17-SAI.

DESCRIPTION

CHAPTERS

REVIEWS

• 

  Dalia

  5/100
  A tone-deaf attempt to capitalize on one of the most infamous displays of human evil in post-war Japanese history.

  __Disclaimer:__

  This review will undoubtedly be full of sensitive content, including allusions to sexual assault, kidnapping, torture, rape, and similar themes. Although I will not be speaking in depth about those.

  This won't really match my usual format for reviews, since I think prettying things up or glorifying the anime aesthetic would only serve to detract from the material that this manga covers. As the manga seems to do the real events enough injustice as-is, I'd like to avoid contributing to that any further.

  For those unaware, 17-sai is based on one of the most disgusting civilian cases and atrocities committed in post-war Japan. This is as stated in an official news post covering the events found here. It's likely that you'll see a few sources and outbound links within my review here, since I think sharing the actual events and tragedy that occured is important.

  __Review Format:__

  I'll cover a brief run-down of what happened, within AniList's guidelines and rules, and include a link to the wikipedia article on the case for those that are interested or willing to learn more about Junko Furata. Afterwards, we can discuss the manga with that information in mind.

  __The (Real) Story:__

  Junko Furata was a 17 year old girl heading home on her bike in late November. At this time, a group of chimpira (low-level Yakuza gang members) were prowling streets looking for young women to assault. One of the members had kicked over her bike, whilst the others feigned benevolence and tricked her to come alongside them. It was at this time that the assault on Furata began (on November 25th). The same day the finale to a TV show she loved, titled Tonbo / Dragonfly, was airing. She was excited to get home to watch the finale, but would never have the chance. This desire, latching onto the one thing she had aspired to do but knew she'd always miss, is something that Furata repeated to the perpetrators multiple times throughout the 40 day period she was held captive before being brutally tortured to death.

  It was during these 40 days that Furata was repeatedly sexually exploited, beaten, tortured, starved, and abused in countless ways too graphic for me to discuss on this platform. This ultimately lead to her death in a despicable tirade of abuse and cosntant torture until she died. The case itself is often-times referred to as the "concrete-encased high school girl murder case" due to the attempts of the criminals to hide her by encasing her corpse in concrete.

  One of the most alarming instances about this case is the degree of sentencing the criminals received. With average being 8 years in prison. Amongst the four primary yakuza members behind these acts (who were not the only ones involved, but simply the only ones charged); one received 20 years in prison, one received up to 9 years in prison, another received up to 7 years in prison, and the last spent only 8 years in juvenile detention. As these criminals have all been released for years, I won't get into their history or what they've done since their release; though the appended wikipedia article at the bottom of this reivew should include further information surrounding names if you want to explore further.

  __Dragonfly:__

  Although not essential to the case, I feel obligated to mention a bit of information here that no wikipedia article will tell you. Though for those familiar with the show Dragonfly (Tonbo) which Furuta had clung to through the last month and a half of her life, the series follows a member of the yakuza. Though the core concepts of the show make commentary on the social issues surrounding this gang violence, and make productive strides to educate and showcase far more altruistic themes throughout.

  This is a series which is far more relevant to this case, although by coincidence, as Furuta suffered from the very same group and themes and Dragonfly as a series, which she loved so much, attempted to make commentary about and educate for. Although she found the gem of a series and enjoed its fascinating story, the inhuman actions of those that committed the atrocities against her are sign enough that those same perpetrators are the ones who needed to see the series most.

  __17-sai:__

  With this context all laid out, it's possible to address the 17-sai manga series. The author, Seiji Fujii, seems to be fairly well known for books and works commentating on social issues. Though as someone that hasn't had any sort of interaction with his other work, I only have 17-sai to judge off of. I want to begin by expressing that I don't believe the author's intentions were to do the original crimes any injustice, but rather the author simply could not handle such a sensitive subject with enough tact to have been justified in taking up the project of publishing this.

  The series follows a very similar base series of events and crimes committed against a particular girl (intended to be a parallel to the late Junko Furuta). Though in this case, we follow the perspective of one of the yakuza members participating in the events. Although villainous protagonists are not an inherently negative thing, to implement one as your focal point in a series which is inspired by and intended to commentate on events such as Junko Furuta's murder, it's in extremely poor taste in my opinion.

  That being said, the more egregious issue with this is the attempt to develop a sort of sympathy and empathy for the protagonist. The series largely shifts focus away from the core issues, and finds itself covering more of a delinquent drama plot than a story about the captured girl. There is no social commentary to be had, and no criticism of the events depicted. It is to be assumed and understood that what is happening is bad, though the manga never seems to state as much. This may be a silly point to bring up, but as the manga-original sister of the captured girl begins to search for her and becomes yet another target of sexual harassment (and actual assault, dismissed as "attempted assault"), leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Especially given the manga's failure to cohesively tie things together in the end. We see people commit unfathomably terrible and inhuman actions against young girls, and we see them become recurring characters in the story. Yet they are not addressed, and one is even spun to be innocent by the end of the manga.

  The ever-present themes here of sexual assault, torture, kidnapping, and rape are handled extremely poorly. They're just there. They may be the core purpose for the plot driving forward, but they aren't treated with the sensitivity that they need to be. The captured girl is there just for the purpose of the drama of the plot, and does not define the actual point of the series. We get to see nothing from or of the girl throughout the course of these 35 chapters.

  __Compiling Thoughts:__

  Organizing my thoughts on a series this complex without actually commenting on the largely ToS-unsafe events within it (or from the real-world events) is challenging, so I recognize that this review may be very scattered at times. Though it's one that I wanted to make due to how egregiously I feel it does a disservice to Furuta's story. It does not build upon or otherwise do justice to the real case it is based off of. I think that it's an insulting spin on what happened.

  To me, 17-sai seems like an attempt to capitalize on one of the infamous and disgusting civilian cases in Japan, and exploit the real world events to tell a story which detracts from the actual victim's story. I find that it's alarmingly void of empathy or tact, although I do doubt the author's intentions were to craft something which belittled Furuta's real story so much. Though given the end results, Seiji Fujii was not well-equipped enough as a writer to even begin to approach a case as complicated as this. Even just the writing of women in general within the manga goes to show a demonstrable failure to grasp the complexity of the themes being incorporated into the story.

  It's an okay manga, still full of its own issues from a storytelling perspective. But as a piece of fiction inspired by and retelling a parallel to events from a real-world case of genuine evil from human beings? It's insulting, belittling, and outrageous. Instead, please review this wikipedia article which covers the entirety of what happened to Furuta. This article alone is full of so much more emotion and tact than the manga, and is only a page in length.

  __Dragonfly Pt.2:__

  For any that are familiar with the case of Junko Furuta, or those that are just learning about it for the first time, I emplore you to give a listen to the opening theme for Dragonfly. If not as a tribute to Furuta and the pain she experienced, at least to gain a little bit of closeness to this girl who was never able to live out even the smallest of dreams to finish her favorite television series.

  Exploring the comments themselves is worthwhile as well, just to see those around the world that find themselves disappointed by the lack of humanity (or to some, the raw evil of humanity brought to a head) shown in her final two months. I love the theme of this series, just as Furuta did, and hope that some others can come to share just this little bit of joy that Furuta had looked forward to in her life.

  She may not have been able to hear the theme for one last time, but her prayers can be answered through those of us that are still here and have the ability to honor her.

  __Personal Note:__

  Junko Furuta is and was incredibly strong, and that's a special kind of strength I can't even begin to imagine. She has impacted people all around the world more than anyone could ever imagine in their lifetime, and has been an incredible force for change in the world. Although the world is always in need of more change, Furuta's strength won't be forgotten. It'll live on through me, and will now live on through this little bit of rambling I've done here on a silly anime website.

  Continue on AniList

SIMILAR MANGAS YOU MAY LIKE

• MANGA

  DramaBradherley no Basha
• MANGA

  VS - Kitakantou Renzoku Youjo Yuukai Satsujin Jiken no Shinjitsu