, the lack of answers, the unproved possibilities always plaguing you night and day without end.

What do you do when your husband leaves the house one day and never returns? Kanae goes out of her mind with worry, she phones the authorities, hospitals; she wonders about motivations, did he cheat on her? Did he get bored of her? Did he commit suicide? She doubts even truly knowing him in the first place.

The dread of not knowing why someone disappeared one day is the ultimate nightmare, it is a never-ending hell with no resolution, and it’s explored very well with Undercurrent. There is a sad melancholy way about Kanae and her predicament that never veers into melodrama or histrionics; it’s perfectly subtle in that typically Japanese way.

Undercurrent poses this question: ‘what does it mean to understand someone?’ And it poses it in such an effective way, with multiple examples, scenarios and lots of poignant moments that are steeped in the kind of darkness human beings are capable of, and capable of surviving. There are really great revelations brought to the surface in the story, and they are executed in satisfying ways, with no shocking double-page panels or anything of that nature, they’re simply brought to the reader in a matter of fact way, which in a way is more effective.

The more Kanae tries to discover the truth of her husband's disappearence, the more a hidden truth in her subconscious rises to the surface of her mind, and its this duality and subtext that makes the manga an excellent read.

Undercurrent may disappoint the majority of manga readers, because it’s not concerned with typical manga conventions; it’s more concerned with story and drama, so you won’t see attractive character designs or wardrobes, you won’t see speed lines, action scenes, excessive nudity or fan service, and this is to be commended: Knowing what belongs in your chosen genre, and what doesn’t.

Author Tetsuya Toyoda's preoccupation with telling the story at a slow measured pace and reserved style ensures maximum emotional impact because the story and character conflicts and relationships are always at the forefront.

Undercurrent is a tense mystery, a melancholy drama, a subtle romance; it’s a quality manga.

This is my first review and English is not my native language

I read this because a beginning manga youtuber recommended it in a video saying that it was super deep and super mature. I even bought the manga and read it while I was in the train on the way to my faculty, and once read, I returned the manga and cancelled my subscription to that channel.

Story: 5
The story doesn't exists, or in other words: there is no present story. When I watch an anime/read a manga I want to see things happening, not things that had happened: the only plot motors comes from the ... past, nothing relevant happens in this manga: the main character hires a guy and... that's all, they try to find the disaperared husband and the final explanation is like "ok, i don't give a shit". I know this is planned so but IT'S BORING.

I know it is mature, for example: in Mushishi there are bugs doing thing to people, but Ginko doesn't explode in rage to kill all the Mushis, he accepts the reality, something that a mature adult would do. Shingeki no kyojin, in the other hand, tells the story of titans doing bad things to people, and Eren is all the time screaming "i'm gonna kill all titans, i'm gonna kill all titans", yes, they kill his mother before him but anyway it's a very childish behaviour. So once explained what is for me mature and what not I can say that Undercurret has a mature plot because the main character tries to face the fact that she has been left by her husband and also because there is no ecchi, otaku-comedy within, there are no plot holes and there is not Freud shit without fundament to look smarter than it is, but also there is something important that every story has to have in mind and that is "be entertaining", and it can not be addictive but the first thing I want when i read/watch something is that I get amused. There is no hook and in the end I had to thank for at last only be eleven chapters.

Art: 6
I don't remember very well but it hasn't a bad background work, it's light years behind Inio Asano's but it's decent.

The characters anatomy is... good, but the design is very idle, I guess that it's due to it's a slice of life but please: THE (female) MAIN CHARACTER LOOKS LIKE A MAN, I can't with that

Characters: 6
The characters are the best part of the manga, but "better than" still doesn't mean directly "good". All the character have all the time a poker face except for a pair of cases. There is no charm or charisma, I don't give a shit that the character change if before anything they are not interesting. I say that they are the best part because at last they transmit the atmosphera they try to give.

Enjoyment: 3
I DIDN'T LIKE THIS MANGA. Be mature doesn't always mean be fucking good, I have enjoyed a lot of animes that have a minor level of maturity but they are one hundred times entertaining than this. At the beginning i was like ._. then I was like ._. and in the end I was ._.

Sometimes I was lazy to take the one-shot and read and that is not good. I swear I have no problems with the "slice of life", my favourite anime manga is Oyasumi Punpun and if you go to my Anime and Manga List I enjoyed and enjoy a lot of slices of life like Yotsuba, NHK, Genshiken, etc.

Overall: 5
I DON?T RECOMMEND THIS, it's not bad but is it's far away to be something I could consider amusing.

Thanks for reading

Being left all alone, abandoned and not even knowing if the person is still alive can be frightening for anyone especially if that someone is one you love wholeheartedly.

Undercurrent is about an espoused couple who owns a bathhouse together and lives jubilantly. But one day the husband vanishes without any trace, without any last message. He's gone... but where is he? This manga does an a good job with describing the emotions one can feel or in this situation the wife and the phrenic conception process one can posses when faces in this situation. Is he fed up with me? Am I not ... good enough? Did I do something to insult him? Is he meeting with another woman? Is he even alive? Did he get in an accident? You clearly tell just how devastated the wife genuinely is. But, deep down in her heart she wants to know the truth which basically is the story. She hires a detective who searches for clues and information while she waits and continues taking care of the bathhouse she owns.