Takopi's Original Sin

November 1, 2023
An adorable young alien of happiness lands on Earth to discover a depressed and bullied fourth-grader, Shizuka. Nicknamed Takopi because his shape resembles an octopus (after the Japanese word tako for octopus), the alien sets off trying to fix Shizuka's life, only to help it spiral into devastating consequences. Takopi gets further involved, even going to Shizuka's school and home in order to fully understand the extent of bullying and destitution Shizuka's absent parents and broken community have left her in. Her bully, Marina, similarly comes from an abusive home, while her friend Naoki has unrealistic expectations placed on him that lead to eating disorders and unstable stress levels. Mixed in with deeply dark lines and some terrifying illustrations of scenery are murder, suicide, and some uncomfortable bullying. Through Takopi's outside perspective, we can examine some fundamental questions of human nature, the value of acceptance, and the vital importance of communication and understanding. While the sometimes disturbing narrative can get underneath one's skin, its overall message invites reflection and introspection and asks readers to examine how they treat other human beings.

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December 1, 2023

Gr 10 Up-In this stand-alone manga, readers meet Takopi, an alien from the planet Happy on a mission to spread happiness throughout the universe. Takopi wants to repay fourth grader Shizuka's kindness. However, Takopi doesn't understand the human world and misses clues that Shizuka is facing constant bullying from her classmates who destroy her school supplies, scrawl things like "die" on her belongings, etc. Shizuka's only friend seems to be her dog Chappy, and one day she arrives covered in filth with Chappy's collar. Takopi lends her a gadget, and Shizuka dies by suicide. Using a time-travel gadget, Takopi goes back in time hoping to better understand Shizuka and to make her smile. After making several corrections to Shizuka's day, there starts to be a glimmer of hope, but readers also start to get glimpses into the life of her main bully Marina and her hatred toward Shizuka. There's a rough quality to the artwork, making it believably gritty and matching the tone of the story perfectly. The pages themselves tend to be darker than a normal manga, adding a sense of despair that resonates with the characters. Bizarrely enough, despite the violence and trauma of the book, it does end on a somewhat happy note, though not without consequences. VERDICT This book will not reach every reader, but it is unique. Content includes bullying, violence, murder, and death by suicide involving kids. Additional purchase only for those with larger manga and graphic novel collections.-Lisa Rowland

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