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ゆうやけトリップ / Yuuyake Trip #1
Nightfall Travelers: Leave Only Footprints, Vol. 1
Urban Exploration is Best Done at Dusk
High schooler Ninamori Akane is assigned by the newspaper club to report on local places that are rumored to be haunted. She asks the new transfer student, Amemura Fujino, to join her, and together they discover the simple truths behind the spooky stories. Their friendship grows as they explore their town of labyrinthine paths and endless stairways.
High schooler Ninamori Akane is assigned by the newspaper club to report on local places that are rumored to be haunted. She asks the new transfer student, Amemura Fujino, to join her, and together they discover the simple truths behind the spooky stories. Their friendship grows as they explore their town of labyrinthine paths and endless stairways.
144 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 27, 2022
Akane is a cute young middle schooler (I think) who is part of her school's newpaper club. She's been rather halfhearted about participating until she's suddenly called on to cover the rumored haunted sites around town. New transfer student Fujino joins her on her excursions as they ferret out their area's spooky secrets.
"Take only photographs, leave only footprints" is a motto of nature and urban explorers, and it's an appropriate English title for this manga whose emphasis is on coming to appreciate the sights right around you. It reminds me a lot of Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! and Girls' Last Tour in being not about plot or character; instead it's about setting a mood and letting the reader get absorbed into its setting through the perambulations of its leads. (And, for me the non-artist, to be impressed with how effortless the draftsmanship seems.)
The haunted mysteries aren't much! Between the two, Akane and Fujino decide it can be more fun to let a legend continue, and they especially don't want to disillusion younger kids, so they don't reveal the mundane truths behind some of the sites they visit. On the whole, the story has a laid-back, gentle vibe that would probably put me right to sleep in an anime, but which is just about right in a manga volume with less than 150 pages.
One thing I mildly dislike about the art is that often the human figures are drawn with really thick lines and very little detail. In the backgrounds, this approach has an impressionistic or watercolor-like effect that's very nice, but I don't think it works as well with the people, especially the main characters. I very much liked the color section in the middle of the book, which was perfectly placed for a striking, wondrous effect. The single-page interludes showing Akane arriving home after her journeys were fun, too.
I've been impressed with Seven Seas' physical presentations for their titles recently, and this is no exception. Along with the aforementioned color section, this is a larger-trim book (5 7/8" x 8 1/4") with a glossy cover and light embossing on the title. A nice item to have on one's bookshelf. Much like Girls' Last Tour I don't see this lasting much longer than a handful of volumes, but I'm certainly willing to continue to explore Yoinosaka along with the girls for a little while.
"Take only photographs, leave only footprints" is a motto of nature and urban explorers, and it's an appropriate English title for this manga whose emphasis is on coming to appreciate the sights right around you. It reminds me a lot of Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! and Girls' Last Tour in being not about plot or character; instead it's about setting a mood and letting the reader get absorbed into its setting through the perambulations of its leads. (And, for me the non-artist, to be impressed with how effortless the draftsmanship seems.)
The haunted mysteries aren't much! Between the two, Akane and Fujino decide it can be more fun to let a legend continue, and they especially don't want to disillusion younger kids, so they don't reveal the mundane truths behind some of the sites they visit. On the whole, the story has a laid-back, gentle vibe that would probably put me right to sleep in an anime, but which is just about right in a manga volume with less than 150 pages.
One thing I mildly dislike about the art is that often the human figures are drawn with really thick lines and very little detail. In the backgrounds, this approach has an impressionistic or watercolor-like effect that's very nice, but I don't think it works as well with the people, especially the main characters. I very much liked the color section in the middle of the book, which was perfectly placed for a striking, wondrous effect. The single-page interludes showing Akane arriving home after her journeys were fun, too.
I've been impressed with Seven Seas' physical presentations for their titles recently, and this is no exception. Along with the aforementioned color section, this is a larger-trim book (5 7/8" x 8 1/4") with a glossy cover and light embossing on the title. A nice item to have on one's bookshelf. Much like Girls' Last Tour I don't see this lasting much longer than a handful of volumes, but I'm certainly willing to continue to explore Yoinosaka along with the girls for a little while.
June 1, 2022
As a silent member of her school’s newspaper club, Ninamori gets assigned to visit some of her town’s many haunted locations. With the quiet new transfer student, Amemura, in tow, the two embark on a series of discoveries that finds the magic lurking behind the everyday and the joys of newfound friendship.
Well, this certainly wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, in all the best ways possible. It’s a sedate, thoughtful travelogue that chronicles both the story of a very “haunted” town and the two girls who are proving that it really isn’t.
Each chapter is largely the same - Ninamori needs to visit a spot that has some rumoured supernatural events connected to it, she and Amemura take their time and chat on the way, then they find what’s really behind these sightings, which is always a very plausible, mystery-esque explanation. They bond over the how beautiful the world can be, and repeat.
The first thing that’s likely to grab the reader, however, is the sumptuous and thick watercolour art that gives everything a lovely painted quality that makes it resemble a fancy anime ending, to my mind, but is still rife with tons of details and conveys a lot of character from just about everything on the page.
Even as our two leads chatter away, little flourishes are visible all over the artwork and it’s a treat being able to pick out so many of them. The town itself is the clear third character, as Ninamori supplies a tour guide’s worth of knowledge over the course of the volume and things and places keep coming back into the narrative (which I love - how many times do past things get brought up like this in a manga?). The twisting and sprawling design gives it a beautiful, lived-in look.
Our two leads are fun, with Amemura being quite tall and lanky and Ninamori being roughly half her height. The former girl is clearly the quiet one in their class, with the latter being the ball of energy, but they mesh together seamlessly. Their friendship is just quietly developing amongst their excursions like the easiest thing in the world and they seem to have a lot of fun.
Now, don’t think it will escape the savvy reader’s attention that there’s a long-lost legend of the school that describes a ghost pretty much exactly like Amemura and we never see her interact with anyone but Ninamori either. Her complexion is awfully pale as well.
There’s clearly some playing around with that idea, but the two also have direct physical interaction at one point and Amemura definitely has some existence when Ninamori isn’t around, so it’s a cute bit of a tease for an ongoing mystery for later. And I don’t mean that kind of physical interaction, although there are some definite blushes here and there.
It will certainly be too slow for some. This is a story that is taking its time and appreciating local sights and the rich history that towns develop. Consequently, it has a LOT to say about its setting and has zero compunction of making sure it says it all. It’s also true that there’s no real variation amongst the chapters short of the locations. Those of you who are at all interested from the description, however, will likely be well rewarded for the time invested.
In particular, one of the middle chapters has the girls investigating a rumour about a hill where you can hear ghosts whispering. There’s a certain moment in that story that literally made me stop and go, “Oh”, out loud. There aren’t many manga that can feel like capital-a Art in a particular moment like that and combined with the denouement to that particular story, which is quite different from the rest of them, it’s really something special that was worth experiencing.
5 stars - I don’t get to be shocked into verbal utterances by a book terribly often and this was already a very solid 4 stars to begin with, so I think that little moment of beauty tips it over for me. With great art, two enjoyable characters to spend time with, and a fun conceit, it’s a rather delightful way to spend some reading time.
Well, this certainly wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, in all the best ways possible. It’s a sedate, thoughtful travelogue that chronicles both the story of a very “haunted” town and the two girls who are proving that it really isn’t.
Each chapter is largely the same - Ninamori needs to visit a spot that has some rumoured supernatural events connected to it, she and Amemura take their time and chat on the way, then they find what’s really behind these sightings, which is always a very plausible, mystery-esque explanation. They bond over the how beautiful the world can be, and repeat.
The first thing that’s likely to grab the reader, however, is the sumptuous and thick watercolour art that gives everything a lovely painted quality that makes it resemble a fancy anime ending, to my mind, but is still rife with tons of details and conveys a lot of character from just about everything on the page.
Even as our two leads chatter away, little flourishes are visible all over the artwork and it’s a treat being able to pick out so many of them. The town itself is the clear third character, as Ninamori supplies a tour guide’s worth of knowledge over the course of the volume and things and places keep coming back into the narrative (which I love - how many times do past things get brought up like this in a manga?). The twisting and sprawling design gives it a beautiful, lived-in look.
Our two leads are fun, with Amemura being quite tall and lanky and Ninamori being roughly half her height. The former girl is clearly the quiet one in their class, with the latter being the ball of energy, but they mesh together seamlessly. Their friendship is just quietly developing amongst their excursions like the easiest thing in the world and they seem to have a lot of fun.
Now, don’t think it will escape the savvy reader’s attention that there’s a long-lost legend of the school that describes a ghost pretty much exactly like Amemura and we never see her interact with anyone but Ninamori either. Her complexion is awfully pale as well.
There’s clearly some playing around with that idea, but the two also have direct physical interaction at one point and Amemura definitely has some existence when Ninamori isn’t around, so it’s a cute bit of a tease for an ongoing mystery for later. And I don’t mean that kind of physical interaction, although there are some definite blushes here and there.
It will certainly be too slow for some. This is a story that is taking its time and appreciating local sights and the rich history that towns develop. Consequently, it has a LOT to say about its setting and has zero compunction of making sure it says it all. It’s also true that there’s no real variation amongst the chapters short of the locations. Those of you who are at all interested from the description, however, will likely be well rewarded for the time invested.
In particular, one of the middle chapters has the girls investigating a rumour about a hill where you can hear ghosts whispering. There’s a certain moment in that story that literally made me stop and go, “Oh”, out loud. There aren’t many manga that can feel like capital-a Art in a particular moment like that and combined with the denouement to that particular story, which is quite different from the rest of them, it’s really something special that was worth experiencing.
5 stars - I don’t get to be shocked into verbal utterances by a book terribly often and this was already a very solid 4 stars to begin with, so I think that little moment of beauty tips it over for me. With great art, two enjoyable characters to spend time with, and a fun conceit, it’s a rather delightful way to spend some reading time.
June 21, 2022
Each of the stories in this volume was cute snapshots watching these two girls develop a friendship as they look around these "haunted" locations. It was a lot more light heart than I originally expected it to be.
However, I struggled with the edition I had. The black and white pages were muddy and hard to read. It felt like they were colored pages originally that were hastily made black and white. They needed more contrast if you really wanted to feel the atmosphere of each of these "haunted" locations. I feel like part of the story was lost because you really couldn't see what was going on.
However, I struggled with the edition I had. The black and white pages were muddy and hard to read. It felt like they were colored pages originally that were hastily made black and white. They needed more contrast if you really wanted to feel the atmosphere of each of these "haunted" locations. I feel like part of the story was lost because you really couldn't see what was going on.
June 13, 2022
okay WHAT. I knew immediately after the first chapter that this would be a new favorite. each chapter follows ninamori and amemura as they explore their town's 'haunted' locations, doing some light investigative work to figure out the truth behind the myths. I loved how it wasn't really focused on debunking the stories, but more so just figuring out the mysteries to provide answers and even comfort to the townspeople. the friendship that blossoms between the two detectives is just too wholesome. each chapter is also followed by a 4-koma page that shows ninamori once she gets home, usually greeting her family, bathing, then falling asleep while reminiscing on the day's adventure.
the art here is super unique and beautiful, especially the color panels...though I understand some complaints I've read about it being slightly blurry. the style is watercolor-esque and not quite as sharp, making some of the very dark black and white panels are a bit vague. that being said, I still very much enjoyed the art as a whole.
I thought that one of the last chapters here would have a surprise regarding amemura...she has one panel asking if ninamori believes in ghosts, which made me expect her to reveal she is actually some kind of spirit. amemura doesn't really interact with anyone else, and she's a bit of a mystery, being a transfer student that is quiet and keeps to herself mostly. but amemura definitely seems to be corporeal, as she catches amemura once from falling down a canal. we'll see if this story takes a truly supernatural twist at all.
I just loved this so much. Cannot wait to get the next volume later this year.
the art here is super unique and beautiful, especially the color panels...though I understand some complaints I've read about it being slightly blurry. the style is watercolor-esque and not quite as sharp, making some of the very dark black and white panels are a bit vague. that being said, I still very much enjoyed the art as a whole.
I thought that one of the last chapters here would have a surprise regarding amemura...she has one panel asking if ninamori believes in ghosts, which made me expect her to reveal she is actually some kind of spirit. amemura doesn't really interact with anyone else, and she's a bit of a mystery, being a transfer student that is quiet and keeps to herself mostly. but amemura definitely seems to be corporeal, as she catches amemura once from falling down a canal. we'll see if this story takes a truly supernatural twist at all.
I just loved this so much. Cannot wait to get the next volume later this year.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2025
Cute, sweet, ambient, unexpected.
This is pretty much the opposite of what I expected, but that's ok. The girls are cute and have instant and natural camaraderie that makes it easy to fall in step with them on their little journeys. The ambience is palpable and the art really helps to create the mood and sell the story. They're fast friends, as if they've grown up together.
Each adventure is short and rather simple with one page intermissions as Akane arrives home for the evening. There's a color section in the middle of the book that arrives beautifully and is just perfectly drawn and colored. As far as we know, none of the locales are actually haunted, so we don't get any ghosts, but learning and adventuring with these two is unexpectedly serene as they seek the truth and admire the beauty of the world around them.
I have a theory that's probably not surprising, but I'll spoiler tag it in case.
When I bought this, I wanted actual ghost stories. Something of a Halloweenish read. This definitely isn't that and I can't say I would've gotten it had I known what it really is. But! It's such a peaceful, lovely read that I'm glad I did buy it, and the 2nd book, because it's just what I needed in a high stress moment. I found myself smiling for no real reason other than being sucked into the book's atmosphere.
This is pretty much the opposite of what I expected, but that's ok. The girls are cute and have instant and natural camaraderie that makes it easy to fall in step with them on their little journeys. The ambience is palpable and the art really helps to create the mood and sell the story. They're fast friends, as if they've grown up together.
Each adventure is short and rather simple with one page intermissions as Akane arrives home for the evening. There's a color section in the middle of the book that arrives beautifully and is just perfectly drawn and colored. As far as we know, none of the locales are actually haunted, so we don't get any ghosts, but learning and adventuring with these two is unexpectedly serene as they seek the truth and admire the beauty of the world around them.
I have a theory that's probably not surprising, but I'll spoiler tag it in case.
When I bought this, I wanted actual ghost stories. Something of a Halloweenish read. This definitely isn't that and I can't say I would've gotten it had I known what it really is. But! It's such a peaceful, lovely read that I'm glad I did buy it, and the 2nd book, because it's just what I needed in a high stress moment. I found myself smiling for no real reason other than being sucked into the book's atmosphere.
January 12, 2025
More like 3.5⭐️
Really enjoyable but not a omg I want more right now! Still i will read the second one because the little girl is adorable hihi
Really enjoyable but not a omg I want more right now! Still i will read the second one because the little girl is adorable hihi
July 10, 2022
Charming!
August 4, 2022
Loved the curiosity, the appreciation of scenery and beauty in small things and the friendship. I wonder about Amemura though...
December 16, 2022
I wrote a review, but goodreads crashed halfway... anyway, 3.5 stars.
This is lovely creepy cuteness and has a soft paintery style with full colour sunset themed pages = yes please!
I love the idea of discovering the mysteries behind spoopy places and both main characters are wholesome cuteness.
I was surprised by its themes of loss and related themes and how well this volume worked as a self-contained story.
It's very low stakes and slice of life, so I'm satisfied with just one volume even though I liked it.
This is lovely creepy cuteness and has a soft paintery style with full colour sunset themed pages = yes please!
I love the idea of discovering the mysteries behind spoopy places and both main characters are wholesome cuteness.
I was surprised by its themes of loss and related themes and how well this volume worked as a self-contained story.
It's very low stakes and slice of life, so I'm satisfied with just one volume even though I liked it.
June 11, 2022
I'm so bummed with this one! Truly, this one was meant to be a full color story, as that is very clear from the art style. Sadly, the publisher decided to not do that, and so the art looks blurry and bad, which isn't fair to the artist of this.
The story was really promising, but the edition that I read wasn't really readable.
The story was really promising, but the edition that I read wasn't really readable.
November 15, 2022
This was a delightful story of two girls who become closer all while exploring their town.
Ninamori Akane is in the journalism club & is tasked with investigating local spots home to spooky stories. She asks fellow student Amemura Fujino to join her on investigations. The two girls become closer while discussing their town and themselves.
The town of Yoinosaka is beautiful and dense, full of houses and shops & making full use of the mountainous terrain. This leads to a town that feels like one you could get lost in. I also adored the use of shadows / night to contrast the warm summery days, it almost like you can feel a drop in temperature when they get closer to the spooky locales.
The art style is sketch like, with thick almost watercolor like textures. The buildings and surrounding scenery are captivating. The designs of the characters and city are beautiful to look at, and the color pages around halfway and in the beginning are so vibrant and lively.
This was a wonderful first volume, while each chapter is episodic in a way, you still leave each chapter feeling like you've learned something not just about the setting but the leads as well. I'm excited for the next volume!
Ninamori Akane is in the journalism club & is tasked with investigating local spots home to spooky stories. She asks fellow student Amemura Fujino to join her on investigations. The two girls become closer while discussing their town and themselves.
The town of Yoinosaka is beautiful and dense, full of houses and shops & making full use of the mountainous terrain. This leads to a town that feels like one you could get lost in. I also adored the use of shadows / night to contrast the warm summery days, it almost like you can feel a drop in temperature when they get closer to the spooky locales.
The art style is sketch like, with thick almost watercolor like textures. The buildings and surrounding scenery are captivating. The designs of the characters and city are beautiful to look at, and the color pages around halfway and in the beginning are so vibrant and lively.
This was a wonderful first volume, while each chapter is episodic in a way, you still leave each chapter feeling like you've learned something not just about the setting but the leads as well. I'm excited for the next volume!
July 15, 2022
What a lovely book. It's quiet and gentle and heartwarming, and it made me very happy to read it. The story at a base level is just my thing: two girls explore spooky urban legends in their town and discover what's really happening there. That alone would make it fun, but it's just as much about the sweet growing friendship between the two girls. The art is going to turn off some readers, because it has this misty painted aesthetic that I'm not sure translated as intended in black and white. I still liked it, because that misty effect felt like it suited the story. Definitely on board for the next volume.
December 12, 2025
The publisher really did this one dirty by publishing in black and white. The few color pages are stunning and the art is lovely but converted into black and white it looks super muddy. There were some parts where I felt like I might be missing something because details were just gone. Like others have said this was clearly meant to be a stunning color work and given how important art is to the manga medium it's tragic they made this choice. The story is cute and set up to go somewhere interesting as well but I am on the fence about continuing if this is the print quality we'll be getting.
January 26, 2023
One of the books you buy solely for the words "urban exploration" and for the pretty art. Honestly, this manga jumps leaps in bounds in it's gorgeous illustration opening up a world of black and white water-color/paint esque panels into bright bold beautiful colors.
My only wish? The plot was more captivating!! It honestly had so much opportunity, and I'm holding out for the future volumes to really rescue the series.
Until then, I will longingly stare at the cover image with adoration.
My only wish? The plot was more captivating!! It honestly had so much opportunity, and I'm holding out for the future volumes to really rescue the series.
Until then, I will longingly stare at the cover image with adoration.
July 25, 2022
A warm, nostalgic-feeling episodic manga exploring a densely-built, steeply hilly Japanese town with two classmates investigating local haunting-rumors in the hours after school for a school paper project. The girls get to know each other better as they discover the simple (non-paranormal) truths behind the urban legends. A light feel-good read with beautifully-imagined settings.
February 21, 2023
‘If only I could stay on this long road home forever. I can’t imagine how happy I’d be. I found myself wishing for that. As we walked together through the town after the rain… everything we saw was sparkling brightly, bringing us joy.’
This was so fun, and I’m glad that I found a lighthearted graphic novel (without sexism), with basically just two girls having fun exploring ghost stories🥰
This was so fun, and I’m glad that I found a lighthearted graphic novel (without sexism), with basically just two girls having fun exploring ghost stories🥰
January 6, 2024
i picked up this by chance on my local library, the art style looked cute so i was curious.
i definitely wasn't expecting to get emotional over it.
is a really cozy read, again the art style is so soft and nice to see. the story is simple but lovely and i love both main characters. i feel that maybe there's more to this, but who knows.
anyways! really nice read, can't wait to read more of it
i definitely wasn't expecting to get emotional over it.
is a really cozy read, again the art style is so soft and nice to see. the story is simple but lovely and i love both main characters. i feel that maybe there's more to this, but who knows.
anyways! really nice read, can't wait to read more of it
November 4, 2025
I liked this book a lot. I like how mysterious Amemura is and how the author is hinting on who she is. I think I know pretty well who she is but I’m not gonna tell you. I guess my friends who read my review will have to find out when they pick up this book. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next volume. But I’m a little worried that it might be a little sad.
May 2, 2023
This is such a sweet and cozy read! I really appreciate the art style (it's like a watercolor/sketching style?). This will be a future re-read & I will be reading the second volume when it's released.
October 3, 2023
definitely would’ve preferred it if there had been some actual supernatural elements but the art style was absolutely gorgeous, especially in the middle of the books when they’re looking at the sunset and the pages are colourful. absolutely stunning that part
September 6, 2022
What a lovely start to a series.
Read
September 19, 2022So wholesome I wish the next one would come out sooner
October 28, 2022
Cute characters and a really fun concept. Unfortunately the art, while excellent in the full-color pages, is really muddy in the grayscale pages, which are most of the book.
January 1, 2023
4.6 rounded up
March 11, 2023
3.5 and rounding up
This was a cute read with fun concepts and beautiful art - the color panels were especially well done.
This was a cute read with fun concepts and beautiful art - the color panels were especially well done.
June 30, 2023
Cosy and cute <3
December 10, 2023
very cute
December 13, 2023
Cute story that left some open questions. Good for younger teens.
January 26, 2024
it wasn't bad but it was boring to me
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews