Admit it, you’d peep on your neighbors if given the opportunity. It’s in our nature. What’s more interesting is why we do it.
In Honna Wakou’s manga Nozoki Ana (translated as A Peephole), we dive into the taboo of voyeurism. The story follows Tatsuhiko Kido, an 18 year old boy having just moved into an apartment complex to start his college life at an art school in Tokyo. While moving in, he discovers a small hole in his wall and looking through it he sees his neighbor, a young girl named Emiru Ikuno, masturbating in clear view. But what comes afterwards wasn’t something he had expected.
Tatsuhiko quickly learns that being honest may not have been the best choice of his life. He goes over to let Emiru know about the hole, but as it turns out, she not only knows about the hole but also encourages him to continue looking as much as he desires. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? But then she adds in a condition to her little game: he also has to let her peep on him in return. Turns out, she attends the same school as him. So Tatsuhiko only has one choice if he doesn’t want word to get out that he’s assaulted her.
Thus begins a strange relationship between two sexually healthy teenagers peeping on each other as they continue on with their daily lives.
Yet, that hole connects the two central characters through means beyond just a wall. This is a story that explores human nature itself. There are sides to people that we don’t often see unless they’re sure that seclusion is in their grasp. Lust, wrath, and pride are only a few examples of what we discover from this manga in ourselves. Who would have known that a simple act of perversion could turn into a game of lies and deceit?
To put some minds at ease, yes, this is a graphic novel containing adult material. However, it is also a work of literature that does well with its purpose. Adult situations occur every day in our lives, especially as college students, and it is entirely up to us to make choices and act upon them. Even I’ll admit, you won’t find many stories such as this with a good plot in it. So for those of you who are only interested mindless sex, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
The manga hasn’t been serialized and published in North America yet, but when it does make sure you grab yourself a copy. Just don’t let the kids read it until they’re of legal age.
If you’re eager to read a scanlation of this manga, head on over to MangaHere and find it there.
Capa is the mild-mannered, culturally-confused English major of The Prospector. As an aspiring novelist he thrives to write simply for the sake of writing. Other than writing he spends most of his free time on music and video games, sometimes even combining the two. Also likes to think he’s up in the-know with technology. No, not really. Reach him at prospector.clo@gmail.com for comments and/or suggestions.
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