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192 pages, Paperback
First published August 30, 2011
. I don't know if it's a coincidence that they both deal with space but I don't think it's a coincidence that they both deal with friendships and celebrate the small moments in life.


These books start out as character-driven slice-of-life stories, and to that end, they're quite good. Personally, I love Iwaoka's art style, especially the detailed backgrounds. All of the characters, even the ones that seem abrasive or unlikeable at first, are complex and well-developed. What really bumps this book up to five stars for me is that Iwaoka also uses his characters' day-to-day lives to deal with some very weighty issues, like grief, socioeconomic inequality, ageism, loneliness, and poverty's impact on physical and mental health. In the earlier volumes, the statements on social issues aren't particularly overbearing; we're simply presented with the personal impact of the system on the individuals inhabiting it, and we're left to draw our own conclusions. Since we're so attached to the characters, though, it's difficult to be objective, which I think is sort of the point... And somehow, it manages to do this without losing the slice-of-life feeling.
Overall, this is a well-crafted, thoughtful series that stuck with me long after I finished it. I'd definitely recommend this, even if you're not normally into graphic novels.