Homunculus Analyzed and Ending Explained - Perspectives (Manga Review)

Society is sorted out into classes and statuses, so much so that we of the same kind are segregated from each other. However, every individual knows that it is not status/classes that defines who we are, but rather how we choose to perceive the world. This is the case for our protagonist - Nakoshi Susumu: former salaryman turned nomad. He may be homeless, yet he does not act or think like one, and is left ostracized by both polarizing sides of society - homeless and the rich. And the author further alludes to this by placing Nakoshi's car in between an extravagant hotel and the park where the homeless live.

Nakoshi is then approached with a hefty reward to participate in an experiment involving trepanation, the drilling of holes in one's skull. While initially reluctant (and so he should be - it is illegal in Japan), he later proceeds with the experiment and gains the power of seeing Homunculi, which is explained as the repressed feelings of an individual by covering one of his eyes. The dilemma behind this phenomenon is whether it is supernatural or is Nakoshi just hallucinating? This is never truly answered, and is left to our interpretation. No matter how we interpret it, both conclusions can be correct. It's not just this question, rather the manga as a whole is left to our interpretation.

The homunculi that Nakoshi sees are usually vulgar and repulsive, since they highlight the hidden sides of people. We see many different types of homunuculi - a man with a penis on his head (haha he's a dickhead), or a Yakuza who appears as a child in a robot (which is the metaphorical representation of how inclusive and protective of himself he is - he's not open to anyone). As a reader, we could be shocked by this, but rather the main objective is to reflect Nakoshi's mental state after trepanation. There is many representations of his mental state like Nakoshi sleeping in a fetal state. But what is Homunculus? Nakoshi sleeping in a fetal state actually somewhat represents a homunculus since Homunculus are microscopic but fully formed being from which a fetus is born. Our interpretation of Homunculus is the medical representation and how it represents the neurological proportion of the human body for different aspects of the body. The homunculi that Nakoshi sees perhaps are based from this model, and how trepanation has warped his perception. Also, the Homunculus may represent how obsessed humanity is with love and sex (the hands, tongue, sex organs as being large), and for Nakoshi, it's not the lack of sex, but rather the lack of acceptance and lack of "true love", which is why he fantasizes about having sex with himself after trepanation. Nakoshi is unable to find someone who thinks more about him as a whole, rather than as a tool for sexual gratification.

For me, I seen many people who describe Nakoshi as a narcissistic, misogynistic, egotistical individual, and that is a valid interpretation of the character. Right from the start, we could interpret Nakoshi's nomadic life as his ego getting the better of him and his lines also further reflects how he purposely think he's neither part of homeless or the rich. Rather, he thinks he is something better since he mocks both sides. His newly gained power of seeing Homunculi also has warped his mind, fanning the flames of Nakoshi's ego. When he loses the power of Homunculi, he desperately tries to get it back, and even to the point of conducting self-trepanation which succeeds. He then proceeds to rape a teenager, leave his pregnant partner, and perhaps even kill women because he think himself as a god who wants to give others the power of seeing Homunuculi.

But .... aren't we being egotistical by mocking and looking down at Nakoshi? Instead, we should also interpret the sympathetic side of the character. From the start, we also know that he doesn't belong anywhere or any group in society. Rather, it was both the rich and the homeless's rejection of Nakoshi that leads to Nakoshi agreeing to be experimented on via trepanation. As we progress through the manga, we see Nakoshi becoming insane to the point where he eventually see his face on everyone's faces. This represents how Nakoshi is finally being "accepted" into society. Sadly, in insanity does Nakoshi finds acceptance and peace.

The ending is also a very debatable aspect of the manga, but the author purposely left unanswered questions to leave it to our interpretation. We can all agree that Nakoshi has become insane, since we learn that he has continued to conduct self-trepanation 1 year later after he becomes insane. But the problem is that we don't see him being insane. But remember, this manga was meant to be left to our interpretation since every individual is defined by how we choose to perceive the world. From an outsider's point of view, we see an insane Nakoshi, who is delusional about reality. However, from Nakoshi's point of view, he is at peace and feels ready to be accepted into society like the end scene, where he yells "Hey Guys" to a group of police officer and Ito with his face. The ending involving the woman he previously trepanated 1 year ago was a bit confusing for me. For me, it's just Nakoshi's hallucination since he killed her 1 year ago, and he hallucinates about her because he firmly believes that every trepanation attempt is a success since he himself has survived so many attempts.

Homunculus is a superb manga that is purposely left to our interpretation. After all, the manga's aim is to reinforce the idea that every individual is defined by how we perceive the world around us. There is no right or wrong interpretation of what happened in the manga, and that's what makes this manga so wonderful to read. Depending on our experiences and way of thinking, we perceive Nakoshi differently and any representation is correct. The manga rewards you for delving deeper for analysis and no matter how one interprets the manga, it is equally rewarding and satisfactory for everyone. Hideo Yamamoto has definitely made a big impression with Homunculus. While we may not be constantly happy with ourselves and our place in society, Homunculus shows us that it is how we think and feel that ultimately determines our role in life. And no matter what you do, things will never remain the same.

Overall Score: 9/10
Story: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Art: 9/10
Enjoyment: 9/10