Seiko | Animated Observations

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Apologies for taking Mother’s Day off, adjusting to my new work schedule has left me a little more tired than usual, so I did not have much energy to write. That being said, today’s volume certainly restored a lot of my blood flow, because my heart was pounding for the majority of it.

While still processing what has happened, Seiichi finishes his summer vacation and returns to school. However, it seems as though his attempts to figure out why his mother would attempt murder have left him quite literally speechless. Eventually, he cannot take it anymore, and, well…now is the time to leave for those who have yet to read it and want to avoid spoilers.

The Confrontation

The last two chapters are thus far some of the most emotionally charged manga I have ever read. Horror is historically something that anime as a medium has failed to do a ton of justice. However, with manga, it is a different story. Because there is no set pace, reading manga comes with a degree of control: how fast eyes scan up and down, whether or not fingers decide to pick up the next page. Oshimi draws on this principally brilliantly when writing the scene between Seiichi and Seiko.

The way the darkness of the house builds the atmosphere in otherwise less tense moments before the two start arguing is brilliant. Not a single panel is wasted when it comes to mixing the cocktail of emotions the two of them feel. The character shading also really helps, with some panels even showing the two as almost dark outlines, but still drawn with enough complexity to see what they are going through with little to no visible face.

Shigeru’s Return

Another element of this volume that was particularly effective at building the atmosphere was seeing Shigeru again. It is not often that vising someone in a hospital can be as frightening, but again, Oshimi does it well. Seiichi’s cousin is not only immobilized but visibly deformed from the fall. His bloodshot and yet somehow still dead eyes and lack of speech contrast dramatically with his character in the opening chapters.

From volume one onwards, it had yet to be the case Shigeru appeared at all. This helps to build a lot of nervous distraught in Seiichi, who, after seeing him in his horrific state, finally gets the courage to confront his mom.

Minamalism and Atmosphere

Though some of the mangaka’s backgrounds can feel a bit underdone, this is not to say that a lack of linework is necessarily always bad. In fact, there are many points where it arguably adds to the atmosphere. The previously mentioned scene near the end with Seiichi and Seiko is a good example.

Many of the characters in the panels of these chapters can be extremely detailed. However, Oshimi also plays with some elements of minimalism, with the two of them at points looking like rough sketches. This rougher sketch work seems to represent points where the world around them has changed completely. For Seiichi, he is experiencing a whole new person that he does not recognize as his mom. In Seiko’s case, it likely feels like her son has betrayed her for going to see Shigeru in the hospital.

Conclusions/Predictions

As the world is crashing down around him, it seems likely that Seiichi will be forced to make a choice about how he wants to proceed. My best guess is that more than likely, he will try and get his dad to help him with his mother, and that there will also probably be more attempted murder.

Have you all read Blood on the Tracks? Let me know down in the comments.

If you are interested in reading more from me, check under blog to read my most recent stuff, or look below for some related posts. Also, if you would like to support Animated Observations, consider donating on Ko-fi or through paypal, or pledging on Patreon. You can even support by just liking and sharing this post.

As always, special thanks to Jenn for supporting the blog on Patreon.

If you can’t, or just don’t feel like it, no worries. Thank you all for reading, and goodbye, for now, friends!

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Welcome, weebs, to Animated Observations

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If the premise of a mom killing one attempting murder on one of her nephews while simultaneously traumatizing her only son wasn’t enough, oh golly gee does this next part have a nice little surprise.

Volume 2 largely focuses on the aftermath of the first’s climax, resolving the dramatic moment only to then simultaneously build on another dramatic moment. This collection of chapters also delves somewhat into the developing, or rather complications with, Seiichi’s relationship with his crush. Despite seeing her true colors, our main character is still inclined to trust his mom, with all the problems that may bring.

Ok, But Why Though?

Definitely a question better suited for someone with a degree in childcare or developmental psychology. However, in the context of the story at hand, there does seem to be a more obvious answer.

In seeing the heinous act committed by his mom, he has now developed two distinct images of his mom. These two images, one a loving mother and the other a horrible murderer, are strictly at odds with each other. In other words, Seiichi simply cannot process what has happened despite witnessing it with his own eyes, in no uncertain terms.

Oshimi utilizes this clash of ideas in our protagonist’s mind to its utmost power, often showing him paralyzed in fear under the watchful eye of this new motherly persona.

Great Facial Expressions

The author also continues to employ a frankly scary range of facial expressions in his characters. In fact, this volume arguably does more to display this insane talent than the first.

This makes sense however, since the aforementioned first volume climax left Seiichi with a lot of emotions to express. Confusion, anger, regret, doubt: all of it is there in full force. All of it, however, with a sense of things being still worse yet to come.

Of course, Seiko contributes to this as well, though it often is not the expressions themselves that hint at her inner workings. Rather, her lack of a clear facial expression, hidden through clever paneling cutoffs and shadowing in the dark halls of the hospital, makes her all the more terrifying.

Love is in the Air?

In more ways than one, it would seem.

Normally, getting a love letter from your crush should be a dream come true. However, while Seiichi is still processing the emotions from the previous days, he is not really in a state too accept or deny Fukiishi’s feelings.

After refusing to visit Shigeru in the hospital again, Fukiishi visits Seiichi while his parents are out. Clearly this is not the right time. However, after forgetting something at the house, Seiko walks in her giving a note to her crush. Fukiishi then leaves hurriedly, leaving mom and son alone.

What comes next is maybe the strangest scene in the series thus far, where Seiko takes the letter and forces the two to not only read it together, but then tells Seiichi he is not allowed to love her, and tears it up with him while the two lay down on the bed. The preceding images of his face torn up into pieces of paper symbolizes his investment in the note and his continued confusion surrounding his feelings towards Seiko.

Conclusion/Predictions

There is a lot I could unpack when it comes to that ending, but I think I will save that for a bigger post at the eventual conclusion of the series. For now, it will be interesting to see where the story goes. Personally, it seems as though much of focus will be on this continuing clash of his mom’s personalities in Seiichi’s mind.

How do you feel about Blood on the Tracks? Let me know in the comments. Also, for those who missed the introductory post for this series do check that out.