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A review by angethology
Cannibals by Shinya Tanaka
3.5
"The smell was awful, and, what was worse, it meant home and his father."
A visceral and harrowing tale of the cycle of serial violence, the book follows Toma, a teenager who lives with his abusive father Madoka, and his father's girlfriend, Kotoko. Toma's birth mother lives, Jink0, in a fish shop, having separated from the father a long time ago, and lost her hand during the war. The book starts with a description of Toma's neighborhood, surroundings, and the riverbank nearby: the setting is filthy, with the stench of the sewage inundating the bodies of water — This is not ideal for Toma or anyone, yet, like his home life, it's something he's grown accustomed to.
As we're introduced to Madoka, we learn how unabashedly sadistic he is, and it's the reason why Jinko left — the patriarchal society allows him to continue his wicked deeds, not because they actively condone them, but because it doesn't seem to be their business. Kotoko becomes the father's new outlet of rage, and Toma, who acknowledges his father's abuse and doesn't want to be his doppelganger, fights the urge to let out his toxic masculinity on his girlfriend, Chigusa. The turmoil and highs and lows of Toma's emotions are directly reflected in the surroundings: the diminishing water of the riverbank, the unappealing unagi that somehow converges with Toma's anger and sex drive, the skinny red dog that incessantly barks at everything, and the large striped cat that looks like it has eaten the fish shop.
What I appreciate about this book in particular, is the characterization of the women; they're not typically meek, however they're not a heroine either — they're women living in a sexist society, adapting but enacting their agency at the same time. Jinko's prosthetic hand, which got made at Madoka's request, initially seems helpful. However, it seems that this emotionally and physically weighs her down: it's better to be struggling on your own than to have an extra hand that dictates what kinds of struggles you have.
The content in relation to the title is unexpected and more so metaphorical; its interpretation is more so that certain selfish people consume others' soul with their own depravity, attempting to take the victims' essence and power. Toma does succumb to his dark thoughts, and it becomes a question of how much of his dad's personality is in his genes — or is all his behavior within his control every time? One might have an urge due to one's upbringing, but as his surroundings, which he thinks will "remain unchanged," he will have to make a choice to trudge through the mud and lead his life anew. This novella asks the hard questions through details that are even harder to stomach. I understand that this is not everyone and that some might think this is too graphic, but I think the themes and plot are well executed. I think this could have been a bit longer and some of the character development could have been stronger, but its short and foul stench have been unquestionably made.
A visceral and harrowing tale of the cycle of serial violence, the book follows Toma, a teenager who lives with his abusive father Madoka, and his father's girlfriend, Kotoko. Toma's birth mother lives, Jink0, in a fish shop, having separated from the father a long time ago, and lost her hand during the war. The book starts with a description of Toma's neighborhood, surroundings, and the riverbank nearby: the setting is filthy, with the stench of the sewage inundating the bodies of water — This is not ideal for Toma or anyone, yet, like his home life, it's something he's grown accustomed to.
As we're introduced to Madoka, we learn how unabashedly sadistic he is, and it's the reason why Jinko left — the patriarchal society allows him to continue his wicked deeds, not because they actively condone them, but because it doesn't seem to be their business. Kotoko becomes the father's new outlet of rage, and Toma, who acknowledges his father's abuse and doesn't want to be his doppelganger, fights the urge to let out his toxic masculinity on his girlfriend, Chigusa. The turmoil and highs and lows of Toma's emotions are directly reflected in the surroundings: the diminishing water of the riverbank, the unappealing unagi that somehow converges with Toma's anger and sex drive, the skinny red dog that incessantly barks at everything, and the large striped cat that looks like it has eaten the fish shop.
What I appreciate about this book in particular, is the characterization of the women; they're not typically meek, however they're not a heroine either — they're women living in a sexist society, adapting but enacting their agency at the same time. Jinko's prosthetic hand, which got made at Madoka's request, initially seems helpful. However, it seems that this emotionally and physically weighs her down: it's better to be struggling on your own than to have an extra hand that dictates what kinds of struggles you have.
The content in relation to the title is unexpected and more so metaphorical; its interpretation is more so that certain selfish people consume others' soul with their own depravity, attempting to take the victims' essence and power. Toma does succumb to his dark thoughts, and it becomes a question of how much of his dad's personality is in his genes — or is all his behavior within his control every time? One might have an urge due to one's upbringing, but as his surroundings, which he thinks will "remain unchanged," he will have to make a choice to trudge through the mud and lead his life anew. This novella asks the hard questions through details that are even harder to stomach. I understand that this is not everyone and that some might think this is too graphic, but I think the themes and plot are well executed. I think this could have been a bit longer and some of the character development could have been stronger, but its short and foul stench have been unquestionably made.