Manga Review: My Broken Mariko by Hirako Waka

Very Average Joe
Jul 20
2 min read

English Title: My Broken Mariko

Japanese Title: マイ・ブロークン・マリコ

Writer & Artist: Hirako Waka

Released: 2019

Length: ~193 pages (includes short story “Yiska”)

Publisher: Kadokawa (Japanese), Yen Press (English)

My Broken Mariko is a single-volume work written and illustrated by Hirako Waka, her debut manga.

Shiino Tomoyo finds out on the news whilst eating lunch that her best friend, Ikagawa Mariko, has committed suicide. The two had just met up last week. Shiino knows the family doesn’t care, so she goes to Mariko’s father’s apartment and steals Mariko’s ashes with the intention of taking one last journey together…

Although it is a “road trip” premise, it is thankfully not merely that. Shiino does not take Mariko to five different places. At around 150 pages, the narrative is tight and avoids being a literal drag. If anything, the work can be slightly longer as there is room for a little more filler.

The author has skillfully weaved flashbacks into the present, often with images spanning merely a few panels. These interspersed panels are long enough for some exposition about Mariko’s past and the two women’s friendship, but also short and abrupt enough to convey Shiino’s grief.

The two met in high school, and Shiino had stood by Mariko as she suffered abuse and abandonment. Shiino’s motivation for this one last road trip is the guilt of having never been able to do much for Mariko. Even as she carries Mariko’s ashes, she is overwhelmed with helplessness.

I wouldn’t describe the narrative as an “exploration” of the theme but it is certainly a focus, and it does that well. This is not a surprise considering the author drew on her experiences and feelings on the matter since her mother had survived abusive parents.

The visual style is a little inconsistent, which Hirako admits. But this is also presumably deliberate, at least in part. Some panels, such as the memories of Mariko, are more conventional and quite refined. The present of Shiino running around uses more vigorous linework, it’s more raw and edgy. There is also the occasional use of a stronger perspective to convey that sense of heightened reality that comes with grief.

Whilst I think the latter approach can be cleaner, the spirit of said approach is still fitting. The story is not as “chick flick” as the premise might suggest. Whilst the narrative certainly does not shy away from the emotions, it thankfully does not glorify or overdo them either. This is good as it avoids being cheesy but having the art too clean doesn’t fit the mood either, so this selective use of a rougher style works.

The primary weakness is that there can be more closure. It is not that it is completely ambiguous or open, but it is too rushed or brief even if that kind of ending is intended. But still, debut work notwithstanding, it is overall a solid effort. The story works precisely because it has focus without trying too hard to dwell on or get carried away by the subject matter.