Mekakushi no Kuni
Land of the Blindfolded

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I read this manga series a while back when I was first starting college. I was just browsing through my favorite anime store and just happened to fall upon this series. I am so glad I picked it up. It was so difficult for me to find decent series that didn't have too much of one thing over the other elements that can be used in making a story.

Land of the Blindfolded is a sweet and beautifully drawn series about three people that have special powers. One can see the past and the other two can see the future of anything they touch. It's a ... shoujo series but I find that this could be enjoyed by both sexes.

There were many shoujos that I picked up and it was just constant mushy stuff that was irrelevant to the growth of the actual relationship between the characters. It was that or it was entirely depressing. Land of the Blindfolded has its sad moments but it's not overfilling the pages with it. The romance is sweet and definitely not nauseating like other series.

The three main characters are the girl, Kanade, her new boyfriend, Arou, and their friend (and sometimes fake adversary to Arou) Namiki.

Kanade is a sweet girl that can only see the future at certain times. She's always willing to help others and unlike Namiki, who I will talk about later, she uses her power to prevent tragedies...at least when she can. She has a heart of gold and is gentle and sweet. But she is also very afraid. Throughout the story, when we see her best friend Eri, Kanade is very afraid to even tell her best friend about her special power. I think that this keeps the series realistic if powers like these were possible in real life. For we all know, the hard way, sometimes people can't accept what is different and become afraid. That becomes a message discussed throughout the series.

Next is the boyfriend, Arou. Most of the times in shoujo stories, the love interest is usually some kind of emo, depressed and self-pitied guy who thinks he must take on everything himself. Arou is different. He's actually very upbeat and gets quite excitable when either Kanade is involved or it's something fun. He loves to cook and do gardening and even revived the garden club in their school! But that's not to say he doesn't have his own problems. There are at least a couple of volumes that go into much detail about his past and it's really and truly sad. You see clues throughout all the books but it isn't until a couple of books later towards the end that you find out everything.

And finally, there is Namiki. His story was quite interesting. And even with the way his personality is, sometimes comes off cold and uncaring, he does have a kind side. And it is so hilarious to see him act up with Arou. That's because Namiki really knows how to push Arou's buttons... especially with Kanade around hee hee.... But it's also because of Namiki that there is at least a couple of other "main characters". They even get their own little side story xD I don't want to say anything now because that is something you should see for yourself.

The character development, for a series to span over only 9 volumes, was quite amazing. Over the time I was reading, I just fell in love with the characters. The way that they were portrayed was just so real. You could feel what they were feeling and understand what they were going through. And the way they reacted to certain things... I just can't explain it really. You'd have to read the series yourself to understand what I'm talking about.

The art, now, was nicely done. I love the soft lines and the style. The use of the soft textures and toning really emphasized the gentleness and personalities of the characters. And I loved the expressions the artist used. Many of them were just hilarious. Some really helped the mood of the current setting.

I really enjoyed this series. I'm so serious when I say that it was becoming difficult for a while to find a good shoujo series but this one was a keeper. I hope this review was helpful to you. If not...lolz drop me a line and let me know what else you would like to know. And then I'll edit ^^

But I really hope that you'll pick up a copy and see for yourself what I was talking about. Later! ^^

This is an amazing manga... one of the most original I've read, really. At first I was dissapointed because they didn't have the rest of it in my library, but when they bought it I was ecstatic-- if you give this a try you might see what I mean, and how it's so wonderful to read.

The story is about three people who have unique psychic abilities. There's Kanade, the energetic and helpful main character, who can touch people and see their future (though this only happens at random); Arou, Kanade's newly found boyfriend, who can see the past at any given time without control (which ... results in both dismay and good fortune); and then there’s the somewhat selfish but good-hearted Namiki, a friend of the two (or perhaps more of a rival in love to Arou) who can see the future at will. The main concept of the story is, hence the name, “if there was a land of the blindfolded, would people be able to understand the concept of sight?” It brings forth the theme, for even if they help people with their powers, if people can’t understand, even if the powers for the better they would rebel against them because of it’s difference.

Really, just the whole feel of the story is amazing. You really connect with the characters, and are feeling what they are feeling as you read. It’s a shoujo, as in it’s romantic and dramatic, and mostly from a girl’s point of view, but it holds something else too, something that enables it appealing for both genders.

The art is very beautiful, and always matches the mood. Serious turning to happy, or the other way around. I love the way the artist draws the character’s faces, such emotion is played in a single scene. And the perspective she uses! Land of the Blindfolded’s art is much better than most manga I’ve read.

But the main thing, that stands out in the manga, is most certainly the character development. I loved them all, and always wanted to read more about them. Each character grows as a person, I think, over the course of the series. Their emotions seemed real to me. This happens very seldom for me when reading manga. Usually, even if I like the characters, it appears as if though they are in a different world, not thinking like regular humans. I think, when reading those manga, “no one would ever really do this”. But Land of the Blindfolded is different. Even though it involves supernatural powers, it’s undercurrent of feeling is very realistic.

I recommend this manga highly, to anyone who wants a nice romance, a nice drama, or just a nice read.

"We are not Gods, we can only do things to the best of our abilities."

I found the context of this manga captivating. Fate, future, destiny, and past. We have all, at one time or another, wanted or wished we knew the future or could change the past.
To the naked eye, this might seem like a slice of life manga with some supernatural elements, and in a way it is, but in another it's not. It's about being different and testing the people you call friends. It's about doing good whole heartedly and have people dislike you for it. Everything has it's consequences and even though ... you might think you want to know or see the end result, at the end pain goes both ways.

The Characters are essential, all of them. Change one of them and the manga wouldn't be the same. They are each others yin and yang, they create balance to one another. They are not the complete opposite of one another but they each have their own way of looking at things as human generally do.
There really isn't any "evil" characters. I actually think the evil character in this manga is their abilities, or the future and past if you will. It's the one thing they are constantly fighting against either to save others or to save themselves. The main characters have their own arc, to better understand them and how they came to be, broken or not.
Kanade is selfless and the way she gives of herself and puts herself in peril is borderline suicidal sometimes. She is an optimist and honestly I think it rather ironic that she is, given her power and the amount of people's lives she sees in danger.
Arou seeing the past, seemed at first glance the weakest of the powers but I got proven wrong, repeatedly. And it return he turned out to be the most wounded of all.
While it seemed that the manga was going to be about this one couple, Namiki stumbled into their lives. He, like Kanade can see the future but like Arou his blindfold is completely off. He doesn't believe in helping people and stands by and laughs while their futures are unfolding badly.

The Art was average, the typical of a shojo anime in the higher mid nighties. You do notice that it gets better, cleaner, as volumes pass. the years didn't pass by in vain for this manga. There isn't anything amazingly beautiful about the art but in rare occasions when the manwah wants us to feel different, you will see each character transform before your eyes and the manga art shifts. I noticed it first with Kanade, she is a beacon of hope for the boys and the way she was drawn kept reminding me of sunlight, and you'll get that impression every time she smiles.

The Story, though it centers around three people, one girl and two boys There is no boy and girl drama, not enough to count anyway. The characters know of each others feelings and handle it fine, but it isn't about that. It isn't a love triangle sort of manga, even though it could have certainly go that way if the author wanted to extend her volumes and make it like most other shojo manga out there. The manga doesn't drag on and even though the it seems like it's plot is repetitive with the "who are we helping this week" theme, it isn't. It will give you enough information at a time to make you come back for more while also giving you a glimpse into the emotional and phycological impact it has on the lives of those who are able to see.

The only thing that confused me to the point of almost not giving it a 10 were that of events pertaining to Arou that don't get explained and it didn't make much sense to me. Though I could guess if I wanted to and make my own assumption, which I did, if it would have been made apparent it would have been better. Though incredulous at times, I do believe in small amounts of clairvoyance and I don't question their more then perfect "vision" but even I have my limits and I start questioning when particles starts breaking...

"There are times when I can't help but think, in the world, there is no such thing as a waste of time."

this is the first manga i read... and i absolutely HATED it.
I swear, its so boring. theres nothing in it... its just stupid little stories. No comedy, typical romance (none of the EEEP moments), very stupid. The characters are not well-developed, and it just stinxx!
bcz its the first manga i read, and the ppl r praising it 2 death, i'm thinking, maybe manga isnt for me bcz the expectations 4 manga seem rlly low.
the only thing that kept me from giving it a 1 is that the drawings r nice and the blindfolded analogy is cool..
BUT.. the story is horrid. A nightmare to read.
PLZ PLZ, ... next manga, be better than this
PS: actually, i dont think that i read the same manga as everyone else ORR the moderators remove the bad comments and leave the good ones. SURELY, someone has to share the same opinion as me??

How can I say this, it's a wonderful story. People may see the Kanade too good, always helping people who will never understand her good. But that's what I like about her, her kindness has moved Arou and Namiki and make them a better person.
"Even so... No one can understand what it means to see... There will always be people who will accept you for what you are "
People think they're weird, but they all know the three are good people. It kinda make me think about myself a lot. I'm so glad I found this manga. Also for a manga from 1998, ... the art was beautiful

Where do I begin... this manga is just amazing.

Mekankushi no Kuni is unique but at the same time common because we have all thoughts about the what ifs: "what if I could see into the future" or "what if I knew everyone's past." But, this manga is unique in its delivery of these common thoughts into a masterful story that really takes its readers into a whirlwind of conflict, emotions, deep thoughts, and enjoyment.

The characters in this manga are complex and have dimension. The characters are flawed and have struggles which gives them depth and makes for a great story. I really enjoyed ... seeing the balance and interactions among the characters. And the main characters are lovable and endearing.

The only qualm that some may have is that this is an older manga, so some may think that this manga is dated. But I assure you, this story is timeless.