Kanikousen

A ship named Hakuko Maru offers a last resort for the unemployed, bankrupt, landless, and otherwise marginalized members of society. Once aboard, passengers face a harsh reality of forced labor, with no rights and little protection from the cruelty of the fishing company's overseers. Conditions on the ship are brutal, leading to deaths from starvation and abuse. The workers soon realize that survival demands resistance and a fight for their lives. Originally a 1929 novel, it became a significant piece of Japanese literature and led to the death of its author, Takiji Kobayashi, who was arrested, tortured, and killed by police in 1933 at the age of 29. The book was banned for many years but later rediscovered and adapted into various media, including this manga version by Gō Fujio.