Category: Drama

Manga of the Month: Saturn Apartments

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Saturn Apartments (土星マンション) by Hisae Iwaoka

narutaki_icon_4040 Saturn Apartments depicts a future where most of the population has moved to an orbital ring above the Earth’s surface with the wealthiest living at the top, the blue-collar living at the bottom, and the middle being a neutral territory. Predictably, the lower class is used for all the most dangerous work including manning the power plants, checking for damage from space debris, and washing windows. This is the story of a window washers guild, one of the few groups able to move between floors, go outside the ring, and gaze upon the Earth.

Ms. Iwaoka lovingly crafts a world where people are in a bubble of machinery and steel in the lower level where little natural light gets in and takes that detail all the way through to the breathtaking sight of Earth from the atmosphere. The dreams of those who dwell on the bottom floor, their lives and their relationships, are equally depicted with delicacy and a simply beauty.

Bright-eyed Mitsu is the catalyst for the story as he enters the window washers guild at 16, following in the footsteps of his respected-by-all father, Aki, who fell from the orbital ring while on the job. Those swirling around him have their own strife and stories: Mitsu’s partner and mentor the ornery Jin is devoted to his ill wife; Aki’s ex-partner Tamachi now working at the power plant, struggles to forgive himself; young and isolated Makoto can’t accept Tamachi leaving the guild or accept Mitsu as apart of it; Kageyama is a family man facing a decision about his future; and many others’ tales that are told within these seven volumes. Things come a head after an accident in the lower levels threatens everyone and the need for hope sways the balance.

Saturn Apartments reminded me of Twin Spica in that it was a slow and quiet space story that was utterly moving. And, just as Twin Spica was, Saturn Apartments is a testament to the human spirit.

~ kate

Manga of the Month: Limit

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Limit (リミット) by Keiko Suenobu

narutaki_icon_4040 The precarious balance of power that governs high school is taken for a dark and tragic ride in Keiko Suenobu’s Limit.

After a bus accident strands a few surviving high school girls in the woods, their vow to find help and get out the mountainous region quickly becomes a regime of suspicion and fear. Each person is tested when lies, jealously, and bullying weigh on them as each one is confronted with their choices and pasts.

Konno is a girl who quickly conformed to the high school scene to be accepted and in turn she pushed down others like bookish Kamiya and isolated Morishige. The tables are turned when surviving their ordeal becomes of paramount importance. Retribution is a tricky business and as is a redemption that may never come. Every girl has a story to tell and learning about each other pushes some closer and other further apart.

Despite the violent and often hopeless nature of Limit, it also works to create bonds and just a glimmer of hope at key moments. The affects others actions have on those around them and the devastation of high school life is on full display. A tense read for sure as you wait with bated breath for the next twist in their hope for survival.

~ kate

Manga of the Month: Genshiken

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Genshiken (げんしけん) by Kio Shimoku

narutaki_icon_4040 Convention season always puts Genshiken back on my mind. This year though, Genshiken is officially back in the spotlight with a currently airing anime. Plus, here in the states we are slowly getting the new class’s story in manga form, and to top it off, Kodansha USA has also releasing omnibus editions of the original story.

Simply put, Genshiken is about the geeks that we all are and know, albeit a bit exaggerated. The story is centered around an otaku club in college where we encounter various personalities, relationships, struggles, hijinks, and, of course, geekery. From cosplay to doujinshi, from figures to eroge games; everything and more is referenced, discussed, argued over, and loved within the pages of Genshiken.

Genshiken truly begins when new student Sasahara joins the club as a freshman. It follows him over four years in the club as he gets to know its members, learns a lot about himself, and even becomes more of an otaku in the process. But Genshiken is truly an ensemble story that shines brightest when it is about the group dynamic of the club. Sadly (though not really), characters must graduate and move forward but that doesn’t mean Genshiken ends as new students are always knocking on the door of the club room looking for a friendly place to share their fandom.

In Genshiken, sometimes the stories are strange, sometimes the stories are very poignant, and these stories are always told with big dose of humor. The appeal of Genshiken is that you are part of the club. You may or may not see yourself as one of the characters, but you always see yourself within the context of their lives.

~ kate