Go with the Clouds, North-by-Northwest, Vol. 5

北北西に曇と往け [Hokuhokusei ni Kumo to Ike] #5

by Aki Irie

When Kei was down with a cold, physically and mentally tired from searching for his missing brother, it was his friend - Lilja - who took care of him. As thanks, Kei invites her on a road trip and he returns home mesmerized not just by the landscape of Iceland’s volcanic craters, but also by Lilja’s singing.

Meanwhile, his brother Mitchitaka appears unexpectedly on his doorstep after a long disappearance. Despite being suspected of three murders, Mitchitaka tells Kei that he is innocent. Will Kei choose to believe in his brother?

Genres: Manga, Seinen, Mystery, Slice Of Life, Supernatural, Romance, Adventure

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2021

About the author

Aki Irie (入江亜季, Irie Aki) is a Japanese mangaka.

Name in other languages:
入江亞季 (Chinese)
이리에 아키 (Korean)

Do not add scanlation records.

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading quite a bit of manga this year but there has been nothing like this series. The sort of emotions it generates for me, alongside the beautiful art and memorable characters has made it an absolute treat to read. Despite the drama there’s still something so serene about all the moments you spend reading it. The backgrounds and the food details too are splendid.

[Breanna R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this one. The interactions with Kei and Lilja kinda confused me in the beginning of the chapter, but cleared up. I cannot get over the beauty of Iceland and the landscape and detail out into this one. Amazing

[Met · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stupendo, non c’è altro da aggiungere.

[Katarzyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lillia is the G.O.A.T
The artstyle is so pretty I want to buy this mangaka's other manga just because of it

[Yoda Bor · Rating 4 out of 5]

C’est comme d’habitude avec grand plaisir que j’ai replongé dans mon voyage islandais avec ce cinquième tome qui reprend tout en douceur, comme il sait si bien le faire, en nous envoyant découvrir le Laki, ce volcan plat qui a bouleversé le paysage du pays.
C’est un très joli moment, d’autant plus que, pour une fois, Kei et Lilja sont plus apaisés et leur relation m’a plutôt plu, que ce soit lors de cette visite comme dans un concert dans lequel la jeune fille semble envouter Kei.

Evidemment, tout cela ne dure pas puisque Michitaka revient de plus belle dans l’histoire, frappant à la porte de Jacques pour une raison que j’ignore.
Je n’aime pas voir son frère autant aveugle sur ce qu’il est, même si, dans le fond, c’est plutôt compréhensible, mais j’ai surtout eu peur pour le grand-père parce que ce jeune garçon est tellement lunatique qu’il me semble être un danger permanent et que je ne l’aurai jamais laissé seul avec quiconque, même si c’est pour l’excellente raison de mener une enquête. Ca m’a d’ailleurs bien plu de voir Kei reprendre un peu ses investigations et utiliser ses pouvoirs.

On est dans un tome plus court qu’à l’habitude, plus nerveux dans sa deuxième partie, entre l’enquête de Kei, la présence un peu étouffante de Michitaka, ses déclarations à son frère selon lesquelles il n’a jamais tué personne et le retournement de situation final.
Mais il y a aussi quelques petits chapitres annexes qui permettent de mettre en lumière chaque personnage et je les ai trouvés à la fois tout mignons et fort éclairants sur les personnalités de chacun.
C’est ce mélange de lenteur, de poésie, de fantastique et d’intrigue policière qui me fait tant apprécier ce titre si atypique.

[Preethi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this!! I was worried I wouldn't remember enough from the previous volumes to enjoy this but nah it was super easy to slip back into it and it was such a pleasurable read. I'm also glad this volume is chubby 'cause we really had to wait since volume 4.

[oliwka · Rating 5 out of 5]

kocham ta mange przeogromnie. ta kreska, krajobrazy, postacie w niej??? jestem w milosci do tej mangi, zdecydowanie jest w moim top 3

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is stunning, as usual, but the story meanders this way and that - so much so that I wonder what the point is.

[Arsnoctis · Rating 3 out of 5]

In questo numero in particolare, diventa del tutto evidente quanto sia facile prendere in simpatia il fratello maggiore e quanto verrebbe naturale evitare del tutto quello minore.

[Luana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

Bene, bene. Partiamo con la reunion tra i fratelli, visto che, di botto, Michitaka si presenta alla porta di Kei e Jacques. Ovviamente il ragazzino sa far leva sull'affetto del fratello, e su quella sua aria da bimbo innocente, per negare qualsiasi accusa nei suoi confronti. Quello che notiamo è che è un ragozzotto indolente, che adora essere servito (peccato che Jacques non abbia alcuna intenzione di assecondarlo)...e si illumina quando riceve dei complimenti da Kei. È anche un ottimo attore e un gran bugiardo, doti che mette al servizio del fratello per aiutarlo in un caso. Tutto sembra procedere per il meglio, quando la polizia si presenta ad arrestarlo come il presunto colpevole di tre omicidi. Ora attendo con ansia il volume sei per vedere cosa succederà, per capire chi ha sporto denuncia e quali saranno le prossime mosse di Kei. Questo potrebbe essere un punto di rottura oppure un nulla di fatto per assenza di prove.

Al fianco di questa storyline, abbiamo i capitoli che ci mostrano la crescita del rapporto tra Kei e Lilja. Adoro il modo in cui il talento particolarissimo del ragazzo viene accostato alla sensibilità musicale di Lilja: se Kei sa comunicare con gli oggetti, la ragazza ha un'affinità particolare per il suo strumento e per il mondo dei suoni in generale. E quando Kei assiste a una sua esibizione, beh, la musica di Lilja lo emoziona profondamente e rimane con lui per giorni. È la musica della natura. E insomma, alla fine della fiera, i due stanno imparando a parlarsi senza insultarsi in continuazione. Piccoli passi avanti.

Molto carini anche gli extra alla fine del volume, che ci mostrano il punto di vista degli altri personaggi.
Ora ci sarà da attendere a lungo per la prossima uscita. Bene, ma non benissimo.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Go with the Clouds is one of those series where each new volume gets you scratching your head trying to figure out how things in the last volume got you where you are now. Even rereading prior volumes doesn’t answer all (or any) of your question. We do, however, get a pretty cohesive run for at least this volume. And, it’s a thick volume with a handful of bonus character sketches that mostly end up being new Kei asides. I enjoyed the main storyline here. Kei’s gifts with machines make a return appearance while he’s on a new case and we get more developments into Michitaka’s woes. As expected, the art is breathtaking. There are some beautiful, expansive pages to get lost for a while in. This can be a frustrating series for its erratic pacing and inexplicable directions (or lack thereof), but I really enjoyed this one.

[AltLovesBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were some awkward moments near the end of the last volume between Kei and Lilja that I was worried would carry over to here, but actually this was a really nice volume! I especially loved the chapter when they take the trip to Laki, lots of panoramic scenic art and a bit of neat regional folklore. I still don't really know what this series is about or how to describe it to someone.... Icelandic slice of life, with elements of magical realism? Dunno, the art is gorgeous, and I'm incredibly invested in the story of Kei and Kei's younger brother and what happened to him.

[Sharlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 - Great
Lilja and Kei going to Laki is wholesome, especially when Lilja makes a comment about the sound of Kei's footsteps. Stunning performance by Lilja; what a pleasant surprise! Michitaka's interaction with Sóley definitely proved how skilled Michitaka is with people. I love the journals at the end; my favourite was Jacques's journal, and second would be Lilja's journal. This volume provided more depth to characters, and I love that we got to spend more time with them that we saw unique parts of their personality shine.

[Ikayuro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of people complain in reviews that this series meanders this way and that - but the title is literally 'Go With the Clouds'! There's an underlying plot beneath the day to day actions, like a thread of destiny. Honestly, it feels much more natural this way - the characters are just trying to live a normal life after all, but the supernatural keeps getting in the way. The visuals are absolutely stunning and the story is so, so good! Loved the extra snippits at the end, too!

[Annastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ali: Eine Fiktion ist kein echtes Ereignis. Sie berührt nur die Seele.
Jacques: Kei erwachsen werden bedeutet sein Blickfeld zu erweitern.
Kiyoshis Tagebuch: Bringt ja nichts sich aus der Ferne Sorgen zu machen. Ich schicke ihm lieber ein Foto vom Abendessen.
Lilja: Deine Schritte klingen schöner als deine Stimme.

[María Pealva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantó el dibujo y la inmensidad que sientes al imaginar ese pais, sobre todo el trozo de los volcanes, me parece un super acierto los diarios del final. Necesito escuchar cantar a Liliya, aunque creo que conozco lo que Kei sintió. Sin decir una palabra, solo viendo las escenas y el paisaje, sabes lo que sienten, eso es una pasada.

[Child960801 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume felt like a mix of what we've had before: some of it was more of the 'Icelandic-travelogue-love-letter' style and some of it was more of the 'story-with-a-plot' style. Michitaka shows back up and even helps out on a case and isn't creepy or terrible, expect maybe he is? There's a whole chapter that is mostly wordless about the power of music. I'm enjoying this manga a lot.

[Lyrica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go With the Clouds: North by Northwest is the most beautiful manga I have ever laid my eyes upon. The attention to detail is outstanding, every panel is drawn with care. The backgrounds are jaw-droppingly beautiful! It's worth it to pick up this series for the art alone.

I can't wait for volume 6!

[Dine · Rating 4 out of 5]

♥

[Lu.Arwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich lieb diese Reihe so!

[Isel · Rating 4 out of 5]

That kid just confuses me. But I still don't like him.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The short stories/“journal entries” in the back are my favorite!

As always, art is beautiful, plot is slow-moving, lots of tourist tidbits that make me want to visit Iceland

[Sergsab · Rating 3 out of 5]

El dibujo cada vez es más increíble, la historia tiene parones raros...

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

🥹

[Frankie Frabizzio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely thrilling. There’s honestly nothing like this series out there. It is so stylized, so melancholic and mysterious, and just plain gorgeous to experience. Aki Irie is a new favorite of mine. She’s a master.


Michitaka is continuously terrifying and I really, REALLY hate him and his psychopathic manipulation but he’s an incredibly interesting character to follow. I’m on the edge of my seat for the next volume to be translated and released physically because we’ve left Kai in a very vulnerable state and I’m fascinated by where the story might go with the self-appointed detective Kei trying to piece together his brother’s possible trail of murders due to his bizarre and grisly powers. I love the magical realism vibes here!!

[mint🍵 · Rating 5 out of 5]

everytime i read a volume of this it makes me reevaluate my whole life, it’s so beautiful and inspiring and we already KNOW i want to got to iceland!! the longing is too intense, plus kei and lilja are both so hot and ugh i love their relationship.. sometimes i miss a solid plot but honestly i’ve grown to love this manga for what it is, like we go on a tourist trip to a volcano and then michitaka gets arrested… it’s all over that place but honestly i’m okay with that :)

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

De verdad que esta historia desprende verdadera magia.
Ya no sólo es el ambiente donde se desarrolla la trama, sino también la historia tan especial que trata.
Entre el trabajo de Kei, el protagonista, el tinte de fantasía que da las habilidades que tienen ellos y el dibujo de la autora que es simplemente espectacular, pues acaba quedando una historia más bien thriller y slice of life que se combinan perfectamente, y que también te da mucho hype la historia pero a la vez te da paz cuando lo lees. Y no sé como ambos sentimientos pueden ocurrir a la vez, pero con esta historia pues pasa.

Los trazos de la autora te transportan a una historia que llega a ser onírica en muchas ocasiones. El momento de Kaiya en el bar cantando, por ejemplo, simplemente maravilloso.

Y personalmente estoy bastante enamorada de Kei, me parece un grandioso protagonista, que sabe llevar el ritmo de la obra muy bien. Y su diseño me mata, es demasiado guapoooo.

[kaitlphere · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be my favorite volume yet. I love that more time was spent to develop Katla's and Lilja's characters, and I really enjoyed the scenes depicting music. I liked seeing Kei's family together finally. I enjoyed the journal sequences at the end to fill in character details.

[Yunebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un tomo más tranquilito que los anteriores, pero plenamente disfrutable.

Ver cómo Kei y Liliya intiman poco a poco y conocer más a está última es algo que venía esperando desde el primer tomo. Son muy graciosos juntos y al fin nos dan pequeños momentos. Las páginas en las que Liliya canta y toca son una maravilla. El dibujo de Aki es tan bonito...

En fin, que estoy deseando ver cómo avanza el manga por qué el hermano de Kei cada vez me tiene más confundida. Yo ya no sé qué pensar. Por cierto, los capítulos extras son geniales, vemos a Kei de pequeño. Ahora tengo más ganas de conocer el pasado de toda su extraña família.

[LatinTrees_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25/5 || 17/20

I don’t know if it is my favorite but I really love it, always freaking gorgeous drawing but we haven’t moved forward in the plot, not that much…
But I’m in bi-panic so it’s cool, very very cool .. god I love the characters so much!
I hope the next one will be released soon :)