In This Corner of the World

この世界の片隅に [Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni] #1-3

by Fumiyo Kouno

1940’s Hiroshima Prefecture. Suzu, a young woman from the countryside, joins her new husband and his family in the shipbuilding city of Kure. As her beautiful home collapses around her, Suzu must confront the challenges of a new life while coming to grips with a world in turmoil. Unwilling to give up hope, Suzu struggles against the horrors of war to create her own happiness.

Genres: Manga, Historical Fiction, Comics, Japan, Graphic Novels, Historical, Fiction

ebook

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Fumiyo Kōno (こうの史代, Kouno Fumiyo) is a Japanese manga artist. She was born in Hiroshima in 1968 and began drawing manga when she was in junior high school. After moving to Tokyo, she became an assistant to mangaka Katsuyuki Toda, Aki Morino, and Fumiko Tanigawa.
Kōno made her commercial debut in 1995 with Machikado Hana Dayori. She is best known for her manga Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms, winner of the Grand Prize at the 8th Japan Media Arts Festival (2004) and of the New Life Award at the 9th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prizes (2005).

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I watched this movie on Amazon Prime and then I bought the blu ray right after. THEN, I found the manga book on Book Depository!

This story is beautiful, funny at time and extremely sad, but all war stories are sad. Either way, I still loved it and I recommend it and definitely the movie!












Happy Reading!

Mel 🖤🐺🐾

[Magrat Ajostiernos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preciosa historia contada con sutileza y sentido del humor sobre un pedazo de nuestra Historia espeluznante.
Hubo partes que me resultaron algo confusas y seguramente choquen un poco a todo lector occidental, a pesar de todo me parece una historia maravillosa.

[Rosie Nguyễn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nét vẽ đẹp, truyện cảm động, phần chú giải kỹ lưỡng và chi tiết. Phần cuối truyện còn có phần tâm tình của tác giả kể lại nguồn gốc ra đời của bộ truyện, khá có ích và gợi cảm hứng cho những người làm sáng tạo. Chưa bao giờ nghĩ truyện tranh lại có thể mang tính giáo dục và truyền cảm hứng như thế này.

[MarinaLawliett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poco tengo que decir que no haya dicho ya de esta historia, pero creo que todo el mundo debería conocer a Suzu Urano, bien en manga o en película.
La forma de contar el suceso de Hiroshima y la visión de su protagonista, antes y durante lo ocurrido creo que es fascinante. A través de los ojos de una artista, hasta lo más terrible tiene su lado bello y eso lo ha dejado bastante claro Fumiyo Kouno en el manga.
Aún así, creo que la película me ha gustado más por el uso de colores que le da un toque dulce y especial que he echado bastante en falta en el manga. Aunque por otro lado, el uso del cambio de dibujos según lo sucedido es algo que no pude apreciar en la versión audiovisual y que creo que habría enriquecido mucho más, si cabe, esta cruel y bellísima historia.

[Outerhound · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un documento esencial que se adentra en uno de los episodios más tristes de la historia para llenarlo de inocencia, valor y esperanza.

Reseña completa: http://www.zonanegativa.com/este-rinc...

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is easily one of the best wartime (not war) stories that I have read. It's a beautiful combination of good research, characterization, and a reminder that while it is governments who wage war, it's the people who pay the price.

[Marianna Rainolter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Io leggo/compro sempre il libro di film che voglio vedere e sono rimasta incantata e appassionata dal trailer di In questo angolo di mondo, tanto da comprare il libro non appena risultato disponibile. Una storia sulle difficoltà di Suzu, una ragazza ingenua ma volenterosa che da Hiroshima viene data in sposa ad un militare di Kure. C'è la narrazione delle difficoltà della vita quotidiana negli anni della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, ma anche i problemi di essere in una nuova famiglia piena di sconosciuti e dell’affetto che lega Suzu al marito Shusako che a volte sembra non bastare. Il tempo viene precisamente scandito ad ogni capitolo e la fatidica data che tutti noi conosciamo si avvicina inesorabilmente, ma allo stesso tempo passa molto velocemente e si arriva al finale pieno di speranza verso il futuro dove anche i sentimenti della protagonista trovano pace e comprensione. Insomma la bomba atomica, che uno penserebbe come il centro della storia, non lo è: ci si concentra con fedeltà e semplicità alla vita della gente comune impersonata da Suzu e dai vari personaggi che la ragazza incontra lungo il suo cammino e che, anche se per poco, raccontano se stessi e danno una loro visione della guerra, della vita, dell'amore. Una storia reale ma a tratti anche poetica: i due aspetti sono ben mischiati e conquistano il lettore pagina dopo pagina. L’ho trovata davvero una lettura piacevole, che scorre molto bene e insegna anche qualcosa di storico con anche delle note molto precise (anche se, purtroppo, a fine volume) che aiutano nella comprensione non solo di termini giapponesi che non hanno un corrispettivo italiano, ma anche dei veri riferimenti a eventi, situazioni, film e musiche che facilitano la lettura. Una storia che consiglio caldamente.

[konnichiwa.hoadesu · Rating 5 out of 5]

mình không tìm thấy bản light novel, chỉ có bản manga thôi nên mình sẽ dành 5 sao ở đây và để dành một ngày nào đó đọc bản manga. nhưng mình nghĩ nếu đọc bản manga mình vẫn sẽ dành cho "ở một góc nhân gian" 5 sao thôi.

mình cứ nghĩ đây sẽ là một câu chuyện nhẹ nhàng, êm dịu về niềm đam mê, ước mơ, cuộc sống giản dị của cô bé Suzu, nhưng không, câu chuyện lấy bối cảnh hiện thực chiến tranh tàn khốc khi mà thảm kịch bom nguyên tử của Mỹ trút xuống hai thành phố Hiroshima và Nagasaki.
những chương đầu thỉnh thoảng có thể bật cười thích thú, nhưng về sau lại thấy lòng nặng trĩu. nhưng thật may câu chữ vẫn dịu dàng, dù có lúc sự dịu dàng lại khiến mình thấy thật đau lòng, cảm giác man mác buồn sau tất cả những năm tháng đó "ở một góc của nhân gian, cuộc sống của chúng ta vẫn tiếp diễn."

[Angigames · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ho preferito il film.
La scrittura di Kono non riesce a pieno a trascinare il lettore nel mondo della giovanissima Suzu, non mi ha ridotto in lacrime come c’è riuscito il film, e io il film l'ho visto dopo aver chiuso l'ultima pagina di questo libro...
Lo stile è descrittivo ma molto veloce. Il lettore, così come Suzu non ha tempo adattarsi hai cambiamenti che avvengono intorno a lui. Tutto combina con una fretta preoccupante. Lo stile è preciso, ma scarno. Utile in alcune situazioni, ma nei momenti importanti incapace di trasmettere veramente l'emozione… comunque, è stata una lettura molto forte, l’ultimo capitolo è stata la ciliegina sulla torta per il mio cuore già ferito!😢

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subject matter of this manga inevitably, for me, invited comparison to the film Grave of the Fireflies. While I have managed to get through Fireflies a grand total of once, I've enjoyed this story twice now, in both movie and comic form.

Let's just say it's more optimistic, and leave it at that. Although the basic outlook here seems not to be one of optimism, per se, but of acceptance.

The story follows a young bride named Suzu, starting with some brief scenes from her childhood, and mostly focused on the time after she gets married and moves to her husband's town of Kure. The various towns where Suzu lives and visits are near Hiroshima and the Japanese Navy installations in the area, and the time frame is the late 1930s through the early 1940s.

Anyone with the vaguest sense of what was happening in the world at the time will know what events the story is moving toward, and over its course there's a heightening sense of tension as we see the neighborhood association hand out propaganda flyers, as rationing grows more strict and Suzu goes to the black market to buy basic goods, and so on. U.S.-initiated bombings over Kure, initially intended to cripple Japan's military presence, and later targeted at civilians, cause catastrophe in Suzu's life. The bombing of Hiroshima is almost an afterthought in comparison, from the narrative's point of view.

This is an excellent story. Some of the author's stylistic choices didn't quite work for me, but I highly recommend it for its take on survival and the fleetingness of life, for its peek into daily home life in its time and place, and for the bonds that form between the characters. Women must have been strong as heck if they had to haul water from a well just to take a bath!

[Phu · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Lâu lâu đọc truyện tranh mà không ngờ lại nhiều suy tư như bộ này. Kể về cuộc đời vui nhộn ngây thơ của cô gái trẻ, Suzu:

Tập 1, thì vui nhộn và đẹp đẻ, cho tới khi Suzu lấy chồng nó lại ngây ngô thú vị cực kì.

Tập 2, khi chiến tranh dần đến, mọi thứ chẳng còn yên bình nhiều như trước, nhưng gia đình chồng Suzu và cô vẫn hạnh phúc bên nhau cùng nhau vượt qua khó khắn mà chiến tranh dần đến.

Tập 3, lại đau lòng nhiều hơn cả. Chiến tranh đã tới - khiến cho nhiều người vô tội gánh chịu những đau thương và mất mát, gia đình Suzu và bên chồng cô cũng đã mất mát rất nhiều.

Cuối cùng là Phố Chiều Lặng Gió/ Mênh Mang Anh Đào, là ngoại truyện nói về hai chuyện khác nhau, nhưng lại cùng ý nghĩa về hậu quả do chiến tranh để lại cho thế hệ sau này. Cuốn này mình không thích nhất vì nó rời rạc khó hiểu.

Bộ truyện tranh này mình rất thích cách vẽ đẹp giản dị. Đọc cảm thấy yên bình lại mang nhiều ý nghĩa hay trong cuộc sống về hậu quả chiến tranh mang đến cho người vô tội. Các chú thích trong bộ manga này cực kỳ chi tiết.

[Miss Akacia . · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si me preguntaran qué me ha parecido este manga o de qué va, no sabría que responder, sinceramente. Solo sé que si no le pongo más de 5 estrellas es porque Goodreads no me deja, que está entre las mejores lecturas de 2017, que todo el mundo debería leerlo en algún momento de su vida, y que no voy a olvidar a Suzu ni lo que me ha hecho sentir esta historia.

Gracias a mi Marina, como siempre, por enseñarme cosas tan bonitas.

[Manal · Rating 4 out of 5]

بطلة القصة رسامة (بلهاء) إذا جاز التعبير،
ترغم على الزواج من رجل لا تحبه، وتنتقل معه إلى منزل أسرته لتقوم بالخدمة والعناية بأفراد أسرته بعد أن تدهورت صحة والدته، وبعد زواجهما تبدأ أحداث الحرب العالميّة.

يناقش العمل الأوضاع الاجتماعية والاقتصادية والسياسية في اليابان آنذاك.

الحرب التي لا ترحم أحدًا، الفقر، المعاناة، الشتات، والأحلام التي تذروها ظروف الحياة كهباء منثور!

[Tulip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuốn sách làm rất tốt được 2 điều: nói lên sự khốc liệt và vô nhân tính của chiến tranh, cũng như đem đến 1 sự lạc quan kỳ diệu, cho thấy dù trong hoàn cảnh khó khăn đen tối thì con người ta vẫn có thể hướng về tương lai mà sống.

Chỉ 2 điều này là đáng ngàn like aka 5* rồi.

Mà sách cũng dễ thương nữa.

[Alendi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una historia preciosa sobre la vida cotidiana durante la II Guerra Mundial. Muy humana y con un dibujo encantador y versátil.

[Skrivena stranica · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the mangas that I came across thanks to animated adaptation. Adaptation is beautiful, manga is very similar. There i something so beautiful and gentle about everyday life, even if you live in war times. Well, at least the one shown here. I definitely didn't get a vibe of terror that I got from hearing the stories about war from people close to me from were I am from. Lack of terror is maybe connected to the main character that is in the focus, character that sees bombing like splashes of color across the sky.
Sadness was more of an emotion in this manga then terror, deep, long sadness intertwined with beauty and gentleness of living in a society that keeps strong connections and just continues slowly, war or no war.

[SusyG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manga molto interessante basato sulle esperienze della madre dell'autrice, nata a Kure, in Giappone. Narra la vita quotidiana tra il 1934 e il 1945 di una ragazza giapponese, Suzu. L'autrice vuole mostrare come ci fosse una quotidianità anche nella guerra, su come fossero controllati, sulla propaganda e ci sono molti anedotti interessanti sul Giappone dell'epoca. In alcune parti mi perdevo perché c'erano vignette poco sensate (?), non so se fosse un problema di traduzione o magari semplicemente son scema io lol ma in generale mi è piaciuto, si passa da momenti in cui si ride in altri in cui si piange 💔 ora sono molto curiosa di vedere l'anime, se riesco a trovarlo. Molto bello ✨

[Athirah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's just say I'm in love with Suzu a bit. A lot.

I watched the adaptation movie first, and loved it thoroughly, but I was even more swept away by these graphic novels! First of all, the artwork is beauuutiful and sweet and expressive quietly, and I am blown away by all the creativity laid into the pages, as well as the very informative notes at the page borders, teaching us more about the historical events happening to these characters.
I love that we never expanded beyond the characters' lives, that we got to see it from their perspective as people simply trying to go about their lives. They fret about food, and talk about the war matter-of-factly, and their love for each other is shown in such genuine, human connection. That is what I found so lovely about this story, I think- its aspect of human connection.

In many ways I think I am seen more as Keiko "Elder Sister" by my peers, but in truth I relate more to Suzu, our main character. Someone with her head always in the clouds, someone who is joked all the time about "messing up" because she is so muddle-headed and oblivious. It is something so frequently mentioned about her that it becomes a part of her identity, until it turns from some light-hearted, inner joke to a dark, heavy wound that affects her greatly [boy, do I know that feeling]. Suzu, to me, is one of the epitomes of strength through gentleness; a trait I admire and long for greatly. She endures, but not in that hard, teeth-gritted way that most people think; she endures with great kindness and patience, always that sheepish smile on her face.

To me, it's a story about connection, about accepting the place you know you belong to in the world, no matter how unexpected it is to you. As someone always thinking of "what if..."s, I take this message to heart. Sometimes you don't realise that you have reached your destination until you take a long look around you, with a smile.

[And those last 5 pages in Vol.3... my mind imploded.

I would definitely recommend, both these books and the movie!

[JL · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story allows us to look into the lives of the common folk in Japan during World War II. But while the author tried to make it light by adding humor, it was a heavy read.

I like how the story doesn’t get in-your-face about war, but instead shows how the war loops into the lives of the common folk, such as their dwindling food rations, pruned houses, inability to even buy sugar, salt, watermelon, textbooks for the kids, or new kimonos. It’s also interesting, and a bit infuriating, how many of them tried to endure it all with full belief in what the government was doing, yet never fully aware of what’s actually going on. One of my favorites was when the then Emperor announced on the radio Japan’s surrender, and the women listening were commenting how the voice coming through “almost sounded like a human”. It was subtle, but shows how during that time, emperors were thought by citizens to be divine beings.

What I like most is the resilience shown by families, but more significantly by women in this era. The women were the ones left to tend to the house, make budgetary decisions, deal with loss. Their husbands and sons were sent to help with the war effort; many never returned. One of the characters, Keiko, lost her husband and daughter, and was separated from her son. But she endured.

The story however leaves some hanging questions that’s not fully explained/mentioned. What happened to Shiraki Rin? Did Suzu’s husband really love Rin? Was Suzu secretly in love with Mizuhara? Did Mizuhara die?

[Satoshi Oota · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly beautiful story about something precious that I'd overlooked until I read this book. It is not about the war, but about people who had ordinary lives in the extraordinary days.

One of the subjects of the story is definitely the nuclear blast in City Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. But the author smartly set the story in Kure, a naval town next to Hiroshima, which was heavily bombarded in the US air raids. Since we know the devastating consequences after the daily lives described in this book, we cannot help feeling tense premonition embedded in the calm days of the heroin, 19 year-old Hiroshima-native Suzu who got married with a Kure local boy. The story is actually nothing but a well-created (subconscious level) suspense despite of the slow progress of the story.

But the true value of this story is the humanity woven through literary ordinary days and human relationships of the family and the local community. This "ordinary" is the very subject of this story. How it would be difficult to be "ordinary" in the frantic era! This is not a historical issue under the Japan's militarism. Even today, we are facing almost the same situation... In that sense, the subject that this story proposes to us is really deep and contemporary.

[Charles Hatfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

An elegant, lyrical, beautiful manga with a slow-building but, for me, irresistible emotional power. Rich with history, complex in its rendering of family dynamics, this book depicts the life of Suzu, a young bride and daughter-in-law, in WW2-era Japan in the city of Kure, part of Hiroshima Prefecture. Such a loving, sensitive, carefully observed work — and formally inventive, with unusual designs and graphic conceits that make every one of its forty-plus chapters delightful to look at as well as affecting. Gorgeous, evocative drawing, with telling shifts in medium and style, capture the life of a woman, a family, and a city — in such a way that I will never forget.

One of the best books of manga I’ve read.

[Sephreadstoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splendido spaccato di vita in Giappone durante la guerra, in questo graphic novel seguiamo Suzu, nata a Hiroshima, che si accinge a lasciare la propria casa per andare in sposa nella cittadine di Kure, sede della marina militare giapponese.
Le tavole sono di una bellezza delicata ma d'impatto, anche silenziose, sanno trasmettere la gioia, il dolore, la speranza. Si tocca con mano non solo la quotidianità ma anche il post-sgancio bombe a Hiroshima.
Uno dei miei graphic novel preferiti.

[Roxanne Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the movie, and after reading this, I see it was a faithful adaptation. The research that went into this manga is transformed into a vibrant story.

[Ximena Bejar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gusta mucho leer cómics, porque además de la historia, disfrutamos del arte gráfico. En un rincón del mundo, en el Japón de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, transcurre la vida anónima de una joven despistada, sencilla y amable. El cómic nos relata lo cotidiano de ese momento y lugar, donde la peor catástrofe estaba por ocurrir.

Qué necedad es la guerra, cuánta crueldad y sufrimiento causados por nada. Como humanidad, seguimos en una fase infantil en la que un puñado de hombres pretenden ejercer propiedad y dominio sobre los demás. No está claro si la humanidad logrará sobrevivir a sí misma bajo el constante yugo de estos hijos del patriarcado.

Añado que la historia está contada desde los ojos y las vivencias de una joven humilde e inocente, que acepta la situación impuesta por su cultura (el matrimonio, tener que cuidar de la suegra al convertirse en la esposa del hijo, el trabajo continuo, y las consecuencias de ser mujer). También agrego que, si uno se fija cuidadosamente, los personajes están diferenciados en sus rasgos, aunque para los extranjeros no asiáticos puedan parecer iguales.

El “robachicos”, dibujado como un monstruo, es fundamental para la trama, ya que es a través de él que Shûsaku conoce a Suzu. Este personaje vuelve a aparecer casi al final del libro, y Suzu, en un descuido, lo toca porque confunde su ropa con la de su marido.

Los trazos a lo largo del cómic se distinguen cuando se narra la historia que vive Suzu y cuando es Suzu quien dibuja, ya sea a su horrible hermano o lo que la rodea. El talento de la historietista japonesa es patente, y la historia me fue gustando más conforme comprendía que estaba contada desde el punto de vista de Suzu, una joven que enfrenta con dignidad y sencillez la guerra y la escasez que la rodean.

Algo asombroso ocurre en la página 426: en las miradas que intercambian Suzu y Shûsaku, la artista gráfica, con un talento maravilloso, nos permite intuir las intenciones del joven matrimonio de quedarse con la niña huérfana con la que se encuentran.

Recomiendo leerlo con tranquilidad y atención para evitar que detalles importantes pasen inadvertidos.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In this Corner of the World" is one of the most beautiful things I've read all year ~ so sad, yet uplifting at the same time. I bought this manga in one of Barnes & Noble's 3 for 2 manga sales, without knowing anything about the book except that it is a standalone manga, and I stayed away from the anime adaptation, so I was in no way prepared for all the feelings I experienced reading it.

The story spans across 12 years (1934 to 1946), and follows Suzu, a country girl who moves from Hiroshima to Kure after accepting an arranged marriage to a man she doesn't know. The plot is basically just Suzu's day to day life in war-time Japan. Each chapter represents roughly a month, and so, we follow Suzu's life changing as Japan is changing because of the war. The manga is divided in three volumes, and as the plot progresses the war progresses also, and the scarcity and the danger increase page by page. Ultimately though, this manga is not about war, but it is about life, before, during, and after the war, with all it's ups and downs and with its funny and sad moments.

I loved this manga a lot, and even though I picked it up toward to end of June to sneak in a quick read (because manga usually is that), I found myself only wanting to read a little bit at a time so that I could spend more time with Suzu and her family. I cannot recommend this manga enough ~ and now I am off to watch the anime adaptation which I hear is nothing but amazing!

[Cristina Tapia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una historia realmente increíble. Quiero ser breve, pero no puedo dejar de mencionar los siguientes factores 1. Es una obra de arte de principio a fin, juega con la sintesis de la línea, la gradación de cada tono, la aparición del color en formato acuarela... Espectacular. 2. La historia sigue a Suzu una mujer muy joven que se casa con un hombre que no conoce y se va muy lejos de casa, donde le toca lidear con el contexto de la 2da guerra mundial, está contado de una manera tan precisa, tan real, tiene los detalles cotidianos que adoro, como resolvían temas de comida, de vestuario, de comunicación, es como estar ahí junto a ellos. 3. Es una historia que todos deberíamos leer para recordar porque las guerras destruyen a sus países y sus habitantes, sin que jamás valga la pena.

[Analie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Thank you for finding me... Here in this corner of the world." I almost cried. These poignant words come near the end of Suzu's story, a young woman from Hiroshima who survives WWII. It begins with funny, cute portrayals of Suzu's adolescence, marriage, and adjustment to living with her in-laws and shows through the author's eyes what he imagines an ordinary family's life would have been like in nearby Kure. The thorough footnotes about WWII are a great addition. Just be prepared for a little bit of a brain challenge - this manga anthology reads backwards and right-to-left according to Japanese custom. Also, keep in mind it is not a child's book and is written for adults.

[jude · Rating 4 out of 5]

really hurts, oof. it's a big, thick book and really gets you attached to the characters and their stories before the worst parts of the war begin. i learned a lot about what life was like for average citizens during wwii in japan. the story is very slice-of-life, going at a slow, leisurely pace. just feels like everyday life, but the war starts affecting citizens more and more in little ways....and then very big ways.

[Azul · Rating 2 out of 5]

la edición arruinó mucho la experiencia la verdad. demasiado grande, notas repartidas por donde caían y muy incómodas de leer, la traducción se sentía rara y el flujo de la historia de por sí ya se sentía complejo de seguir, entonces fue todo un caos. big f.

por otro lado, me reí a ratos. había mucha inocencia en todo y sentía harta ternura por les personajes.

[theangryuniverse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking, -warming and moving.