At the crossroad in my life I didnt know which way to go. I just mindlessly choose a random direction... then after regretting my decision I tried to retrace my steps. However without even realizing it the sun had already set. December 10th 2002. A middleaged man is sitting all alone at a table in a family restaurant sobbing... eating a meager dinner... on his birthday nonetheless Hes got none to celebrate it with frankly its been decades since hes even had a friend. Not even his coworkers wished him a happy birthday despite his best efforts to make it blatantly obvious. Is it like this for everybody? Is he the only one living like this? All the other people his age managed to work their way up the corporate ladder and create a family for themselves so why is he different? He doesnt know. He just doesnt know His youth flew away so quickly and now hes been left with nothing but regrets. This is how Kurosawas story begins. Life wasnt too kind to him: hes ugly overweight awkward and a bit stupid. His coworkers ignore him at best and hes well just a plain old sad geezer. However being alone on his birthday once more makes him realize that he wants to become popular to be appreciated for who he really is to seek his own redemption ...and he fails spectacularly at it. At first Thats a samurai I always wanted to become like him ... A samurai still wears his helmet and armor He still tries to survive until the very last moment Even he does not wish to die But he keeps on trying and trying. His struggle is a desperate one because unlike his younger coworkers hes at the end of his rope. Hes not young anymore and no matter what he does hell inevitably get older and older. Yet his desire for a better tomorrow sparks a fire in him that allows him to overcome his emotional scars in order to do what hes been wanting to do his entire life: cheer for his own achievements or better yet achieve anything at all Making a friend or two in the process wouldnt be too bad... maybe he can at long last find love? It is up to you to find out what happens by reading this manga. If it wasnt clear enough Ill admit this is my favorite manga. Its also my favorite work of fiction altogether. And to be perfectly honest its also not the best manga Ive read from an objective point of view. The art is very... controversial. I personally love it and I believe it fits perfectly this kind of story but its also fair to call it ugly or even grotesque at times. The secondary characters also arent that great and are mostly used to advance Kurosawas psychological growth. Sometimes the story might be too silly or too depressing for its own good but believe me: this manga is worth reading. I dare not call it a masterpiece although it is one deep down in my heart. Am I as admirable as that ant...? Yes you are Kurosawa. Yes you are.