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The Voices of a Distant Star
Mikako journeys to explore alien races in the vast reaches of space, leaving behind her boyfriend and one true love, Noboru, with whom she can communicate only with text messages and who grows older each day as Mikako stays young.
232 pages, Paperback
First published July 25, 2002
38 people are currently reading
1614 people want to read
About the author
Mizu Sahara
63 books84 followersJapanese name 佐原ミズ.
Pen name used by manga-ka Sumomo Yumeka for her predominantly seinen works. Published in the magazines Afternoon (Kodansha), Melody (Shueisha), and Comic Bunch (Shinchosha).
Pen name used by manga-ka Sumomo Yumeka for her predominantly seinen works. Published in the magazines Afternoon (Kodansha), Melody (Shueisha), and Comic Bunch (Shinchosha).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
March 9, 2017
If there was one manga, especially shoujo, that crushed my heart, this was it.
Absolutely crushed it in just 1 single volume.
It was so tragic and their reality was super bleak, the longing, oh the longing.. and yet... there was also a spark of hope.
I cannot not use this gif, fits perfectly.
Absolutely crushed it in just 1 single volume.
It was so tragic and their reality was super bleak, the longing, oh the longing.. and yet... there was also a spark of hope.
I cannot not use this gif, fits perfectly.
July 13, 2025
Writer and anime filmmaker Makato Shinkai teamed with illustrator Miza Sahara to create this relatively short but poignant exploration of distance and loneliness as it relates to friendship and love itself.
Voices of a Distant Star is told through the eyes and hearts of two teenagers, separated by an intergalactic war when the young (Mikado) Nagamine is picked for space, to explore and fight. This leaves her burgeoning relationship with young Noboru in limbo, with only messages sent back and forth to tether them to each other. This becomes exponentially more difficult the farther away in space she gets, her messages taking very long periods of time to reach Noboru, as he tries to hang on to her.
Both writer and illustrator are in perfect sync here, placing the focus on feelings of loneliness and longing, rather than the science fiction, giving the story emotional depth that quietly resonates with hearts. Battles in space, new friends found — and possibly lost — lend poignancy to Mikado’s story, while the need for companionship that is alive and warm and interested lend poignancy to Noboro’s lonely existence as he desperately attempts to hang on to a ghost.
Making matters worse for both, is the fact that in the galaxy, Mikado is not aging, while back home, Noboru is. Then years eventually begin to pass between received messages. The reactions of both to the situation and circumstance in their day to day lives is touching and heartfelt; writer and illustrator manage to perfectly capture the emotion and loneliness and longing with great beauty.
On the surface Voices of a Distant Star is spare and lean, but beneath the words, it is full and resonating. It was a particularly savvy story choice to make the new possible love interest for Noboru be a sweet, pretty girl who is easy to like, rather than the “interloper” between Mikado and Noboru. It makes what happens later more poignant.
A decision by Noboru, and a terrible battle that might have been avoided but for mankind’s knee-jerk reaction, leaves Mikado and the fleet waiting for help to arrive. I can’t say more, but the ending is heartfelt, and I would like to think, hopeful.
Just a lovely story full of feelings, beautifully adapted and captured by writer and illustrator. Another resonating read from Makato Shinkai, the man who brought us Your Name, Weathering With You, 5 Centimeters Per Second, The Garden of Words, and Suzume. Highly recommended.
Voices of a Distant Star is told through the eyes and hearts of two teenagers, separated by an intergalactic war when the young (Mikado) Nagamine is picked for space, to explore and fight. This leaves her burgeoning relationship with young Noboru in limbo, with only messages sent back and forth to tether them to each other. This becomes exponentially more difficult the farther away in space she gets, her messages taking very long periods of time to reach Noboru, as he tries to hang on to her.
Both writer and illustrator are in perfect sync here, placing the focus on feelings of loneliness and longing, rather than the science fiction, giving the story emotional depth that quietly resonates with hearts. Battles in space, new friends found — and possibly lost — lend poignancy to Mikado’s story, while the need for companionship that is alive and warm and interested lend poignancy to Noboro’s lonely existence as he desperately attempts to hang on to a ghost.
Making matters worse for both, is the fact that in the galaxy, Mikado is not aging, while back home, Noboru is. Then years eventually begin to pass between received messages. The reactions of both to the situation and circumstance in their day to day lives is touching and heartfelt; writer and illustrator manage to perfectly capture the emotion and loneliness and longing with great beauty.
On the surface Voices of a Distant Star is spare and lean, but beneath the words, it is full and resonating. It was a particularly savvy story choice to make the new possible love interest for Noboru be a sweet, pretty girl who is easy to like, rather than the “interloper” between Mikado and Noboru. It makes what happens later more poignant.
A decision by Noboru, and a terrible battle that might have been avoided but for mankind’s knee-jerk reaction, leaves Mikado and the fleet waiting for help to arrive. I can’t say more, but the ending is heartfelt, and I would like to think, hopeful.
Just a lovely story full of feelings, beautifully adapted and captured by writer and illustrator. Another resonating read from Makato Shinkai, the man who brought us Your Name, Weathering With You, 5 Centimeters Per Second, The Garden of Words, and Suzume. Highly recommended.
February 20, 2015
I watched the anime years ago, and loved it. The anime story has slow pace as a sweet romance story, but with 30 minutes duration, I didn't feel tedious watching the anime.
Now in this adaptation version, the author choose to add some sub plots, but unfortunately, the addition only add uncertainties besides the original main plot that already open ended.
Now in this adaptation version, the author choose to add some sub plots, but unfortunately, the addition only add uncertainties besides the original main plot that already open ended.
March 19, 2012
Well, this was simply delightful. It’s 95% Wong Kar-wai and 5% Mobile Suit Gundam, a story about a long-distance relationship between two teenagers, Mikako and Noboru, one of which has been drafted into an intergalactic war. They communicate only through text messages but as Mikako’s war moves her further and further towards the boundaries of the solar system the messages take longer to reach each other, eight years by the end of the story.
There’s a lot to love about this story-the romance between the two is portrayed with longing, aching clarity. Even as time stands still for Mikako and Noboru passes well into his twenties, the wound of distance remains. Their love is both impossible to see grow to its full potential and yet crystallized and permanent in a way that most will never know. It’s a beautiful, profound metaphor for “growing apart” in both time and space, capturing that feeling of first love that you easily move on from in body but never really manage to lose in spirit.
The war aspect itself takes up a relatively minimal amount of space, and the combat is maybe ten pages out of the 210 total, but even it presents the reader with a lot to chew on in the form of a “we’ll fight them on Jupiter so we don’t have to fight them on Earth” style of rhetoric that pretty clearly mimics that of America’s stance on the Iraq war in the early ’00s. There’s also some gender role swapping going on: Every pilot in the war is female, while the “when will they come home?” plot of every war romance is relegated to male protagonist Noboru. It’s an interesting twist that, among other things mentioned, manages to take a somewhat well-trod story and breathe fresh life into it.
It must also be noted that the art serves the story wonderfully-it isn’t flashy but it is incredibly emotive, capturing wistful stares and sad smiles as well as any Inio Asano comic can. If there is one complaint it is that the vastness and unfathomable wonder of the cosmos is never quite captured on an illustrative level; one can’t help but think that contrasting the beauty of space with the intangible love between two adolescents would have made for an even stronger tale.
It’s a small complaint, however, and I can’t recommend Voices of a Distant Star enough to anyone who wants to see a science fiction romance that blends the genres seamlessly and beautifully, manga lover or no.
There’s a lot to love about this story-the romance between the two is portrayed with longing, aching clarity. Even as time stands still for Mikako and Noboru passes well into his twenties, the wound of distance remains. Their love is both impossible to see grow to its full potential and yet crystallized and permanent in a way that most will never know. It’s a beautiful, profound metaphor for “growing apart” in both time and space, capturing that feeling of first love that you easily move on from in body but never really manage to lose in spirit.
The war aspect itself takes up a relatively minimal amount of space, and the combat is maybe ten pages out of the 210 total, but even it presents the reader with a lot to chew on in the form of a “we’ll fight them on Jupiter so we don’t have to fight them on Earth” style of rhetoric that pretty clearly mimics that of America’s stance on the Iraq war in the early ’00s. There’s also some gender role swapping going on: Every pilot in the war is female, while the “when will they come home?” plot of every war romance is relegated to male protagonist Noboru. It’s an interesting twist that, among other things mentioned, manages to take a somewhat well-trod story and breathe fresh life into it.
It must also be noted that the art serves the story wonderfully-it isn’t flashy but it is incredibly emotive, capturing wistful stares and sad smiles as well as any Inio Asano comic can. If there is one complaint it is that the vastness and unfathomable wonder of the cosmos is never quite captured on an illustrative level; one can’t help but think that contrasting the beauty of space with the intangible love between two adolescents would have made for an even stronger tale.
It’s a small complaint, however, and I can’t recommend Voices of a Distant Star enough to anyone who wants to see a science fiction romance that blends the genres seamlessly and beautifully, manga lover or no.
February 25, 2022
The Voices of a Distant Star is a quiet sci-fi romance set in a future where humans have made their first contact with alien races. A young girl named Mikako joins a group of researchers who venture into the depths of space to meet the aliens in person. Regretfully, she must leave behind the only boy in the world she loves. She keeps in contact with him through her cell phone, but the further she drifts away from Earth, the longer it takes for the messages to reach him. Trapped in the ageless timelessness of space in a shuttle for years, the boy she left behind keeps growing older while she remains the same.
This is a touching little story that feels like a Shakespearian tale of star-crossed lovers forced to drift further and further apart, as if the universe itself is doing everything in its power to separate them. The premise of the story builds up to a bittersweet conclusion, but I felt the characters didn't have enough time or development for me to care about them or their love story all that much. That being said, it was interesting to see a science fiction story with such a simplistic and complete premise nicely wrapped up in just ten chapters.
This is a touching little story that feels like a Shakespearian tale of star-crossed lovers forced to drift further and further apart, as if the universe itself is doing everything in its power to separate them. The premise of the story builds up to a bittersweet conclusion, but I felt the characters didn't have enough time or development for me to care about them or their love story all that much. That being said, it was interesting to see a science fiction story with such a simplistic and complete premise nicely wrapped up in just ten chapters.
September 17, 2019
Send For Me by Atlantic Starr
Almost two decades ago, I watched the anime that this manga is based on and was mesmerized. Though the anime was completely CGI, and was obviously an indie-project, the impact of the story was so great that I did not mind the lack of a budget at all. The director of the anime, who is also the writer of it and this manga, is by now internationally known for his later masterpiece Your Name.. Though I agree that Your Name is one of the greatest animes of all time, I still favor this early story by Makoto Shinkai more. All of his stories are about two people in a relationship being separated over a long period of time. For most writers, such a theme would get dull fast, but given the fact that Shinkai can go from Voices Of A Distant Star to Your Name with a full career that includes 5 Centimeters per Second & The Place Promised in Our Early Days, he's had one of the best careers that a writer and film director (dude is a double-threat!) can have.
The art by Mizu Sahara is really beautiful. This was from one of her early works in 2005, but she rises to the occasion. Curiously, unlike most manga, this one is partially colored, which surprised me for a second. It captured the loneliness of the passage of time perfectly.
This story is incredible because it is using the reality of space travel with the normal up-and-down of a long-distance relationship in a way that few stories have done. Oh, there are also giant robots and aliens in this, but that is only back-story.
Almost two decades ago, I watched the anime that this manga is based on and was mesmerized. Though the anime was completely CGI, and was obviously an indie-project, the impact of the story was so great that I did not mind the lack of a budget at all. The director of the anime, who is also the writer of it and this manga, is by now internationally known for his later masterpiece Your Name.. Though I agree that Your Name is one of the greatest animes of all time, I still favor this early story by Makoto Shinkai more. All of his stories are about two people in a relationship being separated over a long period of time. For most writers, such a theme would get dull fast, but given the fact that Shinkai can go from Voices Of A Distant Star to Your Name with a full career that includes 5 Centimeters per Second & The Place Promised in Our Early Days, he's had one of the best careers that a writer and film director (dude is a double-threat!) can have.
The art by Mizu Sahara is really beautiful. This was from one of her early works in 2005, but she rises to the occasion. Curiously, unlike most manga, this one is partially colored, which surprised me for a second. It captured the loneliness of the passage of time perfectly.
This story is incredible because it is using the reality of space travel with the normal up-and-down of a long-distance relationship in a way that few stories have done. Oh, there are also giant robots and aliens in this, but that is only back-story.
August 14, 2019
Rilettura. Ottima copertina, pagine a colori e meravigliosi disegni. Che cosa volere di più? Forse che non sia un manga così triste. Perchè questo è una Sad Love Story.
Anche questo era venduto con il dvd che non ho mai comprato e ormai non avrò più.
Anche questo era venduto con il dvd che non ho mai comprato e ormai non avrò più.
June 7, 2017
A bit.. meh. It probably would have been better if it were longer.. like, a volume or two more. The concept is beautiful, but it's a bit underdeveloped and it feels unfinished.
September 1, 2019
I am still not sure how to rate this.
It was a very short, sweet story about two lovers seperated by space and time. I wished it would have gone into more details of the relationship, but also in the sci-fi aspect.
It seems like many people prefer the anime over the manga. I probably will give this series a shot, because I cannot really talk about the manga.
Yes, it was a cute, short and simple read.
Personally, it lacked a lot and it felt like I barely got to know the character and how they feel, but I have to say there is very cute twist in the story and I appreciated reading it a lot.
It was a very short, sweet story about two lovers seperated by space and time. I wished it would have gone into more details of the relationship, but also in the sci-fi aspect.
It seems like many people prefer the anime over the manga. I probably will give this series a shot, because I cannot really talk about the manga.
Yes, it was a cute, short and simple read.
Personally, it lacked a lot and it felt like I barely got to know the character and how they feel, but I have to say there is very cute twist in the story and I appreciated reading it a lot.
February 6, 2019
When Mikako goes to work on the Thrasian space project, she and Terao are only able to keep in contact by cell phone messages. Will their friendship last by long distance or will it fade in the stars? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was a pretty good manga. The artwork is amazing and if you enjoy Sci-fi slice of life stories of friendship, definitely check this out at your local library and wherever books are sold.
This was a pretty good manga. The artwork is amazing and if you enjoy Sci-fi slice of life stories of friendship, definitely check this out at your local library and wherever books are sold.
January 13, 2018
Il mio primo manga! Si legge in un'oretta e, anche se o disegni sono sono proprio chiarissimi, arriva dritto al cuore.
La storia è molto tenera e struggente. Questi due ragazzi innamorati, in perfetto stile giapponese, non riescono a rivelare i sentimenti che provano l'uno per l'altra se non quando ormai si trovano su due pianeti diversi. La lontananza non aiuta a dimenticare ed entrambi continuano a soffrire nel ricordo dei giorni felici passati insieme.
Sebbene la storia di per sè mi sia piaciuta, ho riscontrato delle lacune. Ci sono degli argomenti che vengono solo accennato, mentre meriterebbero un approfondimento. Ad esempio si dice che la protagonista è stata selezionata per far parte di questa missione intergalattica indipendentemente dalla sua volontà. Si accenna a un test che fanno fare a tutti i giovani e più volte viene sottolineata la costruzione a intraprendere una strada che non si è scelta. Perché? Sarebbe stato il caso di approfondire meglio questo aspetto.
Inoltre la protagonista deve combattere contro una stirpe aliena che ha attaccato Marte. Lei più volte ha dei dubbi di coscienza sull'opportunità di combattere, spesso non se la sente perché ritiene che i primi ad attaccare siano stati gli uomini. Però tutto viene mantenuto a un livello molto superficiale. Lei si tiene i suoi dubbi e combatte lo stesso perché questa è la missione che le hanno affidato. Perché non sviscerare meglio questo aspetto? Avrebbe arricchito la trama è l'avrebbe resa più profonda.
Però come prima esperienza nel mondo manga mi posso dire soddisfatta e sicuramente proseguirò su questa strada.
La storia è molto tenera e struggente. Questi due ragazzi innamorati, in perfetto stile giapponese, non riescono a rivelare i sentimenti che provano l'uno per l'altra se non quando ormai si trovano su due pianeti diversi. La lontananza non aiuta a dimenticare ed entrambi continuano a soffrire nel ricordo dei giorni felici passati insieme.
Sebbene la storia di per sè mi sia piaciuta, ho riscontrato delle lacune. Ci sono degli argomenti che vengono solo accennato, mentre meriterebbero un approfondimento. Ad esempio si dice che la protagonista è stata selezionata per far parte di questa missione intergalattica indipendentemente dalla sua volontà. Si accenna a un test che fanno fare a tutti i giovani e più volte viene sottolineata la costruzione a intraprendere una strada che non si è scelta. Perché? Sarebbe stato il caso di approfondire meglio questo aspetto.
Inoltre la protagonista deve combattere contro una stirpe aliena che ha attaccato Marte. Lei più volte ha dei dubbi di coscienza sull'opportunità di combattere, spesso non se la sente perché ritiene che i primi ad attaccare siano stati gli uomini. Però tutto viene mantenuto a un livello molto superficiale. Lei si tiene i suoi dubbi e combatte lo stesso perché questa è la missione che le hanno affidato. Perché non sviscerare meglio questo aspetto? Avrebbe arricchito la trama è l'avrebbe resa più profonda.
Però come prima esperienza nel mondo manga mi posso dire soddisfatta e sicuramente proseguirò su questa strada.
September 2, 2024
nice plot line but really simple/not very developed
May 27, 2020
2nd read: I'm crying, of course. It's still my favorite romance story. I think it's the way the format of a manga can juxtapose certain elements so perfectly. Thoughts between the lovers overlap because of the way text messages can all seem to have similar voices. The time that separates them because of the gap from her space travel, her lover getting older while she does not. Then time again, but because he relies on his memories of her to stand-in for the real thing, living in the past, in her absence. Triggered by repeated trips along old roads as life moves on but he cannot. Then just as he gives up, moves on and tries to bury her memory, her message received. Then he leaves his normal life, his normal time in pursuit of that same time and space that she occupies. They never actually appear together in the whole book. Everything is memory and distorted digital communication. Who knows what we mean when we write on screens. In spite of all that. In spite of all the challenges of human communication. We try anyway. With no guarantees, we try. Love is the justification.
This remains one of my favourite romance stories of all time. After 10 years away, I was worried I'd come back disappointed. Nope! <3
Another reminder that visual novels should never be underestimated as a genre by anyone ever.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2018
It was ok, a very melencholic manga. I also watched the anime and anime was kind of better but i liked the character designs of manga better. I was lost at some panels because of the change at characters' hair color... I was like, is this still the same character talking or what lol It should also have pointed out the locasion, like now we are at earth, now we are at space ship whatever etc, that would be helpful, but not a big problem. Oh... the melencholy... two young people who actually in love with each other had to be seperated. The girl was chosen for a space military operation to pilot a mecha at the last year of Junior high... She went light years away, and her and boy's only communication was cellphone messages, as she went away the message arrivel time got longer like half a year, even one year etc... So they were trying to communicate and misarable and missing each other the whole manga. If you like to pour some missery on yourself time to time, this is the stuff for you... lol
December 24, 2018
The premise is really nostalgic and has good potential, but its execution left me entirely disinterested. That it has only one volume to unwrap itself in has to do with it, but most importantly it was the mixture of the dramatic sci-fi setting with standard high school talk and context. It ruined the mood.
Besides that, the art also left me wanting. All the empty backgrounds didn't bother me as much as the fact that the character designs were very inconsistent: especially during the first pages, the same one looked so different between one panel and another that it took some recognising. And the characters themselves seemed supremely distant, very ambiguous besides the main two.
A deficient translation in the Spanish edition also didn't aid the reading. Overall this presentation of the story didn't have any of the memorability I was expecting.
Besides that, the art also left me wanting. All the empty backgrounds didn't bother me as much as the fact that the character designs were very inconsistent: especially during the first pages, the same one looked so different between one panel and another that it took some recognising. And the characters themselves seemed supremely distant, very ambiguous besides the main two.
A deficient translation in the Spanish edition also didn't aid the reading. Overall this presentation of the story didn't have any of the memorability I was expecting.
April 23, 2017
Sweet sci-fi romance. I liked the characters and the storyline.
September 27, 2020
Review to come.
November 25, 2023
Der Manga hat mir gut gefallen und hat für mich auch etwas Neues im SciFi-Genre bedeutet. Ich habe den Anime bisher noch nicht gesehen, aber ich mochte bisher alles gerne, was ich von Makoto Shinkai geschaut habe. (Weathering with You hat mir erst nach mehrmaligem Schauen besser gefallen, aber Your Name und Suzume fand ich sofort super! Auch Children Who Chase Lost Voices hat mir gut gefallen.)
Die Geschichte in diesem Manga geht zwar nur langsam voran, aber ich mochte gerade diese Bedachtheit sehr gerne - und das offene Ende hat mich auch nicht gestört. Den Zeichenstil finde ich auch gut, an einer Stelle war ich sehr verwirrt, dass es einen Unterschied zu dem Zeichenstil davor und danach gab und auch die Darstellung der Tarsianer fand ich zunächst etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig. Davon war mir sowieso etwas zu wenig zu sehen... Mich hätte die ganze Mission im Weltall noch mehr interessiert (mehr Hintergründe etc.), da mir der ganze Grund, warum sie die Mission überhaupt haben, sehr schwammig vorgekommen ist.
Trotzdessen habe ich den Manga auch aufgrund der Charaktere Mikako und Terao gerne gelesen.
Die Geschichte in diesem Manga geht zwar nur langsam voran, aber ich mochte gerade diese Bedachtheit sehr gerne - und das offene Ende hat mich auch nicht gestört. Den Zeichenstil finde ich auch gut, an einer Stelle war ich sehr verwirrt, dass es einen Unterschied zu dem Zeichenstil davor und danach gab und auch die Darstellung der Tarsianer fand ich zunächst etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig. Davon war mir sowieso etwas zu wenig zu sehen... Mich hätte die ganze Mission im Weltall noch mehr interessiert (mehr Hintergründe etc.), da mir der ganze Grund, warum sie die Mission überhaupt haben, sehr schwammig vorgekommen ist.
Trotzdessen habe ich den Manga auch aufgrund der Charaktere Mikako und Terao gerne gelesen.
June 8, 2017
3 stelle e mezzo
Questo manga è molto bello, ma anche molto triste. I due protagonisti rimangono separati dall’inizio alla fine, a separarli c’è una guerra e un intero spazio. Sono in due pianeti diversi, ma il fantasma del loro legame pesa su entrambi e non sempre in maniera positiva. La loro storia mai sbocciata veramente li riempie di malinconia e non li lascia liberi di vivere nemmeno i rispettivi dolori.
La storia è bella e molto particolare, ma è incredibilmente statica e poco veritiera, perché una ragazzina delle medie, per quanto intelligente e portata… non dovrebbe mai pilotare un mostro meccanico!
È tutto leggermente assurdo!
Questo manga è molto bello, ma anche molto triste. I due protagonisti rimangono separati dall’inizio alla fine, a separarli c’è una guerra e un intero spazio. Sono in due pianeti diversi, ma il fantasma del loro legame pesa su entrambi e non sempre in maniera positiva. La loro storia mai sbocciata veramente li riempie di malinconia e non li lascia liberi di vivere nemmeno i rispettivi dolori.
La storia è bella e molto particolare, ma è incredibilmente statica e poco veritiera, perché una ragazzina delle medie, per quanto intelligente e portata… non dovrebbe mai pilotare un mostro meccanico!
È tutto leggermente assurdo!
August 27, 2020
Ах, още една много добра shoujo история, при това само от един volume. Носеща лек полъх от атмосферата на "Интерстелар", това е красива история за силата на приятелството и любовта пред лицето на разстояние от светлинни години и смъртоносна опасност от извънземно нападение. Всъщност това е всичко, което ви трябва да знаете за тази манга, в противен случай рискувам да разваля удоволствието от четенето ѝ :)
March 12, 2020
Mi mamá me dio la vida,
pero este manga las ganas de vivirla.
Mechas,romance, mechas,trabajo de arte impecable, mechas, final perfecto...¡¿ya dije que salen mechas?!
5 CONEJITOS.
pero este manga las ganas de vivirla.
Mechas,romance, mechas,trabajo de arte impecable, mechas, final perfecto...¡¿ya dije que salen mechas?!
5 CONEJITOS.
March 3, 2025
I know their reunion is implied but I would've liked to see it
January 3, 2013
TODO:
This is a story of romance slowed down by distance. There is also an under-theme about the meaning of war, but this part is minimal and I felt it only interrupts the love story. The story is told as and "adult man" (seinen) manga, which is not my usual cup of tea.
In a distant future (2047), two young adults, Mikako Nagamine (the girl) and Noboru Terao (the boy) are separated by the departure of Mikaku to fight against the alien species. Since the battles are inter-galactic, Mikaku uses teleportation to reach her destination. As Mikaku goes further away from Earth, her feelings towards Noboru grow stronger; in parallel, until very late in the book, it looks like Noboru is undecided and even starts a relationship at his high school. Will Mikaku survive her harsh encounters with the aliens? Will the two characters eventually meet?
The clue of the book is the communication between the two characters. The two main characters can only communicate through phone messages travelling at the speed of light. This means that any message has to be considered in light of both the writing and the delivery moments, which grow further apart as Mikako gets further out into space; at one extreme, a 15-year-old Mikako (writing moment) has to write to a 24-year-old Noboru (delivery moment). However, for me this communication model did not match at all the teleportation setting. (Would it have been simpler to just record the message, say on the phone, and just teleport the phone away!? I may have missed the technical explanation, but for me this ruined the key element of the story.)
The graphics were decent, but to me not surprising or exceptional in any way. The depictions are part realistic, part ethereal. The separation of panels was not always clear to me. The sci-fi and otherworldly parts are minimal, too unpolished to deserve much credit.
Overall, I was left with needing more.
This is a story of romance slowed down by distance. There is also an under-theme about the meaning of war, but this part is minimal and I felt it only interrupts the love story. The story is told as and "adult man" (seinen) manga, which is not my usual cup of tea.
In a distant future (2047), two young adults, Mikako Nagamine (the girl) and Noboru Terao (the boy) are separated by the departure of Mikaku to fight against the alien species. Since the battles are inter-galactic, Mikaku uses teleportation to reach her destination. As Mikaku goes further away from Earth, her feelings towards Noboru grow stronger; in parallel, until very late in the book, it looks like Noboru is undecided and even starts a relationship at his high school. Will Mikaku survive her harsh encounters with the aliens? Will the two characters eventually meet?
The clue of the book is the communication between the two characters. The two main characters can only communicate through phone messages travelling at the speed of light. This means that any message has to be considered in light of both the writing and the delivery moments, which grow further apart as Mikako gets further out into space; at one extreme, a 15-year-old Mikako (writing moment) has to write to a 24-year-old Noboru (delivery moment). However, for me this communication model did not match at all the teleportation setting. (Would it have been simpler to just record the message, say on the phone, and just teleport the phone away!? I may have missed the technical explanation, but for me this ruined the key element of the story.)
The graphics were decent, but to me not surprising or exceptional in any way. The depictions are part realistic, part ethereal. The separation of panels was not always clear to me. The sci-fi and otherworldly parts are minimal, too unpolished to deserve much credit.
Overall, I was left with needing more.
January 16, 2014
Noboru...
It seems like...
We are two lovers separated by time and space...
This is pretty much a story of star-crossed lover that takes a literal twist. In 2039, first manned mission to Mars discovered the existence of extra-terrestrial being. It prompted the entire world to join forces in order to tackle the problem. It wasn't really mentioned precisely why Tarsian Project was launched, or what the problem is, but it probably has something to do with the knowledge that we are not alone in the galaxy; thereby hangs a threat for potential extra-terrestrial domination.
How does it feel to follow a path that's been chosen for you?
Mikako and Noboru are regular middle-schoolers who are working hard to get in the same high school. But life on Earth has to be put on hold, if not ended, for Mikako as she is drafted for the Tarsian Project.
As time flies, the distance between them widens and so does correspondence. Noboru becomes increasingly weary and frustration compels him to forget and finally move on. Meanwhile, Mikako creates for herself a small life outside of Earth. But she does not forget. Her heart still belongs to Earth. However, as her body remains virtually unchanged, the world she's yearning for has all moved on and the people she's left behind hardly think of her.
This manga is lengthier, more substantiated version of Makoto Shinkai's movie. I personally prefer the movie as it has more of the sadness and the longing that are basically the two things that riddle the relationship of the characters. The brevity and lack of backstory of the movie made it more memorable for me as it kept me thinking of things that could or would have happened. It made the characters more enigmatic. But this manga has at least set things straight. If you want to just chew on it, watch the movie and skip this.
July 13, 2018
I first came across this story in anime OVA format and was mostly lukewarm about it. The story had a lot of promise but it seemed to go by too quickly. When I saw this at my local library I didn’t have much hope it would be better but figured it’d be nice to give it a second try. I am happy to say I enjoyed the manga much more than the anime.
The anime seemed to lack something overall in terms of emotion, but I think the manga manages to capture the sense of sadness and at times desperation that the two characters feel as they move farther and farther from each other. It is still a short story but the ending feels a little more complete here, despite being open. I think what I loved about this story is that while aliens and space travel are a focus, the main focus is on the effect it is having on Mikako and Noboru’s relationship. As she moves farther away their messages take longer to be received, and they struggle with the effect that the time jumps have on each of them. We see Noboru grow older and struggle with the idea of holding on, and Mikako age slower (light speed jumps are involved) and she still maintains that strong connection to Noboru. It is only one volume and while that doesn’t offer a lot of time to connect with the characters on a truly personal level, I do think that anyone who has ever been separated from someone they love for a large length of time can certainly understand the internal conflicts and undefinable sadness that happens.
It’s a beautifully sad story that is well written and paired with fantastic art as well and is proof that sometimes it’s worth trying a story over a second time.
The anime seemed to lack something overall in terms of emotion, but I think the manga manages to capture the sense of sadness and at times desperation that the two characters feel as they move farther and farther from each other. It is still a short story but the ending feels a little more complete here, despite being open. I think what I loved about this story is that while aliens and space travel are a focus, the main focus is on the effect it is having on Mikako and Noboru’s relationship. As she moves farther away their messages take longer to be received, and they struggle with the effect that the time jumps have on each of them. We see Noboru grow older and struggle with the idea of holding on, and Mikako age slower (light speed jumps are involved) and she still maintains that strong connection to Noboru. It is only one volume and while that doesn’t offer a lot of time to connect with the characters on a truly personal level, I do think that anyone who has ever been separated from someone they love for a large length of time can certainly understand the internal conflicts and undefinable sadness that happens.
It’s a beautifully sad story that is well written and paired with fantastic art as well and is proof that sometimes it’s worth trying a story over a second time.
April 6, 2018
This is a beautiful manga. The drawing is simple but effective. The story is derived from an earlier anime about a pair of young lovers who are split at the end of middle school; one goes to space and the other to highschool. They communicate via cell phone text messages which take longer and longer to travel between them. When you lift up the fromt cover, you are greeted by:
There are so many things I miss
Like clouds in the summer sky, cold rain showers,
the scent of the autumn breeze,
the softness of the earth in spring,
the way a coinvenience store feels safe
in the middle of the night,
the cool air in school after classes are out,
the smell of the blackboard eraser,
the distant sound of a truck driving through
the night . . .
I wanted to keep feeling those
things with you forever.
enough said.
There are so many things I miss
Like clouds in the summer sky, cold rain showers,
the scent of the autumn breeze,
the softness of the earth in spring,
the way a coinvenience store feels safe
in the middle of the night,
the cool air in school after classes are out,
the smell of the blackboard eraser,
the distant sound of a truck driving through
the night . . .
I wanted to keep feeling those
things with you forever.
enough said.
September 3, 2018
Two mopey teenagers mope on their mobiles. They are separated by light years as well as age years. Nagamine is still sixteen in space while on earth Noboru grows up to twenty-five. The artwork wasn't spectacular. Whenever Nagamine was in a scene with other people, I had a hard time figuring out which one was her. She just looked like everyone else.
While the story is set in a not-far-off future when mankind has the know-how to build giant gundam suits, these two characters are still reduced to sending each other messages on their Nokia phones. The kind of phones that took you half an hour to type up a short sentence. (I should know, I had a Nokia. The struggle was real, kids.)
While the story is set in a not-far-off future when mankind has the know-how to build giant gundam suits, these two characters are still reduced to sending each other messages on their Nokia phones. The kind of phones that took you half an hour to type up a short sentence. (I should know, I had a Nokia. The struggle was real, kids.)
December 6, 2007
Um, it was okay, I guess? I like the art, and I really really like the prologue:
I have loved many things.
Like the clouds in the scorching summer heat,
and rain that freezes the skin;
The scent of cool Autumn breezes,
and the gentle softness of the earth during spring;
The cosiness of a convenience store at the dead of night;
The slight chill in the air after school;
The smell of the blackboard duster,
The roar of a faraway truck,
echoing deep in the night ...
And I wanted us to experience them together, always.
Very evocative.
But apart from that I sort of think a love story with giant robots should be more awesome.
I have loved many things.
Like the clouds in the scorching summer heat,
and rain that freezes the skin;
The scent of cool Autumn breezes,
and the gentle softness of the earth during spring;
The cosiness of a convenience store at the dead of night;
The slight chill in the air after school;
The smell of the blackboard duster,
The roar of a faraway truck,
echoing deep in the night ...
And I wanted us to experience them together, always.
Very evocative.
But apart from that I sort of think a love story with giant robots should be more awesome.
April 16, 2017
Es una historia de ciencia ficción con aliens más enfocada en las relaciones humanas que en los aliens y las peleas y es muy bonita. Mikako y Noboru son amigos y se mantienen en contacto a través de mensajes de celular cuando ella es enviada a combatir a los aliens y él se queda en la Tierra.
Explora qué pasa cuando te alejas tanto de alguien por el tiempo y la distancia, porque mientras ella se aleja mas y más, los mensajes tardan cada vez más en llegar y para el final el tiene 25 años, mientras que ella apenas tiene 16.
Es una historia muy buena y el dibujo es lindo y detallado.
Explora qué pasa cuando te alejas tanto de alguien por el tiempo y la distancia, porque mientras ella se aleja mas y más, los mensajes tardan cada vez más en llegar y para el final el tiene 25 años, mientras que ella apenas tiene 16.
Es una historia muy buena y el dibujo es lindo y detallado.
May 23, 2017
This lil adaptation takes the short anime & attempts to fluff it up with more stuff!
The art is unmemorable & messy (seriously, how many times will a character have hair in their face because someone didn't wanna draw a second eye?) and the new cast only bloats & distorts the story. Most of the aching loneliness no longer hits anywhere near as hard because of all the added in new cast & subplots
The art is unmemorable & messy (seriously, how many times will a character have hair in their face because someone didn't wanna draw a second eye?) and the new cast only bloats & distorts the story. Most of the aching loneliness no longer hits anywhere near as hard because of all the added in new cast & subplots
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