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Qualia the Purple: The Complete Manga Collection
Through Yukari's uncanny purple eyes, all people look just like robots. Her talent is both a blessing and a curse--she's an asset to the police, with her "skill" allowing her to evaluate humans at a glance, but her strange sight has cost her the friendship of her peers. Luckily, she does have one friend in her corner" Hatoru "Gaku" Manabu, a girl at school who cares deeply for Yukari. But when Yukari is recruited to join a secret organization, the real trouble begins. Gaku is thrust into a realm of mystery, quantum experimentation, and alternate universes, with only her wits--and her love for Yukari--to guide her along the way.
622 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 13, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 9, 2023
Yukari has an unusual condition where she sees people as robots and this helps her help the police solve crimes. When she saves her dear friend Gaku-chan, she makes some changes… and then… secret societies… quantum physics… uh, death of the self… I… how do I even begin?
This is an absurdly dense read, even taking into account that it’s a four volume series omnibus. It makes In/Spectre‘s voluminous verbiage feel like an excerpt from Rent-A-Girlfriend. All in service to a yuri story that’s not really terribly interested in traditional yuri, although arguably few expressions of love ever go where this one does.
The entire experience is something akin to watching Bloom Into You while Stephen Hawking’s ghost forcibly feeds you A Brief History of Time. And that may or may not be a compliment depending on your perspective.
This series is categorically insane. It thinks it’s quite sane, there’s clearly a plan here, but it is absolutely bonkers once it gets going and begins to incorporate alternate worlds and the very nature of space, time, and self. All for an abject lesson that sometimes just being there for somebody is enough, you don’t have to save them.
Yukari might be the oddest duck here, but her ability is merely a catalyst for Gaku, who gets a cell phone for a hand at one point and that is one of the tamest things that happens. Nothing could possibly prepare you for the places this goes or the ideas it latches onto.
The only comparator I can think of is the obscure light novel Last and First Idol which was arguably even more audacious with its ideas, but pulled it off slightly better, simply because of presentation.
This story is one of those that’s done the research, but, rather than showing you it has done it, is dead set on making sure you know and learn every single thing the mangaka looked up in order to make it. As a consequence, there are more than a few chunks that are utterly numbing with their expository loads.
I don’t think I can really spoil the story, just because if you’re at all interested in this you should just go in and let it wash over you. It’s a journey and a half. I know that it’s one I could never bring myself to take again, but it really goes for it. Points for trying, if nothing else.
And that includes some pretty eyebrow-raising emotional manipulation and some fairly wild ideas about love. It’s not for the faint-hearted, or anybody looking for a light read, but it’s as interesting as it is vexing. Even if it took me a couple weeks to read it.
I’m being frustratingly vague because frustrating is the experience in a nutshell and vague preserves the narrative off-ramps this takes to get where it’s going. It ends with one hell of a meta-commentary that really works perfectly with the manga format and that’s all I will say. That reveal nearly recommends it on its own.
Nearly.
3 stars - trying to cram four volumes into one omnibus review is hard enough, but when it has the density of a neutron star in terms of content it’s even worse. This is a metaphysical love story that’s got a light touch with love and a heavy hand with metaphysics. Whatever that suggests, I guarantee you have never read anything like it.
This is an absurdly dense read, even taking into account that it’s a four volume series omnibus. It makes In/Spectre‘s voluminous verbiage feel like an excerpt from Rent-A-Girlfriend. All in service to a yuri story that’s not really terribly interested in traditional yuri, although arguably few expressions of love ever go where this one does.
The entire experience is something akin to watching Bloom Into You while Stephen Hawking’s ghost forcibly feeds you A Brief History of Time. And that may or may not be a compliment depending on your perspective.
This series is categorically insane. It thinks it’s quite sane, there’s clearly a plan here, but it is absolutely bonkers once it gets going and begins to incorporate alternate worlds and the very nature of space, time, and self. All for an abject lesson that sometimes just being there for somebody is enough, you don’t have to save them.
Yukari might be the oddest duck here, but her ability is merely a catalyst for Gaku, who gets a cell phone for a hand at one point and that is one of the tamest things that happens. Nothing could possibly prepare you for the places this goes or the ideas it latches onto.
The only comparator I can think of is the obscure light novel Last and First Idol which was arguably even more audacious with its ideas, but pulled it off slightly better, simply because of presentation.
This story is one of those that’s done the research, but, rather than showing you it has done it, is dead set on making sure you know and learn every single thing the mangaka looked up in order to make it. As a consequence, there are more than a few chunks that are utterly numbing with their expository loads.
I don’t think I can really spoil the story, just because if you’re at all interested in this you should just go in and let it wash over you. It’s a journey and a half. I know that it’s one I could never bring myself to take again, but it really goes for it. Points for trying, if nothing else.
And that includes some pretty eyebrow-raising emotional manipulation and some fairly wild ideas about love. It’s not for the faint-hearted, or anybody looking for a light read, but it’s as interesting as it is vexing. Even if it took me a couple weeks to read it.
I’m being frustratingly vague because frustrating is the experience in a nutshell and vague preserves the narrative off-ramps this takes to get where it’s going. It ends with one hell of a meta-commentary that really works perfectly with the manga format and that’s all I will say. That reveal nearly recommends it on its own.
Nearly.
3 stars - trying to cram four volumes into one omnibus review is hard enough, but when it has the density of a neutron star in terms of content it’s even worse. This is a metaphysical love story that’s got a light touch with love and a heavy hand with metaphysics. Whatever that suggests, I guarantee you have never read anything like it.
October 22, 2024
I know the rituals are intricate.
You construct intricate rituals which allow you to touch the skin of other women.
I know it. I know they're intricate.
You construct intricate rituals which allow you to touch the skin of other women.
I know it. I know they're intricate.
January 21, 2024
so I originally read this many years ago and it's always stayed in my brain as a yuri I really enjoyed. I never expected it to get localized and was shocked when I saw Seven Seas had decided to do just that! now, after reading it again for the first time in nearly a decade, I have mixed feelings.
this is definitely a messy series. it's hard to even get into everything about it that has issues because so much of it is laden with physics talk and insane plot points. there are full chapters that I can see people bouncing off entirely because nearly all the text is about some type of quantum theorem or other. it's a lot to get through for a yuri! but if you like off-kilter and wild stories, I think enjoyment can be gleaned from it. it's just not something I can recommend easily to a wide variety of audiences.
honestly, what I remembered most about this series is almost entirely the last third of the story. when I started my reread, I was surprised at just how much I had forgotten of the beginning (there's a serial killer subplot? I erased that from my brain entirely). but really, the beginning has so very little to do with the rest of the story that it shouldn't be that surprising. the first third or so of this omnibus could have several chunks taken out of it and the story would still work. there are some plot threads that are completely dropped as the main story veers off into totally unpredictable waters. it really feels like the beginning of the manga and the following 2/3rds are barely related other than having the same characters.
this is part of what makes Qualia the Purple a hard sell. it's messily written, messily plotted and the "romance" at the core of it is pretty thin. still, it's a fun read just because you have zero idea of where the story is going at any point. it's a story where you really can't think too hard or ask questions because it'll fall apart almost immediately. it's also one where you have to be okay with following a pretty messed up main character - anyone who takes issues with homura from madoka should stay far away from this story. homura ain't got nothing on gaku.
I feel like anything else I write for this would just be me trying to defend a manga series that maybe doesn't deserve it. I can come up with many, many points of criticism and would totally understand anyone who doesn't gel with the series for those reasons. I think the ending is pretty weak and lets Gaku off a little too easily after reading about her fucked up exploits over millennia. to be honest, my fondness from reading this years ago and letting time wear away the worst bits is probably the thing keeping me most beholden to Qualia.
if you like wild time loop stories, can handle very anime/manga plot points, are willing to suspend your disbelief and are able to steel yourself against some of the worst implications of multiple universe theory (seriously, warning for pedophilia and a lot of emotional abuse and manipulation), I think this is worth a shot. just don't expect a super cute yuri or one where you're necessarily rooting for the main character.
this is definitely a messy series. it's hard to even get into everything about it that has issues because so much of it is laden with physics talk and insane plot points. there are full chapters that I can see people bouncing off entirely because nearly all the text is about some type of quantum theorem or other. it's a lot to get through for a yuri! but if you like off-kilter and wild stories, I think enjoyment can be gleaned from it. it's just not something I can recommend easily to a wide variety of audiences.
honestly, what I remembered most about this series is almost entirely the last third of the story. when I started my reread, I was surprised at just how much I had forgotten of the beginning (there's a serial killer subplot? I erased that from my brain entirely). but really, the beginning has so very little to do with the rest of the story that it shouldn't be that surprising. the first third or so of this omnibus could have several chunks taken out of it and the story would still work. there are some plot threads that are completely dropped as the main story veers off into totally unpredictable waters. it really feels like the beginning of the manga and the following 2/3rds are barely related other than having the same characters.
this is part of what makes Qualia the Purple a hard sell. it's messily written, messily plotted and the "romance" at the core of it is pretty thin. still, it's a fun read just because you have zero idea of where the story is going at any point. it's a story where you really can't think too hard or ask questions because it'll fall apart almost immediately. it's also one where you have to be okay with following a pretty messed up main character - anyone who takes issues with homura from madoka should stay far away from this story. homura ain't got nothing on gaku.
I feel like anything else I write for this would just be me trying to defend a manga series that maybe doesn't deserve it. I can come up with many, many points of criticism and would totally understand anyone who doesn't gel with the series for those reasons. I think the ending is pretty weak and lets Gaku off a little too easily after reading about her fucked up exploits over millennia. to be honest, my fondness from reading this years ago and letting time wear away the worst bits is probably the thing keeping me most beholden to Qualia.
if you like wild time loop stories, can handle very anime/manga plot points, are willing to suspend your disbelief and are able to steel yourself against some of the worst implications of multiple universe theory (seriously, warning for pedophilia and a lot of emotional abuse and manipulation), I think this is worth a shot. just don't expect a super cute yuri or one where you're necessarily rooting for the main character.
January 23, 2024
Somewhat of a mixed bag but I think it stuck the landing? I was really into the first volume, the premise of a girl seeing people as robots was unique. It went off the rails in vol 2, and became a multiverse/time loop plot instead of following up on what vol 1 established. It’s not badly executed but I honestly liked the tone and content of vol 1 better, and it got a bit lost in itself. The middle section is very tell-not-show as we quickly jump around through multiple timelines, which makes it flow awkwardly. Around halfway through I was missing established character dynamics, as it only focused on different versions of Hatou, and got a bit repetitive — but the ending pulled me back in.
Throughout, there were long blocks of philosophical musings and theoretical physics, which I found interesting. Some plot points were questionable — could’ve done without the gross age gap in the Alice/Gaku pairing in certain timelines bleh. The main romance could’ve been developed better, it's a bit thin. But I liked reading this for the most part, the art was really dynamic, cute and scary when it needed to be. Maybe I find multiverse stories to be a bit played out in 2024, but this was still a neat, twisty sci-fi manga, albeit with some caveats.
Throughout, there were long blocks of philosophical musings and theoretical physics, which I found interesting. Some plot points were questionable — could’ve done without the gross age gap in the Alice/Gaku pairing in certain timelines bleh. The main romance could’ve been developed better, it's a bit thin. But I liked reading this for the most part, the art was really dynamic, cute and scary when it needed to be. Maybe I find multiverse stories to be a bit played out in 2024, but this was still a neat, twisty sci-fi manga, albeit with some caveats.
April 18, 2024
If you want a cute, cozy little romantic story, this is not it. Turn tail and run. The opening page is a girl dying ( kinda) , so that tells you something .
If you like stories like Madoka Magica, then you will like this one a lot. It was not the book that I had expected, but it was so much better. You really feel for the characters, and it is interesting to see how they grow and change as the story moves on. I won't spoil anything, but I will say this book had lots of good psychological horror, sci-fi, and twists.
There were flaws and a few plot holes, sure, but I loved it none the less. The ending really got me. Also, the art is beautiful and interesting to look at. I highly recommend this, so long as you can handle some gore, manipulative behavior, and heart break.
Also, just remember that life is what you make of it. Your destiny and fate are in your hands ♡
If you like stories like Madoka Magica, then you will like this one a lot. It was not the book that I had expected, but it was so much better. You really feel for the characters, and it is interesting to see how they grow and change as the story moves on. I won't spoil anything, but I will say this book had lots of good psychological horror, sci-fi, and twists.
There were flaws and a few plot holes, sure, but I loved it none the less. The ending really got me. Also, the art is beautiful and interesting to look at. I highly recommend this, so long as you can handle some gore, manipulative behavior, and heart break.
Also, just remember that life is what you make of it. Your destiny and fate are in your hands ♡
May 15, 2025
Wow, I honestly don't even know where I'd begin with this story. It's one of those where you initially think you have an understanding of how the plot is going to turn out, and in the end the moral is an expected one, but everything in between is absolutely insane. Without going into spoilers, it's been wild watching the choices and sacrifices Hatou makes for Yukari's sake.
Personally I didn't give it a higher score due to the fact that were unfortunately quite a few things that were just throwing me off and making a lot of things very confusing, including all of the very long scientific explanations and tangents.
(Also crazy that this kind of trope keeps happening specifically for wlw ships, i.e. Life is Strange and Madoka Magica. I know it probably didn't given how niche this story is, but it's fun to think that Qualia is what started it)
Personally I didn't give it a higher score due to the fact that were unfortunately quite a few things that were just throwing me off and making a lot of things very confusing, including all of the very long scientific explanations and tangents.
(Also crazy that this kind of trope keeps happening specifically for wlw ships, i.e. Life is Strange and Madoka Magica. I know it probably didn't given how niche this story is, but it's fun to think that Qualia is what started it)
November 26, 2025
6/10
There are some really cool beats in this story but ultimately both the characters and their relationships and the philosophy/sci-fi side of the story fall flat. Lot of the more interesting and important things happen off-screen or just get summarized through narration. There are some pretty bad anime/manga clichés too.
There are some really cool beats in this story but ultimately both the characters and their relationships and the philosophy/sci-fi side of the story fall flat. Lot of the more interesting and important things happen off-screen or just get summarized through narration. There are some pretty bad anime/manga clichés too.
August 6, 2023
I read much of this manga ages ago, but didn't finish it (like many other manga at the time). Now I have. It's SO good! I love how it delves into philosophical and scientific concepts, the strong relationships between the main characters, and how dark the art makes everything look.
May 20, 2024
3,5
It's giving neurodivergent
It might be cliché to say it, but the novel was better. Which is honestly weird, considering the fact that the manga doesn't really differ from the original material at all... Still, I found it enjoyable, despite how slow the first half of it was.
It's giving neurodivergent
It might be cliché to say it, but the novel was better. Which is honestly weird, considering the fact that the manga doesn't really differ from the original material at all... Still, I found it enjoyable, despite how slow the first half of it was.
January 2, 2024
Kind of an SF version of Madoka Magica. Goes heavy on the physics and philosophy.
May 17, 2024
Absolutely amazing mind-bending story. Crazy concepts with some very /troubling/ concepts.
August 14, 2024
Feels like I went on an exhausting journey (in a good way).
December 18, 2024
Quantum mechanics. Ontology. Doing absolutely every possible thing to save your crush from a terrible fate. It's very good, but maybe an acquired taste.
March 5, 2025
Read in one sitting. It's was definitely one of a kind reads, but yeah I'd bend time and alter reality for a woman I love too.
September 5, 2025
hwat the fuck
January 5, 2026
My brain hurts but in the best way! Such a great read!
November 24, 2024
I've never been more confused and brain-dead after reading something??
I could not concretely tell you anything that happens after the cell phone hand part of the story. Some parts of this actually I had to just skip over because if I tried to read them my brain would process about 5 percent of the words and then crash. The amount of random information dump about parallel universes and quantum whatever almost killed me.
On the other hand, I did actually find all of the time looping stuff very entertaining. It was like a speedrun of trying every ridiculous possible event to get the right result.
Even though I have no clue what actually happened in the end, what the ending means and how we got there I somehow got to the end feeling only slightly disturbed.
So read if you don't mind being confused the entire time and don't try and understand anything that happens because I'm not sure you can.
I could not concretely tell you anything that happens after the cell phone hand part of the story. Some parts of this actually I had to just skip over because if I tried to read them my brain would process about 5 percent of the words and then crash. The amount of random information dump about parallel universes and quantum whatever almost killed me.
On the other hand, I did actually find all of the time looping stuff very entertaining. It was like a speedrun of trying every ridiculous possible event to get the right result.
Even though I have no clue what actually happened in the end, what the ending means and how we got there I somehow got to the end feeling only slightly disturbed.
So read if you don't mind being confused the entire time and don't try and understand anything that happens because I'm not sure you can.
April 21, 2025
Mind warping. You think you know what's gonna happen next, then it makes you question reality. An amazing read about perspective and lots of other things I didn't really understand.
(EDIT) I re-read this book a few days ago, and it makes so much more sense now. It could just be the fact that I'm more mature and a better reader, but it did all come through better the second time around. Still one of my favorite mangas.
(EDIT) I re-read this book a few days ago, and it makes so much more sense now. It could just be the fact that I'm more mature and a better reader, but it did all come through better the second time around. Still one of my favorite mangas.
August 16, 2024
This book took a bit to understand as it jumped around a lot. But once it picked up and made sense I couldn't put it down.
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