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Your Forma Manga #1
Your Forma (Manga), Vol. 1
In an alternate near future, the Your Forma, a miraculous “smart thread” technology initially developed to treat a massive outbreak of viral encephalitis, has become an integral part of daily life. But these convenient devices also record every sight, sound, and emotion their users experience.
For Electronic Investigator Echika Hieda, diving into peoples’ memories via the Your Forma and hunting for evidence is all part of a day’s work. The problem is, she’s so adept at what she does that her assistants literally fry their brains trying to keep up with her. After putting one too many aides in the hospital, the top brass finally furnish Echika with a partner on her level, a brilliant yet cheeky android named Harold Lucraft. But can Echika put her prejudices against robots aside to solve the most complex case of her career?
For Electronic Investigator Echika Hieda, diving into peoples’ memories via the Your Forma and hunting for evidence is all part of a day’s work. The problem is, she’s so adept at what she does that her assistants literally fry their brains trying to keep up with her. After putting one too many aides in the hospital, the top brass finally furnish Echika with a partner on her level, a brilliant yet cheeky android named Harold Lucraft. But can Echika put her prejudices against robots aside to solve the most complex case of her career?
196 pages, Paperback
Published January 17, 2023
1 person is currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
Yoshinori Kisaragi
18 books2 followersKISARAGI Yoshinori
Name (in native language): 如月芳規
広く浅く絵描き。
Vastly shallow artist.
停止中。復帰はうまくいったら2015年夏か秋くらい！それまで皆様お元気で☆｜･ω･)ﾉ
In hiatus. If all goes well, I'll be back around summer or fall 2015! Until then, be well, everyone. ☆｜･ω･)ﾉ
Name (in native language): 如月芳規
広く浅く絵描き。
Vastly shallow artist.
停止中。復帰はうまくいったら2015年夏か秋くらい！それまで皆様お元気で☆｜･ω･)ﾉ
In hiatus. If all goes well, I'll be back around summer or fall 2015! Until then, be well, everyone. ☆｜･ω･)ﾉ
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 22, 2024
FIRST IMPRESSION VIDEO HERE: https://youtu.be/NSm6fw3FjZY
This was such an incredible first volume!!
I didn't really know what to expect since this isn't my usual genre, but a friend gifted me a digital copy and I was hooked after a few pages! The art, the banter between our leads, the mystery, the ending, everything was so gripping and really left me wondering how Echika would handle it all.
Speaking of, I LOVED her! She is a very intriguing character because I feel she really tries to suppress her emotions but is struggling in doing so and doesn't seem to want to fully maybe? I guess you would say she was an enigma in many ways, but I really loved those moments where she shows more "humanity" than Harold, which is interesting considering Harold IS a robot.
And speaking of him, I also LOVED him! Oh my goodness, he is so cheeky!! I don't know how many times he made me laugh on page and found he really liven things up! However, it sometimes made me feel bad for Echika due to her struggling with her strong dislike for robots but also realizing that Harold is the perfect partner for her in many ways.
The mystery itself was fantastic and left me guessing! Include that with the "your forma" device and I felt on the edge of my seat! Plus the art really brought the entire world to life!
Overall, I am extremely impressed and definitely looking forward to reading more!!
This was such an incredible first volume!!
I didn't really know what to expect since this isn't my usual genre, but a friend gifted me a digital copy and I was hooked after a few pages! The art, the banter between our leads, the mystery, the ending, everything was so gripping and really left me wondering how Echika would handle it all.
Speaking of, I LOVED her! She is a very intriguing character because I feel she really tries to suppress her emotions but is struggling in doing so and doesn't seem to want to fully maybe? I guess you would say she was an enigma in many ways, but I really loved those moments where she shows more "humanity" than Harold, which is interesting considering Harold IS a robot.
And speaking of him, I also LOVED him! Oh my goodness, he is so cheeky!! I don't know how many times he made me laugh on page and found he really liven things up! However, it sometimes made me feel bad for Echika due to her struggling with her strong dislike for robots but also realizing that Harold is the perfect partner for her in many ways.
The mystery itself was fantastic and left me guessing! Include that with the "your forma" device and I felt on the edge of my seat! Plus the art really brought the entire world to life!
Overall, I am extremely impressed and definitely looking forward to reading more!!
April 11, 2025
[CW: Child abuse]
Technology may change, but crime remains the same. With everybody hooked up with a Your Forma, basically an implanted iPhone, it just means hacking is a bit more serious. Enter Hieda, the frosty expert at diving into peoples’ minds and her string of useless partners. Except that Harold, her new partner, is shockingly adept and also not human. And she couldn’t hate him more if she tried.
If there’s a genre that I think is particularly difficult to write, sci-fi mystery thriller has got to be up there. You have to introduce your setting and gimmick, but then need to be very careful about your rules or you don’t engage the audience at all because your solution is basically just add more rules.
Which is why this is kind of a miracle. Despite a slow start, this just blossoms to life as it goes, helped by two very ‘mismatched and therefore well-matched’ partners and a story that’s smart and compelling straight through to the ending. It’s been a hot minute since I was genuinely disappointed at a book wrapping up.
First, this technology seems unlikely, except it also seems like a lot of people would be dumb enough to just cram their phone in their head for some of the perks it offers. Immediately this story shows it knows what’s up - the Your Forma system is free, but the caveat is that the company begins to plaster the objects in your vision with advertisements. That is exactly what would happen and don’t tell me otherwise.
Hieda is the typical frost queen, but she is dedicated and focused on getting the job done no matter the cost. This is, yes, a big cover for her vulnerable side, with good reason it turns out, but she always comes off as more emotionless than the androids floating around the story, known here as amicus.
Until Harold arrives and proves to be the android from hell, by virtue of being nice and thoughtful and endlessly charming (and an utter womanizer, as turns out). He’s more human than she acts, and their back and forth is mostly excellent.
I won’t be shocked if this does the romance thing, although Harold wouldn’t be too choosy over anybody (amicus or not) it seems. And Hieda loses all of her precious walls bit by bit and, interestingly, she is not happy about it.
The reason their partnership is so good is because it taps into Harold’s abilities as a detective, as he’s basically got the observational skills of Sherlock Holmes and can put together the information that only Hieda can pick up. It contrasts nicely with how inhumane some of his treatment is (that business with the plane, joke that it is, is brutally cruel on all fronts).
The case they’re on is a clever bit of psychosomatic hacking that has people in dire peril because… they think they are. The suspect they’re chasing for the majority of the volume proves to have their own tragic backstory (cleverly used to show how Hieda’s laser focus works against her) and the way they find them is also smart.
In case it’s not obvious, this is a smart story and even without a lot of traditional action it keeps pushing through at a really strong pace, such that I went through it very quickly for something so talky. It’s an excellent adaptation, balancing the art and writing quite nicely.
It’s not perfect, sadly, though it comes precariously close. The infodump at the beginning IS real and it does overwhelm a bit at times. Once free of this, the story really starts to soar, but the take-off’s definitely a bit wobbly.
There’s an art to elegantly conveying your setting and this does some of it well, with the advertising business, for example, but when you’re focusing on a thing within a thing (we have to learn what Your Forma is and then how the crime/investigation stuff works in rapid succession) it clogs the narrative.
Also the naming is weird. I get Your Forma as a brand name, but it also sucks, because the grammar snob in me can’t handle your Your Forma as a viable sentence (Yoyofo?). And Harold Lucraft is either foreshadowing the elder gods or a very distracting name that didn’t need to exist.
Which is ultimately very small potatoes, frankly, in the overall picture. When I think back on this story, it’s the really strong parts that spring to mind and how badly I wanted the next volume when this one wrapped up (okay, the revelation at the end is a bit much, but I will allow it for now).
4.5 stars - I think I have to give this one the full five, just because it was so good at doing something I think isn’t easy to do well, yet it makes look incredibly simple. That’s a rare talent.
Technology may change, but crime remains the same. With everybody hooked up with a Your Forma, basically an implanted iPhone, it just means hacking is a bit more serious. Enter Hieda, the frosty expert at diving into peoples’ minds and her string of useless partners. Except that Harold, her new partner, is shockingly adept and also not human. And she couldn’t hate him more if she tried.
If there’s a genre that I think is particularly difficult to write, sci-fi mystery thriller has got to be up there. You have to introduce your setting and gimmick, but then need to be very careful about your rules or you don’t engage the audience at all because your solution is basically just add more rules.
Which is why this is kind of a miracle. Despite a slow start, this just blossoms to life as it goes, helped by two very ‘mismatched and therefore well-matched’ partners and a story that’s smart and compelling straight through to the ending. It’s been a hot minute since I was genuinely disappointed at a book wrapping up.
First, this technology seems unlikely, except it also seems like a lot of people would be dumb enough to just cram their phone in their head for some of the perks it offers. Immediately this story shows it knows what’s up - the Your Forma system is free, but the caveat is that the company begins to plaster the objects in your vision with advertisements. That is exactly what would happen and don’t tell me otherwise.
Hieda is the typical frost queen, but she is dedicated and focused on getting the job done no matter the cost. This is, yes, a big cover for her vulnerable side, with good reason it turns out, but she always comes off as more emotionless than the androids floating around the story, known here as amicus.
Until Harold arrives and proves to be the android from hell, by virtue of being nice and thoughtful and endlessly charming (and an utter womanizer, as turns out). He’s more human than she acts, and their back and forth is mostly excellent.
I won’t be shocked if this does the romance thing, although Harold wouldn’t be too choosy over anybody (amicus or not) it seems. And Hieda loses all of her precious walls bit by bit and, interestingly, she is not happy about it.
The reason their partnership is so good is because it taps into Harold’s abilities as a detective, as he’s basically got the observational skills of Sherlock Holmes and can put together the information that only Hieda can pick up. It contrasts nicely with how inhumane some of his treatment is (that business with the plane, joke that it is, is brutally cruel on all fronts).
The case they’re on is a clever bit of psychosomatic hacking that has people in dire peril because… they think they are. The suspect they’re chasing for the majority of the volume proves to have their own tragic backstory (cleverly used to show how Hieda’s laser focus works against her) and the way they find them is also smart.
In case it’s not obvious, this is a smart story and even without a lot of traditional action it keeps pushing through at a really strong pace, such that I went through it very quickly for something so talky. It’s an excellent adaptation, balancing the art and writing quite nicely.
It’s not perfect, sadly, though it comes precariously close. The infodump at the beginning IS real and it does overwhelm a bit at times. Once free of this, the story really starts to soar, but the take-off’s definitely a bit wobbly.
There’s an art to elegantly conveying your setting and this does some of it well, with the advertising business, for example, but when you’re focusing on a thing within a thing (we have to learn what Your Forma is and then how the crime/investigation stuff works in rapid succession) it clogs the narrative.
Also the naming is weird. I get Your Forma as a brand name, but it also sucks, because the grammar snob in me can’t handle your Your Forma as a viable sentence (Yoyofo?). And Harold Lucraft is either foreshadowing the elder gods or a very distracting name that didn’t need to exist.
Which is ultimately very small potatoes, frankly, in the overall picture. When I think back on this story, it’s the really strong parts that spring to mind and how badly I wanted the next volume when this one wrapped up (okay, the revelation at the end is a bit much, but I will allow it for now).
4.5 stars - I think I have to give this one the full five, just because it was so good at doing something I think isn’t easy to do well, yet it makes look incredibly simple. That’s a rare talent.
June 9, 2023
Absolutely gorgeous manga! The artwork is seriously incredible. And the plot/writing was also artfully done! I really enjoyed this one and I’m excited to read the next ones! 💕
March 23, 2023
Kind of a slow start, but I ended up loving this SF/mystery. I could do with more dream diving, because it's a really interesting concept that doesn't get as much use as it could have in this volume. Instead, the narrative is more concerned with world building, android-human relations, and actual mystery solving. I thought it was balanced fairly well. There's a good bit of explanation required, and the book does kind of rely on readers having basic SF knowledge, especially when it comes to Asimovian robots. Namechecking R Daneel brought me a lot of joy. I like the way the two characters work together, and that they each contribute to solving the mystery. This volume ends on a cliffhanger, and I will definitely be looking for the next.
August 17, 2023
Your Forma is more of a Sci-Fi mystery, with original story by Mareho Kikuishi, Yoshinori Kisaragi (Artist), and character design by Tsubata Nozaki
Here is the Amazon description: Your Forma—a “smart thread” installed directly into the brain that records all its user’s sensory perceptions and emotions. It’s Electronic Investigator Echika Hieda’s job to Dive into these recordings in search of clues to the world’s toughest and most serious crimes.
Unfortunately for anyone who’s ever been paired with Echika, her data processing abilities are so off-the-charts that she usually puts her partners in the hospital in the process. Interpol’s solution: assigning an Amicus—a sentient android named Harold Lucraft—to be her new aide. With the exception of his cheekiness, Harold would be everything Echika wants in a partner—if only she didn’t hate all Amicus with a burning passion…
Echika and Harold are investigating a mysterious virus that is infecting the Your Forma. The trail leads them to a young woman and more questions than answers. I love the interaction between the two main characters and I especially like Harold. Even though the storyline is serious, he provides some humor to the story as well. The version that I have, came out in January of 2023, but it looks like there might be some earlier versions, but I don’t know if they are somehow different from this release of the series. I look forward to reading Vol 2!
Here is the Amazon description: Your Forma—a “smart thread” installed directly into the brain that records all its user’s sensory perceptions and emotions. It’s Electronic Investigator Echika Hieda’s job to Dive into these recordings in search of clues to the world’s toughest and most serious crimes.
Unfortunately for anyone who’s ever been paired with Echika, her data processing abilities are so off-the-charts that she usually puts her partners in the hospital in the process. Interpol’s solution: assigning an Amicus—a sentient android named Harold Lucraft—to be her new aide. With the exception of his cheekiness, Harold would be everything Echika wants in a partner—if only she didn’t hate all Amicus with a burning passion…
Echika and Harold are investigating a mysterious virus that is infecting the Your Forma. The trail leads them to a young woman and more questions than answers. I love the interaction between the two main characters and I especially like Harold. Even though the storyline is serious, he provides some humor to the story as well. The version that I have, came out in January of 2023, but it looks like there might be some earlier versions, but I don’t know if they are somehow different from this release of the series. I look forward to reading Vol 2!
March 10, 2023
AI Sherlock Holmes meets robot prejudiced genius with a shadowy backstory.
Great first volume. The first chapter captured all of my interest. The story potential grabbed my attention. The cliff-hanger pulls me into anticipation. I like the mystery behind Harold. I like the underlying and slow reveal of Echika's background. Loving the pacing and world-building so far.
Great first volume. The first chapter captured all of my interest. The story potential grabbed my attention. The cliff-hanger pulls me into anticipation. I like the mystery behind Harold. I like the underlying and slow reveal of Echika's background. Loving the pacing and world-building so far.
December 27, 2023
A classic scifi manga with accessible and excellent world-building, handsome robots, and topical themes. With vibes from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, this international web weaves in indigenous lives (which is not the norm coming from Japan), the choice to partake in modern technology, and the very topical discussion of AI, this is a smash hit.
August 31, 2025
3.75
Interesting premise. Enjoyed the story and artstyle so far. I'll defintely give it another volume or two. My own personal fear is if I end up finding the data diving concept too dense or how to put it in the long run so it ends up feeling trivial.
Kudos to the artist for taking a virtual stroll through Kautokeino on google maps. =)
Interesting premise. Enjoyed the story and artstyle so far. I'll defintely give it another volume or two. My own personal fear is if I end up finding the data diving concept too dense or how to put it in the long run so it ends up feeling trivial.
Kudos to the artist for taking a virtual stroll through Kautokeino on google maps. =)
January 17, 2023
How can someone make a story where a human and a robot solve mysteries by diving into people's minds boring? Your Forma truly is a masterpiece of failure, considering how easy it is to make this premise interesting.
April 13, 2023
This was a fantastic adaptation! It had good pacing, revealed the worldbuilding at appropriate times, and gave great little flickers of Echika’s deeper second self in ways that were simpler and more effective than the (very good) original novel
July 7, 2023
A cool concept. I'm just "meh" on it. The characters annoyed me. They didn't seem very three dimensional. Plot was okay but didn't feel like anything special. But the worldbuilding was fantastic. It was in depth and well explained throughout. So overall, "meh."
March 20, 2023
I do NOT like Harold. AT ALL.
Why does she let him walk all over herself?!?!
Why does she let him walk all over herself?!?!
April 8, 2025
such a good start, definitely continuing!!! love the worldbuilding and the leads are interesting :3
June 17, 2025
An interesting series I had no idea what to expect when going into it. I like it!
October 28, 2025
I watched the anime first so I didn't know that this would essentially end up being a prequel to it. It's very well done and I'm looking forward to seeing how it continues in the next volume!
February 27, 2024
Sometime in the near future, humans willingly submitted to the installation of “Your Forma” devices - thin, string-like machines implanted in the brain that record everything the user interacts with. This was initially used to combat an outbreak of encephaitis, but it became a normal part of everyday life very quickly. Inspector Echika is with the Electronic Crimes Division of Interpol, and she’s a diver - someone who connects to another human's "your forma" and dives through the Mnemosynes of their brain to look for clues in solving crimes. She’s so gifted at this that she often burns out her Belayers - the aides who help a diver from going too deep into another person’s memories. Echika has newly been paired with Harold Lucraft, who is actually an Amicus - an advanced android, whose particular processing speeds can match hers. The main problem now? Echika hates Amici. But the two have been forced together on one of the biggest cases of Echika’s career: they must find the source of a machine-viral outbreak that causes its victims to hallucinate and believe they are in a blizzard.
There are a lot of really cool sci-fi elements to this, and it reminds me a lot of Ghost in the Shell, especially its grittiness. Clearly, we are meant to like Lucraft because he is so observant and knows how to be friendly towards humans, especially females, but so far, I haven’t found something that makes me really want to like him as a character. Right now, I’m on Echika’s side though for wildly different reasons. Hopefully, he gets developed more and isn't just treated as a cursory set piece. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the mystery that was built up in this first volume, and I'm curious how big this case will get before we get a different one for Echika to solve. There's a nice little cliffhanger at the end of this volume, so it could definitely spur readers into the next volume.
There are several instances of blood on the page, although no one has died yet. This might be a good sci-fi to hand to younger readers than the "Mature" rating Ghost In the Shell got.
Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 8-12
Read more graphic novel reviews at The Graphic Library.
There are a lot of really cool sci-fi elements to this, and it reminds me a lot of Ghost in the Shell, especially its grittiness. Clearly, we are meant to like Lucraft because he is so observant and knows how to be friendly towards humans, especially females, but so far, I haven’t found something that makes me really want to like him as a character. Right now, I’m on Echika’s side though for wildly different reasons. Hopefully, he gets developed more and isn't just treated as a cursory set piece. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the mystery that was built up in this first volume, and I'm curious how big this case will get before we get a different one for Echika to solve. There's a nice little cliffhanger at the end of this volume, so it could definitely spur readers into the next volume.
There are several instances of blood on the page, although no one has died yet. This might be a good sci-fi to hand to younger readers than the "Mature" rating Ghost In the Shell got.
Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 8-12
Read more graphic novel reviews at The Graphic Library.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews