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彼方から / From Far Away #2
彼方から 2
On her way home from school one day, Noriko is unexpectedly plunged into a strange and extraordinary fantasy world. Her troubles compound exponentially when she is rescued and befriended by a handsome young man by the name of Izark. He may be brave and courageous, but inside Izark lurks the darkest evil imaginable. And according to an ancient prophecy, Noriko possesses the power to unleash that evil. Now, inexorably bound together, these two unlikely allies must navigate a world both wondrous and hostile.
181 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 1993
29 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
Kyoko Hikawa
60 books340 followersName : 冰川京子 (ひかわきょうこ)
Blood type : A
Likes Jackie Chan movies and American movies like BIG. Also cats, but not enough to own one. One of her favorite activities is decorating and creating useful objects for her home. Hates mosquitoes and cockroaches. Has enormous trouble in bicycle parks.
Does mostly light-hearted comedy stories, but very entertaining. She does surprisingly great action scenes (haven't seen many shoujo artists try at a Western before!!).
Her stories ranges from cute to action, but all done unparalled attention - the drawings are refined and the storylines bring the readers into what the characters feel. Her page layouts and camera angles varies a lot, and thus keeps the interest of the reader.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
December 25, 2021
I gotta know what happens next! 4 solid stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2021
Me gustó que nos vaya mostrando más del mundo y de lo que es nuestro protagonista. Aún siguen habiendo varias cosas que quedan sueltas porque sino no tiene sentido que sean tantos tomos (aunque no me fijé bien cuántos son 😂).
Me está gustando y dentro de todo el delirio (que está geniaaal), todo va teniendo sentido.
Me está gustando y dentro de todo el delirio (que está geniaaal), todo va teniendo sentido.
October 12, 2019
Picking up right where the first volume of Kyoko Hikawa's fourteen-volume manga series
From Far Away
left off, this second entry in the romantic fantasy saga sees Japanese schoolgirl Noriko, stranded in an alien world in which her coming has been foretold, and wandering warrior Izark, with secret reasons of his own to dread Noriko's coming, temporarily trading places. As Izark, depleted by a mysterious recurring malady, becomes desperately ill, Noriko rushes to help him, fetching a doctor in spite of her ignorance of the local language and customs. The bond between the two grows stronger, despite Izark's internal doubts as to the wisdom of protecting "The Awakening" when he should want her dead, and when the thieves that he bested in the first installment return, he is recovered enough to defeat them, with a little help from Noriko. Former Rienkan mercenary Keimos, in Calco town as well, is another matter however, especially when his erstwhile boss, Lord Rachef of Rienka, takes a hand in the combat...
I enjoyed this second installment of the series just as much as the first - more, probably, because I started it eager to know what would happen next. I liked the way the characters were developed here. We learn a little bit more about Izark: the flashback to his youth, when his own mother abandoned him, after revealing that she only bore him because she was paid to do so, went some way toward explaining his isolation, although the exact nature of his superhuman/inhuman curse is not revealed. Noriko, although still a little silly - she is a teenager, after all! - continues to improve, showing that she can be strong, when needs must. I liked the way she stuck up for Izark, when she thought the doctor and mayor were bullying him, even though it turned out not to be necessary, and the scene in which she manages to carry the wounded Izark to safety was quite a surprise. The relationship between the two feels more reciprocal here, with each lending a hand, when the other needs it (although Noriko certainly needs it more, there is no denying). All in all, a solid follow-up to the first, one which left me wanting to know more! Time for the third installment, I think...
I enjoyed this second installment of the series just as much as the first - more, probably, because I started it eager to know what would happen next. I liked the way the characters were developed here. We learn a little bit more about Izark: the flashback to his youth, when his own mother abandoned him, after revealing that she only bore him because she was paid to do so, went some way toward explaining his isolation, although the exact nature of his superhuman/inhuman curse is not revealed. Noriko, although still a little silly - she is a teenager, after all! - continues to improve, showing that she can be strong, when needs must. I liked the way she stuck up for Izark, when she thought the doctor and mayor were bullying him, even though it turned out not to be necessary, and the scene in which she manages to carry the wounded Izark to safety was quite a surprise. The relationship between the two feels more reciprocal here, with each lending a hand, when the other needs it (although Noriko certainly needs it more, there is no denying). All in all, a solid follow-up to the first, one which left me wanting to know more! Time for the third installment, I think...
May 8, 2018
I'm more interested in the long plot arc than in the characters or immediate action.
April 4, 2017
Welcome to volume 2 of From Far Away! In this volume Izark and Keimos learn the measure of each other, Rachef is super weird and what's this about Noriko being adopted??
New (recurring) cast member Seer Gorya who is Rachef's main seer and vassel makes his first appearance and we learn a little bit about the "chimos", an animal that's a bit like a chinchilla and can help a person teleport.
Noriko continues to try her best to learn the language while Izark continues to tell her he doesn't understand when she babbles. I appreciated the minor digression into why Noriko is so determined to be useful. Noriko learned, from a young age, that unfortunate things can and will happen, but dwelling does nothing. Channeling that anxiety about her future into creating a present she feels fulfilled in, is the core of Noriko's character. Does she wanna get home? Yes. Does she know how? No. instead of focusing on THAT she is focusing on how she can help others who are offering her so much.
Izark has a sadder back story, of which we see a brief bit about and some of which Keimos makes guesses at. Izark also resolves to find a solution that does NOT end in Noriko, aka The Awakening of Doom and Destruction, dying.
Keimos is fucking crazy. I don't mean he's reckless or does nonsensical things. I mean he is a psychopath, maybe a sociopath. I don't know if he distinguishes between right and wrong. For him it's "strong" and "weak", you're one or the other and if you're strong he cares about you existing...until you prove stronger then he.
Rachef shows a bit of his true colors here when he unleashes a power of his. His motivation basically being it's less of a pain to do this then if he gets hurt and is useless to me.
Meanwhile the villagers of Calco waste no time speculating about Izark & Noriko nor does the Mayor mind asking Izark to handle their bandit problem. Shameless!!
New (recurring) cast member Seer Gorya who is Rachef's main seer and vassel makes his first appearance and we learn a little bit about the "chimos", an animal that's a bit like a chinchilla and can help a person teleport.
Noriko continues to try her best to learn the language while Izark continues to tell her he doesn't understand when she babbles. I appreciated the minor digression into why Noriko is so determined to be useful. Noriko learned, from a young age, that unfortunate things can and will happen, but dwelling does nothing. Channeling that anxiety about her future into creating a present she feels fulfilled in, is the core of Noriko's character. Does she wanna get home? Yes. Does she know how? No. instead of focusing on THAT she is focusing on how she can help others who are offering her so much.
Izark has a sadder back story, of which we see a brief bit about and some of which Keimos makes guesses at. Izark also resolves to find a solution that does NOT end in Noriko, aka The Awakening of Doom and Destruction, dying.
Keimos is fucking crazy. I don't mean he's reckless or does nonsensical things. I mean he is a psychopath, maybe a sociopath. I don't know if he distinguishes between right and wrong. For him it's "strong" and "weak", you're one or the other and if you're strong he cares about you existing...until you prove stronger then he.
Rachef shows a bit of his true colors here when he unleashes a power of his. His motivation basically being it's less of a pain to do this then if he gets hurt and is useless to me.
Meanwhile the villagers of Calco waste no time speculating about Izark & Noriko nor does the Mayor mind asking Izark to handle their bandit problem. Shameless!!
December 7, 2022
VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/EMxUhGUtHPs
I am exploding with fangirl excitement while I write this…
Volume two was just as good as volume one though it was a lot more action-packed and feel I need to reread the first half again just to see Izark shine! We are definitely seeing more of him having qualities that are NOT human because I'm pretty sure he should have died at least twice, but here he is still standing. And thankfully so!! Not sure what I would do if he had because I really really love his character! The way he softens when he sees Noriko care for him is truly everything. <3 (Gah to that flashback though!! I don't want a sad Izark!)
Norikio continues to be an amazing heroine! She still isn't the "modern" shojo heroine who is strong and knows what she wants, but I genuinely love the transparency of her character and how hard she is wanting to try and be strong. Plus, she has been through SO much in the four days in this land that I don't think it is at all surprising how she is NOT saving the day in the way Izark is. (I really missed them being together for a short amount in this one! I hope it doesn't happen again…)
I'm really curious about this one character who we met briefly in volume one. I think he is going to be a dangerous playmaker and not looking forward to seeing more of him, even though his character design is one of my favorites. LOL!
Overall, this continues to be an incredible series, and absolutely love it! I continue to strongly ship Noriko and Izark and look forward to seeing our heroine grow and learn the language so she can communicate with Izark. <3
I am exploding with fangirl excitement while I write this…
Volume two was just as good as volume one though it was a lot more action-packed and feel I need to reread the first half again just to see Izark shine! We are definitely seeing more of him having qualities that are NOT human because I'm pretty sure he should have died at least twice, but here he is still standing. And thankfully so!! Not sure what I would do if he had because I really really love his character! The way he softens when he sees Noriko care for him is truly everything. <3 (Gah to that flashback though!! I don't want a sad Izark!)
Norikio continues to be an amazing heroine! She still isn't the "modern" shojo heroine who is strong and knows what she wants, but I genuinely love the transparency of her character and how hard she is wanting to try and be strong. Plus, she has been through SO much in the four days in this land that I don't think it is at all surprising how she is NOT saving the day in the way Izark is. (I really missed them being together for a short amount in this one! I hope it doesn't happen again…)
I'm really curious about this one character who we met briefly in volume one. I think he is going to be a dangerous playmaker and not looking forward to seeing more of him, even though his character design is one of my favorites. LOL!
Overall, this continues to be an incredible series, and absolutely love it! I continue to strongly ship Noriko and Izark and look forward to seeing our heroine grow and learn the language so she can communicate with Izark. <3
September 21, 2023
It’s such a shame that this series is OOP. My good friend, Laura, was super kind and sent me this extra copy of hers! I’m so grateful!! I really want to keep reading it physically but luckily it’s available digitally! This isn’t really a review… sorry! But this volume was full of action and I’m excited to see what is going to happen next!!
November 12, 2025
I will never get tired of the young woman’s overwhelmed bawling leaving her stoic romantic interest terrified 😂👌
February 3, 2018
Aww! chibi-Izark!
February 5, 2025
Oh Izark’s flashback to his childhood made me so sad but then he sees Nori laying against his bed… such a sweet moment.
January 4, 2023
I felt like this volume offered less diverse plot compared to the past as we spent most of the time in fever mode.
September 20, 2015
Despite his sudden illness, Izark accepts a job to break up a ring of thieves operating in the town that he and Noriko are staying in. As a middle school student, I didn't like this series all that much: Noriko was too whiny and useless. However, when I reread this as an adult, I appreciated Noriko's faults; as an average Tokyo high school student, she shouldn't be a total bad ass right from the start. That being said, Noriko has decided to learn the new language; further character development in volume two proves her well on the way to becoming a bad ass:
There isn't all that much romance in this volume, either (which I'm totally okay with) - Hikawa portrays no love at first sight and instead allows the bond between these two characters to grow as they spend time together: Noriko is clearly attached to Izark and though he insists to himself that keeping her around is for both of their safety, perhaps his feelings for her have already begun to change. After all, not once did he think of her as a pain in volume two.
Kyoko Hikawa expands a little on Izark's past in this volume - his mother pushed him away and no mention is made of his father. The villains, unfortunately, get even less backstory than Izark does: we have no idea why Niva agreed to help the thieves and we know nothing about the thieves except they're evil and greedy. A little more development here might have strengthened the story; right now, these guys are bad guys for the sake of bad guys. The same goes for Keimo.
However, this series redeems itself through its thorough dedication to realism via Noriko: I hope future volumes will allow her to grow more as a character and become a more active agent in her own life.
There isn't all that much romance in this volume, either (which I'm totally okay with) - Hikawa portrays no love at first sight and instead allows the bond between these two characters to grow as they spend time together: Noriko is clearly attached to Izark and though he insists to himself that keeping her around is for both of their safety, perhaps his feelings for her have already begun to change. After all, not once did he think of her as a pain in volume two.
Kyoko Hikawa expands a little on Izark's past in this volume - his mother pushed him away and no mention is made of his father. The villains, unfortunately, get even less backstory than Izark does: we have no idea why Niva agreed to help the thieves and we know nothing about the thieves except they're evil and greedy. A little more development here might have strengthened the story; right now, these guys are bad guys for the sake of bad guys. The same goes for Keimo.
However, this series redeems itself through its thorough dedication to realism via Noriko: I hope future volumes will allow her to grow more as a character and become a more active agent in her own life.
September 6, 2017
Ah Noriko, you really need to learn the language a whole lot quick than you have been....
We're still stuck in an alternate world of some kind and Noriko is making the best of things. Seriously. I love how this girl hangs in there without hysteria and really puts herself into doing the right thing.
There's a lot of politics here that I don't understand yet. I like that about this series - it has a lot of 'meat' to it. As every layer unravels I find myself wanting to go deeper and deeper. Why is Noriko so important? What is this big thing she can do that makes her worthy of being marked for death? And will she eventually learn the language enough to communicate with everyone?
Ah, this story brings back happy Fushigi Yuugi memories. I like this kind of story more than I'd realized. I can't wait to see what happens next.
We're still stuck in an alternate world of some kind and Noriko is making the best of things. Seriously. I love how this girl hangs in there without hysteria and really puts herself into doing the right thing.
There's a lot of politics here that I don't understand yet. I like that about this series - it has a lot of 'meat' to it. As every layer unravels I find myself wanting to go deeper and deeper. Why is Noriko so important? What is this big thing she can do that makes her worthy of being marked for death? And will she eventually learn the language enough to communicate with everyone?
Ah, this story brings back happy Fushigi Yuugi memories. I like this kind of story more than I'd realized. I can't wait to see what happens next.
August 2, 2019
Such a sweet story, even with all the battles. Kind of feels like a Beauty and the Beast retelling, at least with Izark's curse (his own mother made a bargain with his birth that involved gold) and everyone's fear of him except Noriko. Also, when she carries him to safety across her back, I was bombarded by all the feels. Noriko is not some helpless ingenue for the sake of being weak and "girly"; she's actually giving the best dose of reality I've ever seen in a manga of this genre. She's doing her best as a stranger in a strange land, even planning to learn the language and her affection for Izark is simply gratitude, caring for the one who risked it all to care for her. All I'm saying is it's nice to see a heroine adjusting on her own terms, as opposed to just falling in line with her love interest's quest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2022
In this volume, Noriko puts everything she has into lending her strength to her companion, Izark, who has temporarily fallen ill as a recurring side effect of his curse. I like this volume in that it showcases Noriko’s compassion as well as her strength as both an individual and as a young, hapless girl. It’s true that you can do things to help people even when you’re at a complete loss. If not for Noriko, Izark’s situation may have become a lot worse. Or perhaps her help was but a placebo for real help; regardless, his heart was moved by her continuous support and genuine compassion for him. I had wanted to see him moved by her not fearing him as well but perhaps it’s not yet time, or perhaps they’re not quite like that.
January 6, 2021
First off, let me just say I appreciate Noriko's efforts to learn a new language and she's learning it FAR faster than I would be able to. Plus a realistic language barrier from dropping into another reality is fun to read. Maybe it's because I'm an adult and understand the realism now. *shrug*
I also appreciated how Noriko isn't COMPLETELY useless this volume. I'll let you figure out what I mean there. I enjoyed that we are starting to get some more backstory and the characters are easing into a friendship. Hopefully soon we will get some more background stories for other people presented in this series.
I also appreciated how Noriko isn't COMPLETELY useless this volume. I'll let you figure out what I mean there. I enjoyed that we are starting to get some more backstory and the characters are easing into a friendship. Hopefully soon we will get some more background stories for other people presented in this series.
May 5, 2025
Overall: 3 stars
A bit of mixed bag for me. I loved parts of this volume, and others were just a bit of a slog. The hero protecting the heroine gets a big heart-eyes reaction from me, and I loved their interactions, even as they still can't understand each other. However, the language gap is becoming a bit frustrating as there are entire scenes revolving around how she can't speak to anyone. It's logical and it's realistic, but it is also annoying to read after a while.
Also scenes from the villain's POV always bore me, and some of the art still kind of creeps me out. I just don't enjoy the heavy caricatured features of some of the side characters.
A bit of mixed bag for me. I loved parts of this volume, and others were just a bit of a slog. The hero protecting the heroine gets a big heart-eyes reaction from me, and I loved their interactions, even as they still can't understand each other. However, the language gap is becoming a bit frustrating as there are entire scenes revolving around how she can't speak to anyone. It's logical and it's realistic, but it is also annoying to read after a while.
Also scenes from the villain's POV always bore me, and some of the art still kind of creeps me out. I just don't enjoy the heavy caricatured features of some of the side characters.
April 24, 2020
I am absolutely in love with the two main characters of this series. I don't think I've ever seen the language barrier acknowledged in a portal fantasy before, and it makes for some really sweet scenes and clever dramatic irony. It also shows how intelligent and resourceful the heroine is too, despite not being strong or knowledgeable about the world she's in. It seems like the plot and world building take a back seat to the characters in From Far Away, but I think it works so far because their personalities are so well rendered.
December 13, 2025
I need moar!
This was much more satisfying than the first book, tho I still rated it 4 stars cuz half the climax from the previous book was completed in this volume. I understand that manga often comes from serialized chapters, but it was hard to remember everything that happened without a plot summary or character intro chart that manga often has in the intro. The artwork is beautiful, and i can’t help but root for Noriko and Izark to learn and grow from one another and their obv innate goodness.
This was much more satisfying than the first book, tho I still rated it 4 stars cuz half the climax from the previous book was completed in this volume. I understand that manga often comes from serialized chapters, but it was hard to remember everything that happened without a plot summary or character intro chart that manga often has in the intro. The artwork is beautiful, and i can’t help but root for Noriko and Izark to learn and grow from one another and their obv innate goodness.
February 4, 2024
We are introduced to one of the bad guys but also the . Ahhhh the art is so pretty and it just makes me so relaxed. Noriko and Izark start to become a little closer and we start to learn more about his ability's.
This is how you write a good romance with a interesting world.
This is how you write a good romance with a interesting world.
November 11, 2024
I really adore this series. I really love this couple. Love this romantasy manga.
Love how protective Izark is to Noriko and love how Noriko will do anything to help Izark.
That fight with Keimos still got me at the edge of my seat. It's a reread but I read this years ago so kinda forget some details, so yeah it's like reading it the first time.
Love how protective Izark is to Noriko and love how Noriko will do anything to help Izark.
That fight with Keimos still got me at the edge of my seat. It's a reread but I read this years ago so kinda forget some details, so yeah it's like reading it the first time.
March 16, 2023
Picks up right after volume 1 and gets the ball rolling on the plot and story. We learn a lot more about Izark's power but still have no clue as to who or what he really is, I feel like we're perfectly in the shoes of Noriko and discovering this new world one new word at a time.
November 6, 2017
3.5/5 Stars
August 18, 2018
Ok ill do this series.
November 13, 2019
Not as engaging as the first volume, but I prefer the simplicity of this series over modern shojo fantasy or other isekai manga.
December 26, 2019
4.5 almost 5☆
June 14, 2021
cute!
June 29, 2021
The story continues. Like Noriko learning the language of the new world she is in. Something productive instead of whining.
September 18, 2022
I think this is still so cute! I cant’ believe I love it so much! I can’t wait to get the next ones in a few days! I have been finishing each book in a day!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews