Ciguatera is a graphic novel about a boy, Ogino, who is consistently bullied at school, is secretly attending motorcycle school, and gets his first girlfriend.

Ogino has all of the insecurities of a high school boy and really only has one friend, whom he immediately ditches once he acquires a girlfriend. He assumes all of the attempts to connect him with his girlfriend are just plots to humiliate him, cringingly illustrating the callous moodiness of teenagers, Ogino knows very little about his girlfriend, other than that she's "hot" and likes motorcycles which is more than enough to maintain the interest of a self-absorbed teenaged boy. I do love that the "nerd gets the girl," which I think happens less often in literature than it does in real life. The level and method of bullying is reminiscent of the literature and movies of the '80s and it takes a toll on the boys' friendship.

The illustrations vacillate between depicting Ogino as an emotional child on the verge of a tantrum and a calm teenager, which pulled you into his state of mind when he was at his more emotional and vulnerable. They did a wonderful job conveying the characters' emotions as well as how the other characters viewed them.

[Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review]

Ogino and his friend are put through hell at school by a miserable bully. Ogino’s dream is to get his bike license and just leave his problems in the dust, though there’s a girl at his riding lessons he has his eye on. Can love change a man? Maybe, but a boy is a whole other matter entirely.

Hey, trigger warning for bullying. Good start. Trigger warning for more bullying. Some solid boundary violations in there for good measure. Mix well, season lightly with awkward and tepid romance, serves someone else.

It’s for the best that this is coming out in a solid 400+ page edition because if you cut this off at the first volume’s length for a standard manga it would be too bloody depressing. For me, <I>A Silent Voice</I> remains the definitive manga on bullying, but this is a nasty bit of business that lacks anything that story brought to the table.

This series is old and it shows. Besides the comedy of seeing a PS2, it has old tech, ancient viewpoints on the internet (did you know that it’s EEEEEEEVIL!?), and the hideously exaggerated shonen facial expressions that have never worked for me once in a single manga I’ve read.

Ogino is pathetic, and he knows it, so I totally get that he feels too lame to be the object of Nagumo’s (said girl) affections. That’s definitely believable (and relatable, but this is not my manga), so his struggles make sense even as his face contorts in ways that imply he’s taken an IV full of tetanus.

The problem is that characters in this book come in two flavours - awful or nondescript. Nagumo and Ogino have nothing bringing them together except she likes him and vice-versa. Yes, I am perfectly well that that’s enough in real life, but there are tons of great relationships I don’t want to read about.

Having these two generating about as much heat as the refrigerator at McMurdo Station kind of cuts the romance to ribbons, ably assisted by the story glossing over their summer together and just having them spend a month and feel like not much has changed. Ogino spends so much time second-guessing himself that it’s hard not to feel like Nagumo could really do better.

It feels like nerd wish fulfillment rather than something that would actually happen and it mixes in these wildly out-of-place soap opera moments, like this one girl who gets trash talked by her entire class behind her back, but is also a sex worker, but also a wannabe predator, then also just disappears from the story so what even was her point?

The bully is a complete moron who manages to get his own ass kicked and learns nothing, while this book actually dares to try and make somebody this awful sympathetic by giving them a cat (that totally works…).

Then there’s his girlfriend, who he seems to treat as an object, which probably explains why she has the personality of a piece of wood. Who is there to root for in all this? Pretty much nobody. I feel bad for Ogino, but having such a pitiable main character who doesn’t experience an iota of growth (except a welcome recognizance that he’s totally going to be codependent if he’s not careful) is a big swing that doesn’t give the audience much to work with.

The whole internet thing rears its head when Ogino’s co-victim starts talking to somebody and neither of the latter is playing with a full deck, just slotting in a little ridiculous psycho-thriller in case you might fall asleep. When one person has to talk down the other from running down somebody who’s only connected to all this? Just yikes. Actually, that’s a pretty solid one word summation of the whole book: yikes.

2 stars - I firmly keep one star reviews for things where I cannot fathom how anybody enjoys them. So this story gets two, since I can see somebody enjoying this. Somebody else, I mean. It’s too cruel, too scattered, too thin, and, in the end, too much, yet without feeling like anything at all.

Life and love can be filled with nauseating moments. Sometimes things look to be right in the world. But thinking of that feeling when the other shoe drops suddenly starts making you nervous, like you’re about to throw up or even shit yourself. Perhaps this is why Minoru Furuya named his 2003 series Ciguatera, as said feeling after eating bad puffer fish will do exactly the same thing.

Ciguatera follows Ogino, an average student who finds himself bullied alongside his friend Takai. Their passion for motorcycles gets them through the tough days, with Ogino going so far as to work on earning his biker’s license. At school, he catches the eye of fellow student Nagumo, whose friend tells him that she has a crush on him. Of course, no hot girl would have a thing for a scrawny guy like him, right?

Soon it becomes apparent that Nagumo does in fact have feelings for Ogino, who attempts to figure out just why she likes him. Although there’s no true answer given, Ogino finds himself finding joy that only motorcycles gave him in the past. But his bullying problems haven’t gone away, keeping him a meek guy who may have just a tiny bit of luck on his side. That’s when Takai stops coming to school, and their bully Taniwaki begins to act strangely…nice?

Despite it being written in 2003, Ciguatera has a very “now” vibe to it. After all, bullying is still a huge problem in society, to the point where it causes much more harm today, no thanks to the Internet. The character of Ogina can be seen very much as an Everyman, especially one who is treated like he belongs on the bottom of the food chain. But then, Nagumo appears, bringing a new feeling and purpose into Ogina’s life.

The story starts changing its tone, to the point where Ogina and Nagumo look like they belong in a Horimiya-styled rom-com. He’s nervous, she’s confident, and the two sometimes have a hard time finding a middle ground that benefits one another. But when Ogina explodes with feelings and emotions, Nagumo can’t help but think that his mannerisms — while questionable — can be kind of cute. As their chemistry makes the relationship believable, it’s hard not to root for these two to stick it out for the long haul.

However, beneath the lovey-dovey stuff is the grimmer elements of Ciguatera. Early on, it’s clear that Takai wants to rid the school of Taniwaki by any means necessary. He becomes obsessed with it, to the point where motorcycles are now the last thing on his mind. Instead, he teams up with a mysterious guy he meets online, and slowly seeks vengeance by leaving weird videos and kidnapping Taniwaki’s cat. On top of that, he starts to distance himself from Ogina due to possible jealously.

Furuya’s art style fits well both in the more disturbing and humorous parts of the narrative. For the latter, the scenes of Taniwaki tormenting Ogina and Takai can be rightfully unnerving. Their facial expressions give way to a lot of pain and internal damage that has been thrown at the two friends. When Takai snaps at Ogina, the shots of physical and mental anguish that falls on the two become the picture of a guy who has lost all his passion and reason to live.

It’s the more humorous perspective where Furuya’s drawings come to life. Ogina’s mental breakdowns over Nagumo are not just relatable; they’re also laugh-out-loud funny! Even when he’s got the best-looking girl by the arm, Ogina finds ways to look even more dorkier than before. As such, it makes the romantic moments feel sillier and sweeter in places.

There’s a sense that Ciguatera isn’t going to conclude with everyone having a happy ending. At the same time, there’s enough hearty moments that make this series one worthy to keep on riding towards. Heartache may happen, as could a traumatic situation (which is hinted at in the last couple of chapters of this volume). Nevertheless, even after nearly 20 years since it was first published, Ciguatera is still one captivating read that speaks volumes about today’s youth.

I received a copy of this manga through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not sure how I feel about this manga. First of all, it is a very long volume, over 450 pages and that is unusual and gives the story a different feeling. The content is more adult and language is more graphic. 🙃
The characters are extremely flawed and have loads of unpleasant characteristics. Most characters are just creeps, Ogino and Nagumo are a bit better but Takai is murderous and obsessive, Taniwaki is a perverted bully etc. There are many characters with little to none redeeming qualities…🙄
But it was detailed, had good story building and at times the story got intriguing! Perhaps some characters will grow over time!😉

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha, Vertical Comics, and Minoru Furuya for the opportunity to read this manga in exchange for an honest review.

Ogino isn't the most attractive guy. He also gets bullied a lot. When he meets some girls from his motorcycle licensing class, one of them really gets his heart pounding. When it turns out she feels the same way, the way he is treated and his priorities in life change. He's certainly not a very worldly guy, and a kiss or nudity with his need girlfriend makes him a bit shy, but she loves him anyway!

This manga was a lot longer than expected at about 450 pages. The art isn't my favorite kind of style for manga, but it has a very traditional Japanese feel too it as well as being a true-to-life coming-of-age story that the reader can relate to, as we all go through these moments at some point in life, usually in our teen years. A very realistic manga full of friendship, tough times, and hope.

A story of the intricacies of school life shown thru a diverse set of characters. With topics of dating, bullying, self doubt. This story shows more than just the happy side of growing up. I can see fans of A Girl On The Shore reading this title.

Often intense and unsettling, this manga holds you down and doesn’t let up till the last page.
Our story follows Ogi, tormented daily by a bully he’s resigned himself to deal with, and his friend Takai, who is also a target but can’t seem to.
As the story progresses it also splits, diverging at the point between the two. Ogi has goals, a job, a girl he likes. Takai just has his hate, but it’s enough to keep him going.
By the end of volume one it’s clear the boy’s paths are forever altered but there’s no way to guess where they’ll end… you can only hope they’ll get out with their lives.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha/Vertical Comics for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Originally serialized in Young Mangazine in the early 2000s, Minoru Furuya's Ciguatera is a coming-of-age story about ordinary teenagers. The main character, Ogino, is an average high schooler with little motivation in life other than his passion for motorcycles. He's the target of constant bullying and feels helpless and trapped. But through a few awkward encounters, Ogino meets Nagumo, a girl attending the same driving school as him, and his life takes a turn for the better.

In this first volume, Nagumo doesn't instantly change his life, and she isn't objectified and treated as a means to an end, so I'm interested in seeing where the rest of the series goes. I hope future volumes will further flesh out Nagumo's character.

Ciguatera's main dialogue font is Wild Words, a font commonly used in manga lettering, but it was a bit jarring to me because of its width and overall shape in comparison to the art's linework. However, the lettering layouts were generally easy to read and well balanced.

The translation also read well; the characters' individual voices really shone through.

Kodansha marks this series as 16+, but I might caution an 18+ rating. Although Ciguatera Volume 1 does not have overt graphic depictions of sex, violence, or drug use, it does handle and depict those topics in a similar manner to A Girl on the Shore and The Flowers of Evil, and some themes might not be easily read by teenagers.

Editor: Daniel Joseph
Translation: David Boyd
Production (often lettering and touch up): Grace Lu, Anthony Quintessenza
Proofreading: Micah Q. Allen

DNF @ 25%

The bullying and the crude talk within this series was just too much for me. The art is lovely, but I can't get behind the story at all. There was not a single character I could root for.

Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for an eARC.

This is an interesting read of a coming of age story, Minoru Furuya, a self-described loser, who is constantly bullied in school, seeks refuge at a motorcycle school to gain his license. When a beautiful young woman enters his life, he is forced to re-evaluate his relationships, as well as his outlook in life.

This manga shows the other side of life, and where it shows that not everyone is always on the greener side and that life isn't always sunshine and daisies.

I would like to see how this progresses and see Minoru gain more confidence in life.

Very fun and entertaining read! I enjoy the art sand the story and will read more of it for sure eventually! I recommend it if you like manga!

I don’t think this is story is for me.
The first few chapters of story and introducing character building were interesting but after a while it felt like a loop. Yusuke freaking out and obsessing, his friend descending and plotting, the bully, Yusuke obsessing about Yumi. I also didn’t like the roles the female characters got assigned. While it’s probably a realistic representation of some (not all!) young men it wasn’t pleasant to read.