It is not easy to act ethically. It becomes all the more difficult the greater the cost of making a morally right decision. And while many people try to be guided by values in their lives, in practice, as a species, we are not overly ethical. The Blue Phobia manga presents a vision of a world where a mysterious disease, indigopathy, turns human bones into sea sapphire – a mineral with enormous industrial potential. As you can easily guess, the very research on it will be immoral.
Horror?
Blue Phobia has some features of a horror movie . The action takes place in the laboratory, where experiments on people are carried out. Escaping from this place is practically impossible, because the research complex is located on a small island somewhere in the sea or ocean. The whole plot revolves around a mysterious disease – a disease that is not only fatal, but also significantly changes our body. The icing on the cake are selected scenes visually significantly related to the style of horror movies. However, it would not be entirely appropriate to treat this item as a horror story. This manga may be disturbing, but it is not intended to scare the reader. The motifs known from horror movies are here rather an addition, or perhaps a complement to the story.
A fascinating idea
The big advantage of manga is an eye-catching idea. Of course, it can hardly be called revealing. After all, pop culture knows other works about mysterious diseases. The motive of academics willing to abandon ethics in order to pursue corporate goals is nothing new. However, in Blue Phobia , these two elements work together really well. The created world is fascinating – and despite the fact that it differs from ours only in one small detail.
The plot can also be described as somewhat secondary – the protagonist suffering from amnesia is saved by the girl, and together they try to leave the secret laboratory. However, somehow an interesting story was created on this rather clichéd scaffolding. It is worth adding here that it is not only addictive, but also full of motifs that just beg to be developed. It would be good to learn more about the protagonist’s past, about the indigopathy itself, and about the research being done.
One problem is the assumption about the potential of marine sapphire. Its described use seems unrealistic. In fact, it does not interfere with reading too much, but it is noticeable. It is a pity, because without the slightest problem it could be characterized in a way that explains its enormous value, and does not interfere with the suspension of disbelief.
A delightful cover
You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but it’s what catches our eye. In the case of Blue Phobia, the dust jacket is amazing. It’s not even about the drawing itself – although it looks interesting and quite nice. What is amazing, however, are the shiny fragments of the bones piercing the girl’s body. It’s like little things – just the right paint or the way of finishing the print, but it gives this item an amazing atmosphere.
Overall impressions
Blue Phobia is a noteworthy manga. It uses known motifs, but does it in such an interesting way that it does not bother you at all. While reading, we worry about the fate of the heroes and we wonder how they will manage to get out of trouble. The comic book contains elements known from horror movies, but if we do not like this genre, it is still worth giving it a chance – these are just a few motives, and the story is not intended to scare us, but only to encourage reflection on how easy it is for us to give up ethics on the sidetrack.
Nasza ocena: 7/10
A mysterious disease, an isolated laboratory and a hero with amnesia. The motives are well-known, but they are presented in an interesting way. Blue Phobia is a pretty good manga that is fun to read.Characters: 7/10
Graphic Design: 7/10
Story: 7/10
Edition: 8/10