Hitoshi Ashinano

Pure joy

I’ve been wanting to read this manga for ages, but couldn’t find it anywhere. And then, lo and behold! Here they were, deluxe omnibus English editions – three volumes have been published, out of five planned. Yaaaaaaay!!!!!!

We are in a dystopian world, there has been a disaster of some kind. Yet everyone and everything are getting by. Everything is slow, pastoral… and slowly declining. Everything is about cherishing the beauty and fragility of every moment.

Alpha is an android girl who runs a café by the sea (how the café manages to survive is a mystery to me – but no matter, this is not the point). Customers come. There are conversations, stories told, and small adventures. I loved the joyful found family vibes. I loved Takahiro and his grandpa. There is a lot to smile about in little everyday things – when grandpa happens to have too many watermelons, for example, he drives around giving them to *everyone*. It wasn’t quite clear what Alpha did with hers ;)

How was it possible to create so many beautiful scenes? When Alpha played her moon guitar, I swear I could hear the music. The friendship between Alpha and Kokone is lovely. In just a few images, a few words, the book conveys the necessity of finding ways of being yourself, ways that don’t have to be “human”.

The art is amazing, it shines and sings from every page. There were panels I wanted to hug. It was like basking in the sunshine after long winter. This manga is precious, and I am so happy to own it.… (plus d'informations)

This volume is just as lovely as the first. The world is slowly winding down, and no one knows what is to come. Everything is beautifully bittersweet, there is a future nostalgia for fragile things that are still here.

Alpha is wonderful to follow. “I can’t explain how she became someone who could pry her own joy from anything.” I loved seeing more of Kokone, Makki, Tokahito and the others. The trips to the beach were so full of surprised happiness (because there aren’t any sand beaches any more, not really…).

The art shines, it enchants you and pulls you into the book.

One complaint: I am still wondering what’s up with the androids having to french kiss in order to exchange information packages? It happened once in volume 1 and once here. Is this supposed to be funny, is it a fan service? So weird. It didn’t make me enjoy this less, though!… (plus d'informations)

The manga where nothing ever happens manages to turn a destructive typhoon into an excuse for the main character to go walkabout around post-apocalyptic Japan. There are no mutants or scavengers or bandits or anything; it's just a nice walking tour for her that takes her all the way to Mount Fuji. And then she goes home to pick up the nothing she was doing before right where she left off.

There are some guns brandished and mentioned though, so perhaps Chekhov's law will force something to happen one day.

Since I'm already past the halfway point, I guess I'll stick it out and just look at the pretty pictures.… (plus d'informations)