The Most Disturbing Story I've Read in Years

[@TheTaleFoundry]

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[@axjagfilms]

Is it alright if I could request a review on -Metamorphosis?-

[@Alphatryon]

Will you ever cover murder drones?

[@KuronoCthulhu]

Nanako is not lobotomized in the story. She clearly consents to the sex and is an active participant. If you want to argue that she died afterwards, as we see the trepanation hole bleeding and never see her again, that's fair, but nothing implied she was lobotomized or couldn't consent. With the teenage girl, as well, you misrepresented several things. First, it was not Nakoshi's idea to take her virginity, it was his crackpot crossdressing "doctor" who came up with the idea because he was attracted to her. Second, it isn't the rape that "helps" the girl, its after Nakoshi exposes her self-harm wounds on her leg that begins her awakening into her own person. She needed that hidden part of her life exposed, as her self-harm was a coping mechanism she kept secret as many teenagers do. Still, incredibly messed up scene. She calls the blood-splatter beautiful because it was her first ever truly selfish and free act, she splatters the blood right after Nakoshi says to her "Now, do whatever you want," when confronted by her Mom peering into the car. I'm not at all saying the whole scene isn't absolutely messed up, but it is clearly more complicated than you represented it to be. I think the author is trying to express a difficult truth about people, that we don't want to hear or admit. Some people only truly gain their own self-identity through a sexual lens - granted usually in a much healthier way than in the story for the girl. Just look at how many people claim their sexual identity in their teenage years and how it helps them form their own self-image and inform their personality going forward. Also, saying that Nakoshi only helps one more person after the girl is wrong. He helps the doctor, Nanako (though truly by that point it was unclear exactly how much was projection and how much was legitimate), and the second Yakuza boss who comes after Nanako. I think you saw Nakoshi do something horrible, but complicated, to the teenage girl and then decided he was a villain, as you said in the video. I don't think he's a black and white villain, though at times reprehensible. He is someone who has completely lost his identity and is struggling to find any authentic version of himself after royally screwing over his self-identity by having cosmetic surgery and repressing his memories of his own youth. Also not recognizing Nanako is not a knock against Nakoshi, as she too had had a large amount of cosmetic plastic surgery to change her face. Overall, I like your content, but you seem to have dumbed this one down quite a bit in a way that is disappointing. If you don't want to go in depth about controversial topics like teenage sexuality, crossdressing and transgenderism (which you didn't mention at all despite the doctor's story being a major focus throughout), self-harm and identity - then you shouldn't have tried to make a video about Homunculus. Don't take this as personal criticism, I do like your work and want to see your channel grow - but please don't become one of those surface level analysis channels that spreads lackluster interpretations of complex stories.

[@RTWLR]

Do you take requests? Because there's a storytelling trope I'd love to be educated on

[@MossCoveredBonez]

VPN's dont provide all the security that they claim too. Especially depending on the browsers people use, like chrome and edge that collect as much data as possible regardless of vpn's

[@crushingon]

I think one of the most effective, but cruel ways for a writer to convince the readers that a character is a manipulator is to successfully manipulate the audience into rooting for them.

[@catbatrat1760]

Yo, that is SUCH a good way of putting it! :D

[@asmodeusguys4472]

Yeah, look at eren yeager or walter white. People PRAISE these guys for being "right", depsite the fact that the story is basically warning you to NOT root for them.

[@caldw615]

BoJack Horseman had this to a point the show itself even tried to address it.

[@RiveroftheWither]

Doflamingo from One Piece

[@druminik]

You're goddamn right

[@greenhydra10]

Your regularly scheduled reminder that protagonist does NOT mean hero.

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

Agreed

[@sashagornostay2188]

Reality check

[@1personithink]

Yeah he could be a vending machine!

[@whitelight2195]

​@@1personithink Oh no you don’t, no one could have such an incongruous and idiotic idea and then think that investing a large amount of money into animating it is a good idea, that would be silly, UNDERSTOOD. As they say "There is no war in Baa sing se" and "There is no vending machine protagonist".

[@1personithink]

@@whitelight2195 I love this one replay (thanks for making my day)

[@cristian-vladutcurca7467]

For me is fairly obvious that the protagonist never had an actual power of seeing someone's soul or insecurity, but as a narcissist he mastered his manipulation and non-verbal language recognition for years so that he could peel apart facades. That's why, in my opinion, he saw men with diverse struggles and women with struggles only related to their sexuality given his awful history. Opinions?

[@Talisguy]

He wants to feel special, so he took his visual hallucinations and projection of his own issues onto other people as a sign that he had Special Protagonist Powers. He wants to build an identity out of other people's trauma because he feels empty inside, but he's so narcissistic that he can only see what he _thinks_ is their trauma, which is what he expects of them, and he makes his judgements very, very quickly.

[@overestimatedforesight]

I think that's dead on. I knew a man like him and, though he had no holes in his head, he were certain he knew how everyone worked - which just so happened to be men were really like him and women were all jealous and emotional vampires.

[@mojrimibnharb4584]

My exact thought!

[@mareczek00713]

Nah, he did see Yakuza's issue, cutting off pinkies is way too specific to be accidental even considering it's more common about Yakuza since as a boss he has no boss to potentially apologize like that to. IMO the thing is that this power is personal to both people in seen-seeing dynamic - he seen Yakuza boss as a child in armor of a toy as expression of insecurity because he himself was a childish man unable to bear responsibility and escaping his pregnant GF and only the sickle to the pinky was inherently that man's specific, with the girl true issue being constantly collapsing and reshaping, afraid to show her true self while body made of sand was expression of vulnerable and easily broken ego he shared with her, similar with egg head - that homeless man was encapsulated whole as a safe heaven while protagonist face was of his making, a sign of abandoning his previous life to embrace success and wealth, just as now egg to face was a sign of new transformation to insane fixer of humans. It's like seeing color, all of us see it sligtly differently because of slight variations to eye shape and different eye colors seeing it slightly differently, it's just that in the end he became so self-absorbed his ego overwritten all he could see completely.

[@somedudeok1451]

I don't think narcisissts are necessarily good at understanding people or seeing past their presentation. In fact, I think it's the opposite. They see in people whatever suits their own mood or interest. That is why they try to control and manipulate you into exactly the role they chose for you. They can rarely see past their own delusions projected onto other people.

[@firestorm1088]

The shift of Nakoshi from someone you root for at the beginning to the monster we see later is a perfect example of how most monsters are in the real world. They seem like perfectly normal, even likable people, until they don’t. On a more personal note, as someone who has struggled with mental health, I’m quite familiar with people trying to “help” you to feed their own narcissism.

[@somelonelyguy000]

Agreed

[@dylanclark9903]

Projection. It’s about projection. And about how we have to address our own shadow or else inflict it on reality.

[@acacacacacacaccaca7666]

i think the homeless guy who stops him from staring down explains it perfectly, the reason why he couldnt see his face had nothing to do with his face, he spent his whole life looking down, at firs he looked at his feet then he looked down at women as he ejaculated on their faces and he looked down at everyone from the hotel window, even after going homeless he looked down at the other homeless people refusing to set up a tent or telling them how he ended up like that and he brought them alcohol as a way to look down at them, his only meaningful relationship was with a girl he knew for 3 months. He never was a person, there was never anything inside of him because he only ever looked down thats why looking at himself in that old picture did nothing he just saw the same empty person he always was

[@avpman150]

Who knows? 🤷‍♂️

[@wiegraf-FNC]

yes! exactly my thoughts too

[@SamuelBlack84]

I would happily unleash my own dark side onto the world I'm not a do-gooder who wants the best for everyone else I want what's best for me Screw everyone else

[@tristanfarmer9031]

Not everyone is a good person. The point of view of a terrible person won't always make sense. They usually think they are justified.

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

Tr😢

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

True

[@Talisguy]

Not everyone who goes into a career based around helping people is doing so for good reasons. You need to be able to recognise your own biases and bracket them off before trying to help other people, or you risk doing more harm than good.

[@mojrimibnharb4584]

Everyone believes themselves to be the good guy.

[@Ezkanohra]

This guy has read too much epic fantasy lol

[@InsomniaticVampire]

The homunculus were never really portrayals of his victims but his own twisted way of viewing them

[@hexchexsaygexhexagon]

YES.

[@hexchexsaygexhexagon]

@Grey_angel1536 mine would be a pencil with no eraser, which is constantly, lightly touching the ground, slowly dying, but gets themselves in sharpeners and think its a bad thing

[@Koff33.]

If i had a homunculus, he'd be half wolf, half dragon, half demon and cool and sociable and the king of the jumgle, he has 19 abs and a lot of muscles and a demon tail and a halo also he has mind control powers and can warp reality, he is also the princess of the netherlands and he get all the girls also he has a horse that can transform into a jetplane which can fly at light speed and his name is "Dexter" because its a cool name

[@Koff33.]

he is also very good at fortnite and minecraft

[@xHappzx]

​@@Koff33. What are you, like 9?

[@babungo6090]

In the intro, before you even said what manga you had read, I was thinking to myself "he probably read a gore-filled psychological horror manga. Surely he wouldn't be talking about-" and then you said "homunculus" and my heart stopped.

[@kinguchiha6212]

It really didn’t seem gory at all to me. No one was decapitated or disemboweled. Fucked up psychologically for sure tho.

[@MeemahSN]

@@kinguchiha6212 I think you misinterpreted their comment. They wanted to believe that Talebot had simply found a particularly gory manga, when in actuality, what he read was what they were initially thinking of.

[@SurrealKeenan]

I've read this story and I wonder if the point was that he didn't get any supernatural ability. What if he was already observant and just lost a connection between his subconscious and his conscious. When he sees a person, he projects what he assumes to be their insecurities onto them. He sees the short man and assumes that he must have a height complex. He sees a boring guy and assumes he must be a shallow, 2 dimensional person. He sees random women and, being subconsciously sexist, focuses on their sexuality

[@trubadorn8573]

thats something to consider fur sure! in that case "the magic" within this horror is just the worst case of magical thinking imaginable..one of a sick and twisted mind. your findings help to uncover a pattern which suits perfectly a pestilent narcissist. their modus operanti is very much about abusing the weakpoints of other people while projecting their delusions on them

[@calliesnotcreative]

Yeah I really think it's his own projections onto others. Which is why when he tried to drill a hole in his ex-wife's head it just lobotomised her. And that by the end, because he was so self obsessed and self-righteous, all he could see was himself.

[@aazhie]

A pretty legit interpretation, IMO!

[@fernandoavalos5528]

He had the powers. He guessed way too specific things that atributing it to chance alone is absurd.

[@avpman150]

Maybe, but the thing with Yakuza still gets to me. It was too spot on

[@jacobwooten977]

He makes me think of people that call themselves empaths, the ones that seem to have an addiction to fix everyone around them, but never face their own issues

[@avpman150]

Don’t know what you are talking about but you might wanna check ur projections

[@jacobwooten977]

@@avpman150 looks like we found one

[@purrlee2467]

as a bonus, the ones that intentionally abuse people and brag that they can see the pain they looked forward to causing in the first place, "I must be an empath!"

[@ascendantindigo271]

Some of us are actually "fixing" ourselves, by offering to fix "others". But we're not Empathic, we're "Morphic Resonant Inter-Dimensional Hyper Links".

[@SamuelBlack84]

Good thing I'm not an empath

[@Majik-7121]

I’ve read so many disturbing manga and still I get a really bad pain in my stomach when I read them

[@Majik-7121]

No it’s not a Illness it’s a mental thing my brain makes me feel like my stomach is in pain but it isn’t

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

​@@Majik-7121 that makes sense

[@AjenjoAnejo]

It sounds like you need to not eat taco bell before reading manga.

[@Majik-7121]

@@AjenjoAnejo i don’t even eat Taco Bell

[@voidlets3359]

U good?

[@Sarah97359]

I think if this story really had been about some guy who went around "fixing" people's traumas somehow, it'd make this story very shallow and disappointing. Trauma isn't something a random encounter with some dude can "fix," and only someone at the height of arrogance, narcissism, presumptuousness, and lack of empathy could believe themselves capable of "fixing" other people, as this manga clearly shows.

[@dali3839]

​​@Wolfenzorn Bro, What you are describing is HELPING people not "fixing" them. Both are very diferent and you should know that. Thinking you can FIX people IS narcissistic, HELPING people is not, being empathetic and sympathetic is not narcissistic either. Why do you confuse both AND get offended by your OWN thoughts.

[@mrszmatan2727]

​@WolfenzornYes you got offended by your own faulty interpretation. So in a way your own thoughts. Anyway, back to the topic. Thinking you can just come in someone's life and fix all their psychological problems is as delusional as believing that someone can do same for you, which some people actually believe in. You can always help people if you know how, that's why therapy and counseling can work if they are done properly. None of the characters in a story asked to be helped. Neither the help provided was appropriate.

[@K8tieR6]

I think one way of breaking down the difference between "helping" vs "fixing" is like this: I have a source of trauma in my past that has left me with a lot of trust issues. "Helping" is something my friends and family and therapist do, where people respect boundaries I set, offer support when they can, etc. Its something that they do because they care about me. "Fixing" is if someone met me in the supermarket, saw I have trust issues, assumed they could figure out said trust issues and the trauma related to them in a single one-sided conversation they attempt to corner me into, assume that they can make all those problems go away in the same conversation, and then attempt to remove said problems without asking me. Also, on op's point about thinking the story would be shallow if it was about fixing people - I think it would have felt good to read that story, where our protagonist goes around and makes everyone around him better by confronting their demons for them, but I don't think it would be a story that stuck with me, outside of the 2am realization of the horrifying ableism that idea plays with. A story where the point is that people can be """""""helped"""""""" by removing their trauma without their input or consent, and that after doing that, those people are perfectly happy and doing great; it would feel good to pretend that was true, but it would come with a layer of ick because I know its NOT true and that the real life consequences of that kind of belief are incredibly harmful. Its a pretty and neat solution for a messy and complex problem, and while sometimes its nice to pretend, stories I find deep and impactful aren't usually ones that pretend problems aren't as complex as they actually are for the sake of a feel good solution.

[@diem1095]

My ex-roommate tried to do the same thing. He isn't a 'bad guy' just an incredibly self-centered, head in the sand type of person. And that I can "fix" my depression by just "think happier thoughts". Trying to explain that over a decade of mental illness cant be fixed with cat memes and a walk was like trying to pull teeth, but he genuinly believed that depression could be fixed this way. I conpletely agree with you. Thinking you're shallow understanding of someone's trauma can be fixed with a single act or conversation is the height of self-aggrandizing delulu takes. I had such a hard time getting through the movie (I know, not the same thing as the manga, but close enough) and I was like "yikes, this went from 'hay I like this" to actively hopeing the protag gets got)

[@roundninja]

Yeah that's a good point. The premise was flawed from the beginning, because the main character was flawed. A story is better if it examines those flaws than if it ignores them.

[@Ballinout30]

I think the writer wanted you to know these people exist in the world and not be oblivious to it. Sometimes trying to avoid these realities and pretend the don't exist makes us weaker and easier targets for such individuals.

[@avpman150]

It makes ya wonder

[@SamuelBlack84]

I just avoid everyone everywhere and only communicate when I have to I've learned to be very distrustful of other people

[@trollingisasport]

I read this surprisingly. There was one part that was really gruesome where the protagonist subscribed to Nord VPN for one year with a money-back guarantee.

[@cvampaul]

Oh, Hell Nah!

[@fie4426]

"Now every homonculous he sees looks exactly like him " that gave me goosebumps

[@alexicon2006]

REALLY recommend PTSD Radio! Its on par with Junji Ito and Homunculus imo. Although it is unique in its own right.

[@elusive-osmium]

PTSD Radio is so ahead of the other ones you mentioned it's unbelievably good

[@gananfisherman1926]

True PTSD Radio is similar to those two and I do hope if he interested on reading the manga😙

[@alexicon2006]

@@elusive-osmium Personally Both Homunculus and Radio are GOATED in my opinion. But yeah youre right. PTSD Radio is PEAK. HORROR. Anyone who disagrees is wrong.

[@alexicon2006]

@@gananfisherman1926 I sure hope he is. That manga was what made me interested in haircare as a younger teen lmao.

[@charlieprexta5052]

I read a lot of homonculus, that’s REALLY good, been years since I heard that

[@LoganKearsley]

Trepanation was actually a life-saving procedure in many cases for relieving pressure on the brain after cranial injuries.

[@slopbucketeer6129]

Nowadays yes. Before the 19th century it was used as a cure all for a lot of different mental illnesses. It fell out of favor due to its high mortality rate and due to the invention of the lobotomy but, like you said, is still used today in case of emergency

[@Sorrowdusk]

​@@slopbucketeer6129😮 people did it even in the neolithic stone age days. Sometimes people had a LOT of holes in their head, AND they healed.

[@spugintrntl]

It's also the first/oldest surgery that we have archeological evidence of.

[@rhov-anion]

It is still used in extreme brain trauma. I have an aunt who had it done after a severe car accident (she turned out fine but was comatose for months) and my sister needed a hole drilled into her skull and a pump inserted when she was just a few months old because she was born with hydrocephalus (water on the brain). While not exactly the same as trepanation, it's still drilling a hole to relieve pressure on the brain.

[@AbsurdlyGeeky]

Bot?

[@Lady_Chalk]

Oh I never finished reading that one. I think the "homunculus" that the doctor who performed the surgery on the main character was the most interesting. Also, I was certain that the main character actually had a lot of money, he was just tired of living that life.

[@KryyssTV]

The title stems not from the literal meaning of the word but rather the Sensory Homunculus diagram showing how we'd look based upon how much different parts of our body send information about our surroundings to our brain. You've probably seen this image dozens of times, the man with huge hands and face. The story is a twist on that concept, how we'd look based upon our psyche. A Psycho Homunculus if you will.

[@Talisguy]

I haven't read the manga, but going by what I've seen in your video: Nakoshi wants to help people to fill the hole in himself. He doesn't know who he is, he lacks a coherent sense of identity of his own, so he makes other people's trauma his identity. Essentially, _he_ decided that the visual hallucinations he's experiencing are representations of people's inner trauma, and not just...y'know. Hallucinations from brain damage sustained in the surgery. He took a phenomenon that had several different possible interpretations, including an obvious one that doesn't require the existence of the paranormal but is both boring and a bit of a bummer to think about, and he picked the one that made him The Main Character. His changing reflection shows this: each person he has "saved" becomes a part of his personality to fill the complete emptiness he feels inside. In addition to the possibility that he's just hallucinating and occasionally making lucky guesses about people's childhood traumas, he's very likely projecting his own feelings onto people to form their homunculi (the girl with the vibrating pelvis and the girl with the locked pelvis seem to imply that he's quick to label one a slut and the other "frigid," for instance.) Also...this might be a reach, but a protagonist still being considered a "hero" by the story after doing some pretty despicable things is not uncommon in fiction. His a self-image as a hero and a saviour that he's building because there's nothing else to him - or at least, nothing else that he wants to acknowledge - wouldn't necessarily be shaken by some of the horrible things he does. I won't name specific examples, but I'm sure most people can think of a work of fiction, particularly an older work of fiction, where the "hero" does something horrifying and it's just brushed aside because the author doesn't see it as a problem.

[@crios8307]

I'm fairly certain you are wrong, because that isn't the main theme. It's more of a forth wall projection, and while Nakoshi isn't constantly villanized, the ending is... Well, fitting for what he did. I sincerely urge you to read Homunculus if you have a strong stomach (I know that after the TW I wouldn't recommend it lightly) because I personally think that even Tale Foundry omitted important details that deepen the nuances of dark greys of Nakoshi's character that at least would contextualise the whole manga. "Hero" isn't the word I'd use for Nakoshi, because even he (and the writer) is disgusted by himself in several instances. But he is a complex protagonist, born out of a culture that us westerners cannot totally accept, and if possible we would censore him even as a literary figure.

[@Velvetkitten805]

​@@crios8307of the omissions by Tale Foundry, is one of the most important characters to the story. Could be one of the reasons the review is confusing a lot of people.

[@heehoopeanut420]

No dude, he's projecting how he views others onto them.

[@SamuelBlack84]

Power Wealth Dominion That should be the direction in life

[@TheHelion1988]

Something interesting that you said: When I first met Nagashi, opposing to: When Nagashi was introduced to me. It really shines a light on how deeply you percieve books. They are not just entertainment, but a way to experience the world arround you. It is a beautiful sentiment

[@dragoon6551]

I think what i took from the story more than anything was the danger of assuming what you see or perceive about people is an aspect of them, rather than an aspect of yourself and your own preconceptions. and the danger of trying to force your viewpoint onto others.

[@ivanav.3136]

with one eye covered, one looks at the world outside while the other looks in. the mangaka has been telling us the truth about the protag from the very beginning.

[@hellenrose9556]

One of the points of this story is that trying to 'fix' other peoples problems in the way that YOU THINK is the best for them will usualy just create more of a problems (like my parents trying to 'fix' me in my early teens, which led to... let's just say much worst problems in my life) It is about trying to mold people into what you think they should be, without considerong what THEY actualy want to be. There is much more to be unpacked about this, but this one thing is kinda obvious.

[@pancakes8670]

In a very strange way this reminds me of that weird show "Xavier Renegade Angel", where the main character is a Narcissist who constantly hallucinates and builds up his own importance, going around and "Fixing" peoples problems that they didn't ask him to fix, and almost always leaving the world a worse place than when he found it.

[@TheLithp]

Wait, THAT'S what that show is supposed to be about?

[@lolnothxyt]

Man I loved that show. I need to watch it again

[@blights5468]

Goated show

[@pbee.njayay444]

@@TheLithpyou gotta pay attention to the dialogue more bc it legit is about that. I remember when I first this show and almost pissed myself laughing at the absurdity

[@Vekuyo]

I remember reading this one. I actually loved that they have you initially rooting for a guy that turned out so horrible. Everyone is the protagonist in their own story, even the terrible people.

[@littledreamerrem7021]

If you haven't already, check out The Summer Hikaru Died. Really interesting premise and eerie art, psychological-meets-supernatural. Without going too deep, it's about a boy, Yoshiki, whose friend Hikaru went missing on a mountain. Whatever came back may look, talk, and act like Hikaru, but Hikaru's gone. "Hikaru" lives in his place, and there's no changing that. Whatever feelings Yoshiki has for the real Hikaru, he has to come to terms with the fact that he isn't coming back. And then there's the extent to which "Hikaru" will go to protect Yoshiki... Update: An anime adaption has been announced!

[@denisejeffries2675]

I own copies of that series (still ongoing) and I LOVE it!!!! The Sunmer Hikaru Died and Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun are my two favorites.

[@sophiaro4593]

sounds a lot like some "Stranger"-episodes of The Magnus Archives. I think I'll give it a try!

[@littledreamerrem7021]

@@sophiaro4593 An anime adaptation of the series has just been announced! Given the track record of horror manga adaptations so far, I'm keeping my hopes low, but seeing the story on screen will be interesting.

[@josephoyek6574]

Spoil me: what is the thing that took Hikaru's place?

[@PERIX_QR]

That....took a way a darker turn than I expected.

[@viktordjambov1437]

Homunculus has to be one of my favourite worst experiences

[@catherinecao4810]

This story kind of reminded me of “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Both protagonists are narcissists who destroy the lives around them, but the difference is in their handling of self-perception. Dorian hides from his shadow by distracting himself with hedonistic pursuits, hiding the portrait (the physical representation of his true self, his self-loathing, and his moral conscious) away and refusing to let others see it. The few moments of vulnerability where he is forced to confront how far he’s fallen lead to outbursts of rage that end in death, first when Basil confronts him about his fall, and then when he is finally faced with his own hypocrisy. Nakoshi projects his “portrait” onto others and acts in a similarly destructive manner, “fixing” them to assure himself. He sees his flaws and problems in others, but fails to see them in himself until he actually has to deal with them in other people. He can’t see his homunculus because he isn’t actually willing to reflect on himself. He isn’t trying to help these people, he’s trying to chase away his own inner demons. When he loses the ability to see the homunculi, he panics, because it means he can’t nitpick others for their flaws in place of himself.

[@m.j.n.808]

It reminded me of the Stranger by Camus in the way that the main characters are constantly trying to manipulate that audience into supporting them throughout the book. However, there is an irredeemable event that happens around the midpoint for both, which really shows the true characters of Nakoshi and Meursault. For Nakoshi, it's the rape and if you've never read the stranger, you'll know what it is when you get there, lol

[@judithwilliams3147]

Same.

[@jessecatrainham6957]

The relationship of any "healer" to their subjects is not an inherently balanced one. The feeling of having both power and "special knowledge" is a recipe for vanity and corruption; especially under a guise or delusion of altruism.

[@lerneanlion]

Somehow, this video became the most terrifying video I ever watched. And it needed no ghosts, demons or monsters whatsoever. Just humans being humans and their twisted emotions kept humans being... well... humans.

[@Kobe-Saikai-Incident]

Not to be that guy but absolutely to be that guy. technically the protagonist saw people as monsters. and since that is vital plot point for the stories message technically it did.

[@lerneanlion]

@@Kobe-Saikai-Incident That's the point. Humans are monsters by just being humans.

[@Kobe-Saikai-Incident]

@@lerneanlion I know I’m just being technical here.

[@lerneanlion]

@@Kobe-Saikai-Incident Thanks for saying it anyway.

[@crab5862]

Woah, a Tale Foundry video I found in under 5 minutes of it uploading. Nice!

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

Agreed.

[@Spookworm]

Honestly, this is a really well done portrayal of this sort of psychological thriller-esque story. Protagonists do not always have to be the good guy, and to have our main perspective be told through the lens of the 'monster' of the story is always a really challenging and unique way of writing. It's real difficult to keep an audience engaged with a character made with the intention to be hated and I personally think we don't have enough of these kinds of stories, where the audience gets that real depressing and gross morality wake-up call from the protagonist themselves. The story hints at this undertone of "You're not exempt from the trauma of these situations, not as the victim, nor the perpetrator." Without victim blaming or severely babying the abuser. This guy essentially speedruns losing his mind, with no one to blame but himself for just about everything that happens. And the fact that we as the audience have to sit there in that serious, depressingly heavy tone with the thought of "well? What did you expect? You're not exempt from the consequences of your actions, whether they're internal or external. Whether you legally atone for a crime or find yourself haunted by the memories for years to come, you aren't an exception in any of these situations.". Tbh, I applaud the writers and artists of this series. They certainly drop kick their audience into that reality-check, and from that point on, they make it a point to let you know that the protagonist isn't a good person and that he never really was. They showcase his downfall in a way that doesn't make you feel bad for him. You never feel like he was 'justified' in doing something awful, it was never as if he was asked to go around and intervene with the homunculi anyway, it seems like he had just deluded himself into believing his 'sixth sense' made him important somehow.

[@Archonagon]

I love stuff like this. Putting aside the darker tones of what is *done* in the story, it reads like an episode of The Twilight Zone. Your main character isn't necessarily a good guy, he never *has* to be, and yet the main character usually is, in fact it's how books and stories tend to be judged (sometimes literally from the cover). The main character isn't "a good guy" but he can have moment's where he is, at least on the face of things, trying to do what he believes is the right thing (early on), even if it is in service if his own gains. It isn't until you know of his past, and where his actions lead him (the conclusion) that the "Twilight Zone" effect kicks in, which is what makes it (to me) such a great story. It's the "grey area" that human inhabit, put onto paper. The protagonist isn't unfailingly "good" or "heroic," and while he is the protagonist of the story, he is also the antagonist of his own story, which I also find adds a layer to everything, and makes it a great story. This is a human story, with some Japanese Horror concepts thrown in. People are not binary, they are shades of grey, depending on the situation they find themselves in. In this story, you, the reader, can see an attempt at "good" and you can hope for this person's well being. Then, as their background and actions are printed onto page, your perspective is designed by the author to switch. Suddenly this person, whom you may have been cheering for, is shown to be human, flawed, incomplete (in this case literally), and by helping others, he is witness and participant to their traumas, making them his own, until all traumas are just reflections of himself, which is fitting, as he was narcisitic to begin with. To this person, a reflection of the self in everyone, could be considered a type of "heaven." He belongs everywhere, around anyone, he IS the homunculus, which in classic literature, can take on ANY form its creator chooses. He is a little person, who is "made" by the world around him, and his own actions.

[@Dexter12-12]

Thank you so much for being considerate enough to leave a warning. I've seen some stuff I really didn't want to see and heard some stuff I didn't want to hear because of creators not thinking about there Audience

[@roundninja]

I think I've met a few people like that. They try to see inside your head and "fix" your problems. Sometimes they do have real insight, and sometimes they are really trying to help, but the motivation isn't necessarily altruistic, and their help isn't necessarily helpful. It's often more of a desire for control and a disrespect for privacy which motivates them. This is why they tend to move from person to person and not stick around when their help is actually needed. People are more like puzzles to solve or locks to pick, from their perspective, rather than living, growing things. Just something you finish with, then throw away.

[@tescomealdeal8329]

My stomach turned inside out with the process of that 2nd homunculi.

[@EmRose.r]

The Yakuza quits this life and becomes a house husband for his beloved wife

[@evilpompom]

Thank you so much for the content warning! Very considerate 😊

[@VideoEssayWatcher5484]

Just wait till he finds out about Goodnight Punpun, ohhhh boy.

[@Nagadirchan]

Oh yes, Homunculus, together with SekaiOni by Okabe Uru and Berserk by Miura Kentarou, the most fucked up manga I ever read, all in my Top 10 also. After this trio, everything feels like childs play in the disturbing department

[@Giguv05]

Hohoho, oh yeah, SekaiOni is something else.

[@2SSSR2]

In that case I would highly recommend that you check Girl Last Tour manga. It is short, only ~50 or so Chapters, it is at the same time quite wholesome and very depressing. It's about two girls daily lives as they traverse post-apocalypse world, there is honestly nothing quite like it out there. The anime also exists but it does not cover entire story, so go with the manga and I can assure you - if you liked Remina and this manga you will very much enjoy Girls Lat Tour but for other reasons.

[@nicholasromero238]

It was wild how that series was both grim and weirdly cozy

[@wulfenstien321]

This is the story of a sociopath. They are uniformly narcissistic, but people who have NPD can still feel repulsion and self loathing. Sociopaths don’t.

[@shadowdante1102]

Umm, thats not true. Sociopaths can feel repulsion and self loathing, to my knowledge, all humans can. Its just that different things activate those emotions in them, and they typically dont feel it as intensely as the average person

[@0320hkada]

Sociopathy actually hasn't been used as a standalone diagnosis for quite a while. Instead, it got folded into disorders like Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder.

[@blarg2429]

@@0320hkada And those personality disorders (and, I think, likely most or all personality disorders in general) are basically just systemized forms of medical malpractice. Psychiatry is, in its current form, little more than a dangerous pseudoscience used to repackage a given practitioner's biases as a set of diagnostic labels. The underlying behaviors that have been labeled in these ways are primarily trauma responses and maladaptive coping mechanisms.

[@wulfenstien321]

@Wolfenzorn I'm a psychologist and have written papers on the dark tetrad. Policing others online isn't doing you any good.

[@wulfenstien321]

@@0320hkada Sociopathy is a heuristic used to describe where someone falls on the APD spectrum.

[@francas277]

Trepanation is still done today to relieve hematoma and intracranial pressure and was most likely done due to the same reasons by ancient civilizations

[@Thannak]

Dungeon Meshi is worth a shot for its 10/10 worldbuilding.

[@tescomealdeal8329]

DUNGEON MESHI MENTION??

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

Cool

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

​@@tescomealdeal8329 yup

[@robertbeisert3315]

I remember having to hunt for scanlations, and now it's mainstream. And a more deserving manga I've seldom seen.

[@asmithgames5926]

Thank you for having the courage to post stuff like this on YT.

[@anythingyoucando1546]

One anime that is closely linked to fairy tales (not FairyTale. That is the wrong one.) is called "Mushi-shi". Is also written as Mushishi. Think of Japanese Twilight Zone. People tend to describe it as a haunting calm series. The main protagonist has one eye that is a seagreen color and he also has white hair. At least in this series the protagonist is likable. You can watch a couple of trailers to see if it's up your alley or not. It is not flashy.

[@ZacWilliams-i1j]

I loved how they explained the procedure. A child is open minded but eventually grow to be close minded

[@Jo-Jet]

In terms of manga, I would suggest reading "Pluto" from Naoki Urasawa. one of my personal favorite stories. plus it has robots. you will like it.

[@kazumihiga7792]

And the anime adaptation is nice and so well done 😁

[@cagedcreature439]

If you guys plan on doing more manga in the future. Here’s a few recommendations -Berserk by Kentaro Miura -Gegege no Kintaro by shigeru mizuki -Dororo by Osamu Tezuka -As the gods will by Muneyuki Kaneshiro - Phoenix by Osamu Tezuka -Devil man by Go Nagai -Dragon God Pond by Shotaro Ishinomori

[@TheBomb420]

I was just clicked on your channel after 4 months to see this video released 5 minutes ago, what timing!

[@SirElmothe3rd]

ok

[@ligh7ningx7]

interesting perspective. flipping the trope of the regular joe, given powers and using them to help others. it's what we hope to see when we look in the mirror, but knowing the opposite is more likely, the truth

[@danteshollowedgrounds]

My brain for one moment went like Nintendo Wall-E.

[@SirElmothe3rd]

sleep with one eye open :)

[@sojh17]

Saw this one on nebula. Can confirm I was very disturbed

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

Cool

[@keineangabe1804]

Poor homlees man gets tricked into drilling a hole in his head and goes insane.

[@adityagarasiya388]

He already was insane before that

[@choccocker]

the protagonist must be the MAIN inspiration for Jimmy's character in Mouthwashing. they have the same behaviour, the same patterns, the same delusions, the same manipulation tactics

[@ScorbunGame]

One manga that I can recommend if you love surreal, creepy stories is The Promised Neverland. I can't say what the actual core premise is without major spoilers for the first arc but it's worth seeing just how far down the writers go down the rabbit hole.

[@alexicon2006]

Hearing that name makes me so sad 😔

[@Giguv05]

I recommend reading Shadow House for a similar premise of children trying to outsmart an oppressive system of adults. I think so far it's still going strong, while I felt like Promised Neverland kinda deflated after the first couple of acts, once it starts trying to build the wider setting.

[@ceinwenchandler4716]

Major spoilers for the whole thing, really. The ending is amazing. It had me crying. But Norman was always my favorite character. I'm not sure why.

[@10thletter40]

This MC is such a terrible person, I am absolutely dying at how irredeemable he is 😂

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

Agreed.

[@s0ulwind]

I'll have to check that out. It kind of reminds me of an RPG called Changeling the Dreaming. Characters can see the spirit, the dream aspect of the people and things around them. This definitely shows the horror that's capable with that aspect.

[@KitsuyuutsuR]

I find this is fairly typical in manga and anime. The protagonist is not always a hero. Sometimes he’s a complete jerk that you hate but can’t help but find yourself cheering for. It causes mixed emotions, but when you’ve read/watched enough of it, you get used to having those mixed emotions and get used to them.

[@Sorrowdusk]

🤖: *The most disturbing manga I've read in years...* 👀: And It doesn't has 6 digits?

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

True

[@somelonelyguy000]

Emergence flashbacks

[@No_One_0707]

177013

[@cage8375]

I love that this story didn't go where I assumed it would. I read this a few years ago while binging lists of most disturbing comics/manga and was actually pretty disappointed when it looked like it was turning into a standard "see problem, fix problem" hero story. It always kind of annoys me too in stories where people get these weird or fantastical powers that someone just starts hypothesizing about how it all works and they're never wrong. In this story they were wrong. There is no saying the "homunculus" represent anything they assume it does, and no matter what kind of good the character's may think they're doing, we as the audience can see that "breaking" someone's homunculus doesn't actually help them in any way. It sometimes gets Nakoshi what he wants but it never actually helps his victims. This story, as gross and horrible as its turns can be, went down a lot of the darker paths I was hoping it would explore. I hated THAT part (you know the part) but I think it was used as a way to prevent us from ever forgiving Nakoshi, even if later in the story he does a few things right or seems sympathetic. It ripped us right out of our magical hero story and grounds us in the reality that no, no matter how much you think you know about someone else, even if you know all their secrets and stories, you don't know how to fix their problems. Doing THAT to someone will never fix their problems, and the idea that Nakoshi thought it would only shows us that his "solutions" are as dumb as, well, drilling a hole in your head. You'll always view their issues from your own personal perspective, you'll always project your own insecurities and you'll always lean towards the solution/outcome YOU would want. Even the homunculus themselves are abstractions that need to be interpreted and like a showman pretending to talk to someone's dead relative Nakoshi really just guesses until he gets it right. He's really just an arrogant con-man who thinks he's so special he knows whats best for everyone. And in reality people like him don't become super hero therapists going from small town to small town healing hidden trauma, they leave hurt and broken people.

[@Substitute102]

This video's fascinating to me because I did try to read Homunculus a while ago, and wound up dropping the manga after the second one. I can take a lot, but I was not in the headspace to accept the shift in tone and the sudden vanishing of my sympathy, which is kind of funny because normally it takes a lot more to actually cross my boundaries with fiction. I still haven't finished it or gotten back to it, and I think it's kind of just because I'm not really a depressing endings kind of girl for the most part. When I was reading more about the manga on tv tropes (to see if I really wanted to stick it out past the 2nd homunculus or not), I saw a theory that the protag could only see bits of himself in other people, hence why some people were normal-looking and all of that, and I'm pleased to see a lot of other people seem to share that type of theory, I find it interesting for this premise. Considering how poorly everyone else's encounters with him went, I'm thinking the encounter with 2nd homunculus was very much not supposed to be seen in a positive light, but in the confusing, emotionally shocking way it seems to consistently be read as. I could be wildly off but it is possible that you aren't supposed to know what to make of the encounter at first, if you're supposed to take it as the very much negative thing that it is or if you're supposed to think he's still "helping"...but in hindsight, once you reach the end of the story, it would be more in theme for it to be the first real sign that the protag isn't actually as kind as we've been lead to believe, and he isn't really helping anyone at all. I think I worded that rather confusingly but hopefully y'all can still understand--

[@sujithas7832]

Why so long

[@ohmahswirls]

His final homunculus turned him into Walter White 😢

[@jakestaheli8532]

I dont completely agree with this, he is a narcissist, manipulative, and obsessed, but he isnt just that. You left out the parts of the story where he is stricken with guilt, after living in a pool of lies his entire life, he was torn out of it after seeing for himself a victim of his line of work, who was at the time a taxi driver, struggling to feed his family, previously working for a company nakoshi tore down for profit. After this he became obsessed with "truth", and took it upon himself to rid people of the "lies" they held within them. Disregarding his methods, which ranged from questionable to downright terrible, i do think that nakoshi thought he was doing the right thing, in his own twisted way. Also, you say that everybody he excorsied the homunclui of ended up worse off, why did you just convieniently ignore the homunculus of the doctor who first gave him trepanation? He actually ended pretty good (until the very end ofc, its complicated) and i refuse to believe that the homunclui were entirely his projection, he could literally see into the past of people he had never met before! Im the end, nakoshi is still very much the villian of the story, but its so reductive to call him evil and manipulative and leave it at that. He was a truth obsessed, guilt ridden narcissist with a savior complex to the point that he saw his own face in everyone when he saw homunculi, clearly hinting that he sees himself as the ultimate arbiter of truth.

[@brendan3226]

It's such a fun concept to play with, and then turning into *that* is so distressing and captivating. I feel violated or like someone you thought you knew was a monster (but also I'd love to read a pulpy serialized-story about this concept).

[@Adraeth]

Speaking of manga and anime, for anyone who wants a cool story with nice soft worldbuilding and a really beautiful soundtrack, give the anime "Mushishi" a try. It's old, but it's still one of my all-time favorites. Simply put, it's a story about a traveler doctor who treats not human, physical illnesses, but afflictions of a spiritual and mystical nature. It's fairly short but really worth it.

[@Mk-gk3wv]

Honestly, I think the ending made me feel a mix of both madness and satisfaction. After all the evil the narcissistic psychopath protagonist has done (especially concerning our two female characters shown here), I thought there'd be a metaphor about the bad getting away with evil, such as the protagonist (NOT THE HERO) having a false life, but being secure and happy. Instead, he lives in a personal hell. He only wishes to see what others don't, he seemingly had many procedures done to facilitate this ability, and has now held the curse of it for the rest of his life. He's unable to be anything but what he is, and what he has to see every day: a monster. This story is insane. To put it lightly.

[@HHLPA]

How much better would this recap be if you didn't spend so much time remarking how bad and immoral you found it.

[@CorruptedSpider]

15:58 I think the eyepatch is because he ripped his eye out. This interpretation seems fitting for this story, though a tiny bit ludicrous.

[@richardblum3516]

If you want a standout manga, read berserk. One of the best stories ever written, even without an ending.

[@kaltaron1284]

Berserk was great until it reached a point where it felt like the author didn't know how he wanted to end it. IMHO somewhere between when Griffith came back and they reached the elf island. And in the end he never did finish it.

[@adams5613]

He left notes and the studio is still producing the story off what he left. It'll probably be a faster end than if he was still alive. I don't see him as loosing his ending but having to slow the story to build up the base for the final push.

[@kaltaron1284]

@@adams5613 I don't know. I preferred the low fantasy horror style over the high fantasy messiah story it became later. Maybe the end will be worth it.

[@adams5613]

With Griffith's ascension it really couldn't stay low fantasy.

[@richardblum3516]

@@kaltaron1284 It definitely accumulated more flaws over time. I still think that the high points of later arcs reach nearly as high as they did in the early series, though.

[@beetl_3]

the beginning reminds me of death note, just less ambiguous on who the bad guy is. the protagonist is given an unearthly power that allows him to carry out his own "brand of justice"

[@fireblazenotbulgaria3053]

I know you’ve briefly talked about Madoka Magica, but you should definitely check out other Gen Urobuchi works like Song of Saya or his work in the Fate Series, he definitely is a pretty strong writer in my opinion

[@linktotheend]

Speaking of gens work he also wrote for Karen rider look up Karen rider gaim if you haven’t already seen it it’s fantastic as well.

[@fireblazenotbulgaria3053]

@@linktotheendyeah I’ve heard Kamen rider is good, I just listed the examples I know decently well lol. I just wanted to mention him because Homunculus seems almost like it’d be something Urobuchi would like or write in some ways lol.

[@erichalvor516]

A hard twist of "The Picture of Dorian Gray", and takes it further, making the protagonist's fate not death, but being able to see nothing but himself, everywhere.

[@zenestunova4858]

i stopped watching at 12:24, not because I'm not liking this but because I'm liking it so much that I wanna read it

[@akshelby33]

Wow! That was disturbing but deep. Your animations are very creative and cool.

[@NerdySatyr]

May I recommend PTSD Radio, sadly never finished but, that by itself has an incredibly interesting history.

[@psychotophatcat]

Is that the manga that the artist had to stop drawing because their own work started to scare them?

[@NerdySatyr]

@@psychotophatcat Kind of yeah, a lot of very strange and supernatural things began happening around him and his team so he decided to stop

[@DrRexie]

The art style of your introduction is sheer and utter eye candy the imagery of your character taking the book down brings a comparison to the Laika property coraline when the bedlam is making the doll and the music though short gives such a beautiful mystism to the whole thing fair play to you sir

[@realniket]

I have read a lot of disturbing mangas. Now I have become insensitive to them. I know it's not healthy but can you guys suggest me something that bugs you alot

[@Sorrowdusk]

I seem to vaguely remember one with holes. 🕳️ No, no -not "THIS hole was made for me!" Junji Ito

[@lucascaracas4781]

I feel the same way, horror manga just doesnt work for me the way it should, intead of scaring me it just makes me feel curious to see what new bizarre monster will appear, but I really get way more nervous when Im reading horror books, I cant explain why though. homunculus was the only manga that made me actually feel uncomfortable

[@Keksoe666]

I think we're the same in that regard. Nevertheless, feel free to check out PTSD Radio, Higanjima or Jagaan, if you haven't already🤷‍♂️

[@Keksoe666]

​@@SorrowduskThe Secret/Mystery of Amigara Falls? Something like that, with the holes in a wall shaped like human sillouhettes, right?

[@the_mad_fool]

​@@lucascaracas4781I think it's that your imagination is stronger than any image can be. Homunculus is special because there isn’t a monster at all. The horror comes from seeing the depraved depths of a very Human narcissist.

[@KryyssTV]

Sometimes people forget that excellent character writing isn't about making them relatable, likable or even have you rooting for them. But rather to get the reader to form strong opinions about that character and ideally to stir some emotion each time you even see them. Bad writing is when a character is forgetable or where the reader feels nothing but indifference and apathy towards them.

[@Cosmic_Horrified]

I never understood when people, or robots, say they're ok with murder and gore but draw the line at sexual violence. Both crimes steal the agency of the victim and should both be regarded as contemptible.

[@soy6395]

Well murder and spilling blood is sometimes justifiable (to an extent) while sexual violence never is

[@blobofdespair]

You can only be murdered once

[@aquamarie3117]

The Tale Foundry intro makes me feel so overwhelmingly human in a way I can't quite express. I love Tale Foundry so much 💛💛💛

[@elina_chan2744]

The intro always gives me goosebumps

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

Agreed

[@Im_a_weeboverhere]

I recommend a manga called Goodnight punpun it really isn't in the horror genre but mostly talk about the human psyche and it contains some of the most darkest moments that I have read in any manga

[@HotDogPasta]

Blood on the Tracks & Tomie are pretty good too

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

I agree

[@G-raverobber]

i think that the homunculi are his inner images of how he sees people, much like the Clairvoyance ability from the Psychonauts series.

[@MrSkabrus]

I once read a horror manga called ibitsu i loved It but i almost vommited

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

Oh

[@alexicon2006]

Now Im interested. Thanks.

[@psychotophatcat]

It's been years since I read Ibitsu but I don't recall anything that intense...

[@Tranzlucentmc]

My god, the budget on these videos!

[@Thomasfoolery69]

Do goodnight pun pun next.

[@EveryTimeV2]

The problems start when he is given brain damage, he doesn't actually see people's souls, he's delusional because he's brain damaged from having his skull drilled into. Those are hallucinations, its not that surprising that he ends up doing fucked up shit considering someone did that. I'm not saying that we should relate brain damage to criminal activity or anything, but it makes ya think if you take this comic literally.

[@nicholas_pascucci]

I'd be curious to see your thoughts on Monster by Naoki Urasawa. I think it would be quite a thought provoking piece of media for you

[@Hajiroku]

Wow I'm glad you made this video. I've only seen the movie in Korea and I never knew how deep the story went...........

[@thewanderingchelmet]

Talebot reading manga?!

[@SirElmothe3rd]

yes

[@Sorrowdusk]

😮 it's not actually the first time

[@Mashida_Killzzz]

It's actually such a rare gem Homunculus glad you cover this manga it really such a horrific story true horror!!✨

[@megalord17]

Berserk Read Berserk.

[@Sorrowdusk]

It's not finished yet is it?

[@kaltaron1284]

@@Sorrowdusk Not really and the original author is dead but IIRC there was talk about giving it a suitable end from notes or something.

[@megalord17]

@@kaltaron1284 yes, he told a friend of his what the ending would be, and he and the authors team are finishing it off.

[@kaltaron1284]

@@megalord17 Yeah, I remembered something like that. Did anything come out of it yet?

[@megalord17]

@@kaltaron1284 they have relseased a few chapters, not bad!

[@lakdav]

Sounds like a story about a very unqualified therapist, neither good nor caring, absorbing other people's traumas while "fixing" them until he cannot see his own, but only sees himself in others. His drive is not to help others, but to make everyone a mirror of himself, like he was "fixed" through the plastic surgeries.

[@sigma.m]

I love this channel! ❤

[@SirElmothe3rd]

so?

[@necroinsanity2639]

I am a simple man; I see a content warning, I continue watching.

[@achijatheizzetbard]

I highly recommend One Piece. It is NOT the cutesy pirate shonen the uninitiated think it is. I have never had a piece of media make me sob uncontrollably more than One Piece.