Itsuwaribito Vol 1by Holly von WinckelReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 There are many aphorisms that address the central theme of Itsuwaribito; I'm sure you've come across a few. "Actions speak louder than words," "The ends justify the means," and "It is easier to ask forgiveness than permission," are a few that come to mind. I confess, my interest in this book stems from my perception that people can focus very much on the concept that a lie is categorically bad and blind themselves to goodness in others. Is a lie still bad if it helps someone? What if it saves their life? These types of questions are confronted over and over in Itsuwaribito, simply because central character Utsuho was extremely truthful as a child, and lost his whole family to bandits because of it.The scene of destruction at his family home is one of appalling and extreme violence, shocking in a book that had seemed fairly tame up to that point. Over and over, Utsuho finds himself in situations where over-the-top violence is being doled out; he manages to survive and help others with only his lies, almost as if the author wants readers to understand on a gut level the difference between a liar and a Bad Person. A liar might tell you that your mother is still alive when she is not, knowing it will lure you into a trap; a Bad Person will have already killed your mother and left her poorly taxidermied corpse staked out on the lawn as bait. You see the difference, right? It is not subtle. That particular bit of cruelty disturbed me quite a bit, in fact. I started wondering about the kind of person who might read this book and think that was funny. So, if you thought that was funny, or know someone who would, you should probably see about some psychiatric help! Back to the story, the character whose mother met such unworthy treatment is a talking raccoon. Aww, squee, right? But a baby talking raccoon. It is vitally important that no one tell me those don't exist; I can't go on living in a world where there aren't baby talking raccoons out there! It becomes Utsuho's faithful friend and traveling companion, and erstwhile peanut gallery. A baby talking raccoon is a super antidote to the senselessly illustrative violence delivered over and over in Itsuwaribito. Artistically, Itsuwaribito is easygoing and fun, just like Utsuho. The scenes are uncomplicated, the characters are easily distinguished and the plot moves on their actions. There is not a lot to get hung-up on in terms of artistic depth — this book is very much about what people do and say, and not at all about what they are wearing or posing, or what shows up in the background. There is a certain age at which a young person is likely to dabble in the Lying Arts, and there is often a time when young person is too honest about everything, all the time. Itsuwaribito might be a good read for youngsters in either camp. The core of this story is an intense exploration of the possibilities and consequences on both sides of that fence. Just be sure that young person isn't going to be up all night screaming from nightmares related to the violence — it is the kind of violence that Quentin Tarantino gets giddy about. Written: February 12, 2011
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