bookheaven | Blood on the Tracks, Vol. 4 & 5

Blood on the Tracks, Vol. 4 by Shuzo Oshimi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Keeping in line with previous volumes, this has the art holding the story up and doing much of the story telling. Seiichi is back to school after his cousin's 'accident' and he is so traumatized by his mother's actions he can't speak. He is being picked on by students and teachers alike which is translating into angry outbursts.

His friends are jumping ship except for Fukiishi who still wants to be his girlfriend. She has a bad home life herself with divorced parents and living with her alcoholic father. So they start hanging out after school, later and later until the inevitable happens. Seiichi's mom comes looking for him and everyone knows this won't be good.

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Blood on the Tracks, Vol. 5 by Shuzo Oshimi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This time I felt this one went on too long. Fukiishi convinces Seiichi to sneak into her house so he could hide from his mother. Many of the panels are dedicated to an awkward sexual awakening (not actual sex but more time than I wanted to spend examining a wet dream's aftermath for sure).

Fukiishi comes across with an agenda of her own, namely using Seiichi to help her escape her own father (idealistic and unrealistic which would fit her age) The more surprising thing is when Mom actually shows up and what she does then.

The great escape does not go as planned and it wasn't Mom's fault directly (more in the trauma and damage she has done over a lifetime. That said, I also feel like it's beginning to drag (as I know there are at least two more volumes)

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