Manga "This is Ethics Now." (by Shiori Amase) - Introduction and Review

The manga "This is Ethics Now" is about a high school ethics teacher.
Each episode focuses on a different student with various problems, and the story unfolds in an anthology format.
It was a very interesting work, so I thought I'd write an article about it.
(As of February 2020, four volumes have been released.)

About the main character

The protagonist, Takayanagi, is an ethics teacher characterized by his gloomy expression and polite manner of speaking.
(Since each episode is told from the students' perspective, calling Takayanagi the protagonist might be a bit of a misnomer.)
The detached narrative style might come across as cold, but as the story progresses, many human qualities emerge.
The student's first impression of him is not good because of his condescending expression, but most of the misunderstandings are cleared up in the latter half of the scene.

While he may appear inflexible, there are many instances where Takayanagi prioritizes his own beliefs over rigid school rules.
また、高柳本人も完璧な人間としては描かれておらず、生徒たちと同じ未熟な人間というように描写されているところに好感を覚えます。
The series includes episodes depicting the protagonist's own worries and struggles, making it a work that transcends the simple confines of a teacher-themed story.

The flow of the conversation

The plot of each episode is very conventional.

Beginning: A student who is troubled or has problems chooses ethics as a subject.
承: Interacts with Takayanagi, becoming interested in him or rebelling against him.
Turning point: If a student encounters any trouble, Takayanagi will take action.
Conclusion: Even if it's not a complete solution, it will make the students feel somewhat more positive.

Generally, it proceeds in this standard, predictable way.
The subject matter is unique, but the story structure follows a classic formula, making it consistently entertaining.
Many of the themes in each episode are things unique to adolescence that everyone can relate to.

thoughts

In terms of content, it's a typical story in the long-running teacher-themed genre.
However, in previous works, teachers often relied on their passion and dedication as their strengths.
Takayanagi in this work is certainly earnest, but what I find distinctive is that he uses "the words of philosophers" as his weapon.

As Takayanagi explains at the beginning of the story, the subject of ethics is not useful in ordinary situations.
If there's one situation where it might be useful, it would be "when death is approaching."
Other topics presented include "What is religion?", "Thinking about a better way of life", "What is happiness?", "Gender", and "What is life?".
The way the author uses the words of philosophers to unravel the questions and rebellious feelings common among high school students is both exhilarating and deeply moving.

The themes covered may not be very relevant to everyday life.
However, for us living in today's world, which is constantly filled with anxiety, this seems like a topic that we should be aware of.
I didn't choose ethics as a subject, but I've come to want to learn about it.
Conversely, I wouldn't recommend it to people who aren't particularly interested in that kind of thing.

This is Ethics, Volume 1 (Young Jump Comics DIGITAL)

Rakuten Market: ここは今から倫理です。