Its the 1960s in Japan and the Cold War is at its peak. Overzealous rookie policeman Sada has just returned to active duty after a traumatic head injury sustained while chasing a wanted murderer left him in a coma. However he just cant seem to adjust to the changes in his life that took place while he slept. The metal shard still in his brain causes him terrible pain and his memory isnt what it used to be. Murder suspect Kiwako Komiyama is nowhere to be found almost as if she never existed at all. Most troubling of all Sadas trusted colleague was killed in the line of duty after digging a little too deep into the subcutaneous evil undermining the city of Tatsumi. Fighting against the splinter of lunacy burrowing ever further into his brain and an obsessive desire for his alluring quarry our moonstruck protagonist must decide who he can trust in this den of liars. Quite a tall order for a man who cant even trust himself anymore let alone anyone else. Humans will never be able to fly to the moon.: The part where I actually review it https://pic8.co/sh/3utBpO.jpg Wet Moon being something of a love letter to noir it utilizes many of the classic noir tropes. The mysterious femme fatale heavy influence from German expresssionism a corrupt city weighed down with more secrets than it can carry a detective protagonist dead set on uncovering an uncomfortable truth. The addition of Atsushi Kanekos meticulousness and sense of humor adds a spring in the step of this wellworn and well loved genre. Wet Moons influences lie more in the realm of film than comics so the manga feels quite cinematic as a result. The deft usage of color sound effects and paneling make for an incredibly dynamic and immersive experience. Every single movement and sound played out in my head as vividly as if it were all in motion. The art style is very distinctive very different from what you normally see in Japanese comics. It was a bit jarring at first but after reading it twice Ive come to consider it some of the best art Ive seen from a manga in a long while. The manga makes heavy use of flashbacks and the interesting thing is that it doesnt utilize the telltale black background to indicate a flashback. Sometimes the best indicator of whether a scene takes place in the past or the present is the lack or presence of a scar on Sadas forehead which led to me eventually having my eyes screwed to his cranium especially during the more baffling chapters. Its not that hard to follow if you make sure to take it slow and pay attention so thats just something to keep in mind as you read. Overall the manga did a very good job of putting me in the shoes of the protagonist. With the persistent gaslighting from the other detectives and disorienting scene shifts I ended up feeling just as paranoid and confused as Sada undoubtedly felt. In any case I believe the core meaning of Wet Moon all ties into the events and general attitude of the time period in which it takes place so Ill do my best to try and explain it in a way that makes sense hopefully not getting too sidetracked along the way. I make no promises. Moon fever: A brief history From Hipparchuss careful charting of the stars to Galileo Galileis improvements of the telescope to the Apollo 11 crews triumphant first steps on the lunar surface humanitys eyes have been forever fixed on the heavens the Moon in particular being a key object of fascination and reverence. Ever since they realized that it was a place that could be set foot on people have yearned to go there and this has been reflected in literature and popular culture for just as long. One of the most recognizable examples of such is Georges Mliss 1902 film Le Voyage dans la Lune imagery from which is incorporated into Wet Moons visual symbolism. https://pic8.co/sh/5RU5eC.jpg Mliss film was inspired by From the Earth to the Moon: A Direct Route in 97 Hours 20 Minutes which was written by Jules Verne in 1865. And in case thats still not old enough for you in the 2nd century AD Lucian of Samosata penned A True History a satirical travelogue of his trip to outer space to partake in the epic space battles of the Moon men. Lucian claimed his inspiration for such a work was because I had no matter of verity to employ my pen in for nothing hath befallen me worth the writing. If you ever again feel the urge to complain that modern writers are lazy and uncreative just remember that authors running out of ideas and sending their characters to space has been a thing since The Roman Empire was still standing. But I digress where was I? Ah yes rocket ships. The most vital period of space travel development was the Space Race lasting from the 50s to the mid 70s. The publicly optimistic attitudes of politicians gave way to cold cynicism in private. To them space travel was not about the betterment of mankind but about national security. The United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a cutthroat sprint for the finish line each one desperate to be the first to test the waters of the final frontier. Its this cultural and political environment in which Wet Moon is set this time of feverish international distrust and fantastical leaps of scientific discovery the likes of which the world had never seen before. Ok so its clear that the Moon holds great symbolic significance in the universe of Wet Moon so what does it even mean? How do we tie all this together? We have to make him one of us: What it all means https://pic8.co/sh/ARa1hK.jpg The Moon has long been seen as a symbol of femininity and female sexuality. Moon goddesses of the ancient polytheistic religions were often also patrons of fertility and virginity. Sadas obsession with the Moon comes from the fact that he associates the Moon with his missing mother which is then projected onto Komiyama in turn. If you want to get Freudian Sadas Moon fascination could be the manifestation of his subconscious longing for female affection resulting from the absence of his mother in his life. Or maybe Im just reaching again I dont even know anymore. In simpler times of science and medicine mental illness was once thought to be connected to the phases of the Moon. Its why the word lunatic is derived from the Latin root luna. In the context of this manga go to the Moon could be taken as an unusual euphemism for go insane. Insanity is the foundation of Wet Moon. It nibbles away at everything like a colony of ants until Sada and by extension the audience can no longer tell where reality ends and delusion begins. Its also portrayed as sort of a defense mechanism a way of running away from ones problems. Both Komiyama and Sada had guilt so strong that they wanted to run away from themselves so they began their desperate game of cat and mouse. In the end its the chase thats the fun part when youre still free to imagine what will happen when it ends. In a way the conflict is just as much cynicism vs idealism as it is sanity vs. madness. I dont think its a coincidence that Sadas mental deterioration progesses alongside his increasing disillusionment with the law enforcement and its blatant encouragement of the criminal underground. The residents of Tatsumi have given up on dreams and honor and continue to live in the immoral reality. Only Sada dares to go against the grain and they all label him a madman for it. But is it really Sada whos the crazy one? Or is it the corrupt city officials who are crazy content as they are to sit on their laurels and seek hollow carnal pleasure? In order to reach the Moon Sada must first meet with the mysterious informant Tamayama. And in order to meet with Tamayama one must be insane as Sada is. Insane enough to rebel against the hedonistic status quo insane enough to believe he could set foot on the Moon insane enough to chase something and someone that he knows he cant have. Thats why everyone fears Tamayama and fears those who have met him. People who have seen Tamayama are the kind who have given up reason and logic in order to swim against the current. People who could potentially accomplish the impossible. https://pic8.co/sh/xt70sq.jpg I might be a bit cracked myself for saying this but Id consider Wet Moon to be a celebration of lunacy more than anything else. Because like it or not madness is a necessity for mankinds continued survival. After all the craziest people are often the best innovators the bravest pioneers the most audacious artists. Id go so far as to say that the very foundation of human history depends on the countless stupid ill advised escapades of absolute nutcases that by all logic should have failed but somehow didnt. I mean youd have to be completely screwy to shoot a man into outer space or dive into the Mariana Trench or trek to the South Pole right? Yet these are the kind of things that the boldest of us are inclined to do and human civilization is all the better and worse for it. I think the deranged curiosity of humans is what makes them so endearing to me. After all what other species on Earth would risk life and limb to cross an uncrossable boundary simply because they want to know whats on the other side? Because of what you have done the heavens have become a part of mans world. As you talk to us from the Sea of Tranquility it inspires us to redouble our efforts to bring peace and tranquility to Earth.... Richard Nixon July 20 1969.