Totsukuni no Shoujo
The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún

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Honestly this manga is a work of art.
The art is great, the characters are great, the story / plot is outstanding.
Fantastic worldbuilding, also really great world in general. Very immersive, the characters and world just feel alive. It's probably a bit hit or miss, and i can imagine that it might not appeal to everybody, but it certainly hit me. I can't really think of more to say, it's just great in general with certain very strong points.

TL;DR: This manga achieves what it set out to do splendidly, it's generally strong in basically every aspect, and so deserves at least a 9.

With that said, it ... gets a 10/10 due to bias.

This is such a find! A sad and beautiful story about a little human girl and a monster, who takes care of her, living together in a forest, because… Don’t want to spoil anything, don’t know enough yet, but I urge you to check this out, at least for the art, if nothing else - it's lovely and it's unique. Also there’re plenty of things to talk about besides retelling the plot.

The second name of this manga is Siúil A Rún (Go, my love), the name of an Irish song, also sad and beautiful, about a lover, who left for war, and about the wish ... for safety. I’ve already mentioned “sad” twice, editorial remarks on the first pages of this manga say the same, and it’s not an overstatement – there is this calm, all-engulfing feeling of fragility and impermanence in the everyday (initially everyday) actions of the heroes, that we witness. It may be ok, but it’s a small light in the night, will it last? You know it won’t, the time runs out as you mark it. As seasons change, things will end, the flowers of today will wither.

It’s not that I can say much besides metaphors about the plot anyway. There’re only 4 chapters, and a lot of time has passed since the last. So why write a review? I know that the more advanced members of Mal scoff upon such things, but I do want more people to know about this manga, the available chapters are substantial (>30 pages each), and I was so impressed, that even if this manga flops or disappears immediately, I’ll have good memories left (so I kind of just wish to share a good thing). Also it’s worth to mention that this work seems to follow the delayed exposition pattern: we start with a closed-off point of view, focused on the immediate small events of the life of the main heroes, and there is effort to make the little girl’s days normal, so it will take time to learn the secrets of their world. It looks though that there will be violence, there’re topics of death and fear of otherness already present, and there is a scary curse.

Delayed exposition stories have failed me before, this I confess, and I have a small fear that this may go the “evil humans, misunderstood monsters” route or ends prematurely (I’ll update the review then), but so far the premise seems to be well thought-out and powerful, there’re hints on an important flashback, and a new character is lurking around.

The biggest problem for this manga is that it outwardly overlaps with popular Mahou Tsukai no Yome: this is another Mag Garden publication, that is female-oriented shounen and has a tall horned male monster taking care of a human girl. But internally Totsukuni no Shoujo is very different, I say it as a person, who doesn’t like Mahou Tsukai no Yome for the strange relationships it offers, and absolutely loves this. For starters, there’s no romance or even a possibility for it between the main characters in Totsukuni no Shoujo - the age difference is too big, so it has a parent-child dynamic (or, more specifically caretaker-child, a bit colder), secondly, it's much more scary, and, lastly, the plot looks like something more focused. So, in short, only characters look the same, and maybe the curse aspect, that can be seen as magic.

Talking about characters: we have a sweet good little girl, an ideal child, no surprises here, and a big wendigo-like monster, who is surprisingly inhuman, not only in appearance – for example, he doesn’t eat. The biggest mystery lies within him, but it seems that he also has experience, but not knowledge, so it will be a journey of discovery for both. I think that both mains are likeable, and there is not too much doting, which is good.

The art is amazing. Since there’s no other manga by this author translated, I checked the author’s profiles on mangaupdates and pixiv. It looks like he likes to draw anthropomorphic animals (mainly male figures with animal heads) and monsters. This is what makes me worry about the plot, and I also am not yet sure if people well be drawn well, on the other hand it gives hope for good monster designs.
Most of his work on pixiv is very good smooth digital art. And the art in this manga is stylized, but it also has this painting or illustration feeling, that sets it apart. It’s soft, but it isn’t made of long flowing strokes, but instead is sculpted with small strokes, reminiscent of line art. There were a couple of hard to read panels, but mostly it’s readable and pretty. The forest is especially well done.

All in all, I have high expectations for this manga. High worries too – it needs to become more tense and epic later, and female-oriented works tend to underachieve in this regard. I am also unfamiliar with other mangaka’s works, so it is hard to say how he handles stories. On the other hand, even the few available chapters are a treat, so I will be content I've found it in any case. And if the rest is good, this will be a contender for 9/10.

Copycats are a dime a dozen when it comes to anime and manga. With the advent of a successful series, oftentimes a publisher will seek content of a similar formula with hopes of capitalizing on the trend set by its predecessor. I'm sure you're aware of where I'm going with this: The Girl From the Other Side is clearly a ripoff of The Ancient Magus' Bride (Mahoutsukai no Yome)... or is it? Well, I'm here to tell you that this is, in fact, far from the truth. While it's clear as day that Comic Garden was hoping to emulate the success of Mahoutsukai, what we've ... received is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, "copycats" have never fared well with fans of the medium, and most will immediately write them off as the inferior product without even giving them a fair chance. However, those who opt to give The Girl From the Other Side ("Totsukuni" from here on out) a shot will realize it's magnificently penned story, and that its similarities to Mahoutsukai end with the cover image.

Since there's no shortage of comparisons between the two aforementioned works, I first need to elaborate on the differences:

- Totsukuni is a low fantasy story with a touch of influence from Norse paganism, while Mahoutsukai is high fantasy, inspired by fairy tails and Celtic mysticism. The former focuses on an otherwise normal medieval setting inflicted with a curse, while the latter is set in modern times and treats magic as commonplace.
- Shiva (Totsukuni) is a young child, while Chise (Mahoutsukai) is a teenager.
- The relationship between the two protagonists in Totsukuni is strictly familial, while Mahoutsukai employs elements of romance.
- Mahoutsukai focuses more heavily on character interactions and relationships, while Totsukuni's focus is on the mysteries of the world and its curse.
- Mahoutsukai boasts a wide cast of characters, while Totsukuni prioritizes the two protagonists.
- Totsukuni follows a linear storyline, while Mahoutsukai pursues an episodic formula.
- While both stories have occasional slice of life bits, they're much more frequent in Mahoutsukai. Totsukuni's dismal tone is relentless, and you never truly feel at ease.
- The art of Mahoutsukai is much more realistic, while Totsukuni's artwork is heavily stylized and unique.
- While both stories are under the same publisher, Totsukuni feels like it belongs to a seinen serialization, rather than shounen (this is just my opinion, of course).
- Not that it matters all too much, but I keep seeing others say that both stories are female-oriented, of which I strongly disagree. Mahoutsukai's author is female, while the creator of Totsukuni is male (I actually saw someone in the recommendations section incorrectly state that it had a female author), but both stories can be appreciated by anyone.

So now that you understand that the only real similarity between the two works is the dynamic of a mystical horned man/creature and a young human girl to whom he acts as a teacher, let's get to what I love about this manga.

Totsukuni is a somber, low fantasy tale with a setting very similar to that of 14th century Europe in the wake of the Black Death. Now for those who may be unfamiliar with the term, low fantasy, or "intrusion fantasy" is when you have an otherwise normal world in which some mystical or magical element intrudes on their way of life. In this story, it's referring to the curse that plagues the kingdom (and this curse is where I've drawn many similarities to the outbreak in medieval Europe). I also mentioned that the story also has ties to Norse paganism and mythology, but it's never showcased in a "magical" way. This is primarily seen through the design of the creatures that result from this world's curse, and their ties to the earth that slowly become more obvious over the course of time. While the groundwork of the story might not be particularly unique or revolutionary, it comes as a breath of fresh air in a genre that's so commonly littered with cliches and tropes.

The story begins with the introduction of a young child named Shiva and her mysterious "Sensei," a strange yet eloquently spoken humanoid creature with pitch-black skin and horns. He is an outsider: a cursed being who will transfer his affliction via any contact with a human (or as they're called, "insiders"). Aware of the circumstances, he makes it clear to Shiva that she must never touch him for any reason, and as he shows a deep affinity for the child, he puts her well-being above everything else. From the get-go, author Nagabe employs a "show, don't tell" tactic, and he slowly unveils the details of the world little by little, rather than through long-winded exposition. The relationship between Shiva and Sensei is natural from the start, but only through delving further into the story will one begin to understand how they ended up in their peculiar living arrangement. Furthermore, the use of cliffhangers works toward making this a wonderfully addicting read, and as the mysteries begin to unfold, the picture becomes far grimmer than one might expect from the start. I might also add that the manga includes a few small elements of dramatic irony; while the story is usually either told from the perspective of Shiva or Sensei, the reader is often given insight to events happening in the world around them, helping to build the tension leading up to our protagonists' inevitable revelations.

Moving on, I must say that the art of Totsukuni is absolutely spectacular. Similar to that of old children's picture books, it possesses an elegant, painterly quality that feels truly unique amidst the generic design of other fantasy works of recent years. I, for one, am a huge fan of heavily stylized designs that take risks, stepping outside the norm of what we see in most anime and manga. Each panel is simply gorgeous, and while the tone of the art is bleak and dreary, it works wonders for the dark fantasy setting, perfectly emulating the kind of serious and melancholic mood I would expect for such a tale. Just go and take a look at the first chapter; skim through a few pages and you'll see exactly what I mean. I understand that art is subjective and that people have varying tastes, but I personally can't help but praise the style of this manga, and to be completely honest, this has very quickly become one of my favorite series, aesthetically speaking.

Overall, if you're a fan of fantasy, I strongly recommend giving this series a chance. If you were initially skeptical or hesitant to try it due to its apparent similarities to Mahoutsukai no Yome, I hope I was able to explain how drastically different they are at their core. I'm not saying that one is better than the other, but this is one of those rare cases where I felt I needed to defend this work in particular, due to the obvious bias that comes from assuming something is just another copycat. I've thoroughly enjoyed every page of Totsukuni, and I eventually plan to collect the entire series in print.

At least three times while reading this manga, I though I had an idea where things are going, and every time it turned out completely differently. Whether that is quality or a fault, I do not know, but the story of Totsukuni No Shoujo certainly is as unique as I've ever seen from a manga.
Though I must admit that the end had me lost a bit. It certainly is very poetic, but also, at least to me, is a bit too vague and unclear.

At least as unique as the story, the art style of Nagabe, despite differing in almost every regard from the traditional manga, ... or maybe because of that, has become one of my favourites of all mangaka I've read works of. Despite the sometimes quite minimal detail, it makes the world of the story feel real to an extend I've rarely seen in any form of drawn media.

Totsukuni no Shoujo was in many ways not what I had expected from it, but in the end, I greatly enjoyed it. I think it's a manga anyone should at least give a chance, just to experience it's uniqueness.

Good and evil. Light and darkness. Soul and body.

These are the themes, readers are exposed to most of the time in this manga. And it takes its time to fully absorb us into the world and into the two main contrasting characters.

I was first skeptical. It may burn out its magic halfway through. It may fall into slice of life stereotype.
No.
It showed that it has a lot to offer, whether a rich story and lore, or interesting characters, which can’t really be categorized as villains or heroes. Motives of all characters feel real.

Yet it was chapter 41 that started overall decline of the story. Why ... do we suddenly need some artificial way of learning about the world? Why to use such a simple plot device, like “there is a secret room which contains solutions to all mysteries” (metaphorically speaking).

Reading further and further, we start to feel like it is not the same story, that something went wrong. And it continues so until the last chapter, which, I dare to say, completely doesn’t fit to the overall storytelling. Not that it is wrong, but it just doesn’t fit with the vibes author tried to induce us at first.

So we have great and unfinished potential here.
The question is:
Is it still worth reading?

Depends on what you want from this manga.
If you are looking for unique experience, dark rural atmosphere and a world with its own philosophy, you may try it.
However, if you want completed story with solid ending and conclusion of the prophecies introduced in the first half, look somewhere else.

Pros:
+ atmosphere
+ world building
+ provides unique experience

Cons:
- unsatisfying ending
- unresolved mysteries
- more lore needed to be uncovered

Double-edged:
+/- slow pace

6/10 (OK)

I don't quite remember how I first learned about Siuil a Run: The Girl From The Other Side, but I think it might have been seeing a review of the first volume a few years ago. I was intrigued by the premise, and wanted a new manga to read. But as soon as I read the first volume, I immediately sought out every other volume that had been put out, and continued to do so until the very end, which just got released recently. Then I saw the absolutely marvelous 10-minute OVA put out by Wit Studio, which I already did a review of, and ... I don't think I need to belabor my feelings on that here. This year, the manga officially concluded, even though there's going to be a special 12th volume that focuses on side stories and some new material. There's no word on when that'll be out, but you can bet I'll be devouring that like a wolf when it comes out. That being said, you'll notice that I gave it a slightly lower rating than the OVA, and trust me, this doesn't mean I think the manga is bad or anything. Far from it. But now that I've read the entirety of the manga, I do have a lot to say about it.

An unnamed fantasy world is divided in two: The inside and the outside. The outside is populated by black, monstrous beings known as Outsiders, and if a human were to ever touch them, they would be cursed and turned into an Outsider as well. As such, humans fear the outsiders, retreating into the local kingdom while the areas infected by the curse lay abandoned. Oddly enough, a little girl named Shiva is adopted by an Outsider simply known as Teacher, and the two of them live a tranquil, happy life in a tiny cottage in the woods. But their bliss is short-lived when pursuers, Outsiders and soldiers from the inside, intend on using Shiva for their own ends, and will stop at nothing to capture her. What could both sides want with Shiva? Does she have some sort of connection to the curse? What even is the truth behind the curse? What secrets does Teacher hold, and with the Outsiders questioning if he's truly one of their own, what even is he? Can the two of them truly find peace in a world that's plagued with terror, or is their tale doomed to end in tragedy?

One thing you'll notice about the art for this manga is that it really does an impeccable job of setting the mood and atmosphere. From the heavy usage of grey space, to cross-hatching for shadows, and a mixture of thin and thick likes both for backgrounds and characters' bodies, it truly makes you feel like you've been transported to a largely abandoned world, giving it a very unsettling atmosphere, which is fitting for the story and its overall themes. That being said, with the story having very few humans in the story, their facial features are often drawn as very simplistic, with only the bare minimum needed to give a sense of their expressions. Shiva's especially, since she's often drawn in a chibi style, which does get more detailed whenever she's drawn closer to the frame. It's not like the mangaka intentionally skimps on details, mainly preferring to save them for when they're absolutely necessary, which works depending on the situation. There is an emphasis on body language being indicative of a character's mood, and considering most of the cast consists of demonic beings that don't have human faces, Nagabe really puts this to good use here.

But no matter how good the artwork is, a story can't work if it doesn't have an equally good cast of characters backing it up, and thankfully, The Girl From The Other Side understands this wonderfully. The two main characters do an excellent job of carrying the manga, even though some of the more important actions are carried out by other characters when it comes to learning about the true nature of the world they live in. Shiva is more than just a bratty child and Teacher is more than just a demon who takes care of her. Every character has a role to play here and serve their purpose well. My only gripe is that I wish Nagabe had given most of the characters names. We only know certain characters by their titles or familial relations, like Shiva's aunt, the king, or the head priest, and because of that, along with how the human designs are simpler than those of the monsters, it can be hard to tell who's who most of the time. Granted, one character's name is kept a secret deliberately, that much is fine, but I think, had Nagabe given other characters names, it'd be easier to keep track of them. Since the OVA only focuses on Shiva and Teacher and nobody else, it manages to avoid this problem by sticking to just one part of the story.

However, that's not the only flaw The Girl From The Other Side has. Believe me, I really wish I could exalt this as a masterpiece, as it has a lot that really appeals to me. It's a series that's wonderfully told and constantly evolving. But I think it starts to slip a bit during some of the final chapters, when Shiva's true nature really comes to light. Without spoiling anything, the later reveals just seem to contradict each other, and it does leave a lot of questions and subplots unresolved. The final few chapters are less impressive than the rest of the series because of trying to tie up loose ends in ways that seem contradictory. Personally though, the final arc is more of a minor annoyance than a reason not to read this manga. Plus, the final volume does say there's going to be a 12th volume that'll not only feature some side stories, but some new material that, for all we know, may or may not resolve those lingering issues.

With all this in mind, what's the verdict? Basically, Siuil a Run: The Girl From The Other Side is a fun, spooky, engaging manga that, although it has a shallow ending and leaves some things unresolved, absolutely deserves the love and recognition that it gets. It didn't overstay its welcome, I can't wait for the 12th volume, and I definitely can't wait for the new OVA by Wit Studio due to come out in March 2022...assuming they don't get crushed by their recent financial troubles, that is.

I'm a sucker for child-like tales being adapted into a full-blown series with a pinch of adult element inserted into it and Totsukuni no Shoujo is exactly one of those. It tells the simple story of a little girl (Insider) who doesn't remember anything about her past, living in the dark side with "Sensei" which the Insider thought as "evil" (Outsider) who also doesn't remember anything about his past. The story tells us about their struggle living in the Outside, finding the truth about their past, and their effort to just live simply in peace; which is certainly not possible for them.

The slice-of-life aspect in ... the very first few volumes were absolutely sweet and heartwarming. The main characters tell each other stories, they bake together, they fight and reconcile, and so many others. How the author presented the story with the least text possible was an incredible storytelling method, I love it with all my heart. In many point of the story, you'll be astonished by the one-page art and how it can tell a thousand of words without any text at all. The theme of the story perfectly conveys the innocence of the little girl and the desperation of "Sensei", who always feels like that he isn't enough caring for the little girl. I would also like to commend the simple world building and politics in the series. It was by all means not complex or complete, but it felt enough with what was going on and it complements the story well. It was also a necessary touch for the story, which I have to rant about without spoiling anything.

As the story goes, things suddenly become a completely different feel in almost every aspect, and this is where I'm utterly disappointed at where everything is going. I knew something have to change, but the way the author did it was odd and quite possibly even contentious. Maybe it's just me wanting those sweet moments to stay forever and surely it's not just the reading getting too much information at once while getting presented with unreasonable twists, right? No. Something feels flawed at what was happening in the last few volumes, it doesn't feel like I was reading the same manga with the weird tone going on; I myself don't get what the author is trying to tell during those chapters. There was a lot of chance to deepen the world outside the main character, but the author failed to do so, for unknown reasons I don't know myself. When you finish, the entire work felt incomplete. There should be something... Something missing. What is it?

Story aside, the art and the interactions between the two main characters are still something to be praised about. Emotions are conveyed in a smart way with the unique art and it still exists despite the story going downwards. Let me repeat myself, the first few volumes are soul-stirring, but as the story is concerned, it's an absolute hit or miss. You will either love everything, or you will question what the actual fuck is going on. Either way, I admit it's a unique read and you should give it a chance.

A new manga published in Mac-Garden very similar to Mahoutsukai no yome( Ancient Mangus Bride) if u like Mahoutsukai no yome you gonna like this.


Story
Slow pace and kinda magical. If you think long and hard, your will find out I've seen this type of story before but not in a manga. Feels like a classic fairytale in a manga form and feels really original. There is a lot of suspense with the whole "curse" its going and that because the story doesn't give you what you want but only what you need to know.
8/10

Art
This is the best part about the manga. This is ... not your classic manga art with big eye cute girls. Its simple, a few touches of screen tone and it feels old n rusty and European. And thats great. The art compliments perfectly the story and all the feel of this manga, makes it a more unique of an experience and makes you want to read more. No other art style is more feating than this right here.
10/10

Character
Nothing really ground breaking about them, the cursed characters are pretty mysterious. The human character and really human like character. They fear the outside world, trying to defend their selfs from the curse. The little girl is a normal little girl. That actually fine. I thing the point of this manga is not to get attached with the characters but to experience the whole thing.
7/10

I enjoyed a lot. Its an easy read and take you in to a big journey in a small scale world. If you like fantasy and unique art this is the perfect manga for you.

"The Girl from the Other Side" is, without exaggeration, one of the finest manga I have ever read. Here's why you should read it.

-Art-

It's unusual to start with the art but here it's well deserved. This manga looks unlike any other I've read - its style is quite reminiscent of 19th century childrens books and western fairy tail artwork and it pulls off the style superbly. The colour scheme and small details perfectly compliment the simple but subtle story.

-Story-

The story of TGFTOS will be quite familiar in tone to anyone who has read a western fairy tale - innocent and sweet ... on the surface, but with far more sinister undercurrents underneath.

While the story itself is certainly enjoyable and suspenseful enough, what really kept me going through this manga was the interactions between the girl and the outsider. More is told through the artwork and silent panels than by dialogue.

Estou com o emocional destruído de 32 formas diferentes após ler este gibi de otaco. A forma como o Nagabe constrói os conflitos e como as soluções são dadas a elas é de quebrar o coração. A cada capítulo que se passa, mais e mais o coração aperta e as lágrimas correm pelo rosto. A forma como nos preocupamos com os personagens, como nos apegamos a eles, como é construída essa relação é única desse autor e como ele usa isso contra o prórpio leitor no plot final é de destruir o coração. Enfim, é indiscutivelmente uma obra de arte que merecia mais reconhecimento público: ... 10/10;

Totsukuni no Shoujo:The least manga-like manga

Totsukuni no Shoujo is one of the most beautiful stories I've read, it was a breath of fresh air.At first I didnt know that it was a manga. Having seen the short no-voice episode of it, I thought that it was just an anime original,but I found out that it was not and I'm glad that I did.

The story is pretty simple ,yet really unique and heartwarming.Some things were not answered ,but I'm totally fine with it. Some people may call those missing things plotholes ,but in my point of view they didn't matter after serving their purpose.The story is ... a character driven one ,so the main focus is and should be the 2 protagonists.I'm satisfied with the ending ,it was beautiful and soul stirring.

The art is one of the most unique I've seen in manga ,it really resembles none and it is magnificent

The characters were loveable and felt real.I think that each of them served their role well enough .Also I really liked the designs ,Sensei and Shiva especially .

Overall ,Totsukuni no Shoujo is a manga that I would recommend to everybody, it's a story that everyone can get into and love ,even if they are not into manga.

The art style is very unique and fits the story perfectly. The use of the dark imagery really emphasizes the fact that the setting is the "outside", where the dark creatures live and Shiva is a pure soul. I did really love the art, and would have continued to love it if the series was shorter. After volume three it did become a bit tiring to have to really stare at some of the pages to try and figure out what exactly I was meant to look at since black is heavily used. The volumes do consistently end on a nice cliffhanger, but I failed ... to really feel an urgency to continue reading. Perhaps it was because of the somewhat slower feel of the story? I continued to volume five, but with the dark images and the numbed suspense I decided to drop it. The two characters do have a very lovely relationship, and the mystery's continue to build and progress I just.. didn't feel compelled or overly interested to continue reading. It wasn't a bad read, just personally wasn't incredibly memorable or something I could see myself wanting to revisit.

Okay, it was a very different experience. Totsukuni no Shoujo is unique, whether in its character or its story. It's hard to find something so different in an ocean of clichéd manga.

I really liked the story, especially at the beginning, as it was kind of a dark slice of life. In the middle (volumes 4 to 6), it really caught my attention, the plot was evolving very well, no matter how many doubts there were, it was really very good. At the end (volumes 10 and 11) it seemed to me that the author was a little lost, I'm almost sure that not even he ... understood everything he wrote haha. As much as this bothered me a little, because honestly, I'm not a big fan of interpretative endings; I still didn't think the ending was bad.

I'm sure that if Totsukuni was a kind of dark slice of life, with simple and well-written plots, as well as being longer, it would have become one of my favorite manga. Anyway, it was great to discover this work, I'm seriously thinking about giving Nagabe's other manga a chance.

This is such a wonderful story that it brings the capacity of artwork enjoyement to a whole other level, this gives a feeling of necessity and how having someone to really care about is something that can completely change your life, the atmosphere that reding this story gives is one of the most beautiful experiences one can find in this medium.

The story focuses on a black person that is called teacher through the series and his shining relationship with shiva a little girl that behaves like a girl of her age would do and makes him feel comfortable with himself and his life with her ... as the center of it. Teacher truly cares about Shiva like a family and only wants what's better for her, she does things that i really love because of the feeling of familiarity that it gives, take as an example when she says "let's have a tea party" that's something that feels and gives an atmosphere of familriaty and house life in family, i'd really love to have a child as lovely and kind hearted as her. Also Shiva has a grandma that's really the only "human" with which she can count because she has always been with her and has treated her as her family too.

The art is just on another level, the artwork of this is truly game-changing and makes everything better, the use of colors and especially how they're used gives the fairy tail like atmosphere of the series a new meaning making it more impactful and stimulating, the way the characters are designed and depicted gives the artwork behind them the recognition they deserve and let us see the amount of work that has been put into it to just make this possible.

It isn't commom to read a series so gorgeous and beautiful as to let you speechless but this time it has been done with mastery and a sense of meaningful purpose that gives everything that can be experienced feel more real and natural than they would have been without it.

The characters feel like normal people in an unconventional way, the characters are different to normal people but behave with intelligence and a sense of surviving similar to how humans do it. The relationship of Shiva and Teacher is the most important point of the whole series and it's done with such mastery and sense of neccesity and knowledge on how it needs to be done in order to be as coherent and cohesive as it could possibly ever be.

I enjoyed having the experience of being able to read this series because it was such an amazing, impactful and beautiful read that gives some meaningful tips on how a real relationship between people that care for each one as family should be and it makes it a worthy series.

I was mesmerized by the art the moment I picked this manga up. Very stylized and expressive; extremely inspirational to me as an artist. I kept stopping just to admire some panels.
That aside, Totsukuni no Shoujo twisted my heart in ways I didn't think were possible. You can clearly see the internal problems of each character and how they tackle them, how they deal with reality. It's very domestic, and yet it never lets you brush off the feeling of uneasiness - there is always trouble coming the characters' way. It may also be a bit slow-paced, but I think that just adds to the ... anticipation.

I picked this up on a whim and...wow what a find!
This is a very western fairytale that's dark with both it's story and art.
I'd recommend this manga to newcomers who want to get into the hobby of reading manga and don't want to be scared away with how "weird" manga can get.

This is a dark yet very sweet story that's pretty unique, its a better Ancient Magus' Bride without the romance.
The relationship between Shiva and Teacher has a very cute father/daughter feel to it.
Teacher is a creature known as an outsider that takes care of little girl named Shiva.
The relationship ... between them is pretty sweet as they sem to have a good bond.
There's even a moment in volume one where he shields her from the truth because he didn't want her to be sad and he tries to make her a pie to she should feel less homesick.

I look forward to reading more of this story.

I really love the dark story book sketch art this manga has, it sorta reminds me of that indie game horror 'Never Ending Nightmares'. You can see the amount sketch lines that create darkness and the absence of it. This would look amazing if the anime adaption stayed true to the art style.

Spoilers ahead. If you want to read a melancholic, adorable and visually unique series I wholeheartedly recommend this one. I will explain why below, but doing so might spoil certain aspects of the story.

For a manga this is quite unique. The style and the story simply isn't that similar to most other series.

There are elements to it that are, of course. The monstrous father figure with the young girl is visually reminiscent of The Ancient Magus' Bride, or Somali and the Forest Spirit. The drawing style is different, but the effect here is cute and endearing in the same way as such works.

The storyline starts ... out with something rather familiar; a 'curse' ravages the land, and it threatens the bond between the characters. The mystery surrounding this curse is a significant part of the story, and while it is explored it ultimately is not resolved. We get some explanation as to what the nature of the curse is, why it existsk, but the damage it has done is never healed, no hope for a solution is provided.

Philosophically this is a very interesting thing to say: some aspects of life are out of our control, and the best we can do is live with it. To hope that we, in the end, can die close to those we love.

I personally like this type of story, where the focus is on the characters and how they deal with a situation rather than how they resolve a problem. With that said it is not always the most satisfying.

When I set a score I mainly go on my gut feeling and try to explain it. I think this series is brought down by being just a tad slow at times, and the characters - while visually appealing, are not always strong enough to quite carry a scene. There are some very good character moments, but some scenes feel like filler, not bad or off-putting, but filler nonetheless.

The story is about a cursed figure called "Teacher" and a little girl named Shiva.

Its a touching story with INCREDIBLE art! I cant emphasise enough how good the art is. The black-and-white style of the manga really helps emphasise the diffrent moods throughout the story. The ambience is dark and mysterious, yet light-hearted and beautiful.

The story itself is similar to old folklore and fairy tales. The character design of Teacher especially feels very familiar. The choice of making Shiva in lighter colors is really fitting.

At first glance, it seems lika a beautiful story about life, but it holds deeper, more sinister themes ... as well.

The story offers complex characters with diffrent motives.

I think the manga can set a mood that animation cannot in this spesific case. Having the manga as a story format fits so well with the storytelling.

I would highly recommend reading it if your a fan of penn art, fantacy, father-daughter relationship or old folklore.

Right off the bat, I'd like to go ahead and just say this is probably not the kind of manga for a large majority of users on this site, especially younger ones. For one, it's likely that it's tagged entirely incorrectly, since I'd much sooner give it the tags of fantasy drama but potato, potahto, no? All that being said: this one is a rather unique read.

Imagine handing your good old book of Peter Rabbit into Tim Burton's hands and asking him to add to it. Then get rid of any stripes or Halloween decorations he might've put in, sprinkle it with some depth, and ... you basically got this.

Though there is no end nor sequel yet in sight (the updates are fairly slow), it is worth the read for the air of serenity it creates and the drama it still manages to mix in. The world built in the story is just a tiny bit complex at times, enough so as to cook up the story further but aside from that, the focus is majorly on the two main characters and their relationship, as they go through the trials of life they've chosen together - the life they, in fact, shouldn't spend together.

The art is the part which caught my eye initially, since it's a mix of accurate beauty and messy detail that I honestly find better than most manga. Again, that being said, the art doesn't resemble your typical manga, so if you're hoping for any kind of beauty or cuteness you'd find in, say, moe style of K-On! or Your Lie in April, you're likely be disappointed - the art is quite more realistic than that.

I end this review with nothing but praise for this manga. It isn't action packed, it doesn't appeal to readers with pandering content or sexual appeal, and it lacks any cliches typical for this media you can imagine. Though much might be turned away by that, I honestly find that to be the main reasons I love it so much.

I came for the wholesome moments, stayed for it's plot (and wholesome moments).

The Girl From the Other Side is a fascinating story with a classic human and inhuman being. I love how it's heartwarming yet heart-throbbing at the same time, how it catches me off guard with this unexpected suspense, yet balances this with its wholesome moments that make me smile and really do warm my heart.

Now back to the plot. I was actually completely caught off guard with the plot, it kept me curious and the storytelling of this manga is what kept me reading. I'm in love with this manga, the backstories ... and this concept of humans and black creatures with monstrous features, yet more than that.

I don't think I need to express my love for the art. Needless to say, it's as loveable as the characters are.

One thing that has definitely disappointed me was the ending to the manga. Without spoiling, I think the ending couldn't compare to the rest of the story and left me rather confused, and it didn't feel like an ending.

Despite this, I think this manga is worth it even if the ending isn't particularly my liking.

This manga is great for fantasy lovers and has a great storyline as well as loveable characters and art.