Books like 異變者 1

Let me tell you about this psychological gem that I had the greatest fortune of discovering. I've seen and read my fair share of psychological films and books, and I can honestly say this manga is right up there in the psychological genre.I went in cold, not knowing much except something along the lines of homeless man, drilling hole in skull, and sixth sense.The manga starts by introducing to us the main character, Nakoshi, a homeless man who sleeps in his car that is parked between a park (where the homeless find shelter) and a hotel. One night, while Nakoshi was chilling in his car, a young man by the name of Ito, approaches Nakoshi and offers him a large sum of money to drill a hole in his head through a procedure called trepanation. Initially rejecting the offer, Nakoshi finds himself agreeing to the procedure after certain circumstances landed him in a need for money.Trepanation is believed to enhance the brain by allowing better blood flow which will activate a person's sixth sense. Soon after the procedure, Nakoshi begins to see really weird and bizarre things manifesting out of humans. These things he can see are known as homunculi which represent the humans' subconscious. Nakoshi, while fascinated, tries to figure out and understand some of these homunculi and inadvertently helping them free themselves of their repressed burden, insecurities or fear. The manga is largely influenced by Freudian psychology and deals with the human mind heavily.If you think this is procedural, it is not. Ultimately, through Nakoshi's interactions with these homunculi, he begins to question himself and what led him to being homeless and stuck between a park and a hotel in the first place. You see, like everyone, Nakoshi has a past. A past that he has long since forgotten. Through these homunculi, he tries to piece together an understanding about himself, his past and his self-worth.I can't say much without spoiling things but I can say this. Nakoshi's character left me absolutely stunned. I spent days thinking about his actions, his thoughts, his sense of self-worth, his view of the world, and why he did what he did. It all leads back to how shallow society really is, which I believe is the strongest theme here. The author, Yamamoto depicts the real world brilliantly here.The manga explores just how consumed we, humans are by materialism, superficiality and how much we actually admire beauty and fame. It also touches on themes like guilt, identity issues, and how some people are molded by other people's ideals. Ito is also an incredibly fleshed out character who is well-developed by the end of the manga. While the pacing may be a bit slow at first, it does pick up towards the end when the truth about our main character starts to unravel.An amazing and original well-crafted plot, it has more or less changed me in ways that I could not possibly fathom. It has all the elements I've always looked for in the psychological genre. Just brilliant.Trigger warning: rape. The manga is aimed towards adult readers – as there are some intense and graphic scenes in some parts of the manga – but if you're a lover of all things psychological (fucked up or otherwise) and can stomach graphic scenes, you certainly can't miss out on this.Note: This is a review for the whole series.