Today is 8:10pm from where I am, and I just "ended" Dead Tube with Chapter 56, even if it was actually only an end an of a era, since as of today, 2 chapters are still serialized so the manga has not yet ended officially.

But now, since it ended a season for me, I want to talk about it as it is.

The manga was so messed up along the way, just because there were characters that you didn't want to die were killed; while those who were pure were hurt the most, and because of that, it makes you empathize with the main character even if at the start, you kinda didn't feel like it.

Tomohiro is a messed-up person, this is the type of person you expected to be an inteovert just because there are so many mysteries to his past, that the moment you figure it out, you can understand he's the way that he is. This is the same case with Mai.. but only the latter, as Mai is different, in that, she's more sociable and likes to express her thoughts more and likes to "expose" Machiya for lying sometimes, even when he himself doesn't sound like he was.
Mai likes to fun of Machiya, too.

Both were manipulators, but both had a heart.

This manga had a lot of shit characters, but mostly because you expected them to die anyways or they were skeptical because they know Tomohiro at a personal level. Not only that, but some..they were very welcoming at the start for some odd reason that isn't fully explained. I mean, one minute, you're introduced to a character that seems nice or harmless, the next minute, they're orchestrating your downfall and want to cut you up, and take your innards.

This goes the same for Mai and the others, too. Since Mai was a psychopath, and while she did have heart, sometimes she's just there letting stuff happen until something crucial happens, and then suddenly, she becomes a "deus-ex machina" to Tomohiro. Luckily, that doesn't happen in an annoying fashion unlike some shows, as it does show, that she's willing to put her life on the line for her newfound friends. Meanwhile Tomohiro is often useless in battles, yet he indeed makes up for them with his wits and cunning dark side as well as his level of understanding even if in the most deadliest of situstions, even when he's essentially just a sociopath who's turned on by sadism on the outside; which is something Mai likes to tease him for.

Mawi is often a damsel in distress, and Nozomi is just a full-on prostitute and slut who likes Money. These 4 were deep characters, but they were shitty mostly because they were crossing a moral code as well as twisting what is right and what is wrong, as well as what is legal, while Mawi was mostly useless in the entire run.

But... while that's the case, I never expected to still miss it after it ended for me. I actually felt empty and bitter-sweet when it ended the season, which is a common occurence when you end a wholesome anime. This series also a weird sense of redeeming some characters from who they were, which is not entirely impossible, as Tomohiro, for example, specifically, does have a hidden reason for his actions.

This anime, of course, isn't entirely wholesome, as it kills off characters you get to connect to, it's also really messed-up with concept. It even scars characters, psychologically, too. Same with the reader of the mang, if they aren't entirely prepared.

The manga also has a lot of plot holes, which is entirely on the fact that no one gets arrested. It makes you wonder why the police would still even investigate certain tragic events that transpire if none of them would take action anyway? Maybe, Dead Tube really was overseeing something with the Force, but the manga never really explains it, and thus, it makes me take the entire thing less seriously than it wanted me to. It's not that bad, considering this was a world that completely let a "red-room inspired" website, but it did bother me, since it made the police force a leave a sour taste in my mouth with how corrupt they are in retrospect. If anything, they were of a clean-up group than an actual police force.

I think what makes this manga worth a read are the twists. Seriously, there's a reason why a series like Death Note or Monster is intriguing, and that's keeping you subverted despite all the obvious expectations. Because while there are some parts that, while they do end or happen the way you think, it often doesn't and it catches you off guard.

This manga was a struggle to read, but I had a great time with Mai, Machiya, Mawi and Nozomi.

Technically, the manga is still serializing after that "end", but with the way the story wrapped up the way it did despite being a cliffhanger, I didn't want to continue anymore.

Maybe I will check the next season of that manga, who knows? but I think it might not give the same feeling as I did when I first read it, and because of that, I'm happy to let it go. But, I still do wish the duo luck in their next projects as well as this manga's contination. Kitakawa, Touta and Yamaguchi, Mikoto; thank you for this flawed yet satisfying story.

Up until Chapter 56:
Plot: 6/10
Characters: 7/10
Art: 9/10
Gore: 10/10
Sex: 6/10
Censorship: 5/10

That being said, thank you for reading my essay, JUSTICE COMPLETE.