Robo Sapiens: Tales of Tomorrow

by Toranosuke Shimada

In this award-winning science fiction saga, enter a world where artificial intelligence is thriving—and human culture is dying.

In the future, robots are more than machines. Autonomous “cyber-persons” with A.I. brains are part of society, interacting with humans while developing their own culture. In fact, they may be surpassing humans, as biological homo sapiens have begun to die out and give way to robo sapiens. But are humans truly disappearing, or are robots the newest form of humanity?

This millennia-spanning, speculative science fiction manga of interconnected stories, both human and robotic, was awarded the Division Grand Prize at the 2020 Japan Media Arts Festival.

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Comics, Short Stories, Graphic Novels Comics, Seinen

304 pages, Paperback

Published November 23, 2021

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly innovative look at the future of robotics. All the stories revolve around the question that we have just started to ask: what kind of relationship will we have with robots and androids who look like us? Will we marry them? Have them explore space to find new world's to inhabit? Use them as caretakers for radioactive waste? Speculative si-fi that is original and thought provoking.

[Alwynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The omnibus edition of Toranosuke Shimada’s award-winning manga Robo Sapiens focuses on the possible evolution of robot society, here resembling humans in form, already a stage beyond crude, metallic, earlier generations. Some robots are at the service of human owners, others are freedroids able to order their own existence. Aimed at adults but suitable for teen readers, Shimada’s interlinking stories unfold over thousands of years, imagining a future in which humans are increasingly scarce and robots set free to form their own societies. A handful of individual characters recur over time, Maria who’s programmed to guard an isolated nuclear facility, Chloe and Toby on a space mission that’s almost certain to fail, their experiences charted against changes to the world in their absence, as their own destinies are slowly revealed. The stories are quite simple, wistful in tone, becoming more compelling as Shimada’s narrative gradually progresses. Shimada’s text’s minimal but fortunately his images are more than strong enough to carry things. His work’s clearly influenced by older manga like Astro Boy – although I’ve also come across comparisons to alternative American comics by artists like Sophie Foster-Dimino. Shimada makes excellent use of shades of black and white and his artwork has an admirably vivid, pleasingly-bold, architectural flavour. I enjoyed this, it has a definite retro feel that I think’s likely to appeal to fans of work like Asimov’s I, Robot as much as to hardcore manga readers. Translated by Adrienne Beck.

Thanks to Edelweiss and publisher Seven Seas for an ARC
Rating: 3.5

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book, telling wry melancholic stories of robots outliving the humans that created them. One robot is left behind to guard nuclear waste, just watching the centuries go by. It feels all the more current now, with all our discussions about artificial intelligence - how do we treat our robotic indentured, what is our responsibility?

The art is just as beautiful, very intricate and sensitive. Highly recommended.

(Thanks to Seven Seas for providing me with a review copy through Edelweiss)

[Ignacio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gratísima sorpresa en la forma de una historia futura de la humanidad y sus robots en apenas 300 páginas. En un alarde de contención (y concreción), Shimada encadena pequeñas piezas protagonizadas por una serie de personajes que van y vienen, casi si textos de apoyo, sostenidas sobre un excelente dibujo entre Tezuka (Fénix) y la línea clara franco-belga, y una melancolía con un inmenso poder acumulativo donde me resulta inevitable sentir a Ray Bradbury. Una vez se comienzan a conectar las diferentes piezas, la belleza de la composición de cada página y la emoción detrás de cada situación se realimentan con una contundencia excepcional.

[Javier · Rating 2 out of 5]

Voy a retomar las reseñas pendientes de un 2023 pírrico en lecturas, comenzando por este manga publicado por Héroes de Papel.

Lo he leído a gusto, pero esperaba más tras revisar algunas opiniones sobre él. En la estela de los Asimov, Stapledon, Simak, etc., Shimada imagina cómo será un futuro en el que los robots y las IA toman el testigo a la Humanidad. Lo más interesante de la historia es ver cómo lo saltos de tiempo se van dilatando a medida que esto sucede, adoptando la escala de las máquinas, y un cierto tono poético al que, sin embargo, no acompaña un dibujo minimalista y sin ningún elemento novedoso. Se me ha quedado casi en nada, más allá del mensaje optimista de amor, y del oportunismo de leerlo en un momento de hype de las inteligencias artificiales. En resumen, me parece una interesante actualización de mitos y ya.

Respecto a pagar 20 pavos por un manga... a ver, entiendo el esfuerzo que hay detrás, la crisis del papel y todo esto, pero hay que estar loco. Solo lo leí porque me encontré un tomo a 10 euros de pura chiripa.

[fonz · Rating 5 out of 5]

La primera historia es un tópico noir de cf de tirar el manga por la ventana, pero a partir de ahí el fix-up se va desarrollando de tal forma que cierras el volumen completamente rendido a los pies de Shimada y este maravilloso manga de ciencia ficción humanista clásica y contemplativa que parece una modernísima puesta al día del Fénix de Tezuka; una sensacional narrativa y composición de página y viñetas, un alucinante sentido de la maravilla y una fría y bellísima emotividad. En pocas palabras; obra maestra.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't even know how to describe this except maybe as "the manga equivalent of the folk song Where Have All the Flowers Gone."

[Fátima Embark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hablemos del paso del tiempo. ¿Hacia dónde vamos? ¿Qué será de la humanidad dentro de 200 años? ¿Y de 30000? ¿A dónde nos llevarán nuestras decisiones? 

De eso va 'Robo Sapiens'. Del destino de la humanidad y la convivencia con las inteligencias artificiales. Quién se queda y quién desaparece. Y, sobre todo, cómo lo hacen. 

Me ha flipado este manga futurista contado a fragmentos, como pequeñas piezas entrelazadas que conforman un puzzle perfecto.
La historia es evocadora a la par que demoledora gracias a su dibujo, sencillo y con una frialdad que impacta y transmite una soledad infinita.
Vemos el paso de los años a través de los ojos de un robot, esa soledad que ellos no sienten pero a ti te traspasa como lector. Porque la soledad siempre será EL monstruo contra el que luchamos a lo largo de nuestra vida, seas de la especie que seas. 

El dibujo puede chocar a un lector de manga que no se haya acercado a obras clásicas como las de Tezuka o al cómic europeo. Pero si buscáis una historia distinta que os haga reflexionar y os deje poso, dejad a un lado los prejuicios y leedlo.
El dibujo tiene muchísima fuerza. El autor es un maestro a la hora de situar las viñetas, muchas de las cuales no necesitan de narrativa para hablarte directamente y mostrarte la incertidumbre del final de todo.   

La obra fue galardonada con el Gran Premio de la categoría de manga en el 23º Japan Media Arts Festival. Y no me extraña. 

Una pena que en nuestro país se pierda entre la tonga de novedades y las modas de las redes sociales y ni siquiera le echemos un vistazo.  

Recomendadísimo 👌

[Alec · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll start out by saying: I think the blurb on the back of the book has no idea what this book is about. It like, almost does, maybe you could say it doesn't, but it doesn't truly tell you much about what this collection is. What it IS, is a set of 13 issues that interconnect at certain points to tell a story about the future of humanity and the future of robotics. What I think makes this story so interesting though is the really frigid and mechanical way that all the robot characters process emotion and the way that that plays into the larger narrative. Seeing a bunch of creatures that don't really feel emotions like we do slowly leave behind the last vestiges of humanity as they move toward a new and unique way of being is... really strangely unsettling. I thought this was gonna be a cute volume of stories about robots playing music and falling in love and stuff, and there's maybe a bit of that but boy oh boy is it way weirder than that. I don't want to say too much, but I will say that I think you should absolutely read this. Also, the art is absolutely incredible and unique and it adds so much to the story. Crazy good.

[Mrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"when I die, I want you to become a man. be a man, and be free" the ex-lesbian/transmasc with weird connection to the wlw community of it all. ai artificial intelligence style "humanity has no future. so we turned ourselves into pure data to be happy except even our happiness is tied to humanity, unfortunately" gentle apocalypse manga <333

yeah anyway read robo sapiens

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I suspect this is one of those books where you read it a second time and go, "Ohhh!" but this first reading made me wonder if it deserved the hype.

It does make more sense the second time around. That was deeply philosophically beautiful.

[Simon Wigzell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely old time science fiction, with strong hints of Clifford Simak's "City". Here we also follow how non-human intelligences take over the world when man slowly dies out, and those robots are like Simak's kind, empathic and non-judgmental, even when humans use them as tools. Like one of my favorite characters here, who volunteers to be monitor of a radioactive waste facility far below the ground, where they'll spend 100,000 years until the waste is no longer dangerous. Years go by and at first there are regular visits from the surface, but after a while those end and the robot will likely have to spend the rest of the time alone. The episodes first seem as completely standalone, but after a while some characters appear over and over again, often after many many years have passed, and the overall mood is not tragic, even if humanity disappears and the robots become something else. To once again reference older works, it feels not that different from the amazing manga "Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou" where we also see Earth slowly changing as humans die out.

Art is somewhat reminiscent of Tezuka's "Astro Boy", but of core modernized, and one detail I enjoyed was how Shimada constructs many of the futuristic environment literally out of the Japanese characters describing what the environment consists of, like doors being drawn as a gigantic and stylized "門".

All in all, strongly recommended if you enjoy classical science fiction of the calmer type, and manga.

[Enoch Troglin · Rating 5 out of 5]

ros rec #4! I might not know what the hell any of that was, but whatever it might have been, I loved it! the art was so good. and very nostalgic. the feeling it provoked was reminiscent of how I felt reading manga for the first time in sixth grade. I remember being so excited that the middle school library had manga, something the elementary school library didn't. and I'm glad I was granted the opportunity to get back to that sort of feeling. without these recommendations, I probably wouldn't have gotten back into comics/manga. I don't know why I wouldn't have, because 1.) cool art and 2.) they're so easy to get through and add to the number of books you've read. it might be cheating, I don't know. either way, they count, and this year's reading goal is getting closer and closer to being finished already. I'll have to increase the number since I'm such an overachiever this year. anyway, this was barely about the actual manga, so I'll get back to that real quick. I'm a simple man, if the media has robots, I'm going to at least be interested. I love robots. I love robot media. I love cool art. all standards met. 10/10 five stars. quick maths. (note: I took my nightly edible gummy for sleep-aid, and I'm practically half asleep typing this. but at the same time my brain is overflowing with thoughts so I just kept going and going on this one. but I'm done now. goodnight to the audience.)

[Chiara Sella · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Un manga che sembra una raccolta di racconti sci-fi incentrata sui robot che si rivela essere un’unica grande storia, stratificata e allo stesso tempo fluida.

E forse “fluido” è il termine che più mi sembra adatto per indicare lo stile grafico di Shimada Toranosuke, con i suoi disegni a metà tra lo stile manga minimalista e quello dei doodles più intricati. La semplicità delle linee si mescola con la varietà degli elementi creando un tratto molto riconoscibile.

si legge velocemente, nonostante inizialmente ci possa sentire un po’ confusi (va bene così, continuate a leggere) e la copertina poi è davvero molto bella.

consigliato agli amanti della fantascienza!

[Alessandro Cucchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manga sul destino dell'umanità e del pianeta terra.
Al centro del racconto c'è il rapporto fra i Robot e gli esseri umani, dove i Robot iniziano a comportarsi sempre più come esseri umani iniziando a provare emozioni quali amore e il sentirsi abbandonati.
Dall'altro lato gli esseri umani iniziano a comportarsi quasi come farebbero i robot, senza contatto fra di loro e senza provare emozioni.
Edizioni molto curata con l'autore che anche grazie al tema "fantascienza" lo vede giocare spesso con il nero.
Consigliatissimo

[Lizzieb123 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very 2001: A Space Odyssey/Toward Eternity (by Anton Hur). I love how this type of sci-fi treats time. The idea that even after we are gone life will continue is so bittersweet, so hopeful. This made me feel small in a comforting way. The universe is vast and my life is a tiny blip within it, but it still matters and there is beauty to be found and made. Love this shit!!!

[Sam S · Rating 4 out of 5]

A graphic novel all about robots! It reads as a series of short stories for the first half, then starts to weave together into a more cohesive plot.

Very fast and easy to get through.

[Jack Vinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A set of stories where robots (more than robots) are the key players and develop their own future. Centuries into the future. Eventually leaving earth and the remains of humanity.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing premise, and I liked how the stories intertwined with each other.

[Marina Guarente · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un po' d'aria fresca

[Claudio Calia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una fantascienza non inedita, ma personalissima, a partire dal segno che certo rimanda a Tezuka, ma pure a Tin Tin, in una fusione che risulta nuova e antica allo stesso tempo.

[Ryan Mandelbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I am just absolutely blown away by this one. When I picked up this book on a whim yesterday, completely blind, I was not expecting it to become one of my favourite reads of the year, and easily one of my favourite manga of all time, but here we are. A breathtakingly beautiful tale of humanity and what that could begin to mean in a world that is slowly starting to leave humans behind. This one will should appeal to anybody interested in the quieter, more contemplative side of Science Fiction (think Solaris, or more accurately the Tales from the Loop tv series from not too long ago).

There's a certain comfortable melancholy that pours out of nearly every page of this book, emotional moments implied in such subtle ways as most of the characters we interact with are robots who are able to go through these incredibly existential situations without any obvious signs of emotional distress. But then there are these quiet, almost but not quite internally looking moments we are forced to wonder if that really is the case, or if there is some inner conflict, a sense of longing or loneliness hidden just beyond the inscrutable expressions of these artificial humans.

The story, told through a series of interweaving vignettes returning to a handful of recurring characters, takes place over thousands of years. Time is different when you aren't a human, and centuries and millenia flow into each other, we as readers are left to observe the massive changes to civilization and the world itself through much different eyes. The story weaves together quietly, patiently, but NOT completely indifferent; like a series of poems written by a mind just beginning to grasp what it means to feel for the first time ever.

[D.T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was under the impression that these were all self-contained one-shots, so I rated them individually until I realized to stop. These shorts slowly build into a story.

#1: 1 star
I didn't care for it. One of those goose chases with a twist, but I always appreciate detective characters, especially ones who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty.

#2: 2 stars
Somber but wholesome. Two robots reflect on a tragedy for robot kind and the finiteness of human lifespans. But it's sort of heartwarming.

#3: 1 star
A bit of time travel, I guess. Wasn't that engaging tho

#4: 3 stars
This gives me iyashikei vibes. Watching an android do errands, help people, and download various instructions was calming. Just day to day life for Ito. The artwork shines in this as well with different locations and dynamic poses. It ends a bit wistfully too. Hmm.

#5: 2 stars
Not much to say. Necessary plot and backstory

#6: 3 stars
Aww, during a checkup, Ito remembers his deceased spouse. And he has a chance encounter with a new friend.

#7: 2 stars
Hmm

#8 3 stars
Interesting!

I love Toby and Chloe's story. Who knew robots could make you feel all warm and tingly inside. c: Onda's story is so doggone boring. Like, what's the point? Ito and Chloe/Toby's story was so much more impactful. what was the connection to the lady wanting Ito to come back as a man?

Overall, the stories are a little disjointed and take a while to form any type of thread, but it's worth the wait.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

A baker's dozen of short sci-fi works, in a ligne clair-styled manga fashion, based on robot/human and robot/robot interactions. A "jillionaire" collector seeks a specific robot for his long-standing collection, except he doesn't; there is grief for the robots who didn't survive clearing a nuclear disaster for us humans; a robot gets to sit and ponder all of Japan's classic little beats of life – the birth of a cow, the village dance festival, putting up a shelf for an old man – as part of his work in the gig economy; and slowly we see how they might all be connected. Which would be a better thing if some of the stories weren't impenetrable nonentities, and the character design some of the weakest out there. But at least the sparse style makes this a very quick scan.

[Chiararp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piacevolissima scoperta. Letto comodamente sulle poltrone della biblioteca Panizzi, è stato un bel viaggio.
Il titolo è esplicativo: futuro distopico, mondo controllato da robot, genere umano praticamente estinto, ambientazioni Asimoviane.
Disegni puliti, minimalisti, un perfetto mix tra la matita orientale e quella occidentale. Mi son soffermata spesso su tavole che mi hanno emozionata nel vero senso della parola.

[Mariano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demoledor. El estilo clásico de dibujo es hermoso y de la mano de la narrativa más moderna se siente como algo súper nuevo. Los climas, los silencios, las historias que empiezan a conectarse y cómo se va al carajo con la escala temporal es una hermosura.

Está tan bien narrado el paso de siglos y siglos que me terminé angustiando adsfhjajaaj el lector de manga menos emocional.

[Amanda K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drawn in a deceptively simple style. Each story is beautifully poignant.

[Nina Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

*A copy of this book was given to me for free but the review is my own*

I did not know what to expect when I started this manga as I don't always go for omnibuses of short stories (I tend to like longer series). However, I was drawn into the work immediately. Toranosuke Shimada's manga is an honestly very beautiful collection of stories that weave a narrative in which humans are the side characters complimenting the story of robots and their own cultural evolution as the human population begins to decline. However, I thought this story was unique in that it wasn't presented as a dystopian but rather a hopeful expression of humanity continuing to exist even when humans themselves were not present. While there were sad moments throughout, the tone is overall positive.

It was very artfully told with almost all humans having no names (just titles like "doctor," for example), but all the prominent robot characters were named. My favorite stories involved "Maria" (the character on the cover!). Some of her stories were told with little to no dialogue, but there was never a lack of clarity. This also gives credit to the excellent artwork throughout. All lineart with no screentones or shading was used to make certain scenes feel very crowded and lively and other ones sparse and desolate. As an added bonus, the cover for this book is so lovely with spot gloss over all the lineart and color on the front. Even though I'm usually more concerned with the inside of a book than the outside, it's always a treat when something just looks good on your bookshelf.

The only negative I have for this book is that I did really want more of some of the stories. None of them felt incomplete with the exception of Toby and Chloe's story that ended a bit abruptly for me, but I don't consider wanting more stories a negative overall.

This manga is perfect for fans of O Human Star by Blue Delliquanti especially in its treatment of AI and what it means to be human. I'm absolutely going to seek out more works by Toranosuke Shimada because this book was a delight through and through. A very easy 5 stars!

[kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

at first, i didn’t like this book. the short stories centered around robots and technology felt random and almost meaningless as i didn’t feel an attachment to the characters a curiosity in the story. the stories were so short and fast with barely any words that i almost gave up, but i’m glad i didn’t. as you keep reading, you realize that the stories do start to follow familiar characters that make you a bit more invested in their story long term. but i still had issues with it. the robots floating in space that were told their back up mission was to be happy if they didn’t find another inhabitable planet? then they’re talking about sharing data while they have their battery on for 5 seconds every six months to make it to earth? and then all the sudden fast forward to they’re picking mushrooms with their growing child? like? i’m confused? i thought they were floating in space and couldn’t find a planet? i didn’t think they had the capability to reproduce? and throughout the story i thought they didn’t experience human emotions, but they do end up feeling happiness and curiosity, so doesn’t that mean they’d also experience sadness? and disappointment? and loneliness? that one girl that was just monitoring radiation levels on a distant planet for 30,000 years alone? if she experienced curiosity and happiness, surely she would also have to experience loneliness and sadness when humans / robots / animal robot humans whatever stop visiting? i did like that this wasn’t what i picture when i think of a traditional manga but it still didn’t really blow me away

[Zanny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It tells a story spanning across thousands of years, interconnected by a few key robots who experience memory and the passage of time different from humans. I really like the way these two themes - memory and time - were explored. Identity has a really interesting tie to this as well, especially with Ito and Simon Chan, where I was pleasantly surprised to see memory and gender identity being played with in a really unique way. I was particularly struck by the character of Maria/Onda, who exists in isolation over the span of 100,000 years, with only pockets of contact coming every so often to update her on the state of the world. Maria has been programmed for a kind of lonely existence that no human could even conceive of, and the book takes great pains to remind us of what robots are capable of compared to humans. There is an interesting side-plot where we can see humans slowly regressing to a proto-evolutionary state, while the robots gain precognition, reject human design, and ultimately transcend to an existence of pure data.

Art style was reminiscent of Astro Boy, which gave the entire book a story of nostalgic science fiction feel. Overall really enjoyable and unique read.