Land of the Lustrous, Vol. 5

宝石の国 [Hōseki no Kuni] #5

by Haruko Ichikawa

SHADOW OF A DOUBT

Phosphophyllite is determined to find the truth about Kongō. Despite the other gems' hatred of the Lunarians, Phos tries to get closer to them in an effort to communicate. But the work is dangerous, and Phos realizes this job might be more than one gem can handle...

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

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 20, 2015

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

[Danicka]

So after five volumes, I am really glad how this turned out. Phos decided to uncover truth regarding Sensei's relationships with Lunarians and many secrets. But to find out everything isn't so simple even if he has few helpers.
There was also a hint that Lunarians maybe are able to speak, but we cannot be sure, as they were killed before Phos talked to them.

[Benjamin Kass]

Been looking forward to this one ever since the anime because of dear Padparadscha's story, but I ended up liking Ghost Quartz quite a bit too

[Sara]

آورین فوس!
درسته داری خیلی مغرور میشی و چیزی ازت نمونده، ولی برو دنبال پیدا کردن جواب سوالات.

[juls ˚⊹♡]

₊⊹♡ 5 stars ⋆˙⟡

the lore is getting more and more interesting (^_^)

[Rylan]

every step we take closer to the truth the further away it feels that we know anything. this manga does a great job at building up suspense and setting up intriguing mysteries

[SwedishGeekGirl]

Another amazing volume! So many questions, but maybe a little bit closer to the truth?...
Land of the lustrous volume 5 by Haruko Ichikawa get a 9.8/10 stars.

[Carlex]

Un tomo más de estas adorables criaturas y sus problemas de gemas.

[May]

نود و نه درصد مواقع مانگا رو به انیمه ترجیح میدم ولی این جزو اون یک درصده :) دلم میخواست آرتش مثل انیمه رنگی بود تا زیبایی شخصیت ها رو بهتر نشون میداد ولی داستان همچنان عالی پیش میره

[Amir Kasra Arman]

تفاوتش با انیمه رسما از اینجا شروع میشه
و یسری ایراداتی داره که مفهوم نیست تا قبل این پلات هارو تو انیمه چون دیده بودپ برام تکراری و مفهوم بود الان خیلی تصاویر رو نمیفهمم چی شد اصلا

[Eressea]

20250712 2nd read
這集的閃卡書籤好像被我弄丟了...
--
20190911 1st read
這集高對比的黑白畫面還有小磷落寞的眼神，好像福音戰士過場的明體標題喔，新型態的月人也很像把真嗣吃掉的夜天使。

好吧我一定是吃錯藥了，不過先入為主的認為很有佛味卻因為道行不足找不到佛在那，感覺好煩躁

[Lidiandoconlavida]

«—¿Alguna vez sospechaste que te volverías así?

—Por supuesto que no. En ese entonces era como un niño, lleno de ideas brillantes y sin base. Es extraño, pero envidio a mi antiguo yo».

Cada vez me están gustando/enganchando más, pero me estoy guardando las cinco estrellas porque confío en que se pondrá todavía mejor.

En este tomo se nos presenta otra forma de atacar de los lunarians, ahora vienen de tres en tres y casi se llevan a Ghost, que me encanta su personaje (literal ¿se llama fantasma y suele asustar a Phos porque aparece de repente? Adoro). Además, que Ghost tenga como doble personalidad es muy interesante aunque no sé por qué me da que será peligroso.

Así que el sensei utiliza sus fragmentos para atacar y luego se regenera sin necesidad incrustar de vuelta los fragmentos usados y por eso le entra tanto sueño. Hmm... Qué raro.

Y buah, he encontrado un nuevo hobbie muy divertido que es shippear gemas. Hay tantos posibles ships, tenemos:

-Bortz x Zircon.



-Phos x Ghost.



-Y por supuesto Phos x Cinnabar.



Qué bonitos son todos por favor, yo me liaba a puñetazos contra los lunarians por protegerlos a todos alv.

[Miguel Esteban]

Increíble. Hasta aquí es donde llega la adaptación del anime. A partir de aquí sólo espero sorpresa la porque Dios mío todo respecto a esta obra es asombroso: personajes, arte, historia, worlduilding, trasfondo. En verdad que es sorprendente que en tan sólo 36 capitulos haya construido tantas cosas sin descuidar ningún aspecto.

[Liván]

Por fin sobrepasé lo visto en el anime y- omfg. Me atrevo a decir que este fue el mejor volumen de los que ya llevo. El nuevo personaje (GQ) es maravilloso, la actitud desafiante de Phos es increíble y cada capítulo es emocionante. No puedo esperar a leer más.

[Brandon]

Another solid volume! Feels a bit wheel-spinning though, waiting for the next plot development. We get more Lustrous introduced, with different parallels to our protagonist Phos, but I was hoping for more momentum.

[Sam Moon]

El final de este tomo me ha dejado en estado de DESESPERACIÓN y necesito más.

[Aleksandra]

I don’t have much to say about volume 5. The story keep on being intriguing, the art is as beautiful and haunting as always.

[alexis]

no

[Jen (thisbeereads)]

just another day of briefly remembering that cinnabar exists for a few seconds and then skipping off again

[Maria]

Just like almost everybody else, I learned about this manga thanks to the anime (which, btw, is amazing and you should definitely check it out).

First of all, I am glad I learned more about Sensei and his abilities (it seems, if I am correct, that he can break themselves and shoot the fragments at the Lunarians). Secondly, I am starting to miss Happy Phos. Ok, to be honest, when I first met them, I found them to be kind annoying, but now that I see how serious and depressed they are (even if they can fight now, something they always wanted), I want them to be their previous joyful themselves (I doubt that, since I read reviews saying that they will become even worse).

The visuals were nice, though nothing special. Sometimes, I couldn't distinguish the characters, especially when they were drawn from afar (the style isn't that detail on the facial characteristics, though the highlights look exactly like gems). The backgrounds fall into the mediocre category. But I gotta say, I could understand what was going on.

Still, if there will even be a second season to "Houseki no kuni", I will gladly watch it and I would be excited to see how they would handle the story (I think studio Orange does a better job than mangaka when it comes to visuals).

I will continue to Vol.6.

[Sol]

Phos begins to understand the strain of being the sole investigator of the Adamant/lunarian mystery, and even manages to become party to one of his secrets. Best gem Padparadscha is introduced and gives Phos some advice he really should have listened to better. Phos starts to understand just how hard it will be to find a job for Cinnabar. The introduction of Ghost Quartz didn't work so well for me. He comes out of nowhere then becomes attached to Phos at the hip, in contrast to Padparadscha who doesn't even recognize Phos immediately. I guess that's just supposed to be what he's like?



While I hate Cinnabar more than any other character I've ever read about, I have to admit his dissatisfaction with Phos' idea to join up in the lunarian investigation is completely reasonable. Phos wasn't thinking about what Cinnabar wanted at all, solely what was useful to Phos, and Cinnabar even repeats Phos' original words back to him verbatim.

[ania]

the linguistic aspect of trying to communicate with extraterrestrial species ….. is this anything?

[Chivitouille]

En este tomo podemos darnos cuenta de lo abrumada que se encuentra Phos por todo lo que no sabe y por lo que irá descubriendo.
Así que el primer paso para armarse de valor y conseguir respuestas es pedirle su opinión a Padparadscha, este personaje tiene una condición muy particular que le impide estar consiente, por lo que Rutile se ha dado la ardua tarea de encontrarle una solución y de que pueda volver a convivir con el resto de las gemas, algo que le ha resultado imposible ...hasta ahora, por lo que aprovechando la suerte de que vuelve a estar consciente, Phos decide arriesgarse y preguntarle si lo que está planeando está bien.
Me parece algo curioso que precisamente decida preguntarle a Padparadscha y no a alguna de las demás gemas, posiblemente por lo perspicaz que le ha parecido, así que una vez resuelta sus dudas y con un consejo valioso, decide emprender el camino en busca de la verdad; pero para eso tiene que capturar a alguno de los Lunarians, una tarea realmente complicada.

Es aquí donde entra en escena otro personaje nuevo, Ghost, quien actualmente se encuentra encargada de la biblioteca y que después de convivir un poco con Phos empieza a sentir una enorme simpatía por ella, por lo que decide ayudarla en lo que necesite.

Sin embargo se presenta una situación inusual que requiere que varias gemas trabajen en equipo para solucionarlo, a lo que Phos ve una oportunidad para vigilar más de cerca a Kongou Sensei, siendo que al final al complicarse todo un poco, provoca que su intervención sea de manera anticipada y descuidada, dándose a revelar ante Phos algo inesperado y alarmante, algo tan importante que Kongou Sensei le pide guardar el secreto.
Y por si no fuera suficiente, se siente terrible por dejar a un lado a las demás y no esforzarse en ayudarlas, todo por estar en busca de respuestas, lo que provoca que se la pase pensando constantemente en lo que está sucediendo, lo que ha ido descubriendo y de que no tiene con quien compartir esto.
Dándose cuenta de que podría necesitar la ayuda de alguien.
Y en quien piensa es en Cinnabar, así que le propone el trabajo de ayudarla en su búsqueda de respuestas, pero no era lo que ella tenía en mente cuando le ofreció encontrarle un trabajo diferente a la patrulla nocturna.
Así que mientras Cinnabar decide qué hacer, Phos continúa ensimismada en sus pensamientos, tanto que se vuelve descuidada, lo que provoca que cometa un error garrafal que la pone en una situación terrible, dejándonos con un cliffhanger sumamente bueno.

De igual manera nos encontramos con situaciones divertidas y de cómo van conviviendo las demás gemas, algo que resulta interesante y que nos da la oportunidad de conocer un poco más a los diferentes personajes de la historia.

Sin duda tengo muchas ganas de leer el siguiente tomo, puesto que a partir de este ya se nota la diferencia con respecto al anime y de que de ahora en adelante todo será completamente nuevo.

Como siempre, sumamente recomendable.

[AHCuteArt]

Why did you read this book?
I liked the anime and always wanted to read the manga.

What format did you read this book in?
Read the comic on ComiXology app with kindle unlimited membership.

Is this an educational book or a book for entertainment?
I read this book for pure entertainment purposes.

What genres do you think this book belongs to?
Art, Comics, Fantasy, Gay and Lesbian, Graphic Novels, Humor and Comedy, Manga, Mystery, Psychology, Religion, Science Fiction, Spirituality

What was your favorite part in the book? SPOILERS
I really like how Ghost Quartz has no presence. She's constantly scaring people.

Who would you suggest this book to?
Anyone who likes old manga styles like Sailor Moon, unique fantasy worlds, sexless characters, crystals, or the weird genre.

What is your general opinion/ rating of this book? SPOILERS
The plot thickens with Phos suspects
Sensei is up to something. She wants to know the truth and is going behind everyone's backs to do it. her attempt to talk to the Lunarians is not going well. This book also leaves us in a cliffhanger when she is injured trying to talk to one. I personally really like this series and I'm interested to see where it's going from here. I'm going to have to wait to buy the rest of the manga when they go on sale.
What style of graphic novel is this?
It’s in the Japanese manga style (you need to read the book from right to left).

Is the comic colored or is it in black and white?
This comic is in B&W tone.

What is your opinion on the artwork?
Is it older manga style with long skinny characters.

How is the type setting? Is the comic easy to read?
The fonts were appropriate, there were some scenes that were hard to read. (Text was too tiny).
Is this comic a part of a series?
Yes, this book is part of a series. I believe there are 11 books. Unfortunately, only the first five volumes are free through my kindle unlimited subscription. I'll have to wait till the rest of the books go on sale.

Any trigger warnings?
Mental Health: Suicide Idealization, Self-Harm, Romanticized Mental Illness, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Nightmares about Traumatic Events
Disabilities: Lifechanging injury, Paralyzed
Violence and Death: Death?, Murder?, Decapitation, Suffocation, Mutilation?, Self-Mutilation, Cutting of Limbs

[Lucky]

Is Phos cooked? I do think with these last couple volumes we have been having a lot more insight on Phos’ internal changes, juxtaposing the major physical/external changes from the earlier volumes. In a way they are growing into this “new body” which can’t happen without losing her past self, and entity Phos envies. We witness the “groundless optimism” that used to exude from Phos, now shift to a more isolated questioning of authority.

This envy of a past self even after “growing” I feel is a relatable feeling in life, no matter where you end up or what in your life goes right/improves, there will always be a previous time in life where you just envy not even necessarily the being, but just the blissful feeling tied with some nostalgia that makes you just want to reminisce.

I do think the authors go a great job with Phos in having these big physical changes as a way to incarnate the internal changes that follow.

I also noticed in this book with Ghost Quartz and Lapis, Rutile and Padparadscha, and Alexi and their past partner. That everyone is motivated by loss especially in what they choose to do with their life/career. I believe this perseverance speaks to the hope that accompanies their immortality. I do wonder if this hope is more necessary in maintaining their sanity.

Another thing I appreciated seeing was both sides in the switching gem partnerships, which tends to surround Bort, but I do really like how they take the time to show the other, “single” side that while feel some sort of loss and jealousy, still are genuinely happy for their partner, showing how deeply they care. We see this mature reaction in both Yellow Diamond with Zircon and Diamond with Bort. It’s also really amusing seeing Diamond cope with these changes.

[William Moses Jr.]

This is getting really good now. The kinds of questions we get to see being answered are really profound. If you pursue power to help those around and stop feeling weak, once you obtain that power, will you still remember and connect with the reasons you once had to get strong? When trying to pursue a truth that could potentially be dangerous, in an effort to protect those you care about, is it better to pursue it alone or is it better to trust others? Also, should you pursue that truth alone, is the is truly worthwhile if it leads you to slowly isolate yourself from others (whether that's their perception or merely your own), thus leading to weakening relationships with the very people you sought to protect? Interesting, interesting stuff. And not to mention, clues here and there that hint at answers to the mysteries we now long to know more about. This is also the volume that ChatGPT said things would start to pick up in, but to be honest, I was hooked from the last volume.

[Littlebookterror]

I continue to be fascinated by this world, these characters and this endless cycle of battle, reparations, and ruminations they are caught in. It does not feel like mystery (there is no strong plot focused on uncovering any secrets or horror (even though I would say that their casual attitude towards their bodies can feel like that to us mere mortals at times), the world feels both alien, isolated and painfully average at the same time, and the gems are just strange in so many ways.
The fight scenes especially lend the story an air of holiness as if this was a religious fight, an epic that is bound to its narrative and doomed to repeat itself eternally. Time is of little consequence. for them.

The limited background, the bold lines and sparse details work together to bring this story alive.

[Cielaly]

Oh, what a character development! From ignorant and childish to cold and selfish.
The last chapter just got me like: PHOSPOLYTE THAT'S NOT A JOB FOR HIM, FOR PETE'S SAKE!! THAT "JOB" IS SOMETHING YOU'LL BENEFIT FROM BUT HE WILL NOT!!" and I was more pissed and hurt when CInnabar asked for the fun part of the job that you promised, you idiot. You realize that no one would help you because they all trust Sensei and are contented with what they know and have, so you ran to Cinnabar because you know you could use her to do something for you!! How selfish is that, I'm angry but that doesn't mean I'm giving up on trying to understand and like you as the main character.

[joceadyn]

Padparadscha and ghost quartz got introduced and I totally love the troupe between rutile x padscha and the duality of ghost quartz?!!? Oh my dear still phos is my biggest kin now, i got that 'touché' moment when he said he's envy of HIS OLDSELF who had a lot of bright unfundamented premonitions and clung to the benevolence of others, littlest said he's aware now that he's got a lot to bear. It's interesting to observe the process of splitting in phos over the time, people would say 'i miss the old phos' so guys he's eventually stronger and more consolidated now but part of him is gradually disintegrated.

[Nolan]

The story is starting to settle into its core narrative in the fifth volume and I'm finally able to tell a lot of the gems apart. Maybe its not as strong as the previous volumes but it seems like it's heading somewhere cool, I hope. Pho is becoming a strong, sympathetic protaganist and there are two new characters who are very intruiging. This volume ends on a big cliff-hanger! Looking forward to whatever's next from this psychedelic fantasy manga.

[Dale Jones]

I watched the first and only season of Land of the Lustrous. The anime was a perfect 10/10—one of the best I've seen. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a second season, so I had to read the manga to read the rest of this fantastic story. Unfortunately, this left off right around where the anime did, as Phos is trying to communicate with the Lunarians and learn their secrets. I hope the manga continues to live up to the anime.