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Land of the Blindfolded #1
目隠しの国 1
This volume also contains two stories by the author, "After the Festival" and "The Mistaken Man."
Get ready for Tsukuba Sakura's symbolic tale LAND OF THE BLINDFOLDED, in which one character can only see the past, and another can only see the future! Originally presented in LaLa DX magazine from Hakusensha between 1998 to 2004, the 9-volume LAND OF THE BLINDFOLDED is the story of high school student Outsuka Kanade who can sometimes see a person's future with a touch, and transfer student Naitou Arou, whose ESP is limited to past events. When Kanade glimpses an unfortunate incident coming, can she change it? She soon befriends Arou, who's no novice he can turn his ability on or off at will, even using it to see an object's "memories." Are these teenaged seers of the past and future made for each other? And who's right: Arou with his "hands off" policy about meddling in people's lives, or Kanade whose more proactive stance has already had unhappy consequences?
Get ready for Tsukuba Sakura's symbolic tale LAND OF THE BLINDFOLDED, in which one character can only see the past, and another can only see the future! Originally presented in LaLa DX magazine from Hakusensha between 1998 to 2004, the 9-volume LAND OF THE BLINDFOLDED is the story of high school student Outsuka Kanade who can sometimes see a person's future with a touch, and transfer student Naitou Arou, whose ESP is limited to past events. When Kanade glimpses an unfortunate incident coming, can she change it? She soon befriends Arou, who's no novice he can turn his ability on or off at will, even using it to see an object's "memories." Are these teenaged seers of the past and future made for each other? And who's right: Arou with his "hands off" policy about meddling in people's lives, or Kanade whose more proactive stance has already had unhappy consequences?
205 pages
First published January 1, 2000
6 people are currently reading
1097 people want to read
About the author
Sakura Tsukuba
21 books68 followersTSUKUBA Sakura ( 筑波さくら ) is a Japanese manga-ka who currently works for Hakusensha, the publisher of LaLa and LaLa DX, both popular manga magazines for young girls.
She is best known for Land of the Blindfolded (Mekakushi no Kuni), her first published series, and Penguin Revolution, both of which has been licensed in English by CMX. She has also released numerous other one-shots, some of which have been included as bonus chapters in her published volumes.
She is best known for Land of the Blindfolded (Mekakushi no Kuni), her first published series, and Penguin Revolution, both of which has been licensed in English by CMX. She has also released numerous other one-shots, some of which have been included as bonus chapters in her published volumes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
October 27, 2019
I found this a really sweet story about a group of kids with powers to see in a way that no one else can. Because of these powers they are easily misunderstood and i think that's a lot of what this story is about. Moving forward despite the fear (both from themselves and from others) in order to do the good only they are able. And it's sweet to see when people, even when they don't understand the whole of them, get the important parts and chose to think well of them anyway.
My one complaint is that while their powers tend to be pretty straight forward, they touch someone and they can see part of their past/future there are some parts that don't make sense. SPOILERS.- Arou's powers are different and yes part of the story revolves around the fact that Arou is just unusual even among those with powers. However, the fact that Arou himself melts into the air or water when he uses his powers to their full extent doesn't make sense. It's a jump that I can't quite seem to logic believably. -
My one complaint is that while their powers tend to be pretty straight forward, they touch someone and they can see part of their past/future there are some parts that don't make sense. SPOILERS.- Arou's powers are different and yes part of the story revolves around the fact that Arou is just unusual even among those with powers. However, the fact that Arou himself melts into the air or water when he uses his powers to their full extent doesn't make sense. It's a jump that I can't quite seem to logic believably. -
June 15, 2019
Gosh this series is cute. I like that the characters get to the point in the romances instead of dancing around how they feel for volumes. While the first two chapters have to do with the main couple, the next two have different main characters and I kind of liked that. I’d definitely read more of the series if I got the chance.
February 9, 2024
VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/5kQ1DlacjFg
"You know, even if you can see into the past or future you can't see what'll make a person happy. So all you can do is try your best in the present."
WOW! This was such an amazing read and a very powerful one at that! I found especially in the beginning that I was rereading lines because I wanted what was being said to "soak in" as it was very thought-provoking.
Kanade is an incredible heroine and found her deeply relatable! If I was in her shoes and was able to see the future the same way, I definitely would do everything I could to change the future if something were "bad" to happen. The way she tells Arou that she refuses to sit idly by and let the future unfold when she could do something spoke profoundly to me. She may not change the outcome, but she will still step in even if it results in her getting hurt or getting a tongue-lashing. She is truly a phenomenal heroine and very much love her character!
I really liked Arou from the start but I was very much surprised by how he grows as a character! I LOVED seeing him reveal more of his own emotions because being able to see the past can't be easy and was glad Kanade told him as much. His backstory with his mom and how he has been hurt really tugged at my heartstrings. <3
When it comes to the romance, I am SUPER cheering for these two! They both have a heart of gold and really love how they are there for one another. <3
I REALLY disliked the "villain" of this story. Like A LOT. His actions angered me so much and really hope he has a change of heart.
Overall, this volume was absolutely wonderful! I didn't read the short story because I thought the ending of the actual volume was perfection and didn't want the feelings I felt when reading to "leave." Very thankful I was able to find the rest of the volumes because I am eagerly looking forward to reading more!
"Still, once in awhile, no matter how careful you are, you may end up upsetting somebody. But even then, you don't have to worry. Because even though we may hurt each other, humans have the ability to HEAL that hurt."
"You know, even if you can see into the past or future you can't see what'll make a person happy. So all you can do is try your best in the present."
WOW! This was such an amazing read and a very powerful one at that! I found especially in the beginning that I was rereading lines because I wanted what was being said to "soak in" as it was very thought-provoking.
Kanade is an incredible heroine and found her deeply relatable! If I was in her shoes and was able to see the future the same way, I definitely would do everything I could to change the future if something were "bad" to happen. The way she tells Arou that she refuses to sit idly by and let the future unfold when she could do something spoke profoundly to me. She may not change the outcome, but she will still step in even if it results in her getting hurt or getting a tongue-lashing. She is truly a phenomenal heroine and very much love her character!
I really liked Arou from the start but I was very much surprised by how he grows as a character! I LOVED seeing him reveal more of his own emotions because being able to see the past can't be easy and was glad Kanade told him as much. His backstory with his mom and how he has been hurt really tugged at my heartstrings. <3
When it comes to the romance, I am SUPER cheering for these two! They both have a heart of gold and really love how they are there for one another. <3
I REALLY disliked the "villain" of this story. Like A LOT. His actions angered me so much and really hope he has a change of heart.
Overall, this volume was absolutely wonderful! I didn't read the short story because I thought the ending of the actual volume was perfection and didn't want the feelings I felt when reading to "leave." Very thankful I was able to find the rest of the volumes because I am eagerly looking forward to reading more!
"Still, once in awhile, no matter how careful you are, you may end up upsetting somebody. But even then, you don't have to worry. Because even though we may hurt each other, humans have the ability to HEAL that hurt."
July 23, 2008
Don't be deceived. This is not a typical shoujo manga. In this story are simple but beautiful characters and threads of deeper sadness and hope running through the tapestry of the overall message of human relations. Without exception, every person I've lent this to has been captured by it and has wanted more.
January 28, 2009
I liked the way this series is both a romance & a look at the responsibilities of power, and I also like the fact that unlike SO MANY shoujo romances it avoids the 'does he, doesn't he?' questions and gets straight to figuring out what the relationship means to the characters. It just gets better & better as it goes on.
June 14, 2016
I read the first 5 volumes of this series (because that's as many as I could get a hold of). It is super cute and I really like the characters and the simplicity of handling daily life issues with a splash of ethics.A very enjoyable quick read especially for those who like realistic romance with a small splash of paranormal.
March 19, 2018
So interesting and beautiful! I love these characters already and am excited to read more. The bonus stories at the and are so wonderful! After the Festival and The Mistaken Man. They both made my heart skip a beat!
June 10, 2013
3.5 Stars!
Very, very cute ^_^
Very, very cute ^_^
August 26, 2017
This one volume could've seriously been a whole 50 for some other authors. We already have a confession, as well as them starting to go steady. I get that this whole manga used to be a one-shot but I can't help but think that the main characters, Outsuka Kanade and Naitou Arou, had a total almost love-at-first-sight kinda thing. Kanade is actually super dense so I thought it would at least take awhile. Yet Arou goes right in and confesses so... Not to mention after all that happens the author suddenly introduces another guy. Hmmmm I wonder who she'll end up with? *sarcasm intended* I love, love triangles, but only the ones that ACTUALLY make me think both guys would work out. It's pretty obvious who Kanade is gonna choose so there really is not that much interest in the whole love triangle department. Nonetheless, interesting concept. A whole world where some people can 'see' and others are in the sense blind. Kanade is one of those I WANT TO CHANGE THE FUTURE type of good girls that make the two other guys feel protective of her. I must say this got a bit emotional for me near the grandpa scene, but I don't know if that's actually in vol 1. (I'm on chapter 11 you see) Anyways, this was kinda a let down in my expectations, but hey, there's so much more manga out there for me to explore and binge.
May 11, 2018
I enjoyed the artist's style of drawing, and I found the concepts this book covered fascinating to contemplate.
So this high school girl Kanade glimpses sights of people's futures. She meets a boy Arou who catches glimpses of people's pasts. However, no one else can really understand what they can see. Drama ensues.
However, I am not so much of a fangirl that I absolutely need the second one... Read: since volume two is not available at the library I am not interested enough to call up the publisher and order the rest of the series... until at the very least next month when I have enough saved to, maybe, just buy them off Amazon. (I did a quick research to reveal there are 9 in the series!) Besides, I get more than enough mocking, derision, and contempt about continuing to entertain my manga interest as opposed to making more practical use of my time, whatever that could possibly mean.
Reading and sharing great manga is interconnected with global cultural understanding, which I argue is a direct application of my studies in international relations.
I liked most about this book what the author noted as a side note: she depicted how there were no actual villains, just misunderstood motives. I, too, think this reflects life accurately.
So this high school girl Kanade glimpses sights of people's futures. She meets a boy Arou who catches glimpses of people's pasts. However, no one else can really understand what they can see. Drama ensues.
However, I am not so much of a fangirl that I absolutely need the second one... Read: since volume two is not available at the library I am not interested enough to call up the publisher and order the rest of the series... until at the very least next month when I have enough saved to, maybe, just buy them off Amazon. (I did a quick research to reveal there are 9 in the series!) Besides, I get more than enough mocking, derision, and contempt about continuing to entertain my manga interest as opposed to making more practical use of my time, whatever that could possibly mean.
Reading and sharing great manga is interconnected with global cultural understanding, which I argue is a direct application of my studies in international relations.
I liked most about this book what the author noted as a side note: she depicted how there were no actual villains, just misunderstood motives. I, too, think this reflects life accurately.
August 18, 2022
I think I read this series, or most of it at least, years ago when it first came out in 2004. This would have been right up 20yo Lexie's manga tastes.
That said I don't remember much at all of it so. Its practically new to me!
Really this is 3 chapters of the main story, and two additional stories not connected (as far as I can tell).
Despite the premise the first couple of chapters are standard shoujo fare - girl meets boy, a catalyst happens and somehow a new love interest occurs!
Its cute, though I felt a bit impatient to get to an actual plot. Like... there's gotta be more to it then Kanade sees the future, Arou warns her to be careful...right?
The first short story, "After the Festival" is a sweet story about two classmates who share time after the festival, so neither is lonely.
The second story, "The Mistaken Man" features friendship, first love and how the truth will set you free.
That said I don't remember much at all of it so. Its practically new to me!
Really this is 3 chapters of the main story, and two additional stories not connected (as far as I can tell).
Despite the premise the first couple of chapters are standard shoujo fare - girl meets boy, a catalyst happens and somehow a new love interest occurs!
Its cute, though I felt a bit impatient to get to an actual plot. Like... there's gotta be more to it then Kanade sees the future, Arou warns her to be careful...right?
The first short story, "After the Festival" is a sweet story about two classmates who share time after the festival, so neither is lonely.
The second story, "The Mistaken Man" features friendship, first love and how the truth will set you free.
September 17, 2018
Rating: 9 out of 10
Violence: None
Fan Service: Very Low (Girl, no shirt, from behind, once)
Sexual Content: Low (Occasionally discussed)
Type: Romance/Gifted Girl
Read: 2 Volume
More?: Yes
Plot Analysis: This contains a number of short stories, all about teenagers in the same school. The first few stories involve a girl who can see the future and a boy who can see the past. The stories are nice, soft romance, full of teenage awkwardness and embarrassment at even the thought of the opposite gender.
Review: I quite enjoyed the simple stories, but it took me a little bit to get used to not seeing the characters I’d gotten used to in the first stories later in the volume. Other than that, the stories were simple and heartwarming. I look forward to future volumes.
Violence: None
Fan Service: Very Low (Girl, no shirt, from behind, once)
Sexual Content: Low (Occasionally discussed)
Type: Romance/Gifted Girl
Read: 2 Volume
More?: Yes
Plot Analysis: This contains a number of short stories, all about teenagers in the same school. The first few stories involve a girl who can see the future and a boy who can see the past. The stories are nice, soft romance, full of teenage awkwardness and embarrassment at even the thought of the opposite gender.
Review: I quite enjoyed the simple stories, but it took me a little bit to get used to not seeing the characters I’d gotten used to in the first stories later in the volume. Other than that, the stories were simple and heartwarming. I look forward to future volumes.
April 27, 2022
Cùng tác giả với "Nấc thang ước vọng", nhưng bộ này đọc không hay bằng.
Không thích tính cách của nữ chính lắm. Đương nhiên hiểu ý đồ tác giả xây dựng nhân vật kiểu ngây thơ, đơn thuần nhưng nhiều cảnh cứ gượng ép kiểu gì.
Càng không thích việc nữ chính cũng thích nam chính, thấy nam chính ở với người khác thì không vui, nhưng lúc nam chính tỏ tình thì hai lần nói chỉ muốn làm bạn thân, nhưng vẫn nắm tay các kiểu.
Mô típ thì khá hay với lạ, nam chính cũng ok cơ mà cách triển khai truyện không mượt lắm. Nếu như "Nấc thang ước vọng" đọc mượt từ đầu tới cuối thì truyện này cứ như kiểu vừa đi vừa vấp ý, khó mà đọc liền một mạch.
Không thích tính cách của nữ chính lắm. Đương nhiên hiểu ý đồ tác giả xây dựng nhân vật kiểu ngây thơ, đơn thuần nhưng nhiều cảnh cứ gượng ép kiểu gì.
Càng không thích việc nữ chính cũng thích nam chính, thấy nam chính ở với người khác thì không vui, nhưng lúc nam chính tỏ tình thì hai lần nói chỉ muốn làm bạn thân, nhưng vẫn nắm tay các kiểu.
Mô típ thì khá hay với lạ, nam chính cũng ok cơ mà cách triển khai truyện không mượt lắm. Nếu như "Nấc thang ước vọng" đọc mượt từ đầu tới cuối thì truyện này cứ như kiểu vừa đi vừa vấp ý, khó mà đọc liền một mạch.
February 6, 2022
This is my second time reading this series (it was before my Goodreads days lol) and I still like it as much as I did the first time!
As much as I hate people who get into other’s business (I’m more like Arou), I can’t help but love Kanade. She’s a sweetheart. And Arou is a great guy. I remember loving him instantly when reading this the first time …and I still do! Namiki is a great character too (even if it doesn’t seem like it now).
Basically, I enjoy this series and look forward to reading more (again lol).
As much as I hate people who get into other’s business (I’m more like Arou), I can’t help but love Kanade. She’s a sweetheart. And Arou is a great guy. I remember loving him instantly when reading this the first time …and I still do! Namiki is a great character too (even if it doesn’t seem like it now).
Basically, I enjoy this series and look forward to reading more (again lol).
November 30, 2022
Ah the "I'm special" trope until the "I'm special" person becomes a trio and then some.
Honestly, I really enjoyed this first volume. It does a great job of setting up the story for the readers, and offers great insight into the future of the plot line.
A boy who can see the past, and a girl who can see the future... what could happen?
Honestly, I really enjoyed this first volume. It does a great job of setting up the story for the readers, and offers great insight into the future of the plot line.
A boy who can see the past, and a girl who can see the future... what could happen?
January 2, 2018
Read it, ok book, not a fav, not a keeper. This was geared towards younger readers I think. Simplistic art and story if I recall.
January 24, 2018
The characters in this manga stuck with me for years. I'm rereading it 10 years after the first read and loving them just as much.
April 9, 2018
I'm enjoying the concept so far. And as much as I enjoy a good slow-burn, I find myself liking the pace of the relationship in this story.
January 12, 2019
I didn't like this as much as I thought I would. the premise of the story sounds good but it just wasn't for me
January 19, 2021
I've been thinking about this book a lot lately, so I decided it was time for a re-read. Although I didn't love it quite as much as I remember, it still managed to hit me in the feels and get all nostalgic. Time to go through the rest of the series!
July 24, 2014
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
This is a beautiful read about three main characters (two in this volume and one more will be introduced in later volumes) who have special gifts - either the ability to see the future or the past.
Contrary to what you would expect, the focus in the story is on relationships and the consequences of dealing with special powers in every day life situations - not on the powers themselves. The psychology, ethics, emotions, reactions, and responsibilities of these three people are slowly explored in an intricately crafted story. At its heart, Land of the blindfolded is about kindred spirits who find one another and teach each other a thing or two about life, love, and acceptance.
One would expect the writer to use the powers to push the romantic theme in this type of genre. And although there is definitely enough romance to keep every fan happy, the supernatural powers do play a very background role to exploring the mindsets and psychology of the main characters. That may make it sound boring, but the skill of the author ensures that it is a very engrossing read with characters you can really like and care about as the story progresses.
Land of the Blindfolded differs greatly from North American type of genre romances in that the story isn't about the angst and anticipation of getting together. Rather, it's about those precious early days of a relationship when everything is new and unsure. This theme of uncertainty is carried throughout the volumes and greatly enhances each of the arcs, providing contrasting unity and consistency.
This series can be best described as a very subdued, playful, and warm experience. There are wonderful scenes of respect and intimacy between the main characters but no sexual situations, making it very suitable for young and older readers. It's nice to read a romance novel where the object of the story isn't about putting the characters in compromising and unrealistic sexual situations.
I can enthusiastically recommend this series. It gets even better as it progresses into later volumes.
August 18, 2011
Land of the blindfolded
Art: Basic shojo girly very 1990's looking flashy but clean B
Characters: Kanade, arou, Kanade can see the future while arou can see the past and thats about it they don't really have much of a personality beyond their shojo stereotypes of naive dumb girl with powers and gruff stand offish boy who falls for girl -shrugs- D
Story: Wonderful idea sloppy exposition and there are two bonus manga as well that takes up the later half of the book. Kanade can see the future while arou can only see the past while this is an amazing idea not much is done with it. These two bump into each other and instead of them questioning why they have the powers they do and deciding to team up they just become fast friends and thats it there really is no plot at one point another character with ablitys shows up as a foil for arou and instead he comes off as a weird jerk who falls under kanade's naive and dumb spell rather quickly. really the story was lacking plot and well story it was just some random events with some confusing points the story was hard to keep up with and was slow waste of a potentially good story D
Cover: The back cover has nothing to do with the main story the back cover shows the bonus manga's character. So the cover shows kanade with ribbon all around here and sakura petals and arou being protective about her it's a very ok cover which blends into most manga out there and doesn't really stand out as anything special B
Rating: E for everyone (however if you read the story all you'll be asking is HOW is this E for everyone?????)
Company: CMXmanga ( DC comic's manga division shut down of course)
My rating : 2 of 5 DC comics knows nothing about manga ratings do they? I looked on the back sickened that this was a E for all sickened because I don't read that stuff since it's too well soft. In this case however the rating did not mach the content and that baffled me I kept saying “HOW is this an E for all” and flipping to the back to double check I read it right. This story is flat I didn't even read the bonus manga because I didn't care about that it was flat and dull and it was to bad because it could have been really cool
Art: Basic shojo girly very 1990's looking flashy but clean B
Characters: Kanade, arou, Kanade can see the future while arou can see the past and thats about it they don't really have much of a personality beyond their shojo stereotypes of naive dumb girl with powers and gruff stand offish boy who falls for girl -shrugs- D
Story: Wonderful idea sloppy exposition and there are two bonus manga as well that takes up the later half of the book. Kanade can see the future while arou can only see the past while this is an amazing idea not much is done with it. These two bump into each other and instead of them questioning why they have the powers they do and deciding to team up they just become fast friends and thats it there really is no plot at one point another character with ablitys shows up as a foil for arou and instead he comes off as a weird jerk who falls under kanade's naive and dumb spell rather quickly. really the story was lacking plot and well story it was just some random events with some confusing points the story was hard to keep up with and was slow waste of a potentially good story D
Cover: The back cover has nothing to do with the main story the back cover shows the bonus manga's character. So the cover shows kanade with ribbon all around here and sakura petals and arou being protective about her it's a very ok cover which blends into most manga out there and doesn't really stand out as anything special B
Rating: E for everyone (however if you read the story all you'll be asking is HOW is this E for everyone?????)
Company: CMXmanga ( DC comic's manga division shut down of course)
My rating : 2 of 5 DC comics knows nothing about manga ratings do they? I looked on the back sickened that this was a E for all sickened because I don't read that stuff since it's too well soft. In this case however the rating did not mach the content and that baffled me I kept saying “HOW is this an E for all” and flipping to the back to double check I read it right. This story is flat I didn't even read the bonus manga because I didn't care about that it was flat and dull and it was to bad because it could have been really cool
December 10, 2013
Why haven't I tried reading mangas before? I realized how I miss watching anime. I need to look at gorgeous animes again. HAHAHA
In here, we'll meet Kanade (the girl who can see the future of a person), Arou (the transferred boy who can see the past of a person's life). I enjoyed reading the story since I have been reading english novels and I haven't tried light reading since. The plot is not that heavy and it's not really an extravagant plot but it is still interesting.
If you were given a chance to have a power like that, what would you choose? - To see a person's future or to see his past?
I don't like to see the future. It is scary for me. Life would be boring if I knew every moment that will happen. Besides, it's suffering, too in your part. Knowing a person's past seems kinda appealing to me. In that way, I can understand why a person act a certain way or I can understand his feelings more. But it's not good either because it seems you're bypassing his privacy. Secrets and pasts are precious and wouldn’t it be great if that person shared it to you because he wants to not because of your power?
The title is 'The Land of the Blindfolded' because Kanade looks at the world as a land of the blindfolded, (hehe) where everyone has blindfolds and can't see the past nor the future but she has a defected blindfold that's why she can sometimes see the future of a person's life when that person bumps into her.
In here, we'll meet Kanade (the girl who can see the future of a person), Arou (the transferred boy who can see the past of a person's life). I enjoyed reading the story since I have been reading english novels and I haven't tried light reading since. The plot is not that heavy and it's not really an extravagant plot but it is still interesting.
If you were given a chance to have a power like that, what would you choose? - To see a person's future or to see his past?
I don't like to see the future. It is scary for me. Life would be boring if I knew every moment that will happen. Besides, it's suffering, too in your part. Knowing a person's past seems kinda appealing to me. In that way, I can understand why a person act a certain way or I can understand his feelings more. But it's not good either because it seems you're bypassing his privacy. Secrets and pasts are precious and wouldn’t it be great if that person shared it to you because he wants to not because of your power?
The title is 'The Land of the Blindfolded' because Kanade looks at the world as a land of the blindfolded, (hehe) where everyone has blindfolds and can't see the past nor the future but she has a defected blindfold that's why she can sometimes see the future of a person's life when that person bumps into her.
August 6, 2016
Grades: 7 to 12 Genre: Manga, Drama
Kaneda Outsuke has a secret. When she touches others, sometimes she can see their future. Because of her positive attitude, Kaneda can not help but try to change the future of those she comes in contact with, despite the consequences. She does not want others to suffer unnecessarily if she can do something about it. She soon meets Arou Naitou, a boy with ability to see the past, and Masahiro Namiki, another boy who also can see the future. While Arou and Masahiro can’t understand her desire to help others, they are quickly drawn into helping her as they grow to like her. A deeper bond grows between Kaneda and Arou and they begin to start dating, much to Masahiro’s displeasure. This does not seem to harm the friendship between them though. While many of their fellow class mates find their actions strange, the three friends learn that it is more important to be yourself than to strive to fit in. Their psychic abilities are more of a way to bring the three together and the story develops more into being happy with whom you are. The art is quite beautiful and helps bring the reader into Kaneda’s world.
Kaneda Outsuke has a secret. When she touches others, sometimes she can see their future. Because of her positive attitude, Kaneda can not help but try to change the future of those she comes in contact with, despite the consequences. She does not want others to suffer unnecessarily if she can do something about it. She soon meets Arou Naitou, a boy with ability to see the past, and Masahiro Namiki, another boy who also can see the future. While Arou and Masahiro can’t understand her desire to help others, they are quickly drawn into helping her as they grow to like her. A deeper bond grows between Kaneda and Arou and they begin to start dating, much to Masahiro’s displeasure. This does not seem to harm the friendship between them though. While many of their fellow class mates find their actions strange, the three friends learn that it is more important to be yourself than to strive to fit in. Their psychic abilities are more of a way to bring the three together and the story develops more into being happy with whom you are. The art is quite beautiful and helps bring the reader into Kaneda’s world.
May 25, 2016
Land of the Blindfolded is a good example of a great book, it has a good theme, is well written, and doesn’t sacrifice any enjoyment to get its message across. The book is all about how people aren’t viewing the world correctly and they need to see everything from the big picture to the small details to fully understand life. The characters in the book are able to see the past and future depending on the character and the little subtleties in what these characters see and how even just seeing a little bit more of the world makes them happy does a great job of adding to the theme. Even without the books theme there is still a very nice romance story that I suppose could be considered a harem story because it is two people vying for the main girl’s affection, and this is very well done in my opinion. Even if the story doesn’t interest you I would highly recommend reading the first book and waiting until then to choose whether or not to read the rest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2010
I ended up loving this series but this volume and volume two were not very impressive. It just seemed pedestrian in art, tone, and character interactions. I kept reading for some reason. Around volume 3 when Morita is introduced and Namiki flowers as a character I became completely hooked, immersed, and in love with the characters. The plot which seemed ludicrous in the beginning becomes more developed and convincing. Even the art seemed to improve with everything else. It consistently reminded me of the best and most touching parts of Fruits Basket. On fun factor alone I'd give volumes 3-9 each five stars.
I'd say the series is fine for all ages but teenagers would be more able to appreciate the relationships and struggles of the characters. I'm past those years and still look forward to re-reading this one again sometime.
I'd say the series is fine for all ages but teenagers would be more able to appreciate the relationships and struggles of the characters. I'm past those years and still look forward to re-reading this one again sometime.
January 14, 2008
This particular mangaka excels at making heart-warming stories about love and friendship in school and out of it. Many of her series feature some supernatural element. In Land of the Blindfolded, the main characters see peoples' futures and pasts when they touch them.
This of course makes romance and everyday interaction a challenge and moral dilemma. Like so many of her other stories, self-acceptance, making connections to others no matter what bitterness they carry, love and friendship feature heavily in the themes. The drawing style is lovely. My favorite chapter features a character dreaming in the school's vegetable garden..the use of space in those particular frames are beautiful.
This of course makes romance and everyday interaction a challenge and moral dilemma. Like so many of her other stories, self-acceptance, making connections to others no matter what bitterness they carry, love and friendship feature heavily in the themes. The drawing style is lovely. My favorite chapter features a character dreaming in the school's vegetable garden..the use of space in those particular frames are beautiful.
January 5, 2009
I usually stick to shounen manga, but among the few shoujo ones, this title is simply outstanding though at first I thought that it's just another your focus-on-the-acceptance-and-being-yourself-issue like most shoujo mangas are about.
Day-to-day high school life and teen romance aside, Mekakushi no Kuni (published as "Land of the Blindfolded" in the USA and "Beyond the Blindfold" in Indonesia) offers a well managed plot, heart-warming story and respectable characters. Speaking of the characters, though I have no problem admitting that I ship Arou and Kanade together, even supporting characters such as Namiki, Kanade's best friend Eri and Shiya-kaichou are lovable. MnK is definitely high up on my reading as well as recommendation list.
Day-to-day high school life and teen romance aside, Mekakushi no Kuni (published as "Land of the Blindfolded" in the USA and "Beyond the Blindfold" in Indonesia) offers a well managed plot, heart-warming story and respectable characters. Speaking of the characters, though I have no problem admitting that I ship Arou and Kanade together, even supporting characters such as Namiki, Kanade's best friend Eri and Shiya-kaichou are lovable. MnK is definitely high up on my reading as well as recommendation list.
August 6, 2014
Tired of reading novels, I re-read my old manga collection. Beyond the Blindfold is one of my personal favorites; Aro Naito & Kanade Otsuka are one of my favorite couples of all time.
It's about high school students, but not the ordinary ones. Aro can 'see' the past and Kanade can sometimes 'see' the future when they touch someone (or in Aro's case, something). Dealing with this supernatural powers is not easy, and Aro and Kanade support each other. You guess it, yes, they fell in love with each other and started dating. But of course, their relationship faces many obstacles. It's delightful and heart-warming to see how they solve many life problems. We can learn a lot from them if we take the time to ponder.
It's about high school students, but not the ordinary ones. Aro can 'see' the past and Kanade can sometimes 'see' the future when they touch someone (or in Aro's case, something). Dealing with this supernatural powers is not easy, and Aro and Kanade support each other. You guess it, yes, they fell in love with each other and started dating. But of course, their relationship faces many obstacles. It's delightful and heart-warming to see how they solve many life problems. We can learn a lot from them if we take the time to ponder.
April 6, 2009
This manga was originaly a one-shot and the author says herself that she "had no idea where the story should go or even be about". So we can't expect miracles from the frist volume, even more because this was the author's first continuing series. Also, don't expect much from the artwork. It's average, uninventive shojo style with very, very simple backgrounds. Traditionally bad paper and printing quality from CMX doesn't help, either.I hope this series will get better later, though, because I bought four volumes at once.
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