New Manga Review - Beat & Motion by Naoki Fujita (Contains Spoilers)
Chapter 1 of Beat and Motion by Naoki Fujita is perhaps the most relatable 69-pages of manga that I have ever read. It tells the story of Tatsuhiko, a young man who has dabbled with various creative projects growing up, but for several reasons has given up on all of them. As a young adult he has become jaded and bitter toward his friends who haven't given up. He resents the success of others, even though deep down he knows that he has no one to blame but himself. This cycle of disappointment is broken when Tatsuhiko encounters a girl at a bar. She overhears him discouraging his friend from pursuing his dream of entering a novel writing contest. As he and the girl walk to the train station she calls him out. She pretends to kick him into oncoming traffic. For a moment, Tatsuhiko is afraid that he will die. When he realizes that he is fine, the mysterious girl informs him that now that he's faced the worst he doesn't need to be afraid of whatever was holding him back. He tak...