Alternative Titles
Aruku Hito
Information
Type: Manga
Volumes: 1
Chapters: 18
Status: Finished
Published: 1990 to 1998 Serialization:
None
StatisticsScore: 7.861 (scored by 56 users)
Ranked: #5342
Popularity: #2091
Members: 112 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
Popular Tags
slice of life |
SynopsisWho takes the time these days to climb a tree in bare feet to rescue a child’s toy? To stop and observe the birds? To play in the puddles after a storm? To go down to the sea to put a shell back? The Walking Man does as he strolls at random through urban Japan – often silent, often alone – with his vivid dreams that let time stand still. -Ponent Mon |
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Both are excellent examples of slice-of-life done well. Gentle storytelling, combined with minimal dialogue (allowing the pictures to tell the story), pictures that do indeed paint a 1000 words and an overwhelming sense of peace and harmony, make these a delight to read. The Walking Man has the advantage that it does not have the same gentle melancholy that YKK has, making it a more uplifting read that reminds us all the we need to stop and smell the flowers more often.
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Art |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
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Sep 19, 200818 of ? chapters read 6 of 6 people found this review helpful Ah… I’ve struggled to come up with words to describe this… “lovely” was one, “nice” is another… yet, they both do it a grave injustice. There’s so much more to these stories than first meets the eye.
I’ve also been struggling to describe in words a story that is essentially about … well… nothing much really. The closest I can come is by comparing this to Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou… er… without ...the apocalypse… or the robots… or scooters. In fact, it also doesn’t even focus on "mono no aware", but rather "ikigai" - which translates nicely as “joy and a sense of well-being from being alive.”
That is a concept that this manga portrays beautifully - it is simply about enjoying life - taking time out from the hurly-burly of everyday life and taking the time to observe the little things around you. There’s a sense of calm that radiates from each page that must have been manna to the soul of tired salarymen on their way home. (That sense of serenity might have overcome the mangaka too, seeing as it took him 8 years to produce 18 relatively short chapters.)
Each of the self-contained chapters simply revolves around our protagonist setting out to wander around his neighbourhood. Nothing dramatic happens, although on occasion he does help a child rescue a model plane from a tree and even sneaks into the public pool for a late night skinny-dip. Other than that, it’s simply about appreciating the things around you; acknowledging other people (one lovely chapter sums this up brilliantly - without using a single line of dialogue) and basking in the simple joy of being alive.
In a moment of weakness, i once described this as “tranquillity on a page” and yet, I can’t think of any other words that describe the message and feel of this unique little manga. read more
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Related ClubsSlice of Anime Life
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