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Shimeji Simulation is not a manga.

It's not a piece of media to be looked at through the lens of what we deem "good" or "bad," "simple" or "complex." It's not another thing to read and review as an eight out of ten for being "pretty good." Shimeji Simulation is an experience. Not in the way a modern Disney amusement park ride is an "experience," but in a way where the true beauty of the series lies not in the fun ideas and surface dialogue presented, but rather in the raw feelings one experiences while reading it.

Because yes, there are layers and layers of subtext, metaphors, ... and more phenomenally used rhetoric by Tsukumizu. It bends the medium of manga to tell a story that would be difficult in any other style of storytelling. I could spend hours droning on about the immense philosophical core behind every single line of dialogue, every panel, and every weird twist. But I won't. Because Shimeji Simulation captures more than the mind and heart- it captures the soul.

When I say the series is "not a manga," I don't mean that in a sense of what it does for the medium- although it does quite a bit- I mean that it shouldn't be digested in a "this is a series i will get through and think about a bit, then move on." It's not some consumeristic slop that gets the job done. But it also shouldn't be viewed as some high and mighty pretentious work of art. It's just Shimeji Simulation. It's just a story about two girls getting to know each other. ...Right?

Well, no, it's so much more than that. It's a journey, one filled with the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. The predictable unpredictability of the world of Shimeji Simulation can't be found anywhere else. The calm, yet unsettling tone of the series dives further and further into insanity until it reaches a breaking point and everything changes. Yet, at the core of this aberrational mindfuck of a story are two seemingly normal people who can't seem to find themselves, whether it be their position in their relationship or their own humanities and identities.

Who would I recommend this series to? Anyone who feels unsure of their place in this world, anyone who feels either underwhelmed or overwhelmed by their life, whether it be a monotonous, boring slog, or a frightening, fast-moving mess. I think anyone can get something out of this series, with that differing depending on the reader's headspace and place in life at the moment. And by "getting something out of it," I don't necessarily mean plain enjoyment. Let the series fill you with emotion, let its palpability linger in your soul as you attempt to make sense of it all. Dig that hole a bit deeper, really ask yourself what you feel when reading, and allow Shimeji Simulation to make its voice heard. It has a lot to say, but you have to be willing to listen.

"Emotional." This is an adjective thrown around, rightfully so, to many series that draw tears. But there are so many more emotions than sadness. There's confusion, curiosity, enlightenment, playfulness, and so much more. Shimeji Simulation plays with ALL of these emotions, rather than just pulling on the heartstrings. It's "emotional" in every sense of the word. It evokes so many powerful feelings and says so much about them in the brief moments that this manga has.

When I read other reviews and look at discussion for this series, I see almost no any commonality between anyone's takeaways from it. Does that mean the series was incapable of portraying a concrete theme? No. Because unlike a series that has vague, interpretive themes, where its subject matter can often be vague and go over audience members' heads, Shimeji Simulation has been able to convey its themes to people in a way that has left everyone with genuine, concrete thoughts about it. I've yet to see someone who finishes the series and goes "What just happened? I'm so lost!" It's not indistinct or shallow, it's unique for each person who reads it. Its voice may be different for everyone, but it still always has something to say. The different, complex emotions it evokes in every reader is precisely what it was going for. It's not about Majime and Shijima. It's about you. It's about everyone. What did you get from the series, if anything? Why is that your takeaway? These are the questioned posed by this work, among others.

This review is not about what I got from the series. This isn't a conclusion I arrived at when reading, or when thinking about its themes. My takeaway from Shimeji Simulation is very personal, about establishing a unique identity for yourself and becoming capable of individual fulfilment, but not without the support of others. There's more, but those are the real, raw emotional themes I got from it. So then why wasn't my review about those feelings? Simply put, those feelings are my own unique identity. It's my Shimeji Simulation. With this review, I wanted to ask: What's yours?