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A beautifully horrifying manga that realistically depicts trauma and abusive relationships within the family, especially from mother to son.

As usual, Oshimi's art, characters, and plot form a story that will pluck at the traumas we hold inside ourselves. Both Seiichi and his mother change and adapt throughout the story, with actions and their respective reactions making both themselves and the situation they are in feel very real. Most of the story is despair after despair, failure after failure, but I believe this sort of structure works amazingly for the feeling of being 'trapped' within an abusive relationship with your family, being so young yet ... so aware, and still being powerless to do anything, as the victim still depends on the caretaker.

The sole reason I do not give this piece a 10 and rather a 9 is the latter half of the manga and the ending. The pacing and plot deteriorates nearing the end, and the final chapter does not feel as satisfying as it should be.

This manga is definitely not for everyone, and it takes some dedication to get through to the very end. However, it has great reread value. If you are a fan of psychological manga with dark themes that can be applied easily and realistically to our world, Chi no Wadachi is a must read!