To Your Eternity, Tome 1

不滅のあなたへ [Fumetsu no Anata e] #1

by Yoshitoki Oima

“C’est à l’épreuve de la réalité que je saurai ce que je suis… Voilà pourquoi mon voyage commence.”
Un être immortel a été envoyé sur Terre. Il rencontre d’abord un loup puis un jeune garçon vivant seul au milieu d’un paysage enneigé. Ainsi commence le voyage de l’Immortel, un voyage fait d’expériences et de rencontres dans un monde implacable…

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Young Adult, Adventure

205 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 17, 2017

About the author

See also: 大今良時

OIMA Yoshitoki: 大今良時
Associated Names:
Yoshitoki Ohima
Yoshitoki Ooima
Yoshitoki Ōima

Even though her one-shot Koe no Katachi won critical acclaim, it took a longsome law suit to get a magazine to publish it because of its socio-critical theme. Eventually, it was featured in the February edition of Bessatsu Shounen Magazin, where it placed first, and later in the 12th edition of the 2013 Weekly Shounen Magazine.

She has also collaborated with UBUKATA Tow for the manga adaption of his novel Mardock Scramble.

Reviews

[Ashley (ashleyOutpaged)]

I AM SO INTRIGUED. This was such a weird and unique tale. I cannot wait for the rest of the volumes to come out!

[Dennis]

A case of I wasn't able to see the same in it that others saw.

An orb is sent to earth, where it takes the form of things it touches. First it becomes a rock, then a wolf that was hurt and lost. The wolf returns to its owner, who is stranded in an arctic village that everyone else either left or has died in. Together they go on a journey to find the boy's relatives in the land of mountains and fruit.

A little later there's a huge shift in the story and we meet a young girl that is eager to become a grown-up and be a mommy. But she's chosen to be sacrificed to Oniguma, the God of the mountains.

At some point both those stories intersect.

A tale of life and mortality that has some likeable characters but a narrative that ultimately left me cold. It happens. We were just not meant for each other.

My favorite panel:

[James DeSantis]

Was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did.

This is actually mostly broken up into two sections. The first is about some type of creature falling from the sky, becoming a rock, then transforming into a wolf who had died, and then the wolf goes home to meet a boy who's one goal is to make it to a society since he's stranded in the cold with no one around. So their mission is to go out and try to make it. The 2nd half is about a little girl wanting to grow up but she instead is being sacrificed to a ancient bear in which will protect the village from more attacks.

These two stories connect in a surprising way that I won't spoil here. I also really loved the first half, as the ending hit me like a fucking train with emotions. The 2nd half is quite good too, with a lot of heart, and a bit of sadness. I really enjoyed the art too and some interesting designs for characters. The only negative is there is a shift here, and it takes time to get used to.

I really enjoyed this and right away ordered volume 2-5 online because I want more. I hope this story remains as good. A 4 out of 5.

[Shawna Finnigan]

To Your Eternity has stunning artwork. There’s beauty in every panel and little March’s character design is adorable. I wish the story captured my attention more though. It seems to follow an alien of some sort that tries to learn how the world works? Or something along those lines. I liked March’s plot line but was confused about what the plot of the whole series could be.

[Sarah ♡ (let’s interact!)]

It begins its journey on Earth as an orb. Then takes the form of a rock. Then a wolf. Then a human boy. The orb takes the form of what it touches. Its path to becoming a human in the first half left me emotionally devastated. To Your Eternity is surprisingly as powerfully moving as it is dark.
This is a story of life and death; of reincarnation and afterlife. Is there a paradise when we leave this mortal coil?

The second part of this volume focuses on a village where a young girl called March resides with her parents. All she wants is to be a grown up. But then, during a village ceremony, March is selected as a sacrifice to Oniguma, the Spirit Bear. Will March be able to escape her fate? She has an older friend in the village watching out for her, a girl called Parona who has a great skill in archery. Will she be able to help? And how will this story intertwine with the nameless boy who is just learning what it means to be human?

4.5 Stars - giving it a 4 overall! Intrigued where this story goes next. Kindle is giving out a lot of first volumes of Manga series as free downloads to keep at the moment - not just on KU! Given me an incentive to try out different ones that I may not have done otherwise.

[Mir]

Well, those tears were unexpected.


Musical pairing: "Wait"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAwYo...

[Shannon]

Kind of a strange series. A "thing" gets put on this land and it slowly adapts to its surroundings, becoming things, then animals, then people. Takes place in some sort of primitive fantasy and it's quite clear that this is a harsh world. Very sad things happen but the "thing" also has a childlike innocence so it's not all doom and gloom the whole time.

This is miles away from her last series though, A Silent Voice, though the characters all seem just as charming and complex.

3.5 for me

[Zala]

Placeholder for volumes 1-5
Guess I'm a masochist for enjoying a series that makes me so happy only to take it all away in the most cruel way possible.

[Elisabeth]

So ein schöner, vielversprechender Manga! mir hat er so gut gefallen, gerade weil er eher ruhig erzählt ist und richtig unter die Haut geht. Ich freue mich schon auf Band 2 :)

[Aliix]

Honestamente, no sabia que esperar, la portada me llamo la atención y dije, ¿Por qué no?
Es una historia muuy diferente a las que he leído, el protagonista es una energía/alma/ser que es capaz de transformarse en lo que toca, vemos como se va transformando en musgo, luego tierra, luego un lobo, ya que toma la identidad de uno que se encontró que falleció, en ese corto proceso vemos como tiene interacción con un niño que vive solo en una aldea abandonada en el frió invernal, el ser va aprendiendo cómo es esto de la vida humana.

[Christine]

This was interesting. I particularly liked the change in the artwork when the place changes. It also was surprising moving in ways that I didn't think it would be.

[Iben Frederiksen]

★ 4.5 Stars ★

This story is SO beautiful. It can totally be read on its' own, as it's a contained story all on its' own.

[Rod Brown]

I'm really not sure what to make of this series yet, but I think I like it.

A formless supernatural being is sent to Earth and, after taking several different forms, ends up in the shape of a wolf when it first encounters a human in an arctic wasteland. Eventually the creature encounters more humans and becomes entangled in a human sacrifice to another supernatural beast.

There are interesting characters, some humorous fish-out-of-water gags, and nice art. I've no clue where this is going, but I want more.

[Mizuki]

(1) It is a story as old as time: a boy and a wolf in the wilderness, struggling to set out for, hopefully, an adventure.

(2) OMG now I realized this story is basically John Carpenter's The Thing. You will know what I mean at around page 80. LOL LOL

(3) I am not very fond of the little girl character, but I still want to know what will happen next.

(4) Why would the sister character care so much to save the girl? I am also curious about what will happen once they go to the Capital.

[Donatella Principi]

Faccio molta fatica a descrivere questo volume perché non assomiglia a nulla che io abbia già letto. È solo il primo volume quindi voglio continuare per capire dove andrà a parare l’autrice. Per adesso si presenta come una storia molto particolare e unica. Presumo che si approfondirà il significato di essere umani e provare sentimenti, visto che il protagonista è un essere venuto da non si sa dove e in grado di mutare forma. Devi pensarci un po’, ma la recensione arriverà presto

[⋆ ࣪˖ ִֶָ sel ་༘࿐]

Final chapter just dropped so it's time to catch up. I can still remember when the mangaka released the first chapter and literally everyone in the circle fell into absolute spiral. The beginning was so gut-wrenching!

And I absolutely love stories like this, where someone, or something, is a being that is once a dust in this mundane world but is destined for something greater; like consciousness, growth, or even immortality. It makes me go into spiral! You are always told that there are no banquets that will never end, but how about the ones who will be left behind?

Impermanence, such as separation or death, that clashes with immortality. Dust has meaning, loss is also love, and endings are also beginnings. Even if something or someone is gone, they will live through you. Cliche but will always make me devastated.

[Aleksandra]

4.5 stars

I owned this volume for four months and I’m kicking myself for not picking it up sooner.
This was imaginative, original and engaging. I’m super invested into the story and the characters.

Yoshitoko Oima is well known for her A Silent Voice. I adore that manga and I was curious to dive into her other work. And oh boy. To Your Eternity is a completely different story. The only thing that is similar between these two stories is the gorgeous art by Yoshitoko Oima.

Needless to say I’ll try to get my hands on the next volumes as soon as possible!

I didn’t want to say anything about plot or the characters. I went into the manga completely blind to its content and I loved it!

[Aimé]

Uno de los comienzos más emotivos que me he encontrado jamás en un manga.
Si es capaz de tanto en tan solo un tomo, miedo me da lo que pueda pasar más adelante.
Y no puedo esperar para saberlo.

[Jasmine (bokugglor)]

Så besviken!

[coffee bean ⊹ ࣪ ˖]

wtf did I just read
(said with love)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Emmy]

Wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow....

Okay...So, this was good. Like, really good. But, also super sad. Beautiful and sad. And I absolutely devoured it. I loved it so much, that I can't wait to get my hands on the next volume. I can't really explain it without giving away plot, but I will say that it definitely reminded me (at least in tone) of Wolf's Rain and Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix series, specifically the vast and beautiful loneliness of Phoenix, Vol. 2: Future. Add in a little Naoki Urasawa and you've got this beautiful book.

I seriously can't wait to read the next part!

[grayish]

4.5. Really enjoyed it.

[Chantaal]

Really strange and imaginative and engaging. I'm not sure how much I actually liked it, but the story was unique and heartfelt enough that I'm going to continue on.

[Fina {A World of Endless Pages Book Reviews}]

Oh my gosh, this story. I'm having a hard time finding words for how I feel about this book right now, but suffice it to say it was definitely worth the buy.

[Patry Fernandez]

La verdad que no sabía muy bien que me iba a encontrar porque lo cogí un poco a ciegas, tenia mono de leer mangas y me animé con esta nueva serie de Yoshitoki Ooima y la verdad que me ha sorprendido y me ha gustado mucho. Es un poco rarito en un principio pero cuando va cogiendo ritmo es muy interesante y estoy deseando leer los siguientes.

[afton]

this was spectacular???????? i will never forgive the mangaka for how it got it’s human form. i never hear about this series but i neeeeed more. like now.

[Christine (myfictionaldays)]

This manga series is such a pleasant surprise. I was immediately hooked from volume 1. 5 / 5 stars

[Alfredo]

Que história curiosa!! Gostei bastante da apresentação dela e dos desenhos. Acho que os próximos volumes farão o trabalho de aprofundar mais cada personagem e a jornada deles. Tem tudo para só melhorar!! Tô animado, já vou começar o segundo.

[Mehsi]

I was sold because of the cover, the story was OK-ish though.


One of my Kodansha free manga haul from Google Play. I wasn’t that much into the many romance I still have left so I decided to give this one a shot and on the hand I liked it and how it is about mortality, about discovery, and more, but on the other hand.. there were things I just didn’t like.

It all starts when an orb explores a planet. Taking over the shapes of those that live there. From a rock to other stuff in nature to a wolf. A wolf that a boy in a desolated village knows well. The start was just so good and I loved how the boy cared for the wolf, how he tried to feed him despite not having a lot of things left in a town that has been abandoned. I just felt for the boy right from that moment. Knowing that everyone left him. That he saw those that were left (the older people) die one after another. I just wanted to step into this story and give him a hug. We see that he decides to just go for it. To take the journey. To bring the wolf with him. I won’t spoil anything, but I can tell you that this journey was heartbreaking and I was so invested. I even cried.

But after the boy’s journey and story.. it just fell apart for me. It definitely doesn’t help that the wolf has to change shapes so many times, so many deaths, and I just wasn’t into it. And then we switch to a new character, a little girl named March. She wasn’t too bad, but I don’t know, it just didn’t click with me. Yes, her story and all that happened to her broke my heart, that poor girl having to go through all that while all she wants to do is grow up. Become an adult. But I don’t know the story just didn’t work for me just as well as the first story. It just wasn’t as WOW as the first one was. There was just something missing. Maybe because I also had expected the whole story to be about the boy and the wolf.

But the art was really pretty, well for most, haha, some of the facial stuff, especially in the wolf was just very off-putting and weird.

I am curious what is next for our orb/wolf/thingie and March. But on the other hand, I am also kind of done with it all. It was just too weird for me. Too much happening and yet nothing at all. Sorry if my review is confusing, haha, I am also confused about my feels on this manga.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Andre]

1) Deutsche Rezension
2) English Review

1) Deutsche Rezension
Am Anfang war es etwas verwirrend, ob der Junge mit sich selbst sprach und nur so tat, als ob sein Wolf sprechen könnte oder nicht. Nicht dass es überraschend waf, es war niemand mehr im Dorf. Ich nahm bereits an, dass alle anderen tot waren und dass der Junge nicht überleben würde. Und es ist wahrscheinlich noch tragischer, wenn man bedenkt, dass das Wolfsding, das jetzt seine Gestalt trägt, wahrscheinlich nichts davon verstanden hat. Oder doch? Später kann es in Wolfsgestalt sprechen.
Später fragte ich mich, ob dieses Ding sich einfach regenerieren kann, nachdem es von dem riesigen Bären so zerfleischt wurde, was kann es tatsächlich töten? Und wenn es so oft gestorben ist, muss es dann essen? Und existiert der Dämonenbär wirklich, dem das Mädchen geopfert wird (er tut es)? Und passiert das jedes Jahr? Dann sicher nicht im selben Dorf. Und warum überhaupt ein Kind, wenn es gegessen werden soll? Sieht nicht nach einer großen Mahlzeit aus.

2) English Review
In the beginning it was a bit confusing as to whether the boy was talking to himself and just pretending his wolf could talk or not. Not that it surprised be, there was no one else anymore in the village. I already assumed everyone else was dead and that the boy would not survive. And it's probably even more tragic when you consider that the wolf-thing now wearing his shape probably understood nothing of it. Or does it? Later on it can speak in wolf form.
Later I wondered, if that thing can just regenerate from being so mauled by the giant bear, what can actually kill it? And if it died so often, does it need to eat? And does the demon bear actually exist that the girl gets sacrificed to (it does)? And does that happened every year? Surely not in the same village then. And why a child anyway if its supposed to be eaten? Doesn't look like much of a meal.