| Creator | Kitoh Mohiro | Released | 1998-2003 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium | Manga | Misc. | Read part of the censored American release. |
via anilist:
Shiina Tamai, an energetic sixth-grader, found a star-shaped creature on the seabed during her visit to her grandparents' house. She befriended it and found it has some supernatural powers, such as flying and incredible strength. However, what seemed like a dream may turn out to be her worst nightmare as she meets other kids who have similar creatures and dark, destructive desires...
[☆ Posted: Jan. 6, 2023.]
did i intend to binge all of the narutaru manga in a single day right at the end of last year? no. but did i do it? i sure did, and though it's only been a week or so since i read it, i know narutaru is the type of art that is going to live rent free in my head for years to come.
my first brush with narutaru was well over a decade ago when i picked up the anime after reading the first volume of kitoh's other manga bokurano. both were already pretty (in)famous for their dark tones and graphic content. i never finished the narutaru for some reason or another; not because i disliked it, but i just...forgot to finish it? most likely. (i wasn't using any sort of tracking site back then lol.)
(the anime op is still so cute, if terribly misleading! give it a watch! with most of narutaru, i'd give a laundry list of warnings, but the anime op is the cutest dang thing.)
narutaru is one of those works that is difficult. not just in the sort of subject matter it tackles (sexual abuse, extreme violence, assault, etc.), but in its uneven structure and pacing. the first 3/4th of the manga flow well enough before things begin to pick up and accelerate until the narrative peaks in an apocalyptic climax. it's clear that kitoh struggled with narutaru. the chapter lengths fluctuate between twenty or so pages and over a hundred pages due to long chapters being retroactively added into the manga after serialization had initially concluded. but every page bleeds with earnest ambition, with kitoh trying to convey what he wants to say. narutaru is not a series whose darkness is without merit or intent.
for all its flaws, as well, the ending is absolutely haunting in its stark imagery and despair. the final chapter is devastating in its juxtaposition between the final moments of shiina's loved ones and the desolate, post-apocalyptic landscape she now observes. it's shit that sticks in your brain like the most pessimistic glue, chemically bound by the sparest specks of hope that maybe this time things will be better.
in conclusion, hoshimaru is the most shaped creature in the world! i love him, and you should too!
Do I like it? yes! it's a haunting work.
Do I rec it? i can't feel good in recommending narutaru even if i enjoy it and find it fascinating. it's...a really rough series in a lot of ways, and just...yeah. narutaru is a series.