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地球記録0001
1
—
Finished
Nov 8, 2020
7.5/10
Average Review Score
100%
Recommend It
2
Reviews Worldwide
Earth Recording 0001 is a story about friendship, a story about what it truly means to be human. The one-shot revolves around Soichi Mawatori, who lost his mother at a young age and has been ostracized his entire life for his burnt face. Despite his predicament, Mawatori refuses to give up hope and aspires to be an astronaut. After many years of hard work and determination, his dream finally comes true. Upon being sent on a mission to the Moon, he discovers a rather mysterious human-like creature there, whom he later names "Io". Following the fateful encounter, Mawatori and Io start to converse, learning more abouteach other and becoming friends along the way. 0001 makes it clear right from the first page that it's going to be covering some heavy subject matters, and thankfully, they are handled with a lot of maturity. Within only 60 pages, it tells a simple and understandable story with well-handled and mature themes. There isn't anything revolutionary about the themes themselves, but they are indeed thought-provoking and beautifully executed. In essence, 0001 is built on the ingenuous relationship formed between Mawatari and Io. Despite belonging to two completely different species with little to no similarities, an unbreakable and sincere bond is created between them from the start, and the manga does a great job at making this apparent. Mawatori and Io have always been lonely because of their own circumstances, but they find solace in each other's company. Their conversations are short yet engaging, being some of the most genuine and heartfelt conversations I have seen in such a manga. Mawatori is actually a well-written and realistic character; he isn't simply created to draw sympathy out of the readers. A glimpse of his past and the reason behind him wanting to become an astronaut is shown subtly, which makes it easier to find him relatable. On the other hand, not much is known about Io and who/what she actually is, but this mystery surrounding her, in fact, makes her a more interesting character. Both Mawatori and Io receive a fair amount of development and go through some change by the end of the manga, and the development is very deserving and subtle. Being a one-shot, 0001 does have some obvious downsides. If you exclude the main cast, there's almost nothing interesting to say about the characters. It feels like the concept also could've been expanded upon a bit further, but it just wasn't possible due to the rather short length. Because of that exact reason, some parts felt a bit rushed near the end. It should also be noted that the Sci-Fi aspects of the manga aren't very strong and might prove disappointing to Sci-Fi enthusiasts (or simply fans). But again, it's only a one-shot, so it wouldn't be a crime to overlook these minor issues. The art of the manga is distinct and solid for the most part. Assuming this is the author's first work, it's noteworthy how good it looks. The background designs are fairly limited due to the setting being mostly constrained to the Moon, and there are times when the faces can be a bit off, but on the whole, the manga is quite well-drawn. As someone who likes reading one-shots a lot, I found Earth Recording 0001 to be particularly remarkable and heartwarming. People who dislike melancholic or bittersweet stories should probably avoid it since it deals with a few heavy issues, but just saying, you would be missing out on an amazing one-shot if you do that.
Soichi Mawatori has been ostracized his entire youth not only for having a burnt face but also for being a mistress' son. His mother was the sole person who truly loved him, and after her untimely death, he was left all alone. Despite all the odds against him, he refuses to give up hope and strives to become an astronaut. After many years of determination and hard work, his dream finally comes true. Upon being sent on a mission to the Moon, Soichi discovers a rather strange, feminine, and humanoid creature possessing the ability to communicate with humans. Despite the creature's anonymity, Soichi sees his own reflection in them and names them Io. Following the fateful encounter, Soichi and Io begin to interact and learn more about each other, forming an unusual yet sincere bond along the way. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
EARTH RECORDING 0001 is an emotional short story about an astronaut (Soichi Mawatori) who feels out of touch and out of place amongst his fellow man. while on a mission to the moon he encounters an alien (io) who also says that she too is incredibly lonely and has been traveling the universe for companionship since the universe's creation. the two bond and understand each other, and themselves in the process. ART (10/10): the art in this manga is very crisp, clean, and striking. the scenery and the depictions of earth & space are absolutely gorgeous. soichi's design is also very well done. the design ofthe alien leaves much to be desired though -- i feel like she could have been a little less humanoid looking and a bit more otherworldly. CHARACTERS (6/10): there were some secondary characters on the base on the moon (an antagonist & a supporting character sympathetic to the main); obviously because it is a short story they didnt go too deep into who they are and theyre motivations. i believe they were just there to depict the duality of humanity and how different humans can treat each other. io was interesting. her motivations to interact with the soichi seem genuine and i enjoy how the story & her character unfold as they gets to know the soichi. soichi is the most flushed out but his back story is still pretty basic -- its the classic story of success fueled by revenge which ultimately leaves one feeling empty or unfulfilled. this too was interesting to see evolve & soichi opinions of his fellow man & himself change as he spends more time with io. STORY (6.5/10): the story is a simple one with a reflective message & a heartwarming ending. the manga doesnt do anything crazy, it just wants to convey the importance of not taking things for granted, seeing the beauty in everything, and how the sense of self shifts after being in isolation/intense periods of loneliness. TLDR; its a super quick read with a sweet message and beautiful art design. a nice reminder to take a step back, enjoy your surroundings, remind yourself what you are grateful for and the giant miracle that is earth -- no matter how disconnected you become to others