Manga Review: ‘Takopi’s Original Sin’

If you’re going to read Takopi’s Original Sin, be prepared to be emotionally destroyed. You may have guessed based on the summary and the fact that the cover image is a sobbing little girl, but this is a rough read. I don’t mean that in a negative way – it was beautiful and I loved it – but it might not have been the best choice to crack it open on the same day that I was explaining my history of being bullied as a kid to my therapist!

The overall message of the story seems to be that nobody is completely bad or completely good. Marina is initially presented as a cruel bully who mistreats Shizuka out of prejudice. That’s true, but she’s also a little girl whose family is falling apart and who has no other coping mechanisms besides blaming someone else. Although her behavior is inappropriate, it’s much easier to blame the daughter of the sex worker her dad keeps seeing, causing her mother to become both miserable and abusive, than it is to blame the parents she depends on.

On the flip side, Shizuka is presented as an innocent victim. Her father left her to start a new family, her mother neglects her, and she’s tormented in school. These things are all true, but Shizuka is also someone who would knowingly steal another girl’s boyfriend, manipulate her friend into admitting to a crime he didn’t commit, and attack her half-siblings because she decided they’d eaten her dog.

These are not evil little girls, they are children in dire need of real support who spin out of control because they aren’t getting it. This stands in stark contrast to Takopi, an alien from the planet Happian who was sent to Earth to make people happy. They try to do this by offering up fun, magical items that can do things like let you fly. They view emotions in very stark terms – for example, they think that Shizuka’s misery is caused because she feels guilty about not finishing all the food on her plate, so if they eat the food, the problem will be solved. They believe that all problems can be solved through discussion.

This is presented as untrue, but not because some people are evil and can’t be reasoned with, but because everyone is dealing with complex problems that can’t be easily understood.

The art style did a great job of mirroring the manga’s themes. Takopi and the Happian world are drawn very simply. There isn’t much shading, there’s a lot of white space, and everything is bright and friendly-looking. Meanwhile, the real world is filled with highly detailed backdrops, realistic features on some of the characters, and a ton of dark shading. This highlights the contrast between the simple Happian worldview and the world that the children inhabit.

Overall, this was an emotionally intelligent and beautiful read. For some, this might be cathartic or intriguing. But it also might be triggering, especially for those who have issues around suicide, bullying, murder, and abuse. While I wholeheartedly recommend this manga on its merits, you should take care of yourself and not read it if this kind of content isn’t right for you at the moment.

Note: I received a free copy of this manga in exchange for the write-up. The content of the review represents my opinions and not necessarily those of Viz Media or Shojo Beat. You can buy a physical or digital copy now.

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