Land of the Lustrous, Vol. 13

宝石の国 [Hōseki no Kuni] #13

by Haruko Ichikawa

An elegant new action manga, Land of the Lustrous is set in a far future Earth, where humanity's distant descendants live on in a small group of sexless crystalline beings who must fight off an invasion from the Moon.

Having inherited Kongõ’s memories and abilities, Phosphophyllite finally completes the long-awaited prayer, sending the Lunarians into the void. Now truly alone, Phos can only await eternity in silence—that is, until an unfamiliar mineral lifeform comes along, inspiring deep contemplation of the events that have transpired over these thousands of years…
FINAL VOLUME!

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

208 pages, Paperback

First published November 21, 2024

About the author

Haruko Ichikawa (市川春子 in Japanese), born in 1980, is the author and artist of Land of the Lustrous (宝石の国, lit. "Country of Jewels"). She started her career in 2006 with the one-shot Mushi to Uta (虫と歌, lit. Insects and Songs). Between 2007 and 2011, she published seven one-shots in the manga magazine Afternoon, which were later compiled into two individual books named Ichikawa Haruko Sakuhinshuu (市川春子作品集, lit. Haruko Ichikawa Works Collection). She started writing Land of the Lustrous on October 25th, 2012, which currently has 10 volumes.

In 2010 she won the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize for works on Mushi to Uta. She has also contributed characters designs to the games Pokemon Sun & Moon and Pokemon Sword & Shield.

Reviews

[Sol · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband manifested into the 3D realm and I didn't even go outside to see him

It seems that Ichikawa is posing a problem in creating a setting that's Amidist by nature (Adamant "praying" objectively works) yet all the symbolism points to the problem of the true Pure Land being unattainable and Phos becoming the solution: in the first place, you have the classic Theravada Buddhist belief that nirvana/nehan should consist in extinction and complete liberation from this universe and any concepts of identity, but at the same time it's heavily associated with freedom from suffering and repetition and characters wonder if there's anything better than it. The Mahayana idea that nirvana and samsara are the same thing because they're both emptiness led to the concept of bodhisattvas, choosing to stay in the mortal realms due to compassion for all lifeforms instead of reaching nirvana for themselves. Adamant and Aechmea are objectively bodhisattvas to their peoples. Phos being the 27+1th gem, acquiring the seven treasures, doing the Miroku pose, leaving the Earth without the Buddha's teachings for 10k years and many more, is all akin to him becoming the Buddha of the future (Miroku) but also the Eternal Buddha (Amida), as in his journey, his existence and his own very body signify the Pure Land.
  Anonymous intellectual

He is literally me, for real, for real.
  My dumb ass

Now that YET ANOTHER hiatus has been announced, it's time to put together my thoughts on things since the last one. This must be the last volume, right? If it isn't, we're truly going even further beyond all concepts of conventional story structure.



First off, it's a testament to this story that I can truthfully say I hate almost every character in it, but that it was still a great read that I would recommend to anyone. I'm entirely aware that my hatred of the g*ms is unhealthy, and has probably pushed me to read the story "wrong", but it still works, which is amazing to me. Now watch Ichikawa torpedo it by giving Phos a vision of Shitsha as he gets consumed by the sun



Phos' adventures on the post-prayer world are simultaneously lovely and baffling. A suicidal god being comforted by a bevy of rocks as he comes to terms with just being has been wondrous to behold. Phos' suffering is made even more poignant by the complete absence of external factors causing it. He is trapped in his own fractured mind, but having a rock collection is so powerfully healing, even Phos can feel that he is in paradise, and just accept it.



The baffling part is that this is supposed to be the conclusion of the preceding story. I'm personally not bothered by the previous cast summarily fucking off forever because I hated their guts. I could see a lot of people being severely bothered that Phos' interaction with his former friends amounts to a brief speech, not even specifically directed at anyone. We're left to our own devices to determine how his memories of humanity led him from wanting to rebuild his friends, to annihilating them five minutes after waking up. But at the same time, without Phos' history, a reader couldn't understand why he hates himself.



Thing is, Rockbro and El Hermano are so great that I'm left wondering why we were following those other dipshits for so long. Knowing that we have but one volume to lie on the grass and hum with our rock collection is the true source of dukkha.



There are a lot of inspired artistic choices. I know it was technically last volume, but the use of a narrow gradient in the beams of light emerging from Phos' hands during prayer is a great example of how less is more. Such an effect has never been used before in the manga, so its appearance is visually far more impactful. It appears otherworldly, an almost three-dimensional effect, as if the beams are not only shining out of his hands, but straight off the page. Perfectly fitting for the godly power to annihilate souls.

Phos' face goes through an evolution of its own. It starts out mimicking a human face, with eyes and mouth:

Which quickly becomes more abstracted, but there is still a discernible facial expression:

After his next hibernation, it's more of a fractal Rorschachy blob, that becomes more extreme when he's in distress:

Culminating in the patterns becoming the distorted "human" figures of his nightmares:

But after El Hermano tells him there is nothing of humanity left in him, the lines of the fractal become pointillist:

But they still become more intense when he's agitated:


The environments are magical:

The earth, without waves or tides, is a perfect mirror of the heavens.

As it is about to be engulfed by the sun, it becomes an apocalyptic nightmare worthy of John Martin.



The rock organisms are exactly like that box of cool looking rocks I had when I was five. The perfect image for simple beings of pure goodness, with infinite sympathy for suffering, striving, clinging humanity. Ichikawa is an actual visual genius.



There are three chapters left to hit le Buddhism meme number. Ichikawa has already proved she isn't above some Goosebumps-esque cliffhangers, even this late in the game. The next chapter could just be El Hermano reaching out telling Phos to get into the spaceship and stop being such a mope. She's already alleviated my greatest worry, by not having the rocks be the "help" that Aechmea and Adamant promised to Euclase. I hope that she will let it end a bit more softly than Phos dying in agony, alone. Even after billions of years with his pebblefriends, Phos still expresses latent suicidal thoughts. Please, let Rockbro bring him back from the brink again!



===



She nailed it. Thank you Ichikawa for this lovely story and these beautiful pages. Have fun in the Pokemon mines!

[Tonika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this actually made me emotional. Such a bittersweet, beautiful, and deeply philosophical story

[Rebecca Lindau · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my favorite manga of all time hands down. I know 108 is an important number and there is a reason that was the last chapter but honestly the last 10 chapters felt very unneeded ending at volume 12 is about as perfect as the story can get. I wish we got more time with the gems instead of the pebbles at the end but gosh this has me heartbroken and in love all at the same time 9.5/10 manga overall

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chapters 99-105
بعد این همه تایم خوندمش که مثلاً پیش رفته باشه یه چیزی بشه، اومدم دیدم هنوز هیچی نیست.
بابا خیلی وقته هیچی نیست.
فکر نویسنده رو نمی‌فهمم واقعا دیگه.

[Violet Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

umm actually this one because there was a hiatus
ITS SO CREATIVE THAT SHE WAITED YEARS just to give the last chapters with that one meteor. did you know the meteor that passed last week is actually a once in a lifetime and kts called phosphophyllite

[dawgington · Rating 5 out of 5]

IM NOT RECOVERING

[juls ˚⊹♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

₊⊹♡ 5 stars ⋆˙⟡

such a masterpiece
i can’t even describe how i feel

[⋆ ࣪˖ ִֶָ sel ་༘࿐ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel so much and also nothing at the same time. Maybe I just need to lay down. I hope Phos is genuinely happy. The ending suggests that Phos has found a semblance of peace or purpose, but whether this equates to true happiness is... I don't really know. I feel lightheaded and I feel like smoking. Phos... my child, full of fulfillment and melancholy, I want to end myself!

[sap · Rating 5 out of 5]

we're making it out of the cycle of suffering with this one!!!!!! 🪨☄

[ev .｡*ﾟ .*.｡(❁´◡`❁)｡.｡: * · Rating 5 out of 5]

will be holding on to this series' message and themes for a looong time, i love you phos

[Kali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm still trying to process the last three volumes

[gottika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Обожнюю країну самоцвітів. Дякую Ітікаві, що зробила такий твір, який визиває багато емоцій і займає своє місце в моєму серці

[lcvesbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

What am I supposed to do with my life now?

[Megan A R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nunca apunto los mangas que me leo aquí, pero Houseki no Kuni se merece una mención especial. Esta historia me ha jodido la cabeza de mil maneras. Ojalá Haruko Ichikawa escriba más historias en el futuro y espero que vaya al psicólogo también.

[Vanilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non ho commentato nessuno dei volumi precedenti se non il primo proprio per poter avere questo spazio finale e fare una piccola recensione/commento.

Probabilmente è uno dei manga più belli letti in questo periodo; parte molto soft e carefree e man mano si trasforma in una storia filosofica, ricca di colpi di scena e di cose che assolutamente non avrei pensato potessero capitare.
È un futuro molto lontano da noi e il passare del tempo non è assolutamente lineare ed umano, così come le caratteristiche dei vari personaggi non sono umane e forse nemmeno il protagonista — che a un certo punto viene definito quasi umano — lo è.

Mi sento di consigliarlo assolutamente, vale la pena.
Soprattutto questo ultimo volume — ha un registro e una narrazione completamente diversi dai primi 6 e anche dagli altri successivi.

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

انگار ایچیکاوا دیگه نمیدونه چیکار میخواد بکنه. این اثر فوق العاده بود؛ آرتش جذاب و خاص بود و داستانش عمیق و... بعد از جلد 12 همه چیز پوچ و بی معنی شد. ولی پایانش هر‌طور هم که باشه، این مانگا، همیشه جایگاه خاصی خواهند داشت*_*
ادیت :
بالاخره تموم شد:_) نمی‌دونم خوشحال باشم یا ناراحت. فعلا خیلی درگیرم ولی بعدا حتما جلد های آخر رو دوباره می‌خونم تا بهتر بفهمم چی شد. درمورد وقفه های ایچیکاوا که خیلی رومخ بودن، یه چیزی گفته شد و اگه واقعا دلیل تاخیر هاش این بوده باشه... به نظرم پایانش رو نمادین تر و حتی قشنگ تر میکنه🥹 البته فعلا فقط طرفدار ها درموردش گفتن و شایدم درست نباشه.
به هر حال اینم از پایان فوس و گوهر ها... به طرز عجیبی این مانگا رو دوست داشتم :)

[HL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haruko Ichikawa, thank you for changing my life..

[lazybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

How did I end up bawling my eyes out over a bunch of talking rocks flying throhugh space? This is a masterpiece

[Bibliophobia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What am I supposed to do after this

[Sol]

Imagine walking into your local Italian comic shop and the cover of the final Land of the Lustrous volume is BLUE instead of a pale minty green. Literally unreadable.

[Kasey (Mir) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, but did Ichikawa plan to release the last chapter around the same time the Pons-Brooks comet came around? Possibly.

Anyway, this was painful and absolutely bittersweet. It's hard to enjoy a story where characters you loved become unrecognizable or completely destroyed by the narrative/ their behaviors. And not really seeing the point as to why certain characters had to suffer as hard as they did and lose so much with little/ no reward. Needless to say, I still think it was a beautiful story. It hurt, and my god did it hurt a lot.

I still wish some stories were fleshed out a bit more, like the Admirabilis.

[alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

c est vraiment prime, phos est vrmt fascinant

[Kyle Coates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing and touching end to the series. I love the messages and themes of the story, like the expense of self-sacrifice.

[Luis Mejia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Una vez estés al otro lado, quema el puente"

[Miguel Esteban · Rating 5 out of 5]

No puedo creer la magnitud que alcanzó esta historia. Me tomó mucho terminarla pero creo que fue porque no quería que se acabara.
Aún me queda mucho por procesar pero
Gracias Phos...

[Edward · Rating 3 out of 5]

A long awaited end to a beloved series. As much as I enjoyed it and the message it conveyed, I cannot help but feel that its message has been blunted by time - perhaps a consequence of the drawn out release schedule of the series, perhaps a consequence of many other pieces of media tracking a similar "humanity is fundamentally flawed but deserving of life nonetheless" sort of message.

Ichikawa's artistic prowess is on full display in this volume, and not afraid to riff on your expectations of the medium.

A fitting end for Phos and the Lustrous.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bittersweet serenity. An apotheosis of character writing and mastery of a medium for storytelling. A truly special story that represents the human condition in such a unique way. One of my all time favorite reading experiences.

[Mateo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Empecé a leerlo porque leí por internet que esta historia tenía uno de los desarrollos de personajes más brutales, y si bien me costó un poco entender en los rpimeros dos tomos, la historia me cautivó enseguida, pero sobre todo, lo bien definidos que estaban todos los personajes en su personalidad. Al inicio el dibujo puede confundir, pero rápidamente captas cómo se comporta o qué siente cada gema, y la lectura se hace súper fluida. Es una historia muy bien construida y atrapante, y empatizaba tanto con los deseos de todas las gemas que no podía ponerme del lado de ninguna en particular, hasta el final; verdaderamente no me esperaba nada de lo que ocurrió en el último tomo, y los temas que tocó y los mensajes que dejó hicieron mella en mí. Me sorprende tanto cómo una historia de personajes no humanos pueden, a su vez, tener emociones y deseos tan humanos. Si pudiera borrarme la memoria y leerlo de nuevo como la primera vez, lo haría mil veces más, por diez mil años. Lo terminé de leer en el tren y casi lloro, y es de las pocas historias que de verdad casi me hace llorar. Una obra maestra, totalmente recomendado.

[ynana · Rating 5 out of 5]

what begins as a story about shiny beings fighting off moon spirits becomes something quieter, and much heavier:
a meditation on identity, purpose, and the unbearable weight of devotion.
phos wants to help. that’s all.
to matter, even just a little.
but the more they try, the more they lose—until what remains can no longer be called “phos.”
the “enemies” only want to rest.
the “teacher” only wants to hold on.
and somewhere in between, a fragile soul breaks apart chasing peace for everyone but themselves.
no death.
no blood.
only erosion.
only silence.
only the ache of knowing what love can cost when it refuses to let go.
“you can’t stay who you are and still move forward.”
…and yet, even knowing that, it still hurts.

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only complaint is about there being too many characters and, because of the nature of the medium, how difficult it was to tell some of them apart. Aside from Phos, Rutile, Cinnabar, Padparascha, Bort, Dia, Lex, Antarc, Goshen, and Cairngorm, the other gems kind of blended together. Maybe a little more time being spent on each one's quirks would have helped. The ending was perfect. Rarely can an ending be so satisfying and elevating to all that came before. Astounding.