Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan

 

Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan Vol 1 & 2
By  Gaku Kuze

ISBN: 9781646511143 & 9781646511402
272 Pages
Available in Paperback and on Kindle/ComiXology
Trigger Warning: Depression, Suicide, Mental Health Topics 

Synopsis:

How did the cynical Uramichi end up hosting a TV show for small children? And how long is the studio going to let him keep teaching the kids the sorrow and exhaustion of life instead of, say, the ABCs? This dark comedy manga started as a webcomic and became a bestseller across Japan -- with an anime coming soon!

Uramichi is a 31-year-old host on a kids' show who leads exercise routines and teaches life lessons colored by one main theme: Adulthood sucks. Alongside mascots played by a couple of bushy-tailed twentysomethings and a singing duo whose music embodies the notion of being kicked while you're down, Uramichi wades through the misery of working life, one sardonic comment at a time...

V2 - While grappling with unexpected overtime, unreasonable working conditions, and unflattering costumes, URAMICHI makes the acquaintance of other jaded professionals working deep behind the scenes. Digital strategist SAITO and merchandising whiz HANBEI almost seem like kindred spirits, but their respective bad attitude and worse temper keep the doors to URAMICHI's fragile heart firmly shut. There must be someone out there who understands... right?

My Thoughts:

I stumbled upon the first two volumes of Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan at my local library and didn't know what to expect. I had seen a friend mention the impending anime series on social media a few days beforehand, so I decided to give the manga a shot. The best description for what I found contained within the pages was "twisted." The story is about Uramichi, a 31-year-old retired gymnast who passes his days as the host of a children's show. Uramichi is the quintessential pessimist, and clearly has a lot of mental and emotional baggage, which is seen in his interactions with the kids and his peers.

His peers being four other performers who work on stage with Uramichi, and who round out the cast of main characters. These coworkers each have their own share of quirks and traumas as well. Because of this, the characters all mesh well together and tell an interesting and funny set of stories.

Funny and dark. The Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan series is definitely what would be considered dark humor. The characters clearly care about the kids that they are working with, but at are frequently sarcastic and go on about pain, depression, and job burnout. If you are sensitive to mental health issues, this may not be the series for you. However, if you are one of those people who likes to laugh through the pain then you will enjoy it.

The art work in these graphic novels is really clean and the story is not too complicated to follow. At some points there is a bit much going on within the pages, but it's all a part of the glorious chaos that makes the story work. One thing that I did like about this series is that there is a glossary in each volume where they cover Japanese terms used in the book that readers may not be familiar with.

As twisted as the story was, I loved Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan. There are currently only two volumes available and, as previously mentioned, an anime which aired during the summer of 2021 (available on Funimation). Volume three of the manga has been announced and has cover art. It is currently available for preorder and will be released on February 1, 2022. I can't wait.

Parent's Guide:

This book is rated 16+ due to content that is somewhat dark. It covers some deep topics like depression, and is probably not for kids. Mature older teens may enjoy it, depending on how twisted their sense of humor is.