The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese - Setona Mizushiro
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The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese is a story that explores the complexity of human relationships, shedding light on the darker sides of love and desire. Setona Mizushiro delicately portrays her characters’ inner turmoil, offering a narrative where raw emotion takes precedence over social conventions.
Kyouichi Otomo, an indecisive office worker, is caught in a cycle of infidelity. When his wife hires a private detective, Wataru Imagase, to spy on him, things take an unexpected turn. Imagase, a former college classmate of Kyouichi, offers him a deal: his silence in exchange for intimate favors. This blackmail marks the beginning of a complicated relationship—one that wavers between manipulation and genuine feeling.
Mizushiro tackles themes such as sexual identity, guilt, and the need for acceptance. Her clean, minimalistic art emphasizes facial expressions, capturing emotional subtleties in every interaction. The work stands out for its honest depiction of flawed characters wrestling with their own contradictions.
Initially serialized in Shogakukan’s Judy magazine between 2005 and 2006, the manga was reissued in 2009 under the Flower Comics Alpha imprint. A sequel, The Carp on the Chopping Block Jumps Twice, was serialized from 2006 to 2009. The story was adapted into a live-action film in 2020, directed by Isao Yukisada and starring Tadayoshi Okura and Ryo Narita.