Reading Collective Reading of Yokohama Kaidaishi Kikou

[k-dom]

Read the 5th it will be easier later on

 

[Josef]

Read the 5th it will be easier later on

Hmm looking at the way the volumes are constructed, it might be easier if we do it one volume per week, a volume is 7 or so chapters long it seems?

 

[MiyamotoMusashi]

Hmm looking at the way the volumes are constructed, it might be easier if we do it one volume per week, a volume is 7 or so chapters long it seems?

I think that only applies to the first 4 volumes or so, later it switches to 10 chapters per volume

 

[ukimix]

Ey Miya, nice that you join us!

I didn't notice there's chapter 0. For this week, let's read up to chapter 5; and at the end of the week we can evaluate if it's ok to change to more chapters per week.

 

[Josef]

Done, done:

Spoiler: Impressions on the chapters

This manga ... this manga is just flowing and flowing with beauty and greatness, I mean such humanity from a robot, every panel is a moment of it's own there seems to be a coherent plot and the author knows what he is doing, Alpha getting sick is the centerpiece of the story so far, and lol her getting drunk, I think beneath everything I feel sad she is a robot.

Wow, just wow, 5/5 as a manga, and immediate masterpiece.

 

[TheBoss]

Count me in, when I have time ofc ... T_T

 

[ukimix]

Count me in, when I have time ofc ... T_T

Ey welcome TheBoss!!! Nice you join us!

---------- Post added June 20, 2013 at 10:23 AM ---------- Previous post was June 19, 2013 at 09:37 PM ----------

Spoiler: My impressions on chapters 0-5

Immediate masterpiece? I completely agree with you Jose. Love at first sight.

What if Alpha were human? Personally I wouldn’t feel as involved with her as I am. I mean, I would begin to ask myself questions like: How was her childhood, and what’s her history? What she wants? What’s her dreams?, etc… And then, the moments and actions portrayed in each chapter, would be covered in some extend by the shadow of all those unanswered questions; like if I still could ask: “yes, she’s grateful, now who is her?, and what does she want?” But in the moment you know she’s a robot, all those questions are ‘deactivated’, and I feel just faced to her bare simple and plain actions.

But at the same time Alpha’s features are deeply human. She wants to look well so she worries about her hair, and about the softness of her skin, she worries about Takahiro, she is grateful, shy, she feels joy, etc.

So, when you take the mixture of those two feature, (i) a robot with in regards of which you can’t ask the bigger questions that always worries about us, and (ii) and a being that is deeply human, what’s the result? I feel that I’m witnessing a vivid portray of some kind human actions. I don’t know how to say it accurately, but it’s like if Alpha itself were the gratitude, the blushing, the care, the vanity… It’s like if her actions were the incarnation of all those human features in its pure form. There are no mysteries about them, they are crystal-clear, beautiful and simple: “she is grateful” and that’s all. I don’t have to worry about their history, not even the possibility to ask for a reason to be grateful. Not that I use to ask things like that, but, ey, among humans sometimes there are reasons to be grateful. Then I just think that’s quite an accomplishment!

About the art, it’s beautiful and powerful in telling the story. How can you draw or describe with a drawing a skilled and rhythmic dancer? With shadows around the dancer’s body, white and grey!:

Spoiler

k-dom says the comic is about certain atmosphere. I could see that in those few chapters. The atmosphere is created in some lines, like when Alpha says she hasn’t had a client in weeks. But also in the in the wild backgrounds:

Spoiler

and in the details:

Spoiler

This panel makes me think the author wrote this comic loving it.

 

[Googlez_kun]

I even think about buying the japanese volumes. Words aren't even necessary to appreciate it and I already read it once.
Or are there English releases? Just looked it up, no there aren't. What a shame...

 

[k-dom]

Alpha is certainly the most human of robots :-) Her robot features are only rarely shown (the one I remember is quite humanly though but I don't want to spoil). The one that the author as established is that Alpha time is different from humans one. This is probably a key of the manga.
Another key and maybe the reason why people love this serie at first sight is that never in manga has the end of the world been so peaceful. Yes, there was some big wars that have sunk big cities and reduce drastically the population but iit doesn't matter. It seems for once humanity has become wiser. People help each others, people party together. It's not only a robot which is full of humanity.


As for you first point ukimix, I disagree a little. I ask myself some question about her who is her owner, what is her relationship with him ? She is the main character after all.

 

[ukimix]

Alpha is certainly the most human of robots :-) Her robot features are only rarely shown (the one I remember is quite humanly though but I don't want to spoil). The one that the author as established is that Alpha time is different from humans one. This is probably a key of the manga.
Another key and maybe the reason why people love this serie at first sight is that never in manga has the end of the world been so peaceful. Yes, there was some big wars that have sunk big cities and reduce drastically the population but iit doesn't matter. It seems for once humanity has become wiser. People help each others, people party together. It's not only a robot which is full of humanity.


As for you first point ukimix, I disagree a little. I ask myself some question about her who is her owner, what is her relationship with him ? She is the main character after all.

Spoiler

This page gave a deep impression that she is glad even if he doesn't come back, and her actions seems to be not determined by whet her owner wants; as if she could be the same even if the owner dies or doesn't come back. So, yes, now I wonder about who is him, but not much about her.

 

[Leoat12]

I wrote my impressions divided by chapters and immediately after of the reading, thus I don't forget any important part.

Spoiler: Impressions: Chapter 0-5

The chapter 0 feels like more a introduction of the story. I liked immediately when I saw that it is futuristic (maybe pos apocaliptic?) and the art is good and refreshing as well.

Once again I was delighted with the art and in this chapter the scene where Alpha play Gekkin was especially beautiful. Furthermore is possible to realize that Alpha really likes her owner and my suspected about the message in the chapter 0 ended up being true. I hope that her owner appear soon.

Chapter 2 was impressive because the legend about Misago and her apparition. I like very much of mysterious characters and Misago conquered me with her smile. hahaha
I think that she felt lonely before and smiled because Takahiro don't ran at that time, centainly she isn't a bad person (if she is really a person xD). I hope that she appears more times. =D

Chapter 3 was funny. First scenes were without dialogues and not needed either way. Once in a while I forget that Alpha is not human and the scene of this normal morning was one of this moments. However soon after, we are remembered with Alpha's commentary about her mechanisms. The remmaining of the chapter was marked with a perfect slice of life and interactions with new characters. I was curious about how many people there are in the story's scenario.

I was really worried in the beginning of the chapter, to think that Alpha would get hurt. This chapter showed even more that Alpha is a robot despite her appearance, her treatment was much different than normal and it was interesting, but not the most interesting part. Alpha cried by many reasons is this chapter and each of them was a different feeling: gratitude, happiness and despair (with her hair xD) and she learned about this feelings. I liked this chapter very much because this learning of Alpha about human feelings.

This what a slice of life must be. Chapter 5 was a normal neighborhood meeting but was full of meanings, pages with the dance was beautiful and their commentaries left everything mysterious. Alpha is mysterious and I really doubt that she is a robot. XD

My overall impression was great. This is what a slice of life should be, normal actions of life but with various meaning that make a good development of the characters. I liked it very much and the mystery about Alpha and her story only enriched these first chapters.

 

[ukimix]

Spoiler

Chapter 2 was impressive because the legend about Misago and her apparition. I like very much of mysterious characters and Misago conquered me with her smile. hahaha
I think that she felt lonely before and smiled because Takahiro don't ran at that time, centainly she isn't a bad person (if she is really a person xD). I hope that she appears more times. =D

The scene of Misago hugging Takahiro was just absolutely fantastic. I found Misago very unique, and lovely. Her friendship feelings to Takahiro seemed to me so pure. She's just lovely. Is there some kind of reference or something for her? and does she have rags?

I was really worried in the beginning of the chapter, to think that Alpha would get hurt. This chapter showed even more that Alpha is a robot despite her appearance, her treatment was much different than normal and it was interesting, but not the most interesting part. Alpha cried by many reasons is this chapter and each of them was a different feeling: gratitude, happiness and despair (with her hair xD) and she learned about this feelings. I liked this chapter very much because this learning of Alpha about human feelings.

Alpha worried about her hair was really funny to me, specially the bottom-right panel of this page:

Spoiler

This what a slice of life must be. Chapter 5 was a normal neighborhood meeting but was full of meanings, pages with the dance was beautiful and their commentaries left everything mysterious. Alpha is mysterious and I really doubt that she is a robot. XD

What did you find mysterious in this chapter?

 

[Leoat12]

Spoiler

What did you find mysterious in this chapter?

It's difficult to explain, therefore is mysterious. xD
But I think that was the dance expressions, the way how she started dancing suddenly and no one knew that dance. All of them didn't know how much time have passed while she was dancing too. Finally, each one of her actions transmit a feeling of mystery because we don't know much about her at that time, and this dancing was the one that passed over that feeling.

 

[ukimix]

Spoiler

It's difficult to explain, therefore is mysterious. xD
But I think that was the dance expressions, the way how she started dancing suddenly and no one knew that dance. All of them didn't know how much time have passed while she was dancing too. Finally, each one of her actions transmit a feeling of mystery because we don't know much about her at that time, and this dancing was the one that passed over that feeling.

It gave me the impression all of them liked the dance. ... mysterious and beautiful at the same time. Yes. Anyway it was hypnotic to the expectators.

 

[Josef]

Spoiler

For me the mysterious part is that most are in love with Alpha, but that kind of love is yet to be seen, a human-robot interaction.

 

[ukimix]

Spoiler

Ok, but my impression is that it's mysterious to us, the readers, not to Alpha's friends. There are question we ask at the moment about Alpha: who is her owner, what for was she created? But in the comic, Alphas' friends are simply glad to pass the night with her and to drink sake.

In other worlds, Leoat12 says that its mysterious because it's difficult to explain. But I see, who wants some explanation are us, not the characters of the story.

 

[Leoat12]

Spoiler

Ok, but my impression is that it's mysterious to us, the readers, not to Alpha's friends. There are question we ask at the moment about Alpha: who is her owner, what for was she created? But in the comic, Alphas' friends are simply glad to pass the night with her and to drink sake.

In other worlds, Leoat12 says that its mysterious because it's difficult to explain. But I see, who wants some explanation are us, not the characters of the story.

Sure, is typical of the readers to seek answers for their questions. Alpha's friends don't care about this yet(?). Are two different visions about Alpha.

 

[Josef]

Spoiler

I meant about both readers and the people in the story. WE like her because of her humanity, they do as well. But she is a robot, that is he thing

 

[Ninja_Pirate]

Read 5 chapters just on time to write my thoughts... wrote a long post but got hung ,,,, all in vain

Spoiler

The final thing I wanted to say is... After reading 5 chapters i dnt know what is the motive of this manga ... and where this manga is heading to ... I am liking the simplicity of it till now ... I dont have enough patience to rewrite my thoughts.... But next 5 chapter sure

And I liked the proposal of 1 volume per session... as one volume has only 7 chapters till 4 volume .. and the time we end 4th volume we will know if we can continue on schedule of one volume consisting of 10 chapters each .. (but actually when writing the review.. I realized that each chapter has lot of content ... even when they are just short story.... )

 

[ukimix]

I support the idea of a volume per week. Also we can add the two final chapters of vol 1 to the reading of the next week. So we would have chapters 6 and 7, and vol 2, all for the next week. What do you think?

Other questions I have:

Spoiler

Does Alpha has an old map of Yokohama? I got that impression from this page. And, how old is she?

Who is Later? I mean the sender of this letter.

In chapter 2 we have two prominent objects: a gun and a Gekki. I'd like to know your thoughts about it, if there is any. The gun is strange, isn't it? I mean a gun is a weapon of to attack of to defence, but neither of those actions seem to go well with all the peaceful neighbourhood... The tittle possibly offer some clue: "the evening of the sweet smell of steel". Does it refer to the smell of the gun or to the smell of Alpha? Any thoughts?

Does anyone has a clue about why chapter 3 has that title: "Rubblings of thunder"? The lightning comes in chapter 4, so maybe is an omen...