さすらいエマノン [Sasurai Emanon]

エマノン [Emanon] #2

by Shinji Kajio, Kenji Tsuruta (Illustrator), 梶尾真治

Emanon's wanderings across late-1960s Japan bring her across other lives in small country towns, with each encounter leaving people transformed in her wake.

Yet when love once again leads to pregnancy and the start of a new cycle in Emanon's birth and rebirth, she is confronted with something she has never before twins, one of them, for the first time, a boy. Will he too grow up to inherit her immortal memories, as all her daughters have before?

Vol. 2 of four.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels, Seinen, Japan, Fantasy

261 pages, Paperback

First published April 3, 2012

About the author

Shinji Kajio (梶尾 真治, Kajio Shinji, born 24 December 1947 in Kumamoto Prefecture) is a Japanese author of science fiction and fantasy.

Reviews

[António · Rating 4 out of 5]

Desenhos belíssimos.

[Tabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is very unique! I'm honestly not sure how to feel about this volume. It started a huge plot line that was left pretty much as a indication of something bigger and I would be bery interested to see how it might be developed. Apart from that, not much else to say. Looking foward to the rest of the story!

[Anna Quilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Top 50 Manga 2019.

[Michael Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Pursuing my goal of reading a bit of every type of manga.) Wanderings of Emanon (Sasurai Emanon), is a masterpiece manga about a girl whose memories preserve intact the 3-billion history of all creatures it descends from. (Manga type: mystical, psychological.) Overall, beautiful, really beautiful artwork, a somewhat intriguing story, and a strong female character. Also, a sequel to Memories of Emanon (Omoide Emanon).

Artwork: Continuing the previous manga in the series, it's fantastic! Again, great slice-of-life, photo-realistic quality on display. Again, creative angles and sequences, and well-chosen panels. The colored pages are exquisite, with the elongated bodies giving a dreamlike quality to the story. Later on, the shades of grey are also well used. (Overall, I found the artwork here better than in Memories of Emanon.)

Characters: Emanon (anagram of "No Name") is a heroine that carries the world's history and much knowledge in her memory, yet is light and hippy, all jeans and an eternal cigar. There's also the kid whose only role is to make Emanon present herself.

Story: The main story is about the concept of persistent memory. In short, Emanon is in possession of a faculty not known to other humans. This faculty is not due to reincarnation, only the result of passing all information as a form of individual experience (a single entity's persistent memory). There's also a bit about passing information only through the maternal line and only to girls, and about mothers losing their memory while their girls grow up, so that there's only one copy of the information at any given time (so no inconsistency). In this direction, Emanon seems to be inspired and indeed includes as a story object Curt Siodmak's book Hauser's Memory, which features the power to remember beyond the owner's body (in Siodmak's story, as well as in its prequel Donovan's Brain, the persistent memory leads to nefarious effects.)

The other part of the story is about depicting places where Emanon has been, with a central focus on a beautifully rendered forest, watercourse, and waterfall. A feeling of Sunday afternoon walk in the forest with your girl, when you were an adolescent. (Why does this manga make me feel old?!)

[Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of the same, which isn't a bad thing, but this time we see things directly from Emanon's perspective. There are some new mechanics thrown in that change things up a bit, specifically the fact that this time she is born with a twin brother. This book goes way deeper on the concept of Emanon's perpetual life and evolution, something I definitely wanted more of in volume 1. 70+ colored pages is a huge treat. All in all I'm really enjoying this series. It comes out slowly, but it's also a series that benefits from being read once in a while. Not recommended for those who want a plot in their manga. The bulk of this is silent so it's a pretty quick read; and lends itself well to re-reads, which is a good excuse to marvel at the art again.

[Mark Robison · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of Vol. 1 is that there's a young woman who remembers every event of all of her ancestors going back 3 billion years and the psychic toll is heavy and events of living more than a little repetitive. In Vol. 2, we learn she has a brother who may be like her. That's it, nothing more happens.

If you're a manga fan who prioritizes the art, this one is worth getting because 72 of its pages are painted in color. There's some striking art here. I still don't know what to think of our hero Emanon ("No Name" backward) being naked, usually full frontal, through large portions of the book, or that her breasts are extra large for her waifish body. The view isn't leering, but that's all I took from the book — the protagonist's nakedness — because there's nothing else to latch onto here.

[sarah ☾ (cozypensine) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4★ « 𝑴𝒊𝒆𝒖𝒙 𝒗𝒂𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒓 𝒖𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒖𝒏 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒔 𝒒𝒖𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒔 𝒅𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒖 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒕 »

C’était un deuxième bien plus explicatif et intéressant, même si toujours très énigmatique. Mais également un tome, très touchant et qui se finit sur un cliffhanger, je veux en savoir plus !

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork. The story takes a supernatural twist. Very original premise.

[João Teixeira · Rating 2 out of 5]

O argumento desta BD teria tudo para eu gostar dela... mas confesso que não fiquei fâ e nem com muita contade de ler outros volumes... Talvez o mal seja esse: tenho pouca paciência para séries (devia ter desconfiado antes de começar a ler que esta história não seria contada num único volume)... Enfim, que faça bom proveito aos outros leitores, porque verdade seja dita, não é por eu ter ficado sem vontade de ler o resto que não vale a pena lê-lo...

[Gisso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tan maravillosa y sorprendente como la primera, donde se nos ofrece más piezas del puzle que es Emanon y su historia. Hay que estar atentos a los saltos temporales, palabras, silencios y miradas para que no se nos escape nada.

[Nala✧ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why were they naked for like half of the book?!! This plot had so much potential but it’s not working for me :(

[Pip (Bookish_Pip) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Turn Around Books for sending me this volume! 🙏💖
•
I reviewed the first volume a while ago and my thoughts on it can be found here and on my Instagram if you’re curious! The second volume of Emanon follows our title character who has a memory spanning 3 billion years. The series itself explores the concept of persistent memory and is inspired by Hauser’s Memory by Curt Siodmak, creating a new spin on stories about immortality.

In the previous volume, it felt like this story could easily be a folktale or urban legend someone had heard and was retelling to us however, in this volume, we feel more present with Emanon and that we’re going in this journey with her as she travels through the forest to find something she’s kept safe for the future. In the first half of the volume, I really enjoyed Emanon’s back and forth with the young boy and this really showed her motherly side. The boy is staying at a local inn and is searching for Kappa in the near by forest when he finds Emanon which starts a discussion on everyone’s reason for being and what Emanon’s is and what she’s looking for in the forest, a theme that’s going to continue to be touched upon throughout the volume (and hopefully the series).

The end of this particular story was one of my favourites in the volume! Chapter 8 is a quiet couple of pages that show the future of the location we’ve been in for this past story which perfectly sum up why I love this series so much (I won’t go into too much detail as I don’t want to spoil anything)!

The second story ‘Emanon Wanderer ‘67’ details the backstory of this current Emanon and her reunion with her brother. As the memories of Emanon are passed on through the maternal line her twin brother is something of an anomaly and ends with Emanon contemplating what her brothers purpose might be. The last few pages are an exciting peek into what’s coming in the next volume! I’m looking forward to seeing what will become of Emanon, her brother and finding out who the men in black are who seem to be pursuing her through the forest!

As always, I love reading the translation notes and afterwords in Dark Horse manga, they’re always really interesting and I also love that the first 72 pages of this volume are in full colour! Kenji Tsuruta’s art is to die for, what else can I say?! They’re all so beautifully cinematic and realistic!

Emanon has, once again, surprised and thoroughly entertained me and I absolutely love the series! I’d highly recommend picking the series up, it’s something really different and truly excellent!!

[Doc · Rating 5 out of 5]

A journey of new discoveries through Emanon's eyes.

Although the first volume of the series is technically a complete story told by a nameless protagonist who discovers the mysterious girl Emanon on his own journey home this book picks up following her as she discovers others on her own travels as she does what feels right to her after being reborn time and again over billions of years. Just as a warning for people that are expecting a lot of dialogue in a manga the story is more about reflection of the main character's soul and what she experiences along the way so sometimes you just get pages full of incredibly detailed art but few words as Emanon is not always around people. With that said the artist is also not shy about drawing nudity so if that sort of thing really bothers you I suggest turning back now.

One of the things I find really interesting in this volume is we discover even though Emanon has been basically giving birth to herself time and again passing along her memories as she does that in this story we discover she has a twin brother for the first time ever. What this means in the future for either of them or even if he is destined for something greater is yet to be determined but we get to see more about how Emanon deals with herself as the memories from her previous body begin to fade.

As always in one of Shinji Kajio's adaptation from Darkhorse Manga there is also an afterward that chats about the book as well as personal insights (like how rare the mangaka creates multiple volumes of manga due to various factors yet amazingly Emanon has made it to at least 4 volumes. They also talk about perceptions and how they affect the reactions of people, a little about the team that has brought the book stateside, and a little more history about the world as seen through the story. With so many details woven into each page I can hardly blame the mangka for taking as long as they do. :)

[Clodjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le style de Kenji Tsuruta est plutôt classique car les ombrages et les textures sont fait au trait d’encre (il utilise très peu de trames) ce qui donne un résultat précis et détaillé, qui est assez agréable à l’oeil. La section couleur est colorée à l’aquarelle par dessus l’encrage, ce qui parait encore plus beau. Le récit de Shinji Kajio est assez simple malgré les nombreux changements d’époques. L’histoire est fascinante et captivante. On aimerait bien en savoir plus sur Emanon mais le récit se développe très lentement, avec par moment très peu de dialogue. C’est un auteur qui semble bien aimer la science-fiction (Emanon lit Hauser’s Memory de Siodmak et cite Ray Bradbury) et dont j’aimerais bien lire d’autres de ses oeuvres. Il n’est malheureusement pas traduit (comme c’est le cas de la plupart de la SF japonaise). Plusieurs de ses nouvelles ont cependant été traduite en anglais dans la série d’anthologie Speculative Japan publié chez Kurodahan Press.

Dans l’ensemble, Errances d’Emanon est une très bonne lecture. J’aime bien ce personnage mystérieux et ce lent récit où l’on se demande toujours où il nous mènera. Malheureusement, Ki-oon n’a pas encore annoncé de date de parution pour les volumes trois et quatre. Par contre, Dark Horse publiera le premier volume en anglais, Memories of Emanon, dès mai 2019!

Lire mon commentaire complet sur https://clodjee-blog.com/2019/02/04/e...

[47Time · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is still no real story here. The first part is in color and there are plenty of naked shots of Emanon, but the novelty of the first volume has worn off. It doesn't try to explain anything abiut Emanon's existence, only adds more confusion about her having a brother. It seems overly long for the little it offers. I can't help but wonder what nothingness awaits in the next volume.

Emanon had a brother named Takuma at some point. She sent him to an orphanage. Their mother went away too. Emanon and Takuma meet years later and reveal to each other their innermost feelings. Takuma is upset about being left alone. Emanon is still confused about having given birth to him in her former body. She also has no better understanding of her existence. In anger, he creates fire from his hands. They separate again, but will reunite in the next volume. That's it.

[ceelie❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was with this story up until it started giving me plot holes. It started out with such a refreshing 8 colored chapters, and then followed by the year '67 story which, admittedly, really bummed me out. Halfway through, I was thinking if it was a great idea continuing it after the first volume. But then again, I always try to make it a habit of finishing literature I've already started.

I'm now wondering what becomes of Emanon's previous incarnations? Once they give birth to her and raise her up to a certain point, they will have no memories of anything? At all?

His twin being pyrokinetic really put a very big Question Mark in my head, too. What's the point of that?

[elif sinem · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 No joke - significantly better than the last volume. Still operating on vibes, but they take precedence this time, and there's a concern for the world around the characters and the logic of a person who carries the world's memory. Takumi was a perfect addition and foil to Emanon's vibes, and gives the series something of a thematic relief. It seems this and the next volume are just one novel (of a series of five?), so I'm interested in how things wrap up.

That said... it's A LOT of vibes. So many chapters of Emanon wandering and smoking and being casually naked. Vibes Twitter would love this one.

[Tee Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunting.

This volume; this series, so far, is beautiful but extraordinarily haunting. The art is magnificent, but paired with the narrative, I find it different from other reading experiences. Graphic novels tend to divide in categories for me. The majority is just what it is, reading a comic book or cartoon. There is a special, rarified group that divides itself into two general categories. The art & narrative are well above average, full of life & movement. These are like reading a movie or a dream. Emanon is different. There's a stillness to it, and the silence is deafening. It's more like reading a meditation.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Omoide Emanon a while back and thought the premise was intriguing but was annoyed at how the story was not about her, but about this dude she met and how meeting her affected him. So I was unsure when I started this one, but it turned out to be much more what I had been hoping for. There are two separate stories in this volume, both of which are much more about Emanon herself. I especially enjoyed the one where we get a lot of her backstory for this present incarnation of her (and a deeper look at what happens when the memories are passed on).

[Mee Too · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a weird one, I’m not sure I like where the story is going. First vol really grabbed my attention with it’s nonchalant vibe it kinda felt like a casual, slice of life, traveler, adventure book. I was hoping for a Kino's Journey vibe. But this volume starts of with a main character just hanging out butt-naked with some random child for like …. A whole chapter. Then automatically jumps into I have a twin brother who is my arch enemy 🤷🏽‍♂️

Waaaa tha Faaaaaaaaa… just happened?

2.8 ✨ finger 🤞🏽 this somehow makes sense or at least mellows out.

[Zaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

La première partie, toute en couleur, montre Emanon dans sa petite vie tranquille où elle se baigne nue dans la rivière et rencontre d'autres jeunes. La nudité récurente m'a assez dérangée mais l'ensemble était néanmoins joli et j'ai bien aimé l'ambiance. La 2ème partie est en noir et blanc, avec pas mal de mystère et une fin ouverte qui laisse curieux. On découvre le cycle de vie d'une Emanon qui se reproduit et passe ses souvenirs, c'était intéressant.

[Finn.eas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je ne savais pas que c'était le tome 2 ahah je devrais lire le premier avant mais bon, ça se comprend quand même. J'allais mettre 4 car c'est assez évasif. Une qualité comme un défaut. Emanon est fascinante et il y a une petite intrigue avec l'autre personnage qui débute, mais c'est vrai qu'on reste sur notre faim. Seulement, je mets 5. Ça fait sens avec son voyage perpétuel et les dessins sont beaux, les planches bien pensées. On peut y voir de nombreuses métaphores poétiques. Je recommande.

[Arsenic · Rating 4 out of 5]

La première histoire entièrement colorée est sympa et intrigante. D'où vient Hikari et pourquoi en sait-elle autant ? La suite ne le dit pas, l'histoire d'Emanon garde son côté irréel.
C'est assez lent et j'aime vraiment bien le style. Je ne sais pas si les prochains tomes font avancer l'histoire mais je les lirai même si c'est juste pour voir Emanon errer d'endroit en endroit.

[İlteriş · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elegant artwork as usual. I love the colourized part of this manga especially. I just kept staring and staring. They are sooo pleasant to look at. Moreover, the plot is unique compare to what I've read so far and the character that wanders, the setting and visuals gave me Mushishi vibe. Overall I like it.

[AJ Torres · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I finished the first Emanon, I loved how contained the story was, but I wanted to see it in a bigger scope. After reading this volume, I think I was wrong.

It turns out that Emanon has a twin brother. There is little to no explanation for this, but it did bring another side of Emanon's personality and how she worked around this plot point. What it did manage to do was overcomplicate things.

We get a bit more insight, and the science-fiction aspect of the story is solidified, but the timeline of stuff gets a bit convoluted for me. There were times when I felt like I had to backtrack a couple of pages to make sure I didn't misunderstand something.

What was definitely better in this volume was the use of color. Unlike the first book where there's only a handful of color illustrations, in this one, we get about half of the book in color. It gives this watercolor feel to it and I just love it. While this wasn't my favorite volume, the art more than made up for it.

[Marie Kos · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like a full frontal skinny woman boy is Emanon for you

In all seriousness I liked this volume more than the previous one! Not even because of the puzzling amount of tit, but because the story goes in unexpected directions especially in the latter half of the volume. Being unfamiliar with the original book series, I’m excited to see what will happen to Emanon next. Growing fond of this series :)

[David Doel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emanon is a mystery girl who inherits her mother's memories at an early age and will lose them to her daughter when her daughter is old enough (and become a shell of herself). The memories extend back to the beginnings of life on Earth, ~3,000,000,000 years.

There are two stories in this volume; the first is just okay, but the second is excellent. The art is magnificent throughout.

[Mal · Rating 4 out of 5]

this one was actaully really fun. the first chapter was the best the style and colors I really enjoyed.

I think this series works best as a bunch of 1 offs with emanon going around messing with people. I like that they gave her a friend briefly and her vibe is pretty fun, she seems so relaxed all the time and kinda fun.

shes very maniac pixie dream girl coded.

[Terry Mulcahy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story moves along slowly, but there is a new player, a brother, a brother when there's never been one before. And he's not the same, but he's of the same line, and well, Volume 3 comes out soon, so I will read that one too.

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 3 out of 5]

2020 Read #97

I don’t feel any emotional attachment to this story, but I can’t deny the craft put into the art and the overall idea of a being like Emanon. Again, though, there’s no real attempt for connection being built between reader and story.