STRAIGHT

Straight was released in the mid-1980s, marking the early professional period of Taiyo Matsumoto. Published during the shift in manga aesthetics toward more experimental and personal storytelling, the work reflects the artist's foundational interest in the psychological lives of athletes and outcasts. It explores themes of competition and ambition through a stylized lens that would become the hallmark of Matsumoto’s later, more critically acclaimed series.

The design and visual narrative of Straight serve as a clear precursor to the distinct, fluid, and often distorted character proportions that Matsumoto became known for in later works like Tekkonkinkreet and Ping Pong. Critics often view this volume as an essential study in the development of his minimalist yet emotionally dense style, capturing the kinetic energy of sports without relying on the hyper-realistic tropes prevalent in the genre at the time.