A review by jbeoin
Something's Wrong With Us, Volume 1 by Natsumi Andō

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content note: murder, death of a parent, violence, unfair loss of job/firing, domestic violence, abuse

Okay, I don't wanna spoil anything, so I'm only going to give a vague-ish review of the first couple of books in the series! First, let me assure any of you who might not be interested in NSFW material (or disappoint those of you who are lol)-- this isn't that spicy of a comic. There are a few panels in each book so far that include allusions to sex but don't show anything outright. 

This series is really interesting! I'm enjoying the way the mystery is unfolding throughout the volumes; it feels really well spaced out, keeping the story balanced while maintaining the mystery elements as it goes. I definitely wouldn't describe this as spine-chilling as the jacket copy suggests lol, but it's engaging nonetheless. I think the series is more about exploring the inner dynamics of a deeply dysfunctional and abusive home while trying to uncover the secrets of the murder that occurred there over a decade ago. 

Layered into this, we get a lot of beautiful illustrations and descriptions of wagashi and how they're made. I enjoy the level of dedication that goes into creating wagashi and hearing a bit about it throughout the comic. I also appreciate that it's not the focus of the comic because as much as I enjoy the craft of creating food, I prefer to watch a documentary about it when I'm in the mood for that specifically. 

All the positives aside, I'm not a fan of how the main male lead is an aggressive prick in many scenes. I get that his character was dealing with some shit that we learn about on the way, but I didn't care for the lack of commentary about how bad his behavior is from the creator. The main character seems to just accept this kind of treatment without so much as an internal thought about how this isn't okay. I'm not saying this shouldn't be in the comic, but I do think it would be better (and would add more depth) if the message was conveyed that this isn't acceptable. 

Overall, though, I think it's a really well done series so far! I'm enjoying the twists and turns we're getting, and I really love the beautiful art of it, too. Give it a shot! 
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