After completing the year 2021 by presenting a book on One piece, we would like to introduce you Denjin N in order to start the year 2022 on the right track. This is a manga scripted by Yuu Kuraishi and drawn by Kazu Inabe, based on an original concept imagined by Kuu Tanaka. Published in France by Pika Edition, the series was released in 2019 in Japan on the Kodansha Comic Day site. In addition, you can always read a few pages on the publisher’s site in order to have a first glimpse.
Holding on only 4 volumes, Denjin N is a rather violent crime thriller in which the influence of Death Note is felt in a few aspects, while standing out with different concepts, as well as a graphic style more focused on the aestheticization of violence, like what can be found in Ichi The Killer.
Ten thousand volts
Nasu, a loser living with his alcoholic mother, works in a convenience store where he is fully exploited. Her only pleasure in life is her admiration for Misaki Kanzaki, an idol belonging to an unsuccessful singer group. He follows his concerts and encourages him through his virtual reality headset. But following an incident, Nasu becomes capable of owning any type of electrical system. Nicknamed “N”, he decides to use his new powers in order to eliminate all those who stand in the way of Misaki. Faced with the various murders committed by “N”, the police decide to call on two medium brothers to track down this serial killer.
A nice concept that can make one think of the powers that the hero possesses of Goku Midnight, the manga of Buichi Terasawa appeared in 1987. What is interesting is that the character introduced as the hero, Nasu, who thus becomes Denjin (which means the electric man) will ultimately be barely visible in this volume. Once its transformation is complete, you will only feel its presence through shots on cameras or other electrical objects.
An interesting bias that, in a way, makes us just as omnipotent as Denjin. This will also serve to create a feeling of distance, and perhaps a little voyeurism, in front of the murder scenes, but we will come back to that a little later. The common thread is therefore the deaths orchestrated by the hero in order to help the career of Misaki, the idol he admires. All this will logically lead to a police investigation, quickly led by the two medium brothers, and presages a police story with a confrontation between the mediums and Denjin. Furthermore, the latter’s actions highlight a common social problem in Japan, approached from a more realistic angle in the excellent animated film. Perfect Blue (1999) by Satoshi Kon.
Elevator to the Gallows
However, it is a bit of a shame that the presentation phase of the hero, but also of the secondary characters, is so expeditious. In fact, Denjin has poorly justified motivations and is not in depth enough on this volume to be able to appreciate it a minimum. This being the case, it is possible that this information is distilled as the volumes and chapters go. But knowing that the series should end after 4 volumes, we are entitled to have some concerns.
There is also the transformation of Nasu which is rather disappointing. In addition to being visually abrupt, it is quite anecdotal and narratively it is not really justified. The scene is a bit reminiscent of some rather crude transformations of comic book superheroes and / or villains, like Barry Allen in The Flash or the birth of the Joker in The Killing Joke. Nevertheless, it is clear that the design is clearly good and catches our eye. This is one of the strengths of Denjin N. Between the adventures and the cutting we have a sustained rhythm, throughout the volume, without real downtime.
In addition, the murder scenes are clearly what we remember. Without speaking of originality, the kills are well thought out, but above all very violent. The author takes the time to stage the murders for us and then gives us aesthetically appealing and impactful pages. The detail, especially on the facial expressions, convey a lot of horror and violence, the design is beautiful but can also be disturbing.
Should we fall for volume 1 of Denjin N?
Denjin N offers us an interesting and above all catchy first volume. If we can deplore the potential writing weaknesses vis-à-vis the characters, particularly the hero, the proposal holds up and can be really exciting. However, we still have the impression of skimming over the chapters. Eye-catching yes, but not necessarily the most immersive in terms of the involvement in the story and towards the main characters.
On the other hand, this distance is also found with a hero who, as we said, is never visible, only his point of view, at times with the cameras, is transcribed. In doing so, the angle of view seems to become ours, creating a voyeuristic relationship when we witness a murder scene. Intentional or not, these are reflections that have crossed us while reading, and that doesn’t take away the fact that Kazu Inabe and Yuu Kuraishi’s manga has this little trick that makes it intriguing, despite a narrative and characters that must to be further explored later. In addition, the drawing and cutting have their effect and greatly participate in making this first volume what it is.
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We are waiting for the continuation of Denjin N with interest, curious to see where this story will lead us and if there is really a reflection in relation to the reader, the reader who is emerging. Because it is perhaps only a hazardous interpretation on our part.