Vengeance is the gift that keeps on giving for a manga creator. Vinland Saga, Attack on Titan, The Legend of the Northern Blade, Blade of the Immortal, Berserk, all of them driven by characters with a need to right the wrongs levied against them in a multitude of violent ways. It’s not just that there are countless variations of it, narrative-wise. It’s that it also speaks to a very primal part of human nature. We have all, at one time or another, wished to exact vengeance on something or someone.
Creator Gigi Murakami has already created a dark manga world centered on the idea in the form of Resenter, in which Rippers offer the recently murdered a chance at having their deaths avenged. It’s a smart and thought-provoking approach that goes the way of heavy inks and Junji Ito-inspired horror imagery to give its brand of vengeance a more introspective sensibility. Murakami now brings her horror manga to Viz Media, specifically through their “Originals One-Shots” program, for a new chapter that both welcomes new readers and rewards those who’ve come across the story beforehand.
In this new one-shot (which you can read here for free), Murakami dives deeper into the moral and ethical conundrums that come attached to the concept of getting even. It’s all down to the decisions we make regarding violence. Rippers offer three different choices to those who’ve crossed over due to murder. They can either accept death and move on to reincarnation, employ a ripper for revenge, or become a ripper themselves.
This time around, the three choices are offered to the victim of a bad hit-and-run incident. Jackie (the manga’s main character/ripper) goes on to fulfil her responsibilities but is shaken by a powerful wave of self-doubt when she learns the identity of the murderer. In an instant, questions about innocence, self-destruction, and accountability come to the fore and complicate what initially looks like an open-and-shut case.
Murakami does an excellent job of going beyond the morality play element of the story for a more direct confrontation with the reader. They’re asked to think deeply about the path Jackie takes with the responsible party, and there’s a conscious demolishing of comfort zones in the process. It’s one of the most rewarding aspects of the read and it sets it apart by adding more urgency and agency to the multiple dialogues it opens.
Visually, Murakami continues to showcase her ability to make inks and blacks do their part in carrying the story. Tone and atmosphere are set early on thanks to this. The drippy quality of the inks builds up Jackie’s dead world as a place governed by shadows and ghostly stains that reflect upon the type of work she’s involved in. The same applies to the look and feel of the world of the living, though the purpose here is to establish a sense of danger that makes death an indiscriminate force that’s naturally inclined to respond to violence in kind (hence the rippers).
Special mention has to go to Murakami’s background work. It is expansive in detail and rich in narrative. Buildings look like scornful things that oppress the living, figuratively speaking. They tower over the populace with a watchful but judgmental eye that frames life as overbearing and cruel. It’s just another great example of Murakami’s ability to put forth intricate worldbuilding. Resenter hides a lot between the panels, but it never leaves readers without the necessary clues to let their imaginations run wild with otherworldly revengers and terror-inducing secrets.
The Resenter one-shot special feels like the start of something special with an eye for expansion. There’s a lot of story on offer here, and it begs to be explored further. It’s easy to see different rippers, spirts, victims, monsters, and situations branch out of this chapter alone. It’s a testament to the strength of Murakami’s world and the characters she’s populated it with. It quite simply feels like it wants to grow. When a story possesses a darkness this inviting, there’s very little we can do other than give in to it. Here’s hoping this is exactly what happens.
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