Warning: The following content discusses suicide ideation and depression.
Boy's Abyss is a challenging work. A depressing tale of hopelessness, nihilism, and suicide ideation veers into a narrative that to some, could feel like it's brooding for the sake of it. Boy's Abyss, created by Ryo Minenami and translated by Nana Umino takes place in a nameless seaside town and follows the life of Reiji Kurose, an aimless high schooler who feels trapped in his day-to-day small town life.
Things are not going well for Reiji. He lives with his overworked mother, a senile grandmother and his verbally abusive brother. To make matters worse, his once childhood friend is now hanging out with a crowd of delinquents and spends his days bullying Reiji. His dreary life takes a turn for the worse when he meets a young woman working as a clerk at his local convenience store named Nagi Aoe, who is a member of the popular idol group, Acrylic. Much like Reiji, Nagi is depressed, and asks him the chilling question, "Hey Reiji, will you make a suicide pact with me?"
The biggest issue with Boy's Abyss is that, while its portrayals of depression are rather realistic, its themes can feel heavy-handed Suicide ideation and nihilism are heavy topics for any work to tackle, and in order for it to be given the proper care, there must be moments where the reader can breathe and soak in the heavy ideas. Boy's Abyss seems to revel in its sadness. While the series is well written, it can feel self-indulgent at times.
Boy's Abyss is a pretty manga, with noteworthy attention given to how it illustrates seaside life. Unlike the dialogue, which goes from one strong emotion to the next with very little breathing room, the moments where there is nothing but focus on the landscapes set the mood. The dreamy textures, shading, lighting, and the character designs carry an ethereal quality to them.
One of the primary driving themes of Boy's Abyss is that despite being surrounded by natural beauty, every character feels trapped. Reiji seems stuck in an endless loop of obligation to his small town and family, but wishes to be whisked away by either moving away or taking his own life. The introduction to suicide is almost romanticized by the town legend of the "Lover's Abyss" where couples go to commit suicide, presented like a twisted fairy-tale ending. The way the topic is handled throughout the first volume is incredibly controversial, to say the least.
On the flip side, that seems to be the point of Boy's Abyss. To individuals who feel powerless, much like Reiji and Nagi, leaving this world of their own volition is an act of rebellion, protest, to a world they feel is spinning out of control. Perhaps future volumes of Boy's Abyss will flesh out their seemingly sudden decision to commit to such a sad act -- but readers will have to wait and see. Be forewarned, Boy's Abyss is not for everyone, and should be read when one is in a better state of mind.