Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human: The Manga Edition

“I’ve led a life full of shame. Human beings are a complete mystery to me.”

This manga version of novelist Osamu Dazai’s masterpieceNO LONGER HUMANthe #2 bestselling novel of all time in Japantells the story of Yozo Oba, a young man growing up in Japan in the immediate aftermath of World War II, who finds himself caught between the disintegration of the traditions of his aristocratic provincial family and the impact of the new postwar world.

Oba is tormented by a failure to find any value in himself or in human relationships, despite being surrounded by women who love him. He creates the persona of a buffoon who mocks himself while entertaining others. But inside he is tortured, and as he moves from childhood to adulthood he becomes addicted to sex and alcohol. Largely autobiographical,No Longer Humanexplores Dazai’s own sense of failure and alienation which drove him to self-destruct with alcohol and numerous suicide attempts.