Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don’t know anything about this story but picked it up at the library because I liked the ethereal art style on the cover and the premise of archivists with magical powers chronicling their small and isolated society that travels through a post-apocalyptic world on the back of a whale. Sounds right up my alley! This first volume doesn’t deliver on the promise though. The dialogue has been directly translated and reads in a very stilted way, and there is a lot of exposition presented in a dull way. The art isn’t amazing, just basic boilerplate manga. I am hoping that now the explanation has occurred the story can pick up in the next volume. I’d like to see where things go!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I believe this is the first manga I've read. I knew from the Japanese quilting magazines I perused back in the day how to read "back to front" and right to left otherwise I might have been more confused. I don't think I'm going to check the other volumes out of the library; it wasn't a bad story, just not for me, I think.
*Second read 7/9/2022*
I've since watched the Netflix adaptation and am giving this one a reread. Bumping it up from 3 stars to 4 stars this time round!
*First read 18/8/2019*
As can be expected with a first volume, it got off to a rocky start while the mangaka commenced the world building.
There’s a *lot* to learn about the mudwhale, the social structure, and the special abilities that exist in this world, as well as establishing what the characters *don’t know*. It’s a lot to establish using a visual format so I’m not unsurprised that it was a bit hit and miss.
I quite enjoyed the characters and magic system from the little bit we got. Chakuro seems like a precious sensitive archivist soul - think a younger version of Lazlo from Strange the Dreamer.
And I can see how differing uses of magic may form a source of conflict or intrigue in this world. I loooove a magic system that has clear costs to the user, so the Marked versus Unmarked situation was absolutely my JAM.
I wasn’t 100% sold on this world or the plot until chapter 3 when we got a bombshell about the world outside, as well as the introduction of a major conflict. That instantly ramped the stakes up to 11 and punched me in the feels!
I love me a mysterious dystopian and global secrets, so I’m going to give volume 2 a go and decide if I’m ready to commit.
I've since watched the Netflix adaptation and am giving this one a reread. Bumping it up from 3 stars to 4 stars this time round!
*First read 18/8/2019*
As can be expected with a first volume, it got off to a rocky start while the mangaka commenced the world building.
There’s a *lot* to learn about the mudwhale, the social structure, and the special abilities that exist in this world, as well as establishing what the characters *don’t know*. It’s a lot to establish using a visual format so I’m not unsurprised that it was a bit hit and miss.
I quite enjoyed the characters and magic system from the little bit we got. Chakuro seems like a precious sensitive archivist soul - think a younger version of Lazlo from Strange the Dreamer.
And I can see how differing uses of magic may form a source of conflict or intrigue in this world. I loooove a magic system that has clear costs to the user, so the Marked versus Unmarked situation was absolutely my JAM.
I wasn’t 100% sold on this world or the plot until chapter 3 when we got a bombshell about the world outside, as well as the introduction of a major conflict. That instantly ramped the stakes up to 11 and punched me in the feels!
I love me a mysterious dystopian and global secrets, so I’m going to give volume 2 a go and decide if I’m ready to commit.
I loved this story the moment I started reading it. It was different and interesting I had never read before, people living on a mud whale ship that sailed through sand, with some people having magic. It's such an interesting concept, I can't wait to see where the story goes.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
La première série de manga que j’ai lue et une de mes préférées. Les dessins sont absolument magnifiques et le style d’écriture aussi. C’est écrit d’une façon si poétique que j’ai l’impression d’entendre le vent de la mer porter les paroles des personnages.
C’est aussi très triste et les personnages sont tellement attachants que j’ai pleuré à tous les tomes. Un chef-d’œuvre dans mon cœur (surtout Roxalito).
C’est aussi très triste et les personnages sont tellement attachants que j’ai pleuré à tous les tomes. Un chef-d’œuvre dans mon cœur (surtout Roxalito).
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Me vi el anime hace años y es cierto que los preciosos colores de este añaden mucho a la historia pero igualmente me ha encantado este volumen. Al igual que al ver el primer episodio en su día, ha sido una montaña rusa desde"oh, es una historia dulce sobre jóvenes en una isla" a "oh, encontraron a alguien del exterior y querrán explorarlo, se cuestionarán sus creencias y será una historia sobre esos cambios" hasta simplemente "OH" en las últimas páginas. Un giro de los acontecimientos inesperado y duro, que crea un contraste muy brusco pero sin duda también la necesidad de seguir leyendo y descubrir todo lo que ocurre en el pequeño (o quizá no tan pequeño, al fin y al cabo) mundo de este manga.