World War II is over and Jiro Tenge has finally been allowed to return to Japan. Although concluded the effects of the war will continue to have a longstanding effect on both Jiro and his family. The Tenges are a family struggling to maintain their traditional lifestyle in an everchanging postwar Japan. Having historically been a wealthy family they have previously been allowed to own several plots of land. Following Japans loss to the US military several Japanese laws were changed including how much land an individual could own. Thus forcing the Tenges to give up their land to the local farmers. Their unease at this change mirrors that of the Japanese public on having their laws and life dictated by a foreign party during the postwar period. This same sentiment combusting into the violent ANPO protests of 1960 and 1970. The same protests that indirectly resulted in the formation of this manga. It is just one of several cases of real lifehistorical events influencing this narrative. The traditionalism of the Tenges extends past their land ownership into their family structure. Our formal introduction occuring when Jiro returns back home. Here he is met by a surprise. A new addition to the family who bears a striking resemblance to his sisterin law despite being his younger sister. Before getting to the bottom of this mystery we are introduced to Sakuemon Tenge the head of the household. In a moment emblematic of the Tenges family traditionalism Jiro is chastised by his father having not died for his country. This immediately reminded me of 2023s Godzilla Minus One. Its main character similarly ridiculed for returning home alive. This ridicule an afterimage of the misplaced nationalism that was used to motivate the war effort. Sakuemons onesided chastisement of his second eldest son is a symptom of the paternalistic family structure of the traditional Tenges. The only member with any power to stop him Ichiro the eldest son enables his fathers actions as he hopes to inherit the position himself one day. The failings of this tradition family structure will play a major role in the crimes that are to come. In an ironic twist of fate Sakuemons chastisement of Jiro are justified showing that Jiro is no better than the father he despise. It is revealed early on that he agreed to become an informant for the Americans in exchange for being released as a prisoner of war. This role putting him at odds with his younger sister Naoko a member of a socialist party. Their relationship as brother and sister is strained by Jiros involvement in the murder of another socialist party member and Naokos lover. The early segments of this manga see Jiro fail to hide his role in this murder later discovered by the newest addition to family. As the only living witness of Jiros crime the family is forced to take drastic actions to maintain their family image. Not having the strength of mind to kill their youngest the Tenges subject her to a fate worse than death. In a sick twist of fate the family member least responsible is the one punished for the cruely of her family. Born from the lust of Sakuemon Tenge. Punished by Ichiro Tengue. Victimized for the actions of Jiro Tenge. Overlooked by Naoko Tenge. Enter Title screen is to be kept out of sight locked inside the Tenges basement until she draws her last breath. https://tezukaosamu.net/jp/manga//m0021/m002102.jpg Ayaka is a tale of postwar in japan as told through an exceedingly dysfunctional family. .As a traditional family the Tenges are perfectly placed to explore the change of this time.. Over the course of several decades we watch as the family slowly drifts apart failing to adapt to the modernization that was forced onto Japan in the postwar. The American occupation government and rise of social activism serving to crack apart the traditional Japanese family structure. No one plays a more important role in this depiction though than Ayako. Ayako is a personification of the struggles of the wider Japanese public following the war. She is innocent despite her scandalous origins and suffers for the crimes of her family. There are no heroes to rescue her from her suffering the best they can do is keep her safe in a box. Despite this in an act of defiance Ayako continues to prosper despite her impossible situation. Much like a postwar japan rising from literal ruins to become reborn as a global superpower. https://pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2015/09/JapanHiroshimaAftermath.jpg I felt Ayako to be the darkest Tezukas work because of how grounded it was. The imprisonment of Ayako justified through this human need for selfpreservation felt like painfully real. It terrified me even more so than the cruelty of Shogo and the mass murder of Otani. I dont know if this will necessarily come across the way I want it to but I do not believe in rating something by quality I purely rate by enjoyment. In spite of that I think that if I was forced to quantitatively rate a manga writing I would give this a 10. In fact I think I would give this entire manga a 10 in the widely accepted sense. I say this as I am very sure that if I had to assess wheteher a work has good writing I am probably going to measure it against this manga in the future. Although I have no flaws with this manga I still hesitate to call it my favourite only because of how depressing it was to read this. This was emblematic of a growing sentiment I was feeling at this part of my read through. All of the works of Tezukas dark period were amazing to nearflawless but I couldnt help feeling a jaded from their inherent lack of humanity. It was an initially appealing offer when I started on the 70s but I soon found myself missing the simple and hopeful works of decades gone by. Fortunately Ayako was followed by one such story. An inspiring tale of a boy rising from struggle to become enlightenedhttps://anilist.co/review/25628.