I am very addicted to reading manga. I think I've read over 350+ manga in my whole life, it's probably more than even average native Japanese people have ever read. Reading manga is one my favorite things to do to fill the time in between activities.
Manga are divided into short chapters and have less dense narrative compared to novel, caused by the use of illustration - often that the arts speak for themselves, thus manga are easy to keep track so it's perfect for me in such situation where my attentions are also divided.
Each manga has its own charm, be it the art style or the way the story is unfolded. I enjoy many genre, however Mono no Aware style storytelling is the style that captivate me the most. A unique style which I rarely encounter in other pop culture mediums.
Mono no Aware (in Japanese: 物の哀れ) is a sad nostalgic feeling that you get when you gain awareness that everything is impermanence. The realization that something beautiful is not going to last forever will intensify your appreciation towards that thing. It is the feeling that will make you realize how wonderful it is to come across such rare and fleeting existence.
You will have the urge to sit back and savor the moment, and you will feel a gentle sadness when the moment passes you by. It’s the kind of feeling that you get when you are watching fireworks alone, or when your summer break is about to end and you look back to the things that you had done through out the month then realized how short your holiday was.
Yet there is this particular manga which evoke Mono no Aware feel the most according to my opinion; Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou.
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (in English: Yokohama Shopping Log, in Japanese: ヨコハマ買い出し紀行 ), or often abbreviated as YKK by fans, is a science fiction manga set in a post-apocalyptic world where mankind is quietly and slowly declining. The manga is written and illustrated by Hitoshi Ashinano. It's published by Kodansha and originally run from June 1994 until February 2006 with 14 volumes in total, and as far as I know it hasn't been licensed by western publishers, I read this manga via fan scanlation.
The series is mainly about the daily life of Alpha Hatsuseno, a robot who manages a coffee shop which takes place somewhere in Yokohama, Japan, after the Earth suffered from a global catastrophic disaster. It is implied in the story that places where human used to live, including the area where Alpha's lived, are getting deserted as the sea level is slowly rising. The human activity had been greatly reduced and nature slowly take over.
For those of you who like slow paced and calm story like me, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is a master piece. The way the story is paced and how the illustration is drawn will invite readers to get deeply immersed in the post-catastrophic yet gentle world-building. The author is also able to create most engaging characters and depict their everyday life interactions in entertaining and thought-provoking way.
There are times when the author decided to not use dialogue nor written narration at all and played with the readers emotion with beautiful illustration and especially the colour pages. The illustration combined with the soft colours gives off strong yet a mellow and nostalgic feeling. They are beautifully drawn and definitely treat to readers' eyes.
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| The usage of soft colours in page evoke nostalgic feeling to the readers. |
The author didn't try to force the narration, rather he let it flows and unravel naturally. You are taken in for a relaxing ride where you get to see how things are through Alpha's eyes. You'd be able to feel her soft sadness realising that she wouldn't age. She realised that people around her, places, everyday life, and special moments would eventually pass her by.
You get to appreciate the little things in every day life with the main character. You'll wish that the moments would've never ended. The combination of cozy narration, immersive worldbuilding, and beautiful artwork is able to evoke strong nostalgia. That's why Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is the best Mono no Aware manga of all time. I give this manga a perfect 5 out of 5 stars!
Note: Pictures used in this article belong to their respective author (Hitoshi Ashinano) and publishers (Kodansha).