Shin Takahashi ( 高橋しん, originally 高橋真 Takahashi Shin?, born September 8, 1967) is a Japanese manga artist best known for writing Saikano (She, the Ultimate Weapon) and Iihito. He was born in Shibetsu, Hokkaidō on September 8, 1967. He has been using computer graphics in his works since the time when few manga artists were able to use them.
What strikes me the most about this volume is the way Chise is, haphazardly, trying to grow into her power. At moments she rejects and suppresses it; at others she coldly and deliberately threatens people with what will happen if they try to attack or control her.
The thing is, the couple's relationship is doomed. The signs were there from the start, but they're getting harder to ignore: he's still carrying confusion and trauma from when , while she's accumulating new trauma, and of course they're both terrible at communication.
And, oh yeah, there's still an apocalyptic war going on, and it's getting closer on multiple fronts. This is a book of creeping dread, and it starts with Chise losing control and blowing a hole in the school.
This story is just interesting enough to keep me at 4 stars. I'm not certain it can sustain that through 4 more volumes, but, we'll see.
These volumes seem like they were composed from other volumes of different lengths. There are pages that appear to be beginnings or ends of volumes that are somewhere in the middle. The table of contents isn't at the beginning, but several pages in.
Takahashi crea un’opera sospesa tra il lirismo e la tragedia, capace di raccontare l’amore e la guerra con rara delicatezza. Le linee leggere, a volte tremolanti, sembrano esitare sulla carta, restituendo tutta la fragilità dei personaggi: adolescenti spinti troppo presto ai margini dell’umanità. Un linguaggio visivo perfetto per raccontare una storia che danza costantemente tra sogno e incubo, tra la tenerezza dell’intimità giovanile e l’orrore di un conflitto disumano. Ogni tavola è attraversata da una malinconia sottile, mai gratuita. Lei, l’arma finale è una lettura che spezza il cuore e allo stesso tempo lo accarezza, riuscendo a trasformare la sofferenza in un racconto di struggente bellezza. *** Takahashi weaves a tale suspended between lyricism and tragedy, capturing love and war with an exquisite, uncommon grace. His delicate trembling lines seem to waver on the page, as if echoing the fragility of his characters—teenagers cast too soon to the edges of what it means to be human. It is a visual language that drifts effortlessly between dream and nightmare, where the softness of young intimacy meets the brutal silence of war. Each panel is touched by a quiet, aching melancholy—never forced, always true. She, the Final Weapon is a story that shatters the heart even as it softly holds it, turning pain into something hauntingly beautiful.
Chise et Shûji sont de plus en plus proches. Leurs sentiments grandissent et c’est sans doute ce qui permet à la jeune fille de tenir depuis si longtemps. Même si elle est carrément pénible à vouloir s’excuser tout le temps, le dévouement dont elle fait preuve est très beau.
Mais c’est Shûji, que j’étais pourtant loin d’apprécier au départ, qui devient de plus en plus touchant. Pour lui aussi, la situation est difficile et on le sent sur le point de céder à tout instant. Il est complètement démuni face à quelque chose qui le dépasse largement.
Tous leurs actes ont des conséquences. La gravité de ce qui arrive lorsqu’ils prennent la moindre décision est énorme. Tout le monde est touché, y compris les militaires qui ne savent plus sur qui compter.
The weight of the war starts to take a toll on Chise and Shuji's relationship, especially after the earthquake. Heartbreak, betrayal, and a new beginning await them.
There was so much drama in this volume, it made my head hurt to read!