Line #27 Manga/Oldboy


1	[[quoteright:252:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oldboy_manga_389.jpg]]
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3	''Oldboy'' is a Japanese {{manga}} written by Garon Tsuchiya, illustrated by Nobuaki Minegishi, and serialized from 1996 to 1998. It is perhaps best known as the basis for the [[Film/Oldboy2003 2003 South Korean film adaptation]] of the same name.
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5	Kidnapped without provocation, a man [[NoNameGiven identifying as Yamashita]] is kept in a tiny cell, with only a TV, bed and bathroom. Left with nothing to do but exercise and pass time, he spends ten years alone, only to find himself dressed, drugged and dumped in a public park without reason. Given plenty of money and a phone by his captors, Yamashita meets a young girl named Eri, finds his old friend Tsukamoto and even gets a job, but finds himself driven to track down those who imprisoned him.
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7	The manga was adapted into an award-winning Korean film directed by Creator/ParkChanWook, which was hugely successful and brought a new interest to the manga, allowing the series to be translated in 2005. The film was later given [[Film/Oldboy2013 an American remake in 2013]], directed by Creator/SpikeLee and starring Creator/JoshBrolin. This version was poorly received and a BoxOfficeBomb.
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9	'''Please note that, like its film counterpart, this manga involves several major twists and reveals''' '''''so watch for spoilers.'''''
10	%%Since the real names of the protagonist and antagonist are used as a reveal, please refer to them as Yamashita and Alias Dojima outside of spoiler text.
11	----
12	!!This manga series contains examples of:
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14	* AbsurdlyHighStakesGame: Alias Dojima and Yamashita gamble if the latter can figure out ''why'' he was imprisoned, with the stakes of [[spoiler:the loser dying (or, if Yamashita loses and runs, everyone he cares about dies).]]
15	* CrazyPrepared: Alias Dojima, who somehow has bugs planted in the right place beforehand on several occasions.
16	* CreepyChild: [[spoiler:Kakinuma. Even Yukio (read: '''his teacher''') harbored a dislike for him simply because he was so creepy.]]
17	* DisproportionateRetribution: [[spoiler: Kakinuma's quest for revenge is all a result of Goto ''pitying him when they were children.'']]
18	* DoesntLikeGuns: Yamashita, who willingly throws away a gun at one point to prevent RecklessGunUsage.
19	* DontYouDarePityMe: [[spoiler:The reason for Kakinuma imprisoning Goto is because he was the only person to ever pity him when they were children.]]
20	* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Kakinuma, who loses his gamble and decides to keep to his end of the bargain.]]
21	* GratuitousEnglish: Tsukamoto's bar is called "Moon Dog".
22	* TheJailer
23	* LeParkour: In one of the books, Yamashita loses one of Alias Dojima's thugs by running into a high building and ''jumping roof to roof.''
24	* NoNameGiven: The protagonist and antagonist, who go by the names Yamashita/Mister and "Alias Dojima" until their real names are revealed ([[spoiler:Shinichi Goto]] and [[spoiler:Takaaki Kakinuma]] respectively).
25	** Alias Dojima's spy never gets a real or fake name.
26	* PermaStubble: Yamashita [[spoiler:though he appears clean-shaven in the epilogue.]]
27	* PragmaticAdaptation: The premise remains the same between the manga and movie, but beyond that they differ completely. Even the [[TheStoic calm]] Yamashita from the manga is changed to the [[HairTriggerTemper almost psychopathic]] Oh Dae-su in the movie. Also, [[spoiler: no one except Kakinuma dies in the manga; in the film, there is literally a mountain of corpses left by Oh Dae-su]].
28	* LeftHanging: [[spoiler:Despite Eri having a second level of post-hypnotic suggestion that may still dictate her actions, the group never find out what it is due to Kyoko disappearing.]]
29	* RageBreakingPoint: [[spoiler:Both Goto and Yamashita invoke this, when pushed too hard and beaten respectively.]]
30	* SexySecretary: Kyoko Kataoka, Alias Dojima's assistant. [[spoiler:Her sexiness is even used to distract and control Tsukamoto when they start visiting Moon Dog.]]
31	* SmugSnake: Alias Dojima, who is constantly calm (even when [[spoiler: Goto snaps and starts punching him in the face]], he remains somewhat indifferent).
32	* TokenRomance: Yamashita and Eri. [[spoiler:It turns out it's a result of hypnosis.]] They get somewhat over it.
33	* TookALevelInBadass: Yamashita, who spent most of his ten-year imprisonment doing push-ups, sit-ups and shadow boxing. He even manages to beat up a group of thugs easily when he's released.
34	* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:Kakinuma when Goto figures out why he imprisoned him.]]
35	* WhatNowEnding: [[spoiler:The epilogue of the series ends with Kakinuma dead, and Goto with Eri. However, Goto has a nightmare about Eri's second layer of hypnosis causing her to kill herself, prompting Goto to conclude that Kakinuma's game has yet to finish.]]
36	* WoundedGazelleGambit: Yamashita, wanting more money after being released, acts drunk to attract muggers [[TookALevelInBadass so he can mug them.]]

Context Manga / Oldboy