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とつくにの少女 / Totsukuni no shōjo #10-11+EX
The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún Deluxe Edition IV
The beautiful, critically acclaimed manga that was successfully Kickstarted into a feature-length anime! And don’t miss our other manga in English from creator Nagabe.
In a land far away, there were two the Outside, where twisted beasts roamed that could curse with a touch, and the Inside, where humans lived in safety and peace. The girl and the beast should never have met, but when they do, a quiet fairy tale begins. This is the story of two people--one human, one inhuman--who linger in the hazy twilight that separates night from day.
Nagabe’s haunting, bestselling manga series has captivated critics and general audiences from its debut to its conclusion, inspiring an animated short film and a successful crowdfunding campaign for a feature-length anime. Now enjoy the original manga tale in a series of four gorgeous, deluxe hardcovers containing the complete series, color inserts, and exclusive covers from Nagabe that will cast their magic over any bookshelf.
In a land far away, there were two the Outside, where twisted beasts roamed that could curse with a touch, and the Inside, where humans lived in safety and peace. The girl and the beast should never have met, but when they do, a quiet fairy tale begins. This is the story of two people--one human, one inhuman--who linger in the hazy twilight that separates night from day.
Nagabe’s haunting, bestselling manga series has captivated critics and general audiences from its debut to its conclusion, inspiring an animated short film and a successful crowdfunding campaign for a feature-length anime. Now enjoy the original manga tale in a series of four gorgeous, deluxe hardcovers containing the complete series, color inserts, and exclusive covers from Nagabe that will cast their magic over any bookshelf.
520 pages, Hardcover
Published September 26, 2023
About the author
Nagabe
41 books948 followersPlease also see ながべ.
He studied Fine Arts at Musashino University. At first, he was more interested in illustration, printmaking, and painting than in manga. However, when he considered the best way to make a living from his art, he decided to focus on the world of Japanese comics and trained himself, rather than the usual approach of working for several years as an apprentice to an experienced manga artist.
He was still a student when his first work, The Boss Is an Onee, was published. He soon attracted attention for his distinctive drawing style, his fantastical and melancholic plots, and his use of fantasy characters and anthropomorphic animals.
He studied Fine Arts at Musashino University. At first, he was more interested in illustration, printmaking, and painting than in manga. However, when he considered the best way to make a living from his art, he decided to focus on the world of Japanese comics and trained himself, rather than the usual approach of working for several years as an apprentice to an experienced manga artist.
He was still a student when his first work, The Boss Is an Onee, was published. He soon attracted attention for his distinctive drawing style, his fantastical and melancholic plots, and his use of fantasy characters and anthropomorphic animals.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
February 19, 2024
This wouldve been a three star but the gorgeous art as always bumped it up to a four.
Truthfully, I wasn't a fan of the ending. I don't ever like open endings, and I didn't like this one too.
I didn't particularly care about the politics that was going on in the kingdom. I did liked the kings character though, he was sweet. But besides that it was...okay.
I didn't understand what was going on with Shiva and how she's sorta an outsider, sorta not? What I didn't understand was, how did Albert have his soul when it was stated later on that the vessel of Shiva took Alberts soul in order to become Shiva? Did she only take half his soul or something? It wasn't established at all.
And I also wasn't satisfied that...I guess the curse wasn't broken?? They left it open on whether the curse was broken or not, but it felt like it wasn't?? And that was unresolved and disappointing.
I would've liked it more if it was revealed that Albert was indeed a human at some point but one of the outsiders brought his soul to the goddess of darkness before his soul disappeared like it normally does. And instead he became half human half outsider and with the goddess blood in him. And, if Shiva was Alberts daughter that we saw in the flashbacks. And she died, but her soul was pure and the god of light chose her to be his vessel. So she became his vessel and got reborn. So that's why she can't get cursed, cause she's got the god blood and soul inside of her.
That would've been cool and a lot better explained. They are the reincarnation of the goddess of darkness and the god of light. And when they are together the curse comes to a halt throughout the lands, and no one will get cursed as long as the souls are together and happy. And since they are reincarnations they are immortal. Idk, would've explained a lot more in my eyes.
Truthfully, I wasn't a fan of the ending. I don't ever like open endings, and I didn't like this one too.
I didn't particularly care about the politics that was going on in the kingdom. I did liked the kings character though, he was sweet. But besides that it was...okay.
I didn't understand what was going on with Shiva and how she's sorta an outsider, sorta not? What I didn't understand was, how did Albert have his soul when it was stated later on that the vessel of Shiva took Alberts soul in order to become Shiva? Did she only take half his soul or something? It wasn't established at all.
And I also wasn't satisfied that...I guess the curse wasn't broken?? They left it open on whether the curse was broken or not, but it felt like it wasn't?? And that was unresolved and disappointing.
I would've liked it more if it was revealed that Albert was indeed a human at some point but one of the outsiders brought his soul to the goddess of darkness before his soul disappeared like it normally does. And instead he became half human half outsider and with the goddess blood in him. And, if Shiva was Alberts daughter that we saw in the flashbacks. And she died, but her soul was pure and the god of light chose her to be his vessel. So she became his vessel and got reborn. So that's why she can't get cursed, cause she's got the god blood and soul inside of her.
That would've been cool and a lot better explained. They are the reincarnation of the goddess of darkness and the god of light. And when they are together the curse comes to a halt throughout the lands, and no one will get cursed as long as the souls are together and happy. And since they are reincarnations they are immortal. Idk, would've explained a lot more in my eyes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2024
I need to sit with the ambiguity of this ending for a bit, but what a beautiful journey to get here. 4.5 stars.
January 19, 2026
“The Girl from the Other Side” is not my favorite manga I’ve ever read (not that I've read many anyway), but it is a notably deeper exploration of a number of topics that one might not expect from its veneer and early promise of coziness and something a tiny bit slice-of-life-esque. This unexpected depth - and several of the concepts explored therein - is a lot of what makes this series both so uniquely special and also a little bit conflicting at times over the course of the story.
For its part, the final deluxe volume of “The Girl from the Other Side” is a mildly drawn out capstone to the series following the (frankly) pretty confusing expansion and explanation of world lore that came at the end of Deluxe Volume 3. Volumes 10-11 of the original manga are a little bit long and start to spin their wheels a little bit, overexplaining some things that are confusing because it kind of understands that its confusing, but not doing a great job at actually making that more comprehensible. So what you end up with is the last 3 volumes all being a little bit “Huh?”, despite some of the more relevant emotional moments and similar still retaining the kind of impact that the rest of the manga displays.
To its credit, the very end of Volume 11 leaves off on a pretty melancholic yet deeply moving monologue that hits all the right notes for me, and so I forgive the degree to which I think Nagabe spent too much time doing what this final segment does.
Besides, the final Bonus volume at the end is just a wonderful way to close off my time with this story and world as well. It’s simple: just 6 or 7 short chapters of that very slice-of-life kind of thing that the earlier volumes contain a little bit more of; chapters entirely dedicated to a particular theme, like finding apples to pick, or building a snowman, and some other things. Returning to that comfier and more homey vibe to pick up the spirits again after the number of more tragic moments contained in the manga is great.
But the manga as a whole really kind of surprised me on what it's doing. Beyond the more comfy material, it seeks also to tackle many themes with rather wonderful deft: certain aspects of identity, particularly with regard to memory and purpose, are explored here; responsibility and sacrifice are covered with some of the greatest moments in volumes 7-8 come starkly to mind as some of my favorite stuff; what it means to care for someone and how that reflects on your own life; reactivity in the face of fear and grace in the face of opposition. Many of these things and more are touched on and reflected upon throughout the story, particularly from the vantage of Teacher, and so made Teacher one of my favorite manga characters I’ve read up to this point. There’s a lot of deeper meaning here, and plenty of heavier darker moments with which to dive into it.
All that to say: don’t expect this to be butterflies and rainbows, because it’s honestly mostly not. (Except for the bonus volume.)
Another thing that kind of surprised me about the manga is the art, and the way the art finally managed to make an impact on me, despite not particularly being my favorite. I have early criticisms of it - in the first couple original volumes, the value contrast (black vs. white vs. grays) is ROUGH, and a LOT of stuff is just way too indistinct to be clear for general story purposes. I felt like I had to study the panels in the early stages of the manga not because of how much there was to see, but rather because I couldn’t tell what I was supposed to see in the first place.
This general style does persist through the story, but fortunately by the 3rd volume onward, Nagabe finds ways to make things pop-out that are supposed to, avoiding the visual clutter (or lack thereof?) issue of what came before. It still takes a little time to adjust, but fortunately this does get better.
What struck me was that by the halfway point onward, I was actually really struck by the dichotomy of reaction the vaguer art style garnered from me!
Most of the artwork I enjoy the most is that which is intricately detailed in some capacity. In some cases this is rather direct and clear; in others it isn’t. (Look no further than the fact that my favorite painter is Mariusz Lewandowski to see what I mean. The art itself is both vague and intricate at once.) Nagabe in “The Girl from the Other Side” manages to do something rather striking with the art as it develops. There are so many quieter moments, with many panels that feature little to no dialogue, that feel like they exist in this dream-state, where you know exactly where you are at all times, yet hardly have to study it to figure it out. It IS dream-like.
And more than that, Nagabe takes advantage of very odd framing choices. I realized after finishing “The Girl from the Other Side” that there’s a distinctly cinematic aspect to manga storytelling inherent to its composition. Of course, this might seem obvious, given how big anime adaptations of manga are, and considering the amount of them that do fairly faithful panel conversions to one degree or another. It only makes sense! But I hadn’t *really* thought of that prior until I realized that Nagabe’s implicit “cinematography” as shown in this work is incredibly unique, and so intentional to make that somewhat vague, undetailed artwork still come through in such a striking manner. It’s really hard to explain, but I hope that makes sense. The artstyle itself isn’t my favorite at all - not even close - but it is VERY different, and succeeds in selling its tone completely.
Finally, I want to address some general points. “The Girl from the Other Side” has some VERY strong moments. When it is striking, it is REALLY striking. And yet, every one of these deluxe volumes has a volume in it that kind of holds the others back just enough to not reach individual 5/5’s as a whole:
- For Deluxe 1, it’s because volumes 1-2 have rougher-to-make-out artwork, though the content itself could be justified as 5/5 for the character work and laying down of thematic ideas.
- For Deluxe 2, it was my initial question mark around some of the theological ideals of the series, not to mention some developments with one of the characters that took me by surprise in Volume 5 that I was a little less sure on at the time. Again, this could well have been 5/5, but I’m nitpicking.
- For Deluxe 3, I LOVED volumes 7-8 especially (they might be my favorite of the whole thing?), but the hard shift and focus on the human stuff in this collection and especially the arguable overexplaining of theological stuff that didn’t fully make sense in volume 9 brought things down for me.
- For Deluxe 4, I (as said before) think many explanations go about their paces too many times and still leave more questions than answers in the grand scheme of things.
On a volume by volume basis, I’d need to go through and check out my direct thoughts following each one to really say where they all fall on a more pedantic scale, but for now I think that DELUXE volume 3 > 1 = 2 > 4 can be said to be my ranking of the omnibuses. (1 and 2 are basically interchangeable depending on what you’re looking for; 1 better for cozy vibes, while 2 is better for thematic depth.) And I give this loose ranking just because I rated all 4 omnibuses an equal ⅘!
But I think I’ll leave off here. Those are basically my feelings about Vol. 4 and the manga as a whole now that I am done with it. I’m glad I read this. It affected me a bit more emotionally than I expected and optimally would have liked given what’s been going on in my life, but that’s okay! It was still worth the journey. I am yet unsure what my next manga will be, but I hope/intend for it to be either something a little bit more lighthearted, broadscale *fun*, or perhaps less steeped in melancholy and tragedy.
For its part, the final deluxe volume of “The Girl from the Other Side” is a mildly drawn out capstone to the series following the (frankly) pretty confusing expansion and explanation of world lore that came at the end of Deluxe Volume 3. Volumes 10-11 of the original manga are a little bit long and start to spin their wheels a little bit, overexplaining some things that are confusing because it kind of understands that its confusing, but not doing a great job at actually making that more comprehensible. So what you end up with is the last 3 volumes all being a little bit “Huh?”, despite some of the more relevant emotional moments and similar still retaining the kind of impact that the rest of the manga displays.
To its credit, the very end of Volume 11 leaves off on a pretty melancholic yet deeply moving monologue that hits all the right notes for me, and so I forgive the degree to which I think Nagabe spent too much time doing what this final segment does.
Besides, the final Bonus volume at the end is just a wonderful way to close off my time with this story and world as well. It’s simple: just 6 or 7 short chapters of that very slice-of-life kind of thing that the earlier volumes contain a little bit more of; chapters entirely dedicated to a particular theme, like finding apples to pick, or building a snowman, and some other things. Returning to that comfier and more homey vibe to pick up the spirits again after the number of more tragic moments contained in the manga is great.
But the manga as a whole really kind of surprised me on what it's doing. Beyond the more comfy material, it seeks also to tackle many themes with rather wonderful deft: certain aspects of identity, particularly with regard to memory and purpose, are explored here; responsibility and sacrifice are covered with some of the greatest moments in volumes 7-8 come starkly to mind as some of my favorite stuff; what it means to care for someone and how that reflects on your own life; reactivity in the face of fear and grace in the face of opposition. Many of these things and more are touched on and reflected upon throughout the story, particularly from the vantage of Teacher, and so made Teacher one of my favorite manga characters I’ve read up to this point. There’s a lot of deeper meaning here, and plenty of heavier darker moments with which to dive into it.
All that to say: don’t expect this to be butterflies and rainbows, because it’s honestly mostly not. (Except for the bonus volume.)
Another thing that kind of surprised me about the manga is the art, and the way the art finally managed to make an impact on me, despite not particularly being my favorite. I have early criticisms of it - in the first couple original volumes, the value contrast (black vs. white vs. grays) is ROUGH, and a LOT of stuff is just way too indistinct to be clear for general story purposes. I felt like I had to study the panels in the early stages of the manga not because of how much there was to see, but rather because I couldn’t tell what I was supposed to see in the first place.
This general style does persist through the story, but fortunately by the 3rd volume onward, Nagabe finds ways to make things pop-out that are supposed to, avoiding the visual clutter (or lack thereof?) issue of what came before. It still takes a little time to adjust, but fortunately this does get better.
What struck me was that by the halfway point onward, I was actually really struck by the dichotomy of reaction the vaguer art style garnered from me!
Most of the artwork I enjoy the most is that which is intricately detailed in some capacity. In some cases this is rather direct and clear; in others it isn’t. (Look no further than the fact that my favorite painter is Mariusz Lewandowski to see what I mean. The art itself is both vague and intricate at once.) Nagabe in “The Girl from the Other Side” manages to do something rather striking with the art as it develops. There are so many quieter moments, with many panels that feature little to no dialogue, that feel like they exist in this dream-state, where you know exactly where you are at all times, yet hardly have to study it to figure it out. It IS dream-like.
And more than that, Nagabe takes advantage of very odd framing choices. I realized after finishing “The Girl from the Other Side” that there’s a distinctly cinematic aspect to manga storytelling inherent to its composition. Of course, this might seem obvious, given how big anime adaptations of manga are, and considering the amount of them that do fairly faithful panel conversions to one degree or another. It only makes sense! But I hadn’t *really* thought of that prior until I realized that Nagabe’s implicit “cinematography” as shown in this work is incredibly unique, and so intentional to make that somewhat vague, undetailed artwork still come through in such a striking manner. It’s really hard to explain, but I hope that makes sense. The artstyle itself isn’t my favorite at all - not even close - but it is VERY different, and succeeds in selling its tone completely.
Finally, I want to address some general points. “The Girl from the Other Side” has some VERY strong moments. When it is striking, it is REALLY striking. And yet, every one of these deluxe volumes has a volume in it that kind of holds the others back just enough to not reach individual 5/5’s as a whole:
- For Deluxe 1, it’s because volumes 1-2 have rougher-to-make-out artwork, though the content itself could be justified as 5/5 for the character work and laying down of thematic ideas.
- For Deluxe 2, it was my initial question mark around some of the theological ideals of the series, not to mention some developments with one of the characters that took me by surprise in Volume 5 that I was a little less sure on at the time. Again, this could well have been 5/5, but I’m nitpicking.
- For Deluxe 3, I LOVED volumes 7-8 especially (they might be my favorite of the whole thing?), but the hard shift and focus on the human stuff in this collection and especially the arguable overexplaining of theological stuff that didn’t fully make sense in volume 9 brought things down for me.
- For Deluxe 4, I (as said before) think many explanations go about their paces too many times and still leave more questions than answers in the grand scheme of things.
On a volume by volume basis, I’d need to go through and check out my direct thoughts following each one to really say where they all fall on a more pedantic scale, but for now I think that DELUXE volume 3 > 1 = 2 > 4 can be said to be my ranking of the omnibuses. (1 and 2 are basically interchangeable depending on what you’re looking for; 1 better for cozy vibes, while 2 is better for thematic depth.) And I give this loose ranking just because I rated all 4 omnibuses an equal ⅘!
But I think I’ll leave off here. Those are basically my feelings about Vol. 4 and the manga as a whole now that I am done with it. I’m glad I read this. It affected me a bit more emotionally than I expected and optimally would have liked given what’s been going on in my life, but that’s okay! It was still worth the journey. I am yet unsure what my next manga will be, but I hope/intend for it to be either something a little bit more lighthearted, broadscale *fun*, or perhaps less steeped in melancholy and tragedy.
November 13, 2024
This series🥺 I loved it
March 3, 2024
i loved this series so much it was so wholesome yet with a good plot that kept me stressing about the main characters
however what the fuck was that ending?!
it was actually so confusing and left me with so many questions and i just felt like this was not the kind of series that should end like that. like it feels like there is supposed to be a ‘happy’ ending but it all just leaves you feeling kind of empty?
i felt like there was so much plot build-up into finding out shiva was albert’s daughter and then they just kind of changed their mind in the end…? like im all for a plot twist but the ending just felt very out of place, confusing, and left a lot of plot holes for me. there’s so much unexplained now and i feel like the concept of the ending felt rushed
however the series overall was AMAZING. it definitely left me wanting to read a lot more of these cute wholesome mangas that are just about family or some shit
however what the fuck was that ending?!
it was actually so confusing and left me with so many questions and i just felt like this was not the kind of series that should end like that. like it feels like there is supposed to be a ‘happy’ ending but it all just leaves you feeling kind of empty?
i felt like there was so much plot build-up into finding out shiva was albert’s daughter and then they just kind of changed their mind in the end…? like im all for a plot twist but the ending just felt very out of place, confusing, and left a lot of plot holes for me. there’s so much unexplained now and i feel like the concept of the ending felt rushed
however the series overall was AMAZING. it definitely left me wanting to read a lot more of these cute wholesome mangas that are just about family or some shit
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2024
I am rating and reviewing this series as a whole.
Dark, mysterious, endearing, enchanting.
I see it this way: if the demon made itself into Shiva from Albert's soul, it makes sense that it would take the form of his daughter, a part of him and all he would have been thinking of at that crucial time when he was dying in the woods.
I think I understand the ending, while admittedly it was a bit confusing. There's a part that says,
"The inner and the outer. Two things that ought to be one. Two things that are each complete, yet cannot exist without each other. Things which cannot be separated, yet can never be together... but if you meet and can accept that suffering, the two may finally become one. In the end... That may be the curse."
The way I see it, this is the answer to all of our questions. When Shiva runs through the house as they come home the last time, we can't see her, but Albert knows she's there. They say they'll take a nap together, and Albert felt the cold of the snow, when he couldn't do those things before. At the end, he is becoming himself again. He is healing. Shiva will continue to dissolve into him and as his soul recovers, he will become human again, as she was. He'll break the curse, for himself, at least. I think he's aware now of Shiva as a part of himself, a part of his grief, a part of his daughter, a part of his wife, a part of the demon who cursed him. Even his being a doctor influenced her creation; she is a symbol of his willingness to survive and to heal. She is all of these things to him. The symbol of his carrying the baggage into the home at the end verifies this idea for me. He will carry all of it. He will remember it all. He will be Albert again.
This is all just my speculation but it's the way I interpreted it. I love this ending! And I love that it will keep me thinking for a long time.
I like the series' underlying tones. What it is to make a home. Grief. Survival. There are themes of discrimination and persecution. Accepting and loving someone for who they are and not the way they look. Finding joy in simplicity and abundance. There are so many. Ultimately it was a beautiful story that I'll be contemplating for a long time.
Dark, mysterious, endearing, enchanting.
I see it this way: if the demon made itself into Shiva from Albert's soul, it makes sense that it would take the form of his daughter, a part of him and all he would have been thinking of at that crucial time when he was dying in the woods.
I think I understand the ending, while admittedly it was a bit confusing. There's a part that says,
"The inner and the outer. Two things that ought to be one. Two things that are each complete, yet cannot exist without each other. Things which cannot be separated, yet can never be together... but if you meet and can accept that suffering, the two may finally become one. In the end... That may be the curse."
The way I see it, this is the answer to all of our questions. When Shiva runs through the house as they come home the last time, we can't see her, but Albert knows she's there. They say they'll take a nap together, and Albert felt the cold of the snow, when he couldn't do those things before. At the end, he is becoming himself again. He is healing. Shiva will continue to dissolve into him and as his soul recovers, he will become human again, as she was. He'll break the curse, for himself, at least. I think he's aware now of Shiva as a part of himself, a part of his grief, a part of his daughter, a part of his wife, a part of the demon who cursed him. Even his being a doctor influenced her creation; she is a symbol of his willingness to survive and to heal. She is all of these things to him. The symbol of his carrying the baggage into the home at the end verifies this idea for me. He will carry all of it. He will remember it all. He will be Albert again.
This is all just my speculation but it's the way I interpreted it. I love this ending! And I love that it will keep me thinking for a long time.
I like the series' underlying tones. What it is to make a home. Grief. Survival. There are themes of discrimination and persecution. Accepting and loving someone for who they are and not the way they look. Finding joy in simplicity and abundance. There are so many. Ultimately it was a beautiful story that I'll be contemplating for a long time.
October 17, 2023
Interesting series. I don’t think the metaphors really stuck the landing and that the light/dark could have been cleared up a lot better. I think the ending posed more questions than answers. Teachers origins felt a but rushed too.
Having said that, I just loved our two main characters throughout this series and how they interacted with each other.
Having said that, I just loved our two main characters throughout this series and how they interacted with each other.
February 3, 2024
ugly cried.
August 22, 2025
It can be soo sad. I love the birds who don’t know anything and repeat stuff. The end has a collection of shorts sort of based off dif volumes. It doesn’t outright say, but I’ve always presumed Shive is like his daughter. Maybe he had a son but she’s the placeholder in his heart/mind/soul I guess?
And they both retain some humanity with some memories and feelings and needs (cold, ouch, napping). Very Yin and Yang meets Frankenstein concepts. So much of this is their backstories and meetings and, though I guess I’m still unsure where she comes from, I think the point is just acceptance or reincarnation, instincts of love and duty. At least it tried to end on happy memories.
And they both retain some humanity with some memories and feelings and needs (cold, ouch, napping). Very Yin and Yang meets Frankenstein concepts. So much of this is their backstories and meetings and, though I guess I’m still unsure where she comes from, I think the point is just acceptance or reincarnation, instincts of love and duty. At least it tried to end on happy memories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2025
Not a great ending, but I cried at least tree times in the beginning, so I am still giving it a high rating.
April 1, 2024
This is my new favourite manga series. So nostalgic and sweet. (And a bit sad, too).
Also, side note - the Irish song that the title is based on is lovely (Siuil, a Run = Go, my love).
Also, side note - the Irish song that the title is based on is lovely (Siuil, a Run = Go, my love).
February 19, 2024
I’m gonna review my overall thoughts of the series here. I ADORED this series, I loved the art, the characters, the world, the meaning behind everything was beautiful. I had constant anxiety for these characters because I loved their father/daughter relationship and just wanted them to be okay.
I will say I was a little bit disappointed in the ending (why this book gets 4/5 while the rest of the series was 5/5). I had high hopes that it would be revealed that Shiva was Albert’s daughter, but when we found out Shiva was never even a real human and was an outsider in disguise I was disappointed and confused. I probably need to read somewhere about the ending explained because I’m not sure I fully grasped it. The series overall is a 5/5 for me though, I would recommend this to everyone.
I will say I was a little bit disappointed in the ending (why this book gets 4/5 while the rest of the series was 5/5). I had high hopes that it would be revealed that Shiva was Albert’s daughter, but when we found out Shiva was never even a real human and was an outsider in disguise I was disappointed and confused. I probably need to read somewhere about the ending explained because I’m not sure I fully grasped it. The series overall is a 5/5 for me though, I would recommend this to everyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 8, 2024I’m honestly so torn on this final volume. On one hand, I think there were a lot of beautiful moments that came with some realizations by Teacher and after certain decisions were made. But on the other hand, I felt like the twist at the end kind of came out of left field and didn’t fully stick the landing.
On initial read, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that certain things played out the way they did. As someone who has LOVED every moment thus far, I have to be honest with my gut reaction of disappointment and feeling like it fell short of my expectations. And that is SO immensely difficult for me to say, because this series has been one of my favorite things I’ve EVER read😭
But after the little vignettes and “bonus” chapters, it really made me remember why I loved this series and these characters SO SO deeply. The little moments, the treasured interactions — THAT is what made this story so special.
So I think I need to contemplate and dive deeper into this ending to fully understand and properly analyze it after stepping away from the initial reading experience for a while. Or I might just need to sit with it for a bit and not over think it.
Either way, I’m going to step back and appreciate the story as a whole, which, viewing that way, is definitely a 10/10 BEAUTIFUL, unequivocally STUNNING piece of art and storytelling. I am going to deeply miss Shiva and Teacher. Ever since picking up Volume 1, this story hasn’t left my mind. It feels like it’s a part of me now.
So regardless of whether or not the ending was perfect or held up to my (probably impossible to meet) expectations, this story touched my soul and will, without a doubt, stay with me forever ❤️
On initial read, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that certain things played out the way they did. As someone who has LOVED every moment thus far, I have to be honest with my gut reaction of disappointment and feeling like it fell short of my expectations. And that is SO immensely difficult for me to say, because this series has been one of my favorite things I’ve EVER read😭
But after the little vignettes and “bonus” chapters, it really made me remember why I loved this series and these characters SO SO deeply. The little moments, the treasured interactions — THAT is what made this story so special.
So I think I need to contemplate and dive deeper into this ending to fully understand and properly analyze it after stepping away from the initial reading experience for a while. Or I might just need to sit with it for a bit and not over think it.
Either way, I’m going to step back and appreciate the story as a whole, which, viewing that way, is definitely a 10/10 BEAUTIFUL, unequivocally STUNNING piece of art and storytelling. I am going to deeply miss Shiva and Teacher. Ever since picking up Volume 1, this story hasn’t left my mind. It feels like it’s a part of me now.
So regardless of whether or not the ending was perfect or held up to my (probably impossible to meet) expectations, this story touched my soul and will, without a doubt, stay with me forever ❤️
November 25, 2023
ok well I am going to cry in public.
particularly in this bind-up, I thought the fantastical elements of this series were hard to follow and a bit confusing/convoluted, but that was counterbalanced just fine by the quiet, funny, cute slice of life moments. the little vignettes at the end of this were so lovely, it was like reading fanfic after finishing and epic tale, which is actually all I ever want out of an epic tale. perfect balance. I loved it.
particularly in this bind-up, I thought the fantastical elements of this series were hard to follow and a bit confusing/convoluted, but that was counterbalanced just fine by the quiet, funny, cute slice of life moments. the little vignettes at the end of this were so lovely, it was like reading fanfic after finishing and epic tale, which is actually all I ever want out of an epic tale. perfect balance. I loved it.
November 22, 2023
A good ending for a great series.
I'm not going to talk much about it because I don't want to spoil it.
Some people might not like the end. I'm OK with it. It's an unexpected ending that makes sense.
Teacher and Shiva are part of a very precious story that was a joy to read.
Nagabe illustrations are extremely good and I'm sure to read whatever the author creates next.
I'm not going to talk much about it because I don't want to spoil it.
Some people might not like the end. I'm OK with it. It's an unexpected ending that makes sense.
Teacher and Shiva are part of a very precious story that was a joy to read.
Nagabe illustrations are extremely good and I'm sure to read whatever the author creates next.
December 31, 2023
4.5 I’m not a fan of ambiguous endings. There a number of ways the ending could have played out, and as a reader, I’m meant to decide myself, given the clues left me, how it ended. I don’t like that kind of storytelling. It’s annoying and it leaves an ending with a fizzle rather than something big and recognizable. I thought that based on the ending it would be more of a 4 star read than a 5 but this series was really quite exceptional. I loved these characters and the world was so fantastic and a little surreal so given the progression of the story, the ending isn’t a complete surprise. It was even a little poetic. I just didn’t love it like I loved the rest of the story. This had the potential to edge out Vinland for favourite manga but the end was just not as satisfying. But damn! When it was good, it was really good and I’m happy to have read and had my heart broken with this amazing series.
June 12, 2025
✨️4.5
such a great series, I'm really glad this was my first dip into manga and this style of books. also loved looking up the ending phrase because the vibe of that phrase matched the vibes of this whole story so well I think "siúil, siúil, siúil, a rún, siúil go socair agus siúil go ciúin"🫶🏻
such a great series, I'm really glad this was my first dip into manga and this style of books. also loved looking up the ending phrase because the vibe of that phrase matched the vibes of this whole story so well I think "siúil, siúil, siúil, a rún, siúil go socair agus siúil go ciúin"🫶🏻
February 11, 2026
I enjoyed this one too. I just was a little confused on the ending and felt it was a bit rushed and a little unclear what was going on which is part of why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. Still loved the art and I still like the story, ending was just a bit iffy for me, wished there was more explained and that it was longer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2023
I'm so sad that this series is finished now! I could read about these darlings for the rest of my life.
January 2, 2024
I’m just so incredibly obsessed and so sad that I’ve completed this series now. 💔
February 7, 2024
Didn't love that whole thing with Shiva's true identity. But I still loved this so much
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2026
.::Borrow From A Friend/Library::.
The art was cute and creepy, but the story had a bunch of "filler." The main story was interesting enough, but there were plenty of breaks to watch a creepy monster and a little girl do cute things. The curse, history of the curse, as well as the internnal struggles of characters kept being brought up like the reader might forget. All in all, the 4 volumes probably could have just been two. The art was neat, but muddy in areas. At some points I had no idea what was happening and who was speaking.
The art was cute and creepy, but the story had a bunch of "filler." The main story was interesting enough, but there were plenty of breaks to watch a creepy monster and a little girl do cute things. The curse, history of the curse, as well as the internnal struggles of characters kept being brought up like the reader might forget. All in all, the 4 volumes probably could have just been two. The art was neat, but muddy in areas. At some points I had no idea what was happening and who was speaking.
October 5, 2023
SHIVA WASN'T REAL?!?? Or was she?? She was too nice to not be real.
man the feels I've had reading this series
man the feels I've had reading this series
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2024
Like many other readers it seems, I was left a bit confused by the ending of the manga though it did nail a certain dreamy, bittersweet feeling. For me the manga comes short of five stars, though not by much. I loved the art, and the characters are charming. Most of my issues come from the plot, which in true manga fashion begins to over-rely on a confusing magic system after a stronger, simpler start.
This bind-up also included a series of short slice-of-life vignettes at the end, which weren't life-changing or anything, but lovely and enjoyable, and pretty healing too after all the bad stuff that happens in the rest of this volume.
This bind-up also included a series of short slice-of-life vignettes at the end, which weren't life-changing or anything, but lovely and enjoyable, and pretty healing too after all the bad stuff that happens in the rest of this volume.
January 25, 2024
Aaannnd we are back with a good but underwhelming and vaguely disappointing ending that is so vague nobody really knows what happened. I guess it’s up to me to decide but I don’t love that. No closure. It worked for Inception but I don’t think it worked as well here. Still, the art remained beautiful, loved the characters, and the bonus stories at the end of this edition are great little add ons to the world. The last one is vague too, but kind of gives you some sort of answer at least to what happens with teacher and shiva. I’d recommend this series as a whole even with the ambiguous ending.
September 27, 2023
I am writing this review through tears.
This series was such an emotional journey. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I started it, but it certainly wasn’t this work of art.
THAT. ENDING.
That might have been the ending of all endings. I will keep it spoiler free not because I care about spoilers, but because I want YOU to find out the ending for YOURSELF!!!
This was so empowering, sad, happy, spooky, and funny all at once.
MASTERPIECE! EVERYONE SHOULD READ, WHETHER YOU LIKE MANGA OR NOT!
This series was such an emotional journey. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I started it, but it certainly wasn’t this work of art.
THAT. ENDING.
That might have been the ending of all endings. I will keep it spoiler free not because I care about spoilers, but because I want YOU to find out the ending for YOURSELF!!!
This was so empowering, sad, happy, spooky, and funny all at once.
MASTERPIECE! EVERYONE SHOULD READ, WHETHER YOU LIKE MANGA OR NOT!
January 5, 2025
A beautiful ending to a tale that balanced epic and slice of life masterfully. The final moments were personal and deeply satisfying, but some of the narrative reveals along the way diminished the emotional impact for me. The art is incredible, the world building lovely, and the overall message of this series is so wholesome considering the dystopian world in which its set. As a fan of Grimm’s fairy tales, Over the Garden Wall, and FromSoftware’s unique brand of abstract storytelling, I can’t recommend The Girl from the Other Side enough.
May 8, 2023
I’ve read this entire series in the Deluxe omnibus editions, so it’s difficult for me to rate these as individual volumes so I’m carrying on treating the series in these editions.
I read volumes 10-12 and I loved it. The confusion and ambiguity around the meaning of the ending did slightly lower my love for the series, hence a 4, not a 5 star but it’s still amazing. A favourite of a manga series overall!
I read volumes 10-12 and I loved it. The confusion and ambiguity around the meaning of the ending did slightly lower my love for the series, hence a 4, not a 5 star but it’s still amazing. A favourite of a manga series overall!
January 5, 2025
I wrote everything I wanted to say on iPad and then accidentally tapped my finger off of the review, the review is now gone and I will need to rewrite everything, but it is really early in the morning and I still have one more review left to write, so I might try to rewrite it later or some other day, we’ll see. I’m just really annoyed right now, I haven’t made this mistake since 2023!😑😡
I’ll just say the same thing I said in my vol. 3 review and add a little bit more for now.
I would have rated this 4 or 4.5 stars but considering how I felt while reading this, I’m rating 3 or 3.5 stars because I was so upset when reading. Usually, I would give a high rating for making feel so many emotions and good storytelling, but I don’t know why this time I just feel like rating it lower, maybe part of that is because it’s the holiday season and I should be reading something happy (I should have known this would be sad, then I would have read something else and save this and vol. 4 for next year, but I didn’t expect it and because it’s the holiday season, it just made me feel worse to be reading something so sad at the end of the year). The ending was so bittersweet. It helped that after the story ended (vol. 11 in this book), there were a few side stories and I loved them, they were so cute and wholesome🥰 I loved seeing the happy little moments between him and Shiva, father and daughter😊😭 So maybe I’ll just rate it 4 stars because they made me happy by the time I closed the book.
Overall, I loved this series and it’s the last series I finished in 2024 (the 11th one, 7th manga series). I don’t know if I will reread the whole series again but I will definitely reread one of the single volumes from these omnibuses and look at some of my favourite pictures, and maybe I might even reread one full omnibus if I feel like it one day. I can’t remember if I mentioned the following in one or both of my reviews for vol. 1 and 2 (which was either in 2022 or 2023), I love the folk horror atmosphere/feel to the series. That’s the best way I can think of describing it, it felt mysterious too, which I loved as well, I think art style also helped with those. I still have questions about some things but I think we’re supposed to be left with not everything answered or maybe I just missed something🤷🏻♀️ I would have still loved to learn more about the outsiders, though. I also loved Shiva and teacher. They’re relationship was so sweet and teacher was such a caring and sweetest guardian. I felt so bad for him being stuck in this situation😭 Is it just who thinks that him as an outsider looks kind of cute? Maybe it just seems that way because he’s such a nice and caring person or maybe I’m just weird. He also looks cool to me. I know, how can something look cute and cool.
Blog: nazreads.ca
Twitter: Naz_readsanime
Instagram: nazreads01, nazcosplay, nradesigns, charmedanimegirl01
I’ll just say the same thing I said in my vol. 3 review and add a little bit more for now.
I would have rated this 4 or 4.5 stars but considering how I felt while reading this, I’m rating 3 or 3.5 stars because I was so upset when reading. Usually, I would give a high rating for making feel so many emotions and good storytelling, but I don’t know why this time I just feel like rating it lower, maybe part of that is because it’s the holiday season and I should be reading something happy (I should have known this would be sad, then I would have read something else and save this and vol. 4 for next year, but I didn’t expect it and because it’s the holiday season, it just made me feel worse to be reading something so sad at the end of the year). The ending was so bittersweet. It helped that after the story ended (vol. 11 in this book), there were a few side stories and I loved them, they were so cute and wholesome🥰 I loved seeing the happy little moments between him and Shiva, father and daughter😊😭 So maybe I’ll just rate it 4 stars because they made me happy by the time I closed the book.
Overall, I loved this series and it’s the last series I finished in 2024 (the 11th one, 7th manga series). I don’t know if I will reread the whole series again but I will definitely reread one of the single volumes from these omnibuses and look at some of my favourite pictures, and maybe I might even reread one full omnibus if I feel like it one day. I can’t remember if I mentioned the following in one or both of my reviews for vol. 1 and 2 (which was either in 2022 or 2023), I love the folk horror atmosphere/feel to the series. That’s the best way I can think of describing it, it felt mysterious too, which I loved as well, I think art style also helped with those. I still have questions about some things but I think we’re supposed to be left with not everything answered or maybe I just missed something🤷🏻♀️ I would have still loved to learn more about the outsiders, though. I also loved Shiva and teacher. They’re relationship was so sweet and teacher was such a caring and sweetest guardian. I felt so bad for him being stuck in this situation😭 Is it just who thinks that him as an outsider looks kind of cute? Maybe it just seems that way because he’s such a nice and caring person or maybe I’m just weird. He also looks cool to me. I know, how can something look cute and cool.
Blog: nazreads.ca
Twitter: Naz_readsanime
Instagram: nazreads01, nazcosplay, nradesigns, charmedanimegirl01
October 24, 2024
This is a review for the full series, not just this volume.
“The Girl from the Other Side” is imperfect. Its back half gets bogged down in worldbuilding that it previously left to the margins to great effect; it gets a bit too indulgent in its approach to finale; its decision to finish off with six short chapters flashing back to simpler moments in earlier volumes undermines what power exists in said finale.
But art is rarely perfect, and rarer still is the art that can bother you in one moment then re-capture you so quickly that you forgot why you were so bothered a moment before. This is the kind of story this is. Its narrative handles themes that would be trite but for Nagabe’s restrained and subtle touch, letting implication live in margins of a tale that is as bleak as it is wholesome. It invites the reader to engage with it, to involve themselves in its mysteries. It’s a story light on action, but always in motion - no chapter ends without forward momentum of some kind - and all this combines together to create a work with a sense of purpose but with the sense to leave enough mystery to feel vast, to leave enough unsaid for it to sit long with the reader.
The art, too, reflects these sensibilities. This is some fine comic book storytelling, playing with blacks and whites, with shading, with detail and simplicity, with expression and abstraction in ways that complement everything the narrative is setting out to do. If visuals are the prose of the graphic novel, then this works has fine prose indeed. Moreover, it has a softness and a beauty to it that is incredibly absorbing. It’s a work that makes me want to flip through it just to lose myself in its art.
So, while The Girl from the Other Side may sometimes struggle to maintain the careful balance that gives it excellence, it rights itself so often and walks its own line so finely for so much of its story that I find myself unwilling to give it anything other than a full score.
This is a wondrous series that will stay with me for some time to come.
“The Girl from the Other Side” is imperfect. Its back half gets bogged down in worldbuilding that it previously left to the margins to great effect; it gets a bit too indulgent in its approach to finale; its decision to finish off with six short chapters flashing back to simpler moments in earlier volumes undermines what power exists in said finale.
But art is rarely perfect, and rarer still is the art that can bother you in one moment then re-capture you so quickly that you forgot why you were so bothered a moment before. This is the kind of story this is. Its narrative handles themes that would be trite but for Nagabe’s restrained and subtle touch, letting implication live in margins of a tale that is as bleak as it is wholesome. It invites the reader to engage with it, to involve themselves in its mysteries. It’s a story light on action, but always in motion - no chapter ends without forward momentum of some kind - and all this combines together to create a work with a sense of purpose but with the sense to leave enough mystery to feel vast, to leave enough unsaid for it to sit long with the reader.
The art, too, reflects these sensibilities. This is some fine comic book storytelling, playing with blacks and whites, with shading, with detail and simplicity, with expression and abstraction in ways that complement everything the narrative is setting out to do. If visuals are the prose of the graphic novel, then this works has fine prose indeed. Moreover, it has a softness and a beauty to it that is incredibly absorbing. It’s a work that makes me want to flip through it just to lose myself in its art.
So, while The Girl from the Other Side may sometimes struggle to maintain the careful balance that gives it excellence, it rights itself so often and walks its own line so finely for so much of its story that I find myself unwilling to give it anything other than a full score.
This is a wondrous series that will stay with me for some time to come.
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