I feel kinda strange putting the "supernatural" tag on this, since it's got a LOT to do with discussing philosophy. But hey, I guess the "psychological" tag will make up for it. This is going to be a short review since I feel that this manga should be experienced individually. I just finished it and felt compelled to write something about it, because it's been a while since a series made me feel (and think) like this :) For this reason, I won't be following my usual review format.
English title: City of Light
Author: ASANO Inio
Genres: drama, psychological, seinen, supernatural, tragedy
Length // Status: 1 volume // complete
Warnings: suicide, murder
Synopsis
People of different backgrounds, all gathered in the bright housing district of Tokyo called "the city of light":
1) Notsu, an overworked mangaka, and his girlfriend, Sayo, who are considering their life and future together.
2) Haruko, a damaged girl dominated by thoughts of revenge for her attacker, and Tasuku, an elementary school-aged boy who guides suicidal people to their demise.
3) Nishiyama, a "natural airhead" who builds a surprising friendship with her odd classmate, Higashi.
4) Houichi, Haruko's "stalker", who is presented in a new light, along with his housemates, Satoshi and Momoko.
5) Taiki Satou, a little boy who is very mature for his age and contemplates life and death.
Thoughts
It's a manga that has to be read and enjoyed slowly. There's something to ponder in every page, from the expressions on the characters' faces (either normal or exaggerated) to sentences that are in no way empty or filler. To put it simply, every sentence has a part in the story and characterization, none is devoid of sense or used as a simple placeholder.
It'd feel wrong for me to pinpoint any of the characters as "bad" or "good". Bearing in mind all the questions that this manga raises in regards to the morality of some situations (assisted suicide and revenge murder to name two), the answers would be strictly personal. In short, there's no "right" or "wrong" way to interpret or regard this manga, and that's the beauty of it. Everyone will feel differently about the characters: some will hate Houichi and some will sympathize with him. Same goes for Haruko. And Tasuku, and Taichi.
Thanks to Inio Asano's superb storytelling, you'll probably end up with different opinions on the characters, than the ones you started out with. And that's a good thing; it helps remind the reader that people aren't defined just by a single personality trait or (more importantly) through a single point of view. Every character presents themselves as the "hero" of their story and is at the same time presented through the eyes of other characters.
Go read it.
My rating: 
(9.5/10, approximated to 9/10)
0.5 points deducted for some of the art, which looked messy.
Where to read it: MangaFox | AnimeA
Where to download it: MangaTraders
