
Links go to search results. Availability varies by region.
あさこ
35
7
Finished
Nov 26, 2019 to May 23, 2023
7.0/10
Average Review Score
50%
Recommend It
2
Reviews Worldwide
Fantastic manga. Some people will be put off by its premise and rather controversial nature. While I don't fault them, I do want to note they're missing out. The longer the series goes on, the more apparent it becomes that the focus in 'Asako' lies way beyond the taboo/immorality. In fact, the controversial aspect eventually gets shoved off to uncover the real depth of the story. This is a tale of identity, grief and longing, of maturing. And ultimately - of closure. Because every human being yearns for closure and the heaviness of this concept only piles on as time passes. I'd say it's exactly 'closure' thatestablishes itself as THE keyword to describe the manga and the process through which its cast goes through. From naive child-like adoration to matured sentiments in retrospect; from juvenile delinquency to moral ambiguity; from domestic violence to the hierarchy of bullying, 'Asako' tackles a lot of themes. And, to the reader's satisfaction, it explores them rather well. 'Melancholic' or 'nostalgic' are words we throw out rather easily. I know I'm fond of overusing them. Yet both truly fit what 'Asako' stands for. To a great extent, the emotional impact comes from to series' apt structure - rotating between the viewpoints of Masashi 'then' and Masashi 'now'. Side characters are approached intelligently and may (or may not) go through self-reflection, outlining their differences now, as adults, from then, as children. Asako's enigmatic influence is the uniting factor of their process of growing up; their buoy so to speak. With how it's layered, the manga beautifully explores the process of aging and changing, of past reminiscences and threads that were buried, yet never let go. It's a mystery, a drama, an eerie love-but-not-exactly-love story. A heartfelt work of art. Extremely solid 8/10. I would've gone as far as 8.5/10, but I had some nitpicks with the series' last third.
"Asako" depicts the relationship between an 11-year-old boy living in a seaside fishing village, Masashi Aoshima, and a mysterious beauty, Asako, who came to stay at his guest house from Tokyo. (Source: MU)
If you are reading this manga for the DRAMA, then sure you might enjoy it, but if you were looking for the ROMANCE they implied it would exist, drop it. Asako is a mysterious older woman that shows up in Masashi's, an 11 years old boy, small village Eni and he falls in love with her. There, she will spend her Summer and he will learn how his first love can make him feel the extremes of the spectrum of feelings. Notice that having 7 volumes and being a Drama, each volume will basically tackle a serious issue that Asako and Masashi will help people todeal with, so don't read this expecting much from the romance the author herself implies early on. Drama: Despite approaching serious topics, they feel incomplete, specially when the issues are not properly closed or are off-screened. We get to see those characters develop and "conquering" their fears, but even with some 200-pages/volume it is not enough. I do have to say that some of the drama isn't as malicious as you could assume, I was always expecting the worst from all characters, which can be nerve-wrecking, but most of them aren't that bad. Romance: The author teased us with a story and then gave us something else. You get to understand why she wrote Asako in the way she is, how she behaves in some of her actions, but other times you can tell what she does is what she is actually feeling, what Masashi is also feeling, their desire, their attraction, their connection, that is romance. Specially when the manga tells the story in two moments of time: when Masashi is 11 years old and when he is 34 years old. Just let me be clear, I don't think the romance should have happened in the past (and people might really dislike what happened in the past), that's wrong, but in the "present"? When he is 34? Why kick it to the curb?