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テガミバチ / Tegami Bachi #1
Tegami Bachi, Letter Bee, Vol. 1: Letter and Letter Bee
A New York Times best-selling sci-fi fantasy series with heart.
Amberground is locked in darkness. A man-made star casts only a dim light over the land. The pitch-black wilderness is infested with Gaichuu—colossal insects with metal exoskeletons. The Gaichuu make travel between the cities of Amberground extremely dangerous. But thankfully the Letter Bees, a brave corps of messengers, risk their lives in order to keep the hearts of Amberground connected.
Gauche Suede is on his last delivery before a big promotion. In the outskirts of Yodaka, the darkest area of Amberground, Gauche is surprised to find that the package is a young boy named Lag Seeing. Lag had been traumatized by his mother's abduction and is due to be delivered to his aunt. In this remote area rife with Gaichuu, Lag and Gauche face a dangerous journey that inspires Lag to become a Letter Bee.
Amberground is locked in darkness. A man-made star casts only a dim light over the land. The pitch-black wilderness is infested with Gaichuu—colossal insects with metal exoskeletons. The Gaichuu make travel between the cities of Amberground extremely dangerous. But thankfully the Letter Bees, a brave corps of messengers, risk their lives in order to keep the hearts of Amberground connected.
Gauche Suede is on his last delivery before a big promotion. In the outskirts of Yodaka, the darkest area of Amberground, Gauche is surprised to find that the package is a young boy named Lag Seeing. Lag had been traumatized by his mother's abduction and is due to be delivered to his aunt. In this remote area rife with Gaichuu, Lag and Gauche face a dangerous journey that inspires Lag to become a Letter Bee.
204 pages, Paperback
First published January 4, 2007
43 people are currently reading
3669 people want to read
About the author
Hiroyuki Asada
163 books63 followersHiroyuki Asada (浅田弘幸 Asada Hiroyuki) is a Japanese mangaka.
His most known series are I'll and Tegami Bachi.
All of Asada's manga were serialized in the monthly shōnen anthology Monthly Shōnen Jump (which has since been discontinued; Tegami Bachi now appears in its replacement Jump Square). He made his debut in 1986. He acquired a fanbase with Mint: Sleeping Rabbit, Renka by degrees, and his popularity improved with I'll.
He also worked on the character design of the 2019 anime adaptation of Tezuka's classic Dororo.
In his personal life, he is part of a unit with Shou Tajima (best known for Psych) and Takeshi Obata (best known for Hikaru no Go and Death Note), and his creation activity with "AQUARIOS 3".
His most known series are I'll and Tegami Bachi.
All of Asada's manga were serialized in the monthly shōnen anthology Monthly Shōnen Jump (which has since been discontinued; Tegami Bachi now appears in its replacement Jump Square). He made his debut in 1986. He acquired a fanbase with Mint: Sleeping Rabbit, Renka by degrees, and his popularity improved with I'll.
He also worked on the character design of the 2019 anime adaptation of Tezuka's classic Dororo.
In his personal life, he is part of a unit with Shou Tajima (best known for Psych) and Takeshi Obata (best known for Hikaru no Go and Death Note), and his creation activity with "AQUARIOS 3".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
October 27, 2020
Well, hm.
As usual, I read this tracking back from the anime adaptation, which has lately popped up on Crunchyroll. It's definitely aimed at the younger segment of the target audience, as one can tell by the 12-year-old protagonist and, early on, an action sequence taking place in the dangerous Broccoli Forest, obviously a place of terror for young readers/viewers. I recall I had seen a couple of episodes on disc from the library some years back, and bounced off it early on due to it seeming rather under my head, plus my then-increasing disinterest in mecha, but I had a lot of time to kill last week, and it was all right there, so.
The anime tracks the first volume very well, as is common. I may end up reading all 20 volumes this winter to see if that holds for the ending, which these things commonly don't, as the anime creators struggle to wrap things up tidily in the requisite number of episodes (Season 3, in this case) whether the parent manga concludes or not. I suspect some major simplifications, although the anime did manage to hit all the beats, repeatedly till they stopped moving.
Anyway, as the plot moves on from it initial awkward beginning -- the creators start training their audiences in pantie shots early, it appears from the underwear jokes -- it does develop a strong cast of interesting older characters, all of whom get their moments eventually. I'm giving this one more star than I would otherwise for the especially interesting character arc of the normally doomed mentor figure, letter bee Gauche Suede. I'm possibly reading more into it than intended, but he seems a pretty fair metaphor for how people change irrevocably with age and experience. I see by the side matter that the manga writer started publishing in 1986, the same year I did, so he wasn't a kid when he penned this in the early 00s.
World-building even more gonzo than usual, making no sense but psychological, and one of the goofier weapon systems in a medium sporting a long line of goofy weapons, although its implications do get explored eventually, so points for that.
Ta, L.
Later:
Finished the manga, all 99 chapters, and have decided I rec it. The beginning is uneven as to tone and possibly imagined target age; it takes it a ways in to decide that, yeah, this isn't going to be that silly a story after all, and by the time it gets to the end it's not silly in the least. Complicated, decidedly WTF in places (so what else is new) but still keeping a grip on something solid at the core. Anyone's guess how much of it the artist made up at what stage; I don't know if the operatic ending was in his mind yet back in the Broccoli Forest years before, though some of the backstory had to be.
As I figured, the anime ending is much changed from the manga, probably in part because the manga wasn't finished yet at the time they put it together. I don't totally mind the compression and rearrangement, different media 'n all, but the end result here may as well be two different universes. Several of the side characters get very different roles, arcs and endings, none of which I liked as well as the more coherent manga versions. What is, in the manga, a mid-story crisis is in in the anime turned into a rather game-y big boss bug fight. It was a pretty good big boss bug fight, but not where the story was actually going.
L.
As usual, I read this tracking back from the anime adaptation, which has lately popped up on Crunchyroll. It's definitely aimed at the younger segment of the target audience, as one can tell by the 12-year-old protagonist and, early on, an action sequence taking place in the dangerous Broccoli Forest, obviously a place of terror for young readers/viewers. I recall I had seen a couple of episodes on disc from the library some years back, and bounced off it early on due to it seeming rather under my head, plus my then-increasing disinterest in mecha, but I had a lot of time to kill last week, and it was all right there, so.
The anime tracks the first volume very well, as is common. I may end up reading all 20 volumes this winter to see if that holds for the ending, which these things commonly don't, as the anime creators struggle to wrap things up tidily in the requisite number of episodes (Season 3, in this case) whether the parent manga concludes or not. I suspect some major simplifications, although the anime did manage to hit all the beats, repeatedly till they stopped moving.
Anyway, as the plot moves on from it initial awkward beginning -- the creators start training their audiences in pantie shots early, it appears from the underwear jokes -- it does develop a strong cast of interesting older characters, all of whom get their moments eventually. I'm giving this one more star than I would otherwise for the especially interesting character arc of the normally doomed mentor figure, letter bee Gauche Suede. I'm possibly reading more into it than intended, but he seems a pretty fair metaphor for how people change irrevocably with age and experience. I see by the side matter that the manga writer started publishing in 1986, the same year I did, so he wasn't a kid when he penned this in the early 00s.
World-building even more gonzo than usual, making no sense but psychological, and one of the goofier weapon systems in a medium sporting a long line of goofy weapons, although its implications do get explored eventually, so points for that.
Ta, L.
Later:
Finished the manga, all 99 chapters, and have decided I rec it. The beginning is uneven as to tone and possibly imagined target age; it takes it a ways in to decide that, yeah, this isn't going to be that silly a story after all, and by the time it gets to the end it's not silly in the least. Complicated, decidedly WTF in places (so what else is new) but still keeping a grip on something solid at the core. Anyone's guess how much of it the artist made up at what stage; I don't know if the operatic ending was in his mind yet back in the Broccoli Forest years before, though some of the backstory had to be.
As I figured, the anime ending is much changed from the manga, probably in part because the manga wasn't finished yet at the time they put it together. I don't totally mind the compression and rearrangement, different media 'n all, but the end result here may as well be two different universes. Several of the side characters get very different roles, arcs and endings, none of which I liked as well as the more coherent manga versions. What is, in the manga, a mid-story crisis is in in the anime turned into a rather game-y big boss bug fight. It was a pretty good big boss bug fight, but not where the story was actually going.
L.
November 14, 2011
What a charming and unique series! I love the concept: a world where there is only darkness and an artificial sun to combat it, where society is split by a rigorously enforced caste system, where sending a simple letter from one town to another is a death-defying mission that requires a strong heart to survive.
Volume one opens with Letter Bee extraordinaire, Gauche Suede and his "dingo" (a necessary companion for each Letter Bee), picking up a letter in the form of a young boy who must be delivered to a relative far away. The boy, Lag Seeing, witnesses the bravery and tenacity of the legendary Letter Bee and is determined to become one himself. 5 years later, he sets off for the capital in the hopes of training to become a Letter Bee. First, however, he feels compelled to deliver a letter in the form of a young girl, to whom he obviously relates. Since the girl has insufficient postage, no one else will deliver her. Lag sets off with the strange young girl, who expresses a desire to become his "dingo".
Bits of commentary at the end hint at a rich and complex world, with the potential to turn into something far more intellectual than your average manga. Great series.
Volume one opens with Letter Bee extraordinaire, Gauche Suede and his "dingo" (a necessary companion for each Letter Bee), picking up a letter in the form of a young boy who must be delivered to a relative far away. The boy, Lag Seeing, witnesses the bravery and tenacity of the legendary Letter Bee and is determined to become one himself. 5 years later, he sets off for the capital in the hopes of training to become a Letter Bee. First, however, he feels compelled to deliver a letter in the form of a young girl, to whom he obviously relates. Since the girl has insufficient postage, no one else will deliver her. Lag sets off with the strange young girl, who expresses a desire to become his "dingo".
Bits of commentary at the end hint at a rich and complex world, with the potential to turn into something far more intellectual than your average manga. Great series.
May 23, 2011
It was pretty much a sure bet that this series would be excellent, considering it was recommended to me (very strongly) by the same person who recommended Full Metal Alchemist. And actually, I'd heard about Tegami Bachi before - it has an excellent reputation.
This is the kind of story that is so original and cool and fun that it leaves the reader with an urge to write something themselves, and the ideas are so engaging and filled with possibility that said reader must work hard not to be derivative when using all that creative energy.
Or, to say it another way, it's totally fabulous.
This is the kind of story that is so original and cool and fun that it leaves the reader with an urge to write something themselves, and the ideas are so engaging and filled with possibility that said reader must work hard not to be derivative when using all that creative energy.
Or, to say it another way, it's totally fabulous.
November 18, 2012
First off, THE COVER! It is GORGEOUSSS!! I love the details, the saturation, the colour! I knew I had to pick this up from all the other manga I borrowed from my friend. :3 Yes, I judge the manga by its cover.
Okay, now to the story. In the world of Tegami Bachi, it is kind of like a dystopian-ish. I mean we get the land divided into 3 sections from the rich to the poor. That trend doesn't change and it is predictable. But to me the plot is nice. I mean Letter Bees, coolio! The atmosphere reminded me of the towns in Full Metal Alchemist and it was nice. People had weird names, there were weird monsters.
For its first volume, the setting was established in a very well done manner. We got introduced to Gauche, Lag, Aria, Slyvette, and many more. The setting was great, each place interested me. I wanted to dig deeper into many of the places. So Hiroyuki did a great job leaving out mysteries for me to discover. Also the art was great. I love the defined outlines, the contrast of everything. And I mean everybody looked great. I love their looks, their fashion and everything else. The plot was great too. We got introduced to a "goal" and many of the things were set up to be built. I mean I couldn't ask for a better start. I am very intrigued by this manga and I will definitely read on. I miss shonen and I am glad to have read this. I wish I can say more about this.
Okay, now to the story. In the world of Tegami Bachi, it is kind of like a dystopian-ish. I mean we get the land divided into 3 sections from the rich to the poor. That trend doesn't change and it is predictable. But to me the plot is nice. I mean Letter Bees, coolio! The atmosphere reminded me of the towns in Full Metal Alchemist and it was nice. People had weird names, there were weird monsters.
For its first volume, the setting was established in a very well done manner. We got introduced to Gauche, Lag, Aria, Slyvette, and many more. The setting was great, each place interested me. I wanted to dig deeper into many of the places. So Hiroyuki did a great job leaving out mysteries for me to discover. Also the art was great. I love the defined outlines, the contrast of everything. And I mean everybody looked great. I love their looks, their fashion and everything else. The plot was great too. We got introduced to a "goal" and many of the things were set up to be built. I mean I couldn't ask for a better start. I am very intrigued by this manga and I will definitely read on. I miss shonen and I am glad to have read this. I wish I can say more about this.
October 3, 2018
This is a cute one I’ve wanted to read ever since the cover caught my eye when I used to be a library page. I don’t read much manga but I enjoyed it! It makes me wonder if it was inspired by the old news story of a boy mailed to his aunt by his grandmother, with the postage around his neck.
May 7, 2011
I have read five volumes of this series, and really like the story. The art is fantastic and reading it for the art alone would be a good reason.
This is the story of the letter bees. There is a society that is caught in a caste system, and people are scattered around the world. The main city of the wealthy has an artificial sun, and it houses the beehive, where the letter bees congregate to deliver mail (they are the postmen of the world). One of the young letter bees was found years ago with postage and was an actual letter (apparently, with enough postage, you can deliver anything!) and he grew up wanting more than anything to become a bee himself, following the footsteps of his hero, Guache Suade who is the bee who delivered him.
Years later, he makes his way to the city and tries to become a bee but mysteriously, Guache Suade is no longer a bee, and has vanished.
The other main part of the series are the fights with enormous armored insects that populate the land, and you need a special piece of amber and some kind of weapon, and when you fire the weapon it uses pieces of your heart, so you have to be careful not to use too much.
When delivering letters, you may run into one or several insects!
Great series. I can't wait for volume five to be published!
This is the story of the letter bees. There is a society that is caught in a caste system, and people are scattered around the world. The main city of the wealthy has an artificial sun, and it houses the beehive, where the letter bees congregate to deliver mail (they are the postmen of the world). One of the young letter bees was found years ago with postage and was an actual letter (apparently, with enough postage, you can deliver anything!) and he grew up wanting more than anything to become a bee himself, following the footsteps of his hero, Guache Suade who is the bee who delivered him.
Years later, he makes his way to the city and tries to become a bee but mysteriously, Guache Suade is no longer a bee, and has vanished.
The other main part of the series are the fights with enormous armored insects that populate the land, and you need a special piece of amber and some kind of weapon, and when you fire the weapon it uses pieces of your heart, so you have to be careful not to use too much.
When delivering letters, you may run into one or several insects!
Great series. I can't wait for volume five to be published!
September 26, 2009
Another spectacular translation from Viz. (Wow, they've been on a role lately!)
I was very pleasantly surprised and overjoyed to see how this series has been translated so far, especially with the "untranslateable" worlds like shindanjuu (heart+bullet+gun) and the monster names. Not only did they leave those words untranslated but in the margins actually provided the kanji and the reading of the kanji, explained the meanings to American readers. That, in my opinion, goes above and beyond the call of duty for most translators these days (though they always should have translator's notes/cultural notes in the back!), so I have to give Viz props for this one.
As for the story, I do have the original source material and I've loved it for years. I can't wait for the anime, coming this fall.
Absolutely lovely.
I was very pleasantly surprised and overjoyed to see how this series has been translated so far, especially with the "untranslateable" worlds like shindanjuu (heart+bullet+gun) and the monster names. Not only did they leave those words untranslated but in the margins actually provided the kanji and the reading of the kanji, explained the meanings to American readers. That, in my opinion, goes above and beyond the call of duty for most translators these days (though they always should have translator's notes/cultural notes in the back!), so I have to give Viz props for this one.
As for the story, I do have the original source material and I've loved it for years. I can't wait for the anime, coming this fall.
Absolutely lovely.
June 16, 2014
I'm going to be generous with this review, because it is the first volume. No, it didn't quite click with me. But I did get the feeling that this is the exposition volume, and the story will really start in earnest in the next volume. The art is quite good, which helps, and there are some interesting aspects to the world of Amberground. But even though I have no real complaints, nothing about this volume impressed me. I do think it'll get better as it goes, but I don't know if I'm going to continue until it does.
April 26, 2017
12 Oct 2015 :
Sampai volume yang sudah terbit dan dibaca (lupa berapa tepatnya...)
Rating masih bisa berubah sesuai sikon & ending (^,^)/
Gambar : 6.5 bintang
Cerita : 3.5 bintang
Humor : 4 bintang
Sistem dunianya yang membingungkan : -8 bintang
Mungkin musti dibaca ulang secara marathon ^ ^) *bacasambillari*
Niche lucu & kuat (^,^)9
_____________
Edited : 26 April 2017 - sampai vol.20 (tamat)
*turunkan rating jadi 2☆*
*tariknapasdalamdalamsiapngerant*
Mungkin.., mungkin suatu saat aku akan baca ulang dan mungkin aku akanbersikap lebih dewasa dan bisa menerima ending ini...
Tapi untuk saat ini belum bisa~
Sampai volume yang sudah terbit dan dibaca (lupa berapa tepatnya...)
Rating masih bisa berubah sesuai sikon & ending (^,^)/
Gambar : 6.5 bintang
Cerita : 3.5 bintang
Humor : 4 bintang
Sistem dunianya yang membingungkan : -8 bintang
Mungkin musti dibaca ulang secara marathon ^ ^) *bacasambillari*
Niche lucu & kuat (^,^)9
_____________
Edited : 26 April 2017 - sampai vol.20 (tamat)
*turunkan rating jadi 2☆*
*tariknapasdalamdalamsiapngerant*
Mungkin.., mungkin suatu saat aku akan baca ulang dan mungkin aku akan
Tapi untuk saat ini belum bisa~
May 31, 2022
I love the setting of this series. Still warming up to the characters, but that’s to be expected.
February 15, 2019
Complex world-building, but I'm going into this series having already watched the anime a few times, so I have some much-needed context. Amberground is a world with no sun. Only the elite can live under the artificial sun, which means the poorest caste lives in perpetual night, under beautifully starry skies. The storyline introduces letter bees, highly trained government couriers who can travel freely in order to deliver letters. They work in tandem with a "dingo," an animal companion who helps the letter bee to survive the dangers of the unpopulated areas, where gaichu (giant monsters) roam.
In Volume 1, Gauche is summoned to pick up a letter, only to find a small boy named Lag. He's the letter, and Gauche promises to deliver him safely. Over the course of their journey, stuff happens, and little Lag decides that he wants to be a letter bee when he grows up. [Insert Time Skip] Eager to become a full-fledged letter bee, Lag begins his training. He meets a strange, nameless girl with golden hair and sea blue eyes. By treating her kindly, Lag earns her trust, and she volunteers to become his dingo. Partnership established!
More's going on, including missing persons, spirit amber, shared memories, and missing fragments of the heart. I'm very much looking forward to reading this entire series, since the anime left so many unanswered questions.
In Volume 1, Gauche is summoned to pick up a letter, only to find a small boy named Lag. He's the letter, and Gauche promises to deliver him safely. Over the course of their journey, stuff happens, and little Lag decides that he wants to be a letter bee when he grows up. [Insert Time Skip] Eager to become a full-fledged letter bee, Lag begins his training. He meets a strange, nameless girl with golden hair and sea blue eyes. By treating her kindly, Lag earns her trust, and she volunteers to become his dingo. Partnership established!
More's going on, including missing persons, spirit amber, shared memories, and missing fragments of the heart. I'm very much looking forward to reading this entire series, since the anime left so many unanswered questions.
August 31, 2017
I literally saw this on goodreads and thought the cover was really pretty (yes im the fool who judges books by their covers) so i bought 2 volumes lol. Its actually alot better than i was expecting, its such an interesting and unique premise and im so glad i bought them. The world of Tegami Bachi has no sun and instead a man-made sun gives artificial light to the capital city. The main characters reside in the outer reaches of the country where the only light they have is a twilight to moonlight-like darkness. They use 'spirit ambers' for weapons and stuff like growing crops, which is literally the little mosquito ambers you can see in museums like if that isnt super interesting?? Also (mild spoilers? literally revealed in chapter one) the 12 year old main character has a spirit amber as his eyeball and that by itself is super cool in my mind. I also love how 'Lag Seeing' (thats his name) wants to be a mailman like thats so cute and pure and his little sidekick girl 'Niche' is shown to be really strong but is an actual cinnamon roll. I love the story and characters so far and cant wait to see how they build on the world. Also yes, the art is super pretty.
January 27, 2019
1. I picked this manga to cleanse my soul after reading an awful shallow book.
2. It served its purpose, I actually saw myself really in love with the idea of hearts in this volume, and how a job of a letterbee is to deliver letters and such
3. I think I love the idea of an artificial sun.
4. I am not someone to be totally interested in any fantasy universe but this one is seemingly interesting
5. I’m gonna read the next volume and give a better judgement
6. The art is good btw
One start for the art, one star for the power to make me interested, one star for the characters, one star is for making me want to read next volume
2. It served its purpose, I actually saw myself really in love with the idea of hearts in this volume, and how a job of a letterbee is to deliver letters and such
3. I think I love the idea of an artificial sun.
4. I am not someone to be totally interested in any fantasy universe but this one is seemingly interesting
5. I’m gonna read the next volume and give a better judgement
6. The art is good btw
One start for the art, one star for the power to make me interested, one star for the characters, one star is for making me want to read next volume
July 3, 2018
I'm always shocked at how fast my sister finishes graphic novels. I've been to the library 3 times in the past week to borrow new graphic novels for her, Letter Bee one of those graphic novels. I originally decided to try and read them with her but I realized I would never be able to catch up with her with the rate she goes.
So. Tonight I picked up Letter Bee and was able to finish it in roughly 30 minutes? Which certainly made it easier for me to understand my sisters reading pace. I give it 4 stars because it was intriguing.
So. Tonight I picked up Letter Bee and was able to finish it in roughly 30 minutes? Which certainly made it easier for me to understand my sisters reading pace. I give it 4 stars because it was intriguing.
September 12, 2017
To add all the manga's!
I mostly read mangas when I think that the anime was great but I want answers or expect the story line to go differently. I watched Tegami Bachi during the airing season, that's a long time ago and it has always been on my to-read-list. So here I am trying to read this at some point and to see if I finally get the answers that I wanted years ago.
To be continued :)
I mostly read mangas when I think that the anime was great but I want answers or expect the story line to go differently. I watched Tegami Bachi during the airing season, that's a long time ago and it has always been on my to-read-list. So here I am trying to read this at some point and to see if I finally get the answers that I wanted years ago.
To be continued :)
April 27, 2017
Great artwork, great characters, great story! Manga that you should have in your bookshelves!
May 7, 2019
Me ha gustado, la historia es intetesante y la ropa de los letter bee es preciosa
July 22, 2019
I read vol.1. I felt it’s mysterious and I like this manga. The picture makes me feel kind of dark image but also relief. I think the setting is a new type, I really recommend you guys to read!
November 2, 2019
7/10.
Hace mucho tiempo compré tres tomos y la dejé parada. Ahora quiero releer esos tomos y ver si me animo a seguirla, ya que es una serie un poco larga.
La relectura de este primer volumen me ha dejado muy buenas sensaciones.
Hace mucho tiempo compré tres tomos y la dejé parada. Ahora quiero releer esos tomos y ver si me animo a seguirla, ya que es una serie un poco larga.
La relectura de este primer volumen me ha dejado muy buenas sensaciones.
March 5, 2024
4,5 estrellas
Ains es que es tan lindo Lag chiquito que me dan ganas de llenarlo de besos y abrazos 😭💞💖
Me ha gustado mucho, recomendado
Yo se que puedes recuperar a tu mamá ♥️
Ains es que es tan lindo Lag chiquito que me dan ganas de llenarlo de besos y abrazos 😭💞💖
Me ha gustado mucho, recomendado
Yo se que puedes recuperar a tu mamá ♥️
September 16, 2012
Ever wondered the lengths it takes for your local postal worker to deliver mail to your box? I didn’t--until I read the first volume to Hiroyuki Asada’s Tegami Bachi.
In a land where everything is drowned in pitch darkness, the only source of light is from Akatsuki, a man–made star in the center of Amberground. Armored insects called Gaichuu infest the darkened regions. The only way for residents to mail anything is through the Amberground National Postal Service, a delivery service where its postal workers are categorized into different types of “bees,” braving the dangers of the darkness.
Gaude Suede, a letter bee, is sent to the Yodaka District to deliver not a letter, but a young child named Lag Seeing. Unfortunately, to get to Lag’s delivery destination, they must journey across a barren ice desert filled with Gaichuu. As they continue over the mountainous terrain towards their destination, both boys learn more about each other, especially when using Gaude’s Anti-Gaichuu gun filled with amber stones.
Tegami Bachi falls into several genres, including adventure, supernatural, and steampunk. For those not in the know, steampunk refers to a subgenre of fiction and fantasy where the time period is reminiscent to Victorian-era England. Technological advantages coupled with lonesome characters and sad storylines place Tegami Bachi and other works-- Full Metal Alchemist, D. Grayman, and some of Miyazaki’s works, to name a few—in the seat of the steampunk genre.
In spirit of such humanistic predecessors, Tegami Bachi is heartfelt, which makes it an unexpected addition to what we expect of normally action-packed Shonen Jump manga. The first volume deals mostly with establishing characters.
Although it’s reminiscent to Yu-Gi-Oh!’s Katsuya Jounouchi’s situation with his blind sister, Tegami Bachi doesn’t throw it into the mix like delivered shattered ceramics. Gaude simply works hard at his job, not frittering away playing card games for money. Still, the mail business is not without its own risks. Being a letter bee means venturing off into the dark regions of Amberground and encountering Gaichuu. If a letter bee is too emotional, the Gaichuu can easily sense the bee.
What tugs at heartstrings the most is Lag’s desire to find his mother. Crying all of the time and always asking for his mama, Lag’s need to be reunited with her plays a major role in both the storyline and the characters’ interactions. While the two boys cross the treacherous region, Lag’s emotions get the best of him, ending up attracting swarms of Gaichuu towards them.
Sentimentality aside, Tegami Bachi frequently mixes comedy and action sequences to keep the manga moving along. Gaude is mild-mannered, but he is a cheapskate, causing the trio to eat awful soup night after night. Roda, Gaude’s companion dingo, looks cute with a personality to match, but she also protects them with her speed and strong jaws when Gaichuu attack.
There really isn’t anything to dislike about this manga. It has everything a manga should: a lively kid with hidden potential, a man who explains everything, robotic man-eating bugs, great pacing, and excellent art. Tegami Bachi does appeal to a certain type of audience. If you’re not looking for anything with a large amount of action and if you like emotional ties gripping every edge of the pages, Tegami Bachi is your ideal manga.
Tegami Bachi’s art feels like a cross between Katsura Hoshino’s D. Grayman and Tsukasa Kotobuki’s Sword of the Dark Ones. The lines are thick and uniform, similar to Sword of the Dark Ones, with contrasting black and white qualities for depth. Tegami Bachi’s similarity to D. Grayman is in its figural depictions. The movement of the characters as Gaude and Lag travel through a mountainous region is simple but very gestural—there is a certain dynamic in the characters even when they glance over their shoulders or speak.
The ability to capture emotions and use them to push a story with lovable characters makes Tegami Bachi a contender in the manga world. The next time I see a postal worker sorting out my mail, I’ll be sure to salute him.
In a land where everything is drowned in pitch darkness, the only source of light is from Akatsuki, a man–made star in the center of Amberground. Armored insects called Gaichuu infest the darkened regions. The only way for residents to mail anything is through the Amberground National Postal Service, a delivery service where its postal workers are categorized into different types of “bees,” braving the dangers of the darkness.
Gaude Suede, a letter bee, is sent to the Yodaka District to deliver not a letter, but a young child named Lag Seeing. Unfortunately, to get to Lag’s delivery destination, they must journey across a barren ice desert filled with Gaichuu. As they continue over the mountainous terrain towards their destination, both boys learn more about each other, especially when using Gaude’s Anti-Gaichuu gun filled with amber stones.
Tegami Bachi falls into several genres, including adventure, supernatural, and steampunk. For those not in the know, steampunk refers to a subgenre of fiction and fantasy where the time period is reminiscent to Victorian-era England. Technological advantages coupled with lonesome characters and sad storylines place Tegami Bachi and other works-- Full Metal Alchemist, D. Grayman, and some of Miyazaki’s works, to name a few—in the seat of the steampunk genre.
In spirit of such humanistic predecessors, Tegami Bachi is heartfelt, which makes it an unexpected addition to what we expect of normally action-packed Shonen Jump manga. The first volume deals mostly with establishing characters.
Although it’s reminiscent to Yu-Gi-Oh!’s Katsuya Jounouchi’s situation with his blind sister, Tegami Bachi doesn’t throw it into the mix like delivered shattered ceramics. Gaude simply works hard at his job, not frittering away playing card games for money. Still, the mail business is not without its own risks. Being a letter bee means venturing off into the dark regions of Amberground and encountering Gaichuu. If a letter bee is too emotional, the Gaichuu can easily sense the bee.
What tugs at heartstrings the most is Lag’s desire to find his mother. Crying all of the time and always asking for his mama, Lag’s need to be reunited with her plays a major role in both the storyline and the characters’ interactions. While the two boys cross the treacherous region, Lag’s emotions get the best of him, ending up attracting swarms of Gaichuu towards them.
Sentimentality aside, Tegami Bachi frequently mixes comedy and action sequences to keep the manga moving along. Gaude is mild-mannered, but he is a cheapskate, causing the trio to eat awful soup night after night. Roda, Gaude’s companion dingo, looks cute with a personality to match, but she also protects them with her speed and strong jaws when Gaichuu attack.
There really isn’t anything to dislike about this manga. It has everything a manga should: a lively kid with hidden potential, a man who explains everything, robotic man-eating bugs, great pacing, and excellent art. Tegami Bachi does appeal to a certain type of audience. If you’re not looking for anything with a large amount of action and if you like emotional ties gripping every edge of the pages, Tegami Bachi is your ideal manga.
Tegami Bachi’s art feels like a cross between Katsura Hoshino’s D. Grayman and Tsukasa Kotobuki’s Sword of the Dark Ones. The lines are thick and uniform, similar to Sword of the Dark Ones, with contrasting black and white qualities for depth. Tegami Bachi’s similarity to D. Grayman is in its figural depictions. The movement of the characters as Gaude and Lag travel through a mountainous region is simple but very gestural—there is a certain dynamic in the characters even when they glance over their shoulders or speak.
The ability to capture emotions and use them to push a story with lovable characters makes Tegami Bachi a contender in the manga world. The next time I see a postal worker sorting out my mail, I’ll be sure to salute him.
March 3, 2011
In Amberground, it is the job of the Letter Bee to deliver the letters of the people... whatever those letters may be.
The story opens with us meeting a diligent Letter Bee by the name of Guache Suede. He and his dingo (the name given to the Letter Bee's helper companion... which can be anything from a dog to a man... in Guache's case, it's a dog named Roda)are on their way to pick up a letter, which turns out to be Lag Seeing, a small boy who has been left handcuffed to a post with a mailing slip stuck to him.
We quickly learn that this is not an unexpected letter... and that Guache is dedicated to his job. Lag is distraught, having recently been separated from his mother, and is upset over the fact that Guache will not be his friend, since a Letter Bee never befriends a letter.
Plot: This first volume is primarily about Guache Suede delivering Lag Seeing to his destination. Along the way, Lag is witness to heroic feats and true class in the form of Guache, and decides that when he grows up, he too will be a Letter Bee... both because he sees it as highly honorable to deliver the heart felt messages of the people, and because Letter Bees are allowed into Akatsuki, the capital, the place where he believes his mother was taken.
However, by the end of the volume, we see Lag off to begin his journey to take the test to become a Letter Bee. Inspired by the bravery and dedication of Guache Suede, Lag has stayed true to his word and hopes to cross paths with the man who inspired him, once he reaches the capital. On his journey to take the test, he picks up his dingo, a strange girl with amazing powers.
Truthfully, I was hooked from the get go... I love the concept that these Letter Bees are out there delivering anything and everything... and Guache is such a wonderful opening character. He's likable, heroic, and motivated by the purest of intents. Definitely someone I would want my main character patterning himself after.
Characters:
Lag Seeing: The main character, he starts the story as a young child and we see him grow to the point of going to test to become a Letter Bee himself. He's still incredibly young (12? I think?) and he's quite the cry baby, but I find his sniveling endearing. He's not a hard, manly character at all, he's obviously an emotional child who cares a lot about everyone.
Guache Suede: A valient, heroic, likable character who becomes Guache's model for how a Letter Bee should behave, and rightfully so. Guache is motivated to become the top Letter Bee to save his sister and move her into the big city.
Niche: A 'Package' that Lag finds on his way to taking his test... her shipping label had been damaged, which results in her remaining chained up for several days until someone comes and lets her free. Lag, having been a chained up letter himself, hates this and releases her. She is small, precocious and lacking in underpants (something that horrifies and is then remedied by Lag). She also has powerful abilities, because she is the daughter of a mythical creature... thus making her Lag's perfect dingo... and pretty much saving his butt in almost any fight they encounter.
Roda: Guache's dingo, a dog who takes a liking to Lag immediately and shares his hatred of the food Guache prepares.
Sylvette: Guache's younger sister whom he is trying to help.
Sabrina Mary: Lag's aunt, and the person Guache is to deliver Lag to.
Conner and Gus: The Letter Bee and his dingo who are to accompany Lag to take his test.
Art Style:
The illustration in this manga is beautiful. It is detailed, well crafted with beautiful line weight, color (where applicable) and excellent proportions. The expressions are quite lovely too.
Believability of World:
This is a well constructed, interesting world that I'm very excited to find out more about.
Overall: A
The story opens with us meeting a diligent Letter Bee by the name of Guache Suede. He and his dingo (the name given to the Letter Bee's helper companion... which can be anything from a dog to a man... in Guache's case, it's a dog named Roda)are on their way to pick up a letter, which turns out to be Lag Seeing, a small boy who has been left handcuffed to a post with a mailing slip stuck to him.
We quickly learn that this is not an unexpected letter... and that Guache is dedicated to his job. Lag is distraught, having recently been separated from his mother, and is upset over the fact that Guache will not be his friend, since a Letter Bee never befriends a letter.
Plot: This first volume is primarily about Guache Suede delivering Lag Seeing to his destination. Along the way, Lag is witness to heroic feats and true class in the form of Guache, and decides that when he grows up, he too will be a Letter Bee... both because he sees it as highly honorable to deliver the heart felt messages of the people, and because Letter Bees are allowed into Akatsuki, the capital, the place where he believes his mother was taken.
However, by the end of the volume, we see Lag off to begin his journey to take the test to become a Letter Bee. Inspired by the bravery and dedication of Guache Suede, Lag has stayed true to his word and hopes to cross paths with the man who inspired him, once he reaches the capital. On his journey to take the test, he picks up his dingo, a strange girl with amazing powers.
Truthfully, I was hooked from the get go... I love the concept that these Letter Bees are out there delivering anything and everything... and Guache is such a wonderful opening character. He's likable, heroic, and motivated by the purest of intents. Definitely someone I would want my main character patterning himself after.
Characters:
Lag Seeing: The main character, he starts the story as a young child and we see him grow to the point of going to test to become a Letter Bee himself. He's still incredibly young (12? I think?) and he's quite the cry baby, but I find his sniveling endearing. He's not a hard, manly character at all, he's obviously an emotional child who cares a lot about everyone.
Guache Suede: A valient, heroic, likable character who becomes Guache's model for how a Letter Bee should behave, and rightfully so. Guache is motivated to become the top Letter Bee to save his sister and move her into the big city.
Niche: A 'Package' that Lag finds on his way to taking his test... her shipping label had been damaged, which results in her remaining chained up for several days until someone comes and lets her free. Lag, having been a chained up letter himself, hates this and releases her. She is small, precocious and lacking in underpants (something that horrifies and is then remedied by Lag). She also has powerful abilities, because she is the daughter of a mythical creature... thus making her Lag's perfect dingo... and pretty much saving his butt in almost any fight they encounter.
Roda: Guache's dingo, a dog who takes a liking to Lag immediately and shares his hatred of the food Guache prepares.
Sylvette: Guache's younger sister whom he is trying to help.
Sabrina Mary: Lag's aunt, and the person Guache is to deliver Lag to.
Conner and Gus: The Letter Bee and his dingo who are to accompany Lag to take his test.
Art Style:
The illustration in this manga is beautiful. It is detailed, well crafted with beautiful line weight, color (where applicable) and excellent proportions. The expressions are quite lovely too.
Believability of World:
This is a well constructed, interesting world that I'm very excited to find out more about.
Overall: A
Read
March 9, 2010Reason for Reading: The dark planet intrigued me but mostly the plot revolves around mail carriers and I {ahem} really like getting mail, so thought this sounded cool. Plus the cover is gorgeous.
Comments: Amberground is a dark planet divided into three rings separated by rivers which also separates the classes. In the middle of the planet is Akatsuki, the city of the government and wealthy. No one may enter without extremely hard to get special passes. Above Akatsuki is a man-made sun which glows down on the city bathing it in light. Across the river live the middle classes and across another live the lower classes, the further you go from Akatsuki and its man-made sun the darker the perpetual night-time sky becomes. It is in this world that the Letter Bees carry mail from one end to the other, they have special passes to cross the bridges and must traverse the dangerous lands inhabited by Gaichuu, huge insect like creatures completely covered in metal armour. Here we meet Gauche Suede, 18yos, on his way to pick up a letter but when he gets there he finds that the letter he must deliver is a child, Lag, who does not believe he has been abandoned to be delivered to his aunt.
I really enjoyed this manga story. Gauche is very determined and respective of his honourable job as Letter Bee, but Lag creates animosity between them right from the start and this is an ongoing source for humour to contrast the darker aspects of the story. Both Gauche and Lag have back-stories that are revealed during their journey showing the difficult, emotional situations each is dealing with separately. Of course what would a journey over dangerous terrain be without monsters to fight? And so Gauche and Lag find themselves often attacked by the Gaichuu in which there is no defence against except a special gun that all Letter Bees carry which, with concentration, will shoot a part of their heart energy at the insect-like creatures and reduce them to nothing. It is during one of these battles that a unique ability of Lag's is found. Part Two gets even better which takes place five years later and concentrates on Lag along with the introduction of a fabulous female character, Niche. I loved the plot, lots of story threads going on and the book ends on an exciting note leaving the reader anxious for the next volume. I also enjoyed the artwork, Lag is cute and Gauche while possibly slightly ambiguous was obviously a male to me. Many scenes of the terrain and background brought the desolation of the planet to the reader. The only thing that bothered me were the fight scenes lasted a little on the long side, sometimes too many pages of nothing but BAM, CLICK, WWHOOSH, AAAA, CLANK. These I skipped over, I got the point. In all, I really enjoyed the mixture of humour, darkness and plot. I'll be reading Vol. 2 shortly.
Comments: Amberground is a dark planet divided into three rings separated by rivers which also separates the classes. In the middle of the planet is Akatsuki, the city of the government and wealthy. No one may enter without extremely hard to get special passes. Above Akatsuki is a man-made sun which glows down on the city bathing it in light. Across the river live the middle classes and across another live the lower classes, the further you go from Akatsuki and its man-made sun the darker the perpetual night-time sky becomes. It is in this world that the Letter Bees carry mail from one end to the other, they have special passes to cross the bridges and must traverse the dangerous lands inhabited by Gaichuu, huge insect like creatures completely covered in metal armour. Here we meet Gauche Suede, 18yos, on his way to pick up a letter but when he gets there he finds that the letter he must deliver is a child, Lag, who does not believe he has been abandoned to be delivered to his aunt.
I really enjoyed this manga story. Gauche is very determined and respective of his honourable job as Letter Bee, but Lag creates animosity between them right from the start and this is an ongoing source for humour to contrast the darker aspects of the story. Both Gauche and Lag have back-stories that are revealed during their journey showing the difficult, emotional situations each is dealing with separately. Of course what would a journey over dangerous terrain be without monsters to fight? And so Gauche and Lag find themselves often attacked by the Gaichuu in which there is no defence against except a special gun that all Letter Bees carry which, with concentration, will shoot a part of their heart energy at the insect-like creatures and reduce them to nothing. It is during one of these battles that a unique ability of Lag's is found. Part Two gets even better which takes place five years later and concentrates on Lag along with the introduction of a fabulous female character, Niche. I loved the plot, lots of story threads going on and the book ends on an exciting note leaving the reader anxious for the next volume. I also enjoyed the artwork, Lag is cute and Gauche while possibly slightly ambiguous was obviously a male to me. Many scenes of the terrain and background brought the desolation of the planet to the reader. The only thing that bothered me were the fight scenes lasted a little on the long side, sometimes too many pages of nothing but BAM, CLICK, WWHOOSH, AAAA, CLANK. These I skipped over, I got the point. In all, I really enjoyed the mixture of humour, darkness and plot. I'll be reading Vol. 2 shortly.
April 9, 2015
(Nah kan, jadi keterusan nambahin manga di rak GR :p)
Jadi, Tegami Bachi ini juga manga FAVORIT si Gie ♥♥♥
Udah baca sampai chapter terbaru! Dan berharap diterbitkan di Indonesia~
Selain Natsume, Tegami Bachi-lah manga yang mampu membuat saya banjir air mata ;A;
Ceritanya sangat fantasiyah, namun tetap heart-warming. Konsep awal mengenai dunianya kreatif, tidak biasa. Plot tidak terlalu lambat dan konfliknya sejak awal jelas (well, saya sedang membandingkannya dengan Natsume Yuujinchou yang plotnya lambat dengan konflik yang tidak-bisa-disebut-konflik).
Tentu saja, daya tarik manga ini juga ARTWORK~♥
Asada Hiroyuki-Sensei memang tidak perlu diragukan lagi kemampuan menggambarnya ♥ Warna-warna ungu-biru yang memenuhi manga ini sangat memanjakan mata~termasuk para bishie yang bertebaran
Masalahnya, akhir-akhir ini serial Tegami Bachi tersendat karena sepertinya sang mangaka perlu waktu untuk menggodok kembali plotnya. Ayo, semangat, Asada-Sensei \o/
PS: Sang mangaka sepertinya memilih nama tokoh secara random dari kamus Inggris :p *lirik Lag Seeing
Jadi, Tegami Bachi ini juga manga FAVORIT si Gie ♥♥♥
Udah baca sampai chapter terbaru! Dan berharap diterbitkan di Indonesia~
Selain Natsume, Tegami Bachi-lah manga yang mampu membuat saya banjir air mata ;A;
Ceritanya sangat fantasiyah, namun tetap heart-warming. Konsep awal mengenai dunianya kreatif, tidak biasa. Plot tidak terlalu lambat dan konfliknya sejak awal jelas (well, saya sedang membandingkannya dengan Natsume Yuujinchou yang plotnya lambat dengan konflik yang tidak-bisa-disebut-konflik).
Tentu saja, daya tarik manga ini juga ARTWORK~♥
Asada Hiroyuki-Sensei memang tidak perlu diragukan lagi kemampuan menggambarnya ♥ Warna-warna ungu-biru yang memenuhi manga ini sangat memanjakan mata~
Masalahnya, akhir-akhir ini serial Tegami Bachi tersendat karena sepertinya sang mangaka perlu waktu untuk menggodok kembali plotnya. Ayo, semangat, Asada-Sensei \o/
PS: Sang mangaka sepertinya memilih nama tokoh secara random dari kamus Inggris :p *lirik Lag Seeing
April 16, 2012
Melissa Wickelhaus
Genre: Adventure
The first volume of Tegami Bachi, Letter Bee follows the young Lag Seeing as he is delivered to his aunt by Gauche Suede, a Letter Bee who travel the countryside delivering letters. After their adventure through the Gaichuu, huge insects protected by metal exoskeletons, infested wilderness, Lag Seeing declares that he wants to become a Letter Bee like Gauche, and once he is old enough he begins his own adventure to do so. This adventure includes both action and emotion, making it an interesting read. The art is quite detailed and the characters are expressive and unique. As this is the first volume, there is plenty of room for further development. Recommended.
Genre: Adventure
The first volume of Tegami Bachi, Letter Bee follows the young Lag Seeing as he is delivered to his aunt by Gauche Suede, a Letter Bee who travel the countryside delivering letters. After their adventure through the Gaichuu, huge insects protected by metal exoskeletons, infested wilderness, Lag Seeing declares that he wants to become a Letter Bee like Gauche, and once he is old enough he begins his own adventure to do so. This adventure includes both action and emotion, making it an interesting read. The art is quite detailed and the characters are expressive and unique. As this is the first volume, there is plenty of room for further development. Recommended.
August 2, 2021
I watched Letter bee when it was been broadcasting and I loved it. It was only this year I decided to read the manga and it's as beautiful as the animation.
Anyway. This story follows Lag Seeing, a boy who's aiming to become the head-bee in order to find his mother and discover what happened to Gauche Suede, his friend and the letter bee he looked up to.
Hiroyuki Asada's work is wonderfully drawn so it's completely worth to take a look at it.
Anyway. This story follows Lag Seeing, a boy who's aiming to become the head-bee in order to find his mother and discover what happened to Gauche Suede, his friend and the letter bee he looked up to.
Hiroyuki Asada's work is wonderfully drawn so it's completely worth to take a look at it.
June 13, 2015
Too. Much. Info dump.
Soooo much info dump.
Sooooo bored.
It's an interesting concept, but the amount of info dumping was frustrating. Truth be told, not much stuck in my head because of it.
November 11, 2016
The artwork in this manga was really inspiring but it did seem that the characters were more interesting to me than the portions of the manga in which we are told the lore of the Amberground rather than shown. I'm definitely interested in continuing this series in hopes that the art continues to be great and the story gets better fleshed out.
September 23, 2009
I gave this book a low score as nothing really happened. I'll give the second book a try hoping this book was just laying the "groundwork" for the story . I suggest checking this out at a library first.
Read
May 17, 2010We have Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee Vols 1 & 2
R to L (Japanese Style). In Amberground, a dangerous terrain where a man-made star casts a permanent twilight, young Lag Seeing aspires to become a Letter Bee: a postman entrusted to deliver the hearts of people separated from the ones they love.
R to L (Japanese Style). In Amberground, a dangerous terrain where a man-made star casts a permanent twilight, young Lag Seeing aspires to become a Letter Bee: a postman entrusted to deliver the hearts of people separated from the ones they love.
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