[Manga Title: Colette Decides to Die / Content warnings: Death, Whether or not you interpret Colette jumping into a well as an attempt at suicide is subjective, Depictions of illness, family death, skeletons, Zeus is a bit lecherous / Spoilers: Minimal - reference chapter 2 specifically]
Let me guess, memes about being overqualified and undervalued at your job are all too relatable. I’ve been there before, and so has our protagonist. Overworked to the point of complete burn out at a thankless job as an apothecary, Colette is at her wits end. While she may not get the rest that she so desperately needs (and deserves!!), she might just find renewed faith in her work while treating the God of the Underworld.
The Story:
Colette Decides to Die is a story all about the nature of healing and asking questions like what kind of work is worth doing. Colette herself is a healer, but the pain she feels is not the kind you can fix with a bandage. When we meet her, she is the only apothecary in her village, and she’s exhausted by the demand so much so that she no longer sees helping people as rewarding. To paraphrase Watchmen, Who Heals the Healers? Who is looking out for Colette when she’s looking out for everyone else?
It feels incredibly poignant that what starts to help Colette heal, is not necessarily resting, but continuing her work by treating a patient, Hades, who can show her the real value of what she does. Sometimes our “self-care” routines just don’t cut it, and what we really require is a sense of purpose. I feel like the people who vacillate wildly between working their butts off and bed rotting totally get this distinction.
I don’t mean to give Colette an armchair diagnosis, but it seems to me that she deals with a lot of anxiety coupled with perfectionist tendencies. She feels immensely overwhelmed by the constant pressure of tending to patients, but she’s also convinced herself that she is the only one capable of doing the job. She’s all but certain that everything would fall apart without her. At one point in the story, we see that this somewhat ego-centric mindset prevents her from recognizing the abilities of her new apprentices, and just how eager they are to help her if she would just let them try. But that’s when Hades calls her out, and it’s only then that Colette starts to realize how she needs to truly take care of herself and trust others to do the work when she can’t.
The bond that forms between Hades and Colette feels perfectly fated, and at times is a little reminiscent of Studio Ghibli’s Howl and Sophie with Colette’s strong will and Hades’ stubbornness. Both of our characters are incredibly isolated in their lives. Their respective jobs are their whole world, and although the work they each do is important, it gives them little room for a personal life or genuine fulfillment. This lack that they each feel is their first point of real connection, and it allows them to start learning from one another.
And it has to be said, that it is really wonderful that despite any budding romance that is likely to come about, that Colette and Hades have given each other room to grow as individuals, to be wrong at times, and to each speak their minds freely. The shoujo girlies know that these two are gonna fall in love, but it’s nice seeing a relationship built on more than just romantic feelings. These two are creating a strong foundation of mutual respect and admiration, and I am here for it!
The Art:
The art style immediately reminded me of Sorata Akiduki’s Snow White with the Red Hair, so it’s no surprise to me that this first volume has an ad for it directly following the last page. As with SWWTRH, The wispy and soft line work makes Colette Decides to Die feel extra whimsical, and it brings the words on the page to life in a lovely way. And much to my delight, the humorous panels are just as good as the more serious ones, as comical elements are seamlessly blended into the narrative.
Also, prepare to feel like these characters exist in real life, because the art gives them great emotional range. They don’t feel like copy/paste faces, as each of the characters emote in a way that feels natural to their personality. While Hades is more brooding than Colette, his more joyful expressions feel unique to him and vice versa. I love to see a range of faces and body language in art, and Colette Decides to Die does this well.
The Deets:
This is a hefty omnibus, even excluding the brief one-shot, “Night and the Melody” that resides between book 1 and 2 of this volume. Don’t be intimidated though, it’s an absolute page-turner. While the story felt like it was encouraging me to take my time with it, I couldn’t help but blaze through it because it was just so good. Each chapter presents deep messaging, beautiful artwork, and a sweet, relatable sense of humor. I highly recommend picking up volume 1; it’s the chicken soup for the soul that everyone needs right now.
Colette Decides to Die is a completed series in Japan consisting of 20 volumes. The English release is being published in omnibus format by Viz Media. 2 collected volumes are currently out, with volume 3 set to release in English on May 6th.
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