PART 17 of 52 ONESHOTS in 52 WEEKS
プレジ和尚×綾取さとりの『イリヤ』 “Ilya” by PUREJI Oshou & AYATORI Satori
Ilya is a collaboration between writer Satori Ayatori and artist Oshou Pureji. Published in Shounen Jump Plus in 2018, the oneshot remains author Ayatori’s only known work, while Oshou Pureji debuted in 2016 with slice of life fantasy manga After School Alchemist, and has continued to work in similar genres, most recently illustrating isekai manga Sasaki to Pii-chan in collaboration with writer Buncololi.
The story takes place following the death of Ilya, beloved girlfriend to classmate Aisei. Overcome with sadness, Aisei wonders how he can go on living without Ilya, when three ghosts suddenly appear before him at Ilya’s funeral. The ghosts, which represent Ilya at different stages in her life, ask Aisei for his help in fulfilling some lingering regrets, so Ilya can move on into the afterlife.
The oneshot is an uplifting story that manages to put forward a hopeful perspective amidst the crushing sadness and despair which comes with loss. Opening on a dejected Aisei, the Ilya ghosts help to guide him toward a morning where he can begin to lift his head up again, one step at a time. The plot is cursory at times, anchoring on strong feelings without really getting into too much detail, and the ending is a bit too definitive for a story about such turbulent emotions, but it retains a decent level of tact, combining sorrow and comedy, and bringing light to the darkness without undermining or overlooking the quagmire of depression.
However, the ghost aspect is admittedly lacking in novelty. Writer Ayatori seemed to be introducing an interesting quirk by including three simultaneous ghosts of the same person, but this turns out to be little more than a gimmick. The ‘lingering regrets’ motif—while also overdone—at least has a slight twist, which is a sweet addition. Aisei is well characterised and although Ilya is a lovable presence, she seems to have grown accustomed to being deceased rather quickly. Her persona is a little too straightforward, without much shade or variance. Her nonchalance in contrast to Aisei’s despondency can be jarring.
The oneshot’s most eye-catching page is a luscious spread nearer the end, but generally the artwork does lack some character, mostly due to its simplified shading and screentone. There is, however, some well timed comedy guided largely by the artwork and arrangement. At the beginning, the reader is led to believe Ilya is a singular ghost, until the next page reveals a haggard Aisei, standing perplexed as he’s suddenly surrounded by Ilya past, present and future. Maddeningly, he questions: “Why are there three of them?”
Spanning almost 40 pages, Ilya ends as a moving and encouraging tale on surface, but sadly some of its lesser aspects and a lack of real depth or detail lead it to become a bit forgettable, despite its heart being firmly in the right place
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Morning, Roo 