An intimate presentation of this coming-of-age story, one that opens up the conflicted soul of a person. With a protagonist’s soul at stake, a moral compass spinning in confusion, anticipating self-destruction or an absolution; Shuzo Oshimi writes with an all too familiar honesty that effortlessly gains your empathy. Refusing to let plotting cripple its storytelling, the characters and their personal affairs are at the forefront of the narrative. I am left encouraged to search my own demons, reflect, and identify them for what they are.