Houseki no Kuni
Land of the Lustrous

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Story: 10

While the starting arcs were pretty repetitive I still enjoyed them a lot because the story showed that Phos' actions always had consequences. The way the story evolved was amazing and the series kept my interest with how fast characters and concepts come and go. All the twists were amazing and were very in-your-face kinda like "yeah this is the new normal now fuck you". The plot and progression of this manga are one of the most original i've ever seen.

Art: 9

The art is amazing and extremely unique, the volume covers especially. The cell-shading of the volume covers remind me of ... graphic novels. The line art is very smooth and clean, you don't really see any crosshatching or messy/gritty lines, it was very refreshing to look at. One thing tho, kinda like later Bleach the backgrounds are kind of minimal at times (some of the backgrounds especially in the moon arc are AMAZING) what I mean by minimal is that some panels are just solid white or black, so if that isn't your thing just a warning. A minor problem I had with the art was that sometimes it was hard to tell what the characters were doing. Usually a manga has this sort of halo of white around a character so that they stand out from the background, but houseki no kuni doesn't really have much (or any) of that. Still love the art so yeah a 9/10

Character: 10

The way this series handles 'development' is another level. As I said awhile ago, the series is very in-your-face with the new developments of the story as they very almost removed from our common sense, as gems are basically immortal and they have no concepts of death and other human ideas etcetc. Seeing each character's decisions and motivations for what they do was extremely alien and made me go 'huh' most of the time and I loved it. The only character's development that was understandable to a human like me was Phos'. Holy shit. I'd almost put them up with Eren in terms of development. Seeing them rise and fall to rise and fall over and over again was amazing.

Enjoyment: 9

Very refreshing premise, very unique art, very fucked up characters.
10,000 years of pain *wink

Overall : 9/10

I dont write many reviews so my appoligies if mine is sub-par. Having just binged the entirety of the releaced chapters in one night, I am absolutly heartbroken. This manga left me with a feeling of emptyness I havent felt before. There is this pit in my stomach that makes me feel sick, I dont know whether to scream, cry, or rage. The emotions that this manga have made me feel are powerful and deep. I would put Houseki no Kuni up there with Oyasumi Punpun in terms of story telling and emothional evocation. I cannot recomend this manga enough, it is by every defnition ... of the word, a masterpiece.

Underneath this colourful tapestry lays a demonstrably elongated conspiracy draped in the epitome of the term 'existentialism'. The self is a very daunting conception. Who are we really and what can we become. Not physically, mentally.

Houseki no Kuni delves into a state of existentialism which is profound and accepting because the characters themselves are not only mentally developed individuals but their assets as beings themselves are quite unique. I've seen a lot of people discuss this series as being the 'Steven Universe' anime just because the characters are associated with gems. This nonsensical unironic claim couldn't be further from the truth. There is so much ... here, from gender identity to assimilation; it is quite literally a philosophical romp.

Phos is a character that inhibits these characteristics genuinely. Starting off as a complete dunce who is void of purpose, she quickly finds purpose in forming a natural history encyclopedia. This off the cuff role doesn't serve any purpose, only to play out as a plot device to harbour herself to other characters, nonetheless it's effective. Phos' interactions develop her as a person not only by influence but by other characters being absorbed by her. This assimilation, as it progresses, changes Pho's physical and mental state entirely until it is an amalgam of distortion. I understand that a lot of people would disregard this as some weak character development but in hindsight it is exceedingly nihilistic and philosophical.

The story itself is nothing special or out of the ordinary. The mangaka leaves too many open-ended scenarios for you to conspire that you end up answering the long awaited reveal dozens of chapters before it happens. The debacle and engagements with the Lunarians is an obvious skirmish that serves little to no purpose and its reveal is tantalizingly anticlimactic, especially when it doubles down upon Phos' return - no ones really at any real detriment. The 'Flesh' perhaps, but they're introduced and quickly warded into a room never to be seen again.

The cover art for Houseki no Kuni is grandiose and should be praised. The manga itself however can be drab and minimalist, at points can feel like it was printed off a photocopier machine. Ichikawa's hand flows with her mood and the latter is dependent on the quality of the panels.

Houseki no Kuni is a philosophical master class of self-analysis, reflection and existentialism. If you're big on philosophy I would consider reading it for that alone.

7.75 By review standards
8.9 By personal standards

To me, this was like a somewhat high quality whiskey.
I don't really like whiskey.

I won't talk about specific spoilers, but about the type of manga this is and becomes, which I would consider spoiling it quite a bit.

The story is intriguing when it makes any progress, and I was really curious about how things would end up. The author has a general plan from the start, where he starts off with a lighthearted tone with some serious parts and then pumps up the grittyness more and more as it goes on. It was well excecuted, but not to my liking at all. Reminded me of ... Worldend in many ways, that one was also like whiskey to me.

The art is probably the weakest part of the manga, I struggled several times to recognize the different girls except a few notable ones. But it is a unique style, and I can appreciate that. Art has little weight in my critique anyways.

The characters were great in the beginning, but towards the end I struggled to care much about any of them. The MC goes through some character development X 100, impossible to recognize towards the end, and many other character arcs just dissappeared or got really unsatisfying endings.

The more I write the lower the scores get.

I think you have a feel for my enjoyment of this, but I'll try to explain better.
I don't enjoy too much suffering like in this story, I don't get why people do or who enjoys watching peolpe lose several peolpe they love and even themselves. It's more tolerable if things start out this way, but if you make us care about characters and let our guard down just for the shock-value of taking them away I don't see that as good storytelling, more like a story that tries to imprint itself into your brain by force. Not to my liking.

Overall some people will enoy this, so did I most of the time, but not anymore.

I'll give it an 8 because that's what I feel would be objective, but on my personal list I give it a 7.

If i see the hiatus is over and the author pulls of an amazing ending I'll probably come back.

Well well well. This was hands down one of The most unique manga I've read. From it's artstyle to it's execution and even upto it's ending. It was all truly a one of a kind experience. So unique that after finishing the final chapter, I was lost for words. When a work makes you feel lost (in a good way) that's how you know it was done incredibly well.

The story starts very basic-ish, The Protagonist Phos is also very different in the sense that not only does he not have any lofty aspirations, He just wants to be useful and loved by others. If ... there ever was a simple wish then that would be it. What Phos goes through in the span of this manga is nothing short of inconceivable, tragic, hopeful and depressing. All at once.

The art (although at first it was a bit hard to grasp what was going on sometimes but it evolved very intricately throughout the series) is a highlight here. Like seriously, it's stellar and compliments the story perfectly. Another thing to highlight is the excellent use of black and white that the author Ichikawa Haruko managed to accomplish here.

The one standout point of this manga is that there's no good or evil here. You look at some characters and you're like, They are very clearly evil but that's where you're wrong. There's no clear good or evil line to be crossed here and this series tricks you alot into thinking that. Definitely made me feel very polarized as to whose side I should take. Making the reader question themselves is a sign of good story telling.

The ending, while not the best definitely seemed like the best that the author could come up with and for that, I respect the author very much. Actually having a conclusion to a series as beautiful as this is very satisfying. Many people might not be fond of poetic endings but the ending is certainly on the good side, atleast for me.

The themes are also very thought provoking, like for say what if there were no humans, or there was everlasting happiness? Will we get bored of living forever. The series has so many tonal shifts, it goes from a happy adventurous vibe to a chaotic all hell loose vibe while also retaining it's charm. It goes through so many developments from start to finish and even the protagonist goes through so much that it's honestly a surreal experience.

I'll conclude my review by saying that this is definitely a one of a kind manga that deserves all the praise and should be read by more and more people, You may not like it at first but it will gradually suck you in and you'll be left feeling either, Happy or Sad at the end of it.

Thanks for reading.

First of all, I wanna make clear that this manga is very enjoayble, I literally read almost all of it in 1 day, of how good it was to read. BUT, it has a lot of problems(to me) that makes it not as good as I would like it to be.The first problem is, the characters. It would be a lie if i say they're "empty" or something like that, but, for me it's pretty clear of how most of them just exists in order to develop Phos, more than themselves(like Antarcticite). Dia was the one that i was looking for big development but as ... i said, besides Phos, other characters don't really have that much of screen time, or deep development(but they do have development don't get me wrong, but not as deep as i wished them to have), so in the end i wasn't even thinking about her anymore.
Second of all, i don't really like the way they treat the emotional parts. Mainly because of the dialogues. The're too simple, and if that wansn't enough, these emotional scenes are always short, so I can't really have time to feel any deep emotion, and i really don't like how serious situations and silly ones are interspersed. It's sad because the art alone itself, is more deeper than with dialougues.
And last of all is, i think the concept of the series is perfect, but the execution is not what I was looking for, i truly don't like how they do the time-skips, and how the unniverse is not very explorable.

But, even with these defects I still give this a 8.0, because it defintely is above medium media and I really love the concept, and like I said it's truly enjoayble to read, so i respect these qualities a lot, but even with giving it a 8 i still have mixed feelings.

TLDR:

As a piece of media it relies a lot on its aesthetic, atmosphere, and the way it makes you feel, not all on the actual storyline. This is where it excels the most 10/10 (sort of like blame!)

The art is beautiful and unique and the paneling is excellent although the fights are not the best in the business 9/10

If you don’t know yet the story is pretty sad (it also drops a lot of plot threads by the end) 8/10

Houseki no kuni is not for everyone. For those who like neat concise storytelling that ends up with each story thread tied up with ... a clever little bow at the end, this may not be for you. This is not to say that there are inconsistencies in the story, but that the story imitates real life in a deeply sad way. As the story moves on, time causes past interactions and storylines to fade to obscurity before they are shelved, just like reality. Since all of the characters are ancient, this leads to a suffocating sense of dread and claustrophobia as time moves on and the opportunities the characters have get smaller and smaller until there is only one option left, (which is bad).

The story so far at chapter 95 is a masterpiece, and for the more sensitive readers, this story will probably get you. I have never cried for any piece of media before, and I cried multiple times while reading this. The author does not care about your feelings and will change lovable characters on you completely until they are almost unrecognizable from their original state, which I completely appreciate even if it makes me cry. (this is not a story where you can really stan characters)

As for the story and characters, the story is excellently paced, with a nice slow start that accelerates to breakneck speeds by the end. The main 7 or so characters are all really good, but most are pushed to the side nearing the end. This probably won't work for most people but I really felt like this fit in with phos’s character change during this period. Phos becomes obsessed with their goal and stops caring about anyone else, and the story reflects it, focusing more on the plot and less on the characters. In the end this is a story about Phos, and the other characters kind of get the shaft and are not given a lot of time to show their growth along with Phos. I like this but I get if you wouldn’t.

it also technically is not finished, so this review could be less relevant in the future.
As it is at chp 95 though it absolutely stands on its own as a full story with a good semi cliffhanger ending.

Also fck cairnigorm

[!] LITERALLY MASSIVE SPOILERS DO NOT READ IF YOU'RE NOT CAUGHT UP [!]

First of all, let me just say, that this is my (I believe) first time reviewing a manga. I don't read a whole lot of manga, but when I read this, I just couldn't get enough. I watched the anime initially, and it was really nice, but I wanted to know more. Turns out, it only covered 1/4 of the whole story, and the good parts have yet to be animated.

First, the story. It starts off with the MC, Phosphophyllite, who is weak and naïve. Actually, nobody really knows anything besides Sensei. As ... the story progresses, the characters slowly start uncovering more and more about the truth of their world. Learning about the Lunarians, and even the truth about Sensei near the end. Overall, while I'd say it's hard to put into words, it's not the best thing this show has to offer, although I really do enjoy it.

Now for the art. To be completely honest, the art in Houseki no Kuni isn't all that striking initially. At least for me, sometimes when reading it was quite hard to follow what was going on in the story even. However, I believe that the almost abstract quality of the art-style goes so well with this kind of narrative. The simplistic yet contrasting backgrounds on some of the panels really hits home the statement it's trying to convey.

The Characters. Phew, where do I start? While I will say that not all of the characters in Houseki no Kuni are perfectly written masterpieces, the one character that I can say that for is Phos. Phos throughout the story goes through some of the best development I've seen in anime or manga easily. From the naïve and unknowing child (compared to the rest of the gemstones as well, literally) to in my opinion, the most badass character in the entire story. The reason Phos becomes this way though is just as good. Unlike someone like Kaneki, who just goes through a lot of physical trauma (not trying to downplay that, shi prolly hurt like hell literally), Phos becomes this way through just simply figuring out the way of the world. Of course, this is only possible due to the attachment of Lapis Lazuli, but you know what I mean. The main thing with Phos and what drives it home for me is the identity crisis and the internal conflict. Phos just wanted to help fight off the lunarians, but by the end of the story Phos may as well be working for the Lunarians, even going back to fight the other gemstones. Over the course of the story, Phos obviously has many parts that fall off and ended up losing them forever. With that, Phos's memories and personality deteriorate as a harsh side-effect. With that the internal conflict arrises if Phos (the original gem Phosphoyllite) is really even Phos anymore, with less than half of her body being made of actual Phosphophyllite.

Enjoyment is an absolute 10/10. Due to the above points, I don't see how people can't at least give it a try. Most people will just blindly ignore it the moment you mention anything about gems like "oh they made outta gems fr?" and then ignore you. Such an interesting concept, and I love stories like these that really make you think.

Overall, easily 9.5 overall but Phos is the best main character I have seen to this day.

Ok, so, this is a really hard one to talk about.

I'm mostly writing this review because most of the ones published are from earlier points of the story and considering how everything changes through ths story it seemed fitting to do one in it's actual point.

To describe the plot, it's centered on a main character called phosphophilite. In personality is pretty much like Akko Kagari, at least on the start, and it's goal is to find a job that it can do to help the other and find it's own place in the group.

This androginous gem is in a world where they are in constant ... attacks of a strange race called the lunarians that every few days invade the island the inhabit to break them and steal their broken gem bodies. This gives some conflict and a somewhat constant threat considering that when the plot progresses the attacks of the lunarians become more and more bizarre and hard to deal with.

Lore wise is pretty unique, it gives the right amount of information to know and understand it's world while it keeps lots of secrets for the protagonist to solve. The only complaint I could have is that they really take a long time to actually unveil them and it's basically all of them almost at the same time so from some point forward there¿s not much to discover anymore.

All of this is a really nice setup that is maintained for most of the series until things change really drastically from the middle point forward. I won't specify much on it, but I will say that it's a really painful story but that I would recommend because of it's uniqueness and interesting way of developing.

(mild spoilers, nothing specific, but beware)

So, to summarize the hard part to talk about, this is a story that changes it's tone gradually but really, really drastically. The story unfolds in a way that repeats certain patterns in several arcs until everything changes midpoint and it kind of stalls pretty hard. The situation is really interesting but the complexity they end up delving in once the misteries are revealed slow the pace a lot from middle point forward.

The tone, characters, plot, everything is radically different from one half and the other, not a bad thing precisely because this is a consequence of the natural development of the plot they are dealing with, but it can be really jarring if one is not prepared to see the profound lows the characters can get in once things start getting really messed up.

Getting out of that, the art is pretty interesting, simplistic but really adequate to show the physical changes the protagonist goes through. There's some really interesting simbolism and narrative structure based on budhism and narratives they use. In general I would recommend it as a really unique experience that definitely not everyone is going to appreciate because of the strange and particular ways the narrative and the plot end up going to.

In general, a story a lot more interesting than entertaining.

SERVED CUNT. im writing this two years later, two years older. i think so many misunderstand the author's literary intent. houseki no kuni is a metaphor, a love letter to the self, and a break up text to Pureland ideology. so much of the audience is taking it as a personal attack towards their favorites. you never hog all your pieces on a chess board. ichikawa so masterfully did what a story is supposed to do: tell a narrative.

as an artist, i have so much awe for what goes towards the art. nonverbal cues that are so perfectly executed. the artwork that begins simplistic ... and fleeting and too pretty blooms into complex, lines that age along with the narrative like silken wine. sometimes there is long, drawn spaces in the shape of despair or shock. hatch marks for vividness. negative and positive space, i've never seen it used so beautifully; its on par to masters of old like xu beihong. everything is deliberate, and every panel sings for the plethora of a million emotions.

it's niche borderground that delves into identity, morality, and ethics without being superficial or brown nosing around by throwing philosophers around while attempting to sound slick and cute. i hold every character close to my heart. i've met my match irl and she was so intelligent i almost fainted, we had a long drawn-out conversation about theseus and plato whilst i was dressed up as phos. this piece is my heaven on earth. i haven't met an author so affectionate and deliberate with her work as ichikawa before. if i met her i'd marry her.

i watched the anime so naturally what's the next step? checking out the manga, the original work! haha yeah i'll read it! Because i loved the anime! this wouldnt affect me on a deep and meaningful level in any way! surely it won't make me feel sick! (a giant centipede materializes on the ceiling above me and drops onto my head and i scream VERY LOUDLY

if you are looking for something absolutely heart-wrenching and crazy, this is it. psychological drama has never been at a higher peak then this. the art style is FANTASTIC, and the shading techniques used are extremely effective for telling visually ... the characters' emotions and state of mind. the story will not go the way you think it will, and if you assume you are entering a joyride, then you are gravely mistaken.

did i enjoy this? would i call my suffering enjoyment? does my dread count? i cannot talk much about this work without spoiling it, but unfortunately the people on this site decided a 500 word minimum is the review posting requirement. to make up for it, i would say that it is extremely well written. its very human, while also containing an air of non-humanness to it. what else am i supposed to say? You can read any other review on here and it'll tell you the same...

in conclusion, however, god help us when this comes off of hiatus!

(Spoilers Ahead)
Honestly, Houseki no Kuni is one of the hardest manga to rate; I am conflicted on many levels.

I will say what drew me in was the awesome concept: Earth, where humans are extinct and all that's left is sentient immortal gems and their interesting culture. That's why I love season 1 of the anime so much. It helps that there are great characters (anime only) with development, great art/CGI, and tense battles.

But the story filled me with many emotions. I started off feeling happy and chill for the first dozen chapters, but as the chapters passed, I have been filled with frustration, weirded out, ... and disgust. But that was the author's intention, to make the reader feel this way, so that can be considered a success. But personally, I wanted a light fantasy with great characters and only the occasional dark moment, e.g., a gem getting kidnapped to the moon. But a manga must have progress, and that was the path the author chose. It's just how I feel matters a lot to me, and feeling like shit is a no go. I still completed the manga, with great difficulty because I wanted to see where Phosphophyllite would end up.

It's amazing how vile the content matter can become, not in a crude gore sense but in a psychological and emotional sense. The whole manga is focused on Phos, whom I very much like and usually rooted for, barring some disagreeable choices (randomly trusting someone you've been at war with your entire life and who has turned all your friends into dust to "decorate" the moon) - are you kidding me? Actually, I enjoyed all of the characters for the first 43 chapters. After that, there was a shocking downward spiral where I fucking hated every single character except Phos, Adamant, and Antarcticite. All of the Earth gems became hateable and cult-like, and all of the main moon residents were disgusting and creepy. Phos was the only one left, and she got destroyed and scattered by the earth gems for simply pleading for Sensei to pray. Sure, she manipulated some gems to go to the moon, which I hated, but that doesn't mean they had to act like psycho scum. Another thing I hated was the romance between Cairngorm and Aechmea, from the first to the last moment. Every time I saw it, I wanted to vomit and claw my eyes out. Cinnabar, in her need to feel connection, betrayed Phos for fake love.

Finally, it ended with the worst outcome where all the scum changed into Lunarians (which is lame; gems are more interesting), and they get to live happily together, while Phos is forgotten about by all except Antarcticite (Adamant barely seemed to care), and she is left to suffer for 10,000 years. If the author actually makes more chapters, I don't think I could stand seeing that scum. But I hope Phos would have a happy ending, although I don't see how that's possible.

Honestly, this is a decent manga that I read and finished because I loved the Anime. It actually got me to write this review because I had so many thoughts. Not a lot of media will actually do that, and I thank it for that. But I actually don't want a season 2; I will not watch it knowing how the manga progresses.

Story = 8: An objectively quality story; I will say the story and concept kept me engaged enough to complete 95 chapters.
Art = 7: Very aesthetic and unique, but the fight scenes are difficult to read.
Characters = 6: I liked all the characters at the start, but hated everyone but Phos, Adamant, and Antarcticite by the end.
Enjoyment = 3: My personal taste is that I like manga and anime that make me feel happy, tense, and entertained, not actively making me feel disgusted.
Overall = 7.5: I can't change how I feel, but this is the score I think it deserves.

So,
this is my first review and I'm very excited it's on Land of the Lustrous. Before anything, if you're looking for a unique story with a great MC, then this is it.
Story: 10
I'm not fully caught up, but as of volume 10, the story really is outstanding. This is because it starts really innocent and goofy at times, but then switches to much more dramatic and intense moments. The peaks are high and it really serves well to keep the tempo of the story.
Art: 9
I gave it a 9, and to some it might be generous, but it really suits the type of story it ... is. The way the characters are drawn is cool and interesting and you grow to like them over time as well. One issue is that sometimes it's hard to distinguish them and it would be reasonable if some complains for it.
Character: 9
There are two characters I'm absolutely fascinated by at that point and to avoid spoilers, I'll just say one of them is the protagonist. One thing I found strange for myself is that other than Lelouch, in mostly every story i tend to like the side character/s more than the MC and here it's not like that. Phos is a really well developed character and it's interesting to see how her changes are shown throughout the story, whether physical or psychological.
Enjoyment: 10
The story is my current number 3 in my top 10 animanga list and it's for a reason. It's not a lie to say that almost every piece in my list deserves a 10/10 in this category and this goes for HnK too.
Overall: 10
My closing remarks would be to experience at some point. I personally bought it on paperback and it was really cool seeing those panels posted out of context on twitter right before my eyes and seeing what they actually meant, so just try it! Hope you enjoyed!

If beautiful was a manga it would be this one, not because of stunning visuals and design, but because of the story itself. Reading this manga was a wonderful experience, more so if you add to the mix the score made for the anime adaptation. For me, one of the best OST in the industry.

I have nothing but praise for the author, making sush a delicate story with themes that are "common" was delightful, the worldbuilding, the illustrations, the humorous bits, the emotional parts, and specially the character development of Phos and the rest of the gems were all aspects of the story that ... moved me, made me ponder or deeply affected my emotional state. Everything was handled with care and the ending was just as amazing as the rest of the manga.

10/10

*NO SPOILERS*

This is my first review...

First of all, I'm in love with this manga.
Maybe because I'm a fan of good character developments (and depressing stories (-_-) ).

Even though it has been on Hiatus for over a year, I still can't bring myself to stop thinking about what might come next.
I'm 100% sure that the unique story, the superlative main character and the loveable community will continue to keep me close to everything related to this masterpiece.
I didn't know about this series until a friend of mine recommended the anime and the way it ended prompted me to start reading it. The misterious ... Lunarians were intriguing as well as Kongo/Adamant.

I'm not a native or an amazing English speaker, so continuing this review might become a burden. I will just say this:

READ IT! And experience it yourself. It's worth it, believe me.

PS: The fan-arts and MMVs are gorgeous as well.

This is a spoiler free review

Overview:
Houseki no Kuni is a riveting story from start to finish. What begins as a lighthearted journey following our main character Phosphophyllite as they try to find their place amongst their eclectic companions does not stay that way for long. Not everything is as simple as it seems and as Phosphophyllite investigates the true nature of their world they may be forced to come face to face with some ugly truths. As the story unfolds it explores the ideas of human nature and what it means to be truly all the while exploring how we are shaped by our bonds ... with those around us.

Story:
The story does an excellent job keeping the reader engaged from start to finish. Through all the twists and turns this story will almost always leave you on a cliffhanger eager to learn what comes next and what is really going on. The story does a good job developing upon itself in a cohesive way and the humor is fluidly mixed in with the stories somewhat darker themes while still maintaining its impact. The story deals with a fair few philosophical topics with the main one being existentialism. All of these topics are introduced and handled well, encouraging the reader to really stop and think.

Characters:
The cast is both extremely diverse and well fleshed out. While the cast is constantly expanded upon over the course of the series it, for the most part, still does a good job of showcasing not only their strengths but their flaws as well. None do so better than our main character, Phosphophyllite, who is shown to develop and change in many ways whether it be for better or worse.

Art:
The art in this series is, while not overly complicated, very well done. However,there are several times where it is hard to follow what is happening during action sequences. The use of space is excellent and page composition is done in a way that only enhances this fact. The only real problem I would say that I have is that at first it is somewhat difficult to differentiate characters as many have a similar appearance.

World:
The world of Houseki no Kuni is beautifully made with both a sense of mysticism and melancholy that it is so rare to find. The setting does an incredible job of coaxing the reader to ponder its nature only to floor them when their questions are answered. The hauntingly beautiful and mysterious setting is one of the best parts of this series and is an incredible backdrop for the story.

Conclusion:
If any of this sounds interesting then I would highly recommend reading Houseki no Kuni as it is a thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking read from start to finish that will keep you turning pages.

i really hurt when i read it. because it's a very painful manga. i think it's a dark...scary...and blood-curdling series. in most manga the main character is glorified and even gets stupid power ups as a director's bonus. but this manga is not like that at all. with every power up the main character (Phos) hurts more. it's like he disappears more. he disappears in his own little world. this is my 2nd time reading it and I'm sure it will hurt again no matter how many times I read it. the hairs on my arms stand up, I feel dizzy and I lose myself. ... don't get me wrong, I'm not a masochist or anything. It's just like Haruko Ichikawa did it for us to suffer. the darker the manga gets in every chapter, the darker it gets for me. i'm not exaggerating. i seriously couldn't sleep for a few days. my brother and i used to talk about it all the time. i even yelled “PITY PHOS” at school. I think this is a little bit because of my Houseki no Kuni admiration. it's really beautiful. it deserves even higher rankings in my opinion. it's both my favorite anime and my favorite manga. i want to leave you alone while reading with a lot of different and wonderful characters. there will definitely be a character you like for you.
My fovor is Phos. I wonder what yours will be? ^v^

Houseki no Kuni is a manga series that ran in the span of 12 years, beginning in 2012 and finishing in the present year of 2024. As someone whose first contact with this series was through the anime, I couldn't help but feel interested in what the original work had to offer. Initially, I was hesitant because the story creates a significant amount of hype towards the big twist, an idea that is dangerous at first sight - mostly because many series fail in the delivery of the main idea, or just don't know what to do from there on. Fortunately, this wasn't the case ... here.

If you are reading this, you probably read HnK fully or is planning to. I am not a "connoisseur" or whatever, but I must admit that this series tackles its philosophy and themes well through the plot. We are invited to see the Land of the Lustrous in the eyes of a group of gems, each one called by its stone name. We see how Phosphophillyte (hard name to write xd), Bort, Cinnamon and many others behave, act and their personal goals and problems. Here, though, I feel the need to say that the cast is a little bigger than it should - or, for the use of better words; doesn't give spotlight to all its characters equally. This didn't turn into a big issue latter on, but I feel like some of the cast could have had a little more time. Some characters kinda disappear in some later volumes.

Regarding the story as a whole, it is thought provoking. As someone who finished reading this manga in three days, I must say that every chapter had me interested in the "what next". There is also a real sense of isolation, since they are the only people in their world; but this manga actually makes you feel what it is like to live in their world. The opposite feelings of dread and serenity are calculated well, and the humor doesn't detract from the theme. The scenes that Phos and Cinnamon interact are some of the most interesting dialogues in the series. The development and change is visible through the entire plot. Mostly focused on Phos, we see her changes volume by volume - just like a metamorphosis. No spoilers, but I was honestly surprised by how far her character went.

In art, there is a focus on the way HnK's world works, with details in the grass movements and in the main castle. Causing a sense of immersion that I rarely see in the industry, and making the reader eager to know more about what will happen next. In what touches development, there isn't significant changes though. The artwork stays consistent, but I didn't notice a major modification in this field. It is beautiful though, with a focus on body gestures and a nice flow in the movements. There is a feeling of sensibility through the story present since chapter one.

All in all, Houseki no Kuni is a really memorable and creative series. It is worthy enough of its praise, and even with some small nitpicks of mine, is consistent in its journey. I'd really appreciate rereading this one someday.

Thank you for reading.

Watched the anime because of the cool CGI and rough character development, continued reading the manga since I wanted to see how the story develops. Wasn't expecting a really tragic story that revolves around betrayals, manipulation, and mental tortures. This manga is a whole emotional rollercoaster and will put you spiraling for the next few days or weeks after reading the manga (so far it has 102 chs, still ongoing). 10/10 recommended for anyone who loves tragic stories or good, unique stories in general. You will feel all the emotions the author is trying to make you feel no matter how hard you're trying to ... numb your emotions. It will leave you feeling hollow and exhausted from crying and feeling all the excruciating pain the MC went through all those years. The manga is a whole mindfuck. Loved every bit of it.

Rarely do I find myself so deeply immersed in a manga, that I binge the entirety available as much as possible, sacrificing my sleep in the process :D. It was that good (although it's not finished, we are close to the end)!

The world shown to us in beautifully illustrated panels is quite unique and it's easy to understand the context - we are set in a world where the only intelligent lifeforms on Earth seem to be the Gems (or the Lustrous) and they must defend themselves against the enemy - the Lunarians who periodically arrive from the moon to capture the Gems. This big ... conflict of the story is almost immediately understood after reading a few chapters, and so is the personal one of our main protagonist Phosphophyllite, a young gem who is one of the weakest around and because of their naivety, clumsiness and over-confidence they seem to be fit for no job, however still they want to be on the battle field against the Lunarians.

Additionally, an important key to this world is that the Gems are virtually immortal because, if shattered, they can easily be put back, if you haven't lost any pieces of them of course. However, as a reader you still feel that 'fear of death', because if the Gems are taken away to the Moon by Lunarians, then effectively we don't know what happens to them, other than that their shards are used as weaponry or jewelry. On the other hand, if a Gem loses some part of them, some shard, they lose the memories stored there.

So, in a bigger picture this captivating story is asking many questions about what it means to be human, what does death mean (to a human or otherwise - an immortal gemstone lifeform), and later in the story - other thought provoking philosophical questions.

At the start I did have some difficulty telling some of the characters apart because of their uniforms and similar build, often found myself heavily relying on the hairstyle, however after some chapters I grew accustomed to the cute looking humanoid gems!

But, oh no, the seemingly cute story slowly but surely beings to shift. I would say the author is a master at breaking one's spirit (maybe because at every point I held my expectations optimistic - a fatal mistake). And the feelings for me personally throughout the further story would be: dread, anger, sadness.

Story-wise the many plot points and potential questions one could ask (at least what I internally asked) were resolved and the story is very well written. Accompanied by the art, re-reading the manga can present with additional parallels, story connections and missed details that would further enrich the experience and I'm sure I missed some or many!

With that, I encourage you to read Houseki no Kuni while I look at the first illustrations of Phos and dream of what could have been in a happier, less suffering-filled timeline.