Still one of the ten bestselling books in Japan, No Longer Human is a powerful exploration of an individual’s alienation from society. The novel has come to “echo the sentiments of youth” (Hiroshi Ando, The Mainichi Daily News) from post-war Japan to the postmodern society of technology. Semi-autobiographical, No Longer Human is the final completed work of one of Japan’s most important writers, Osamu Dazai (1909-1948). Portraying himself as a failure, the protagonist of Osamu Dazais No Longer Human narrates a seemingly normal life even while he feels himself incapable of understanding human beings. Without sentimentality, he records the casual cruelties of life and its fleeting moments of human connection and tenderness. Oba Yozo’s attempts to reconcile himself to the world around him begin in early childhood, continue through high school, where he becomes a ’clown' to mask his alienation, and eventually lead to a failed suicide attempt as an adult. Portraying himself as a failure, the protagonist of Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human narrates a seemingly normal life even while he feels himself incapable of understanding human beings. I can’t even guess myself what it must be to live the life of a human being. Fans of manga and anime are turning to the original No Longer Human novel, whose themes of alienation from society and an inability to reconcile social appearances with inner self-told with great wit, irony and pathos-strike a deep chord among readers today.**Mine has been a life of much shame. Osamu Dazai (1909-1948) is Japan's second most popular novelist (after Soseki), and his works are seeing a huge surge in popularity among young people worldwide thanks to the success of the recent manga, anime and film series Bungo Stray Dogs, whose protagonist, a detective called Osamu Dazai, has similar character traits to Yozo Oba. Largely autobiographical, No Longer Human explores Dazai's own sense of failure and alienation which drove him to self-destruct with alcohol and numerous suicide attempts.

But inside he is tortured, and as he moves from childhood to adulthood he becomes addicted to sex and alcohol.

He creates the persona of a buffoon who mocks himself while entertaining others. Oba is tormented by a failure to find any value in himself or in human relationships, despite being surrounded by women who love him. This manga version of novelist Osamu Dazai's masterpiece NO LONGER HUMAN-the #2 bestselling novel of all time in Japan-tells the story of Yozo Oba, a young man growing up in Japan in the immediate aftermath of World War II, who finds himself caught between the disintegration of the traditions of his aristocratic provincial family and the impact of the new postwar world. Human beings are a complete mystery to me.'

Dazai osamu no longer human