Reflecting Lights

Another volume by Tatsumi Yoshihiro, Abandon the Old in Tokyo felt considerably darker and more disturbing than The Push Man and Other Stories.  Perhaps this is simply due forgetfulness on my part–I haven’t read the latter in many months–but the bleakness of Push Man just felt even more overpowering in Abandon the Old.

The art is the same from story to story and between the above mentioned volumes.  The storylines also only vary slightly, but project the idea that everyone is suffering.  It’s this message of pessimism, suffering, and often hopelessness that makes Abandon the Old very poignant, and in some ways difficult to read.  Women continue to be portrayed as either wrathful, greedy, or completely lost.  Then again, the men are generally shiftless, malcontent, or completely lost…

It’s really a stark, harsh read, but at the same time something worth reading.  The stories are all very short, but they get a point across quickly, requiring the reader to think and consider what they are reading.  In “The Hole,” who is in the right or wrong?  Sure, the women come off as wrathful, but should they instead be shown as naive?  Conversely, in other stories, is it any surprise that the men are so malcontent when surrounded by women who only want their money?

I definitely recommend avoiding this one first thing in the morning, as it tends to put a damper on the day (as I’ve learned after reading the last half this morning).  However, if you want something that is dark and despondent but at the same time strangely compelling, Abandon the Old in Tokyo (as well as The Push Man and other Stories) should fit the bill.