A Home Far Away

"If I were a woman, loving you wouldn't be a sin." Story: This manga tackles some highly controversial and heavy topics, such as religion, abuse, neglect, vices and evil. But what's absolutely amazing about it is how much it manages to cover without feeling rushed in just a few chapters. The story is well thought through and executed in such a way that it will make you a part of it; an onlooker unable to do anything, but exposed to every single emotion shown in it. If I had to pick one, I'd say 'love' is the main theme; however, it takes on different shapes and directions,and gets mixed with sadness, grief, self-loathing, joy and freedom. This is, in a way, a critique of the society as it is, pushed to the extreme, with all these double standards, injustice, selfishness, wickedness and darkness it incorporates. In a world that rejects your very existence, a fight for freedom and love is as hard as they come; and while you're gasping for air amidst all that tragedy, the guilt lingers. This is a story about finding oneself, breaking the chains of trauma and hatred, escaping toxicity, healing and selflessness. Art: The art is stunning, absolutely beautiful and powerful. It fits extremely well with the story and further elevates the severity of it all. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then some of these panels speak volumes about the mindset, torment, dedication and salvation. Characters: The MCs in this particular manga have such a deep understanding of one another that, at times, it can make them seem a bit too alike, but that is only if you were to look at this story superficially. Should you try to dig deeper, you'll realize soon enough that they are totally different individuals with very compatible souls. They don't feel one-dimensional at all, and both have a lot of personality and layers to them. It might be hard to relate to their individual stories, but it is extremely easy to relate to their rawness, especially during monologues. The focus is purely on the main couple, with the rest simply being extras present to further emphasize their motives or help us understand where their feeling are coming from, what has shaped them and in what way. Enjoyment: If your life has been, in any way sad, or if you have felt alone and betrayed, this will resonate with you. Anyone thinking about reading this, I suggest approaching it with no biases and no prejudice. Just because one does not want to admit something, it doesn't stop it from happening to someone, somewhere in this wide world. This being a 'boys love' story shouldn't define it's reality as impossible outside of the genre. This is fundamentally a slice-of-life, that could very well have been described through a shoujo, seinen or any other demographic. Personally, I found this story rather sad, but beautiful at the same time. The message it carries is as important as it is a grim reminder to us of how unjust the world we have created has become. This story is a very human one, and a very painful one. It goes to show just how much one person can hurt or break another, how much suffering one can cause and just how long-lasting the consequences are; but also how one person can become another one's salvation; a home, a safe place, a new world, freedom.

*A brief journey with a poetic end, where sinners hope to find their haven* ~~ Brief in length, heavy on pathos. A Home Far Away is an exceptionally appropriate title in encompassing the cognitive state of the spiritually and societally ostracized through the lens of religion and domestic misfortune. To escape from it all, those people need a home: a community of shared love and warmth. I just have to say, the author really gets it. By that, I mean the indubitable highlight of the story, which is religious guilt. There lies a copious amount of stress shouldered daily by people who think they are the devil's spawndue to their realization that their heart's desires misalign with their bodies sculpted with the likeness of The Divine Entity. The fear of being cursed, intermingling with the hatred of one's nature, all stream into this woeful ocean of philosophy: "If I were born differently, this love wouldn't have been a sin." And at the very least, that newfound home could have been one without the gallows for a backyard; where greetings don't come as meted judgments; where they can be one with the neighborhood, warm cheers close in proximity as they all relish in the greatest gift given to man, the ability to wholeheartedly love. Of course, contrarian scenarios all too well exist in real life, and the author resolved to capture its full tragedy. Sprinkle in some hope and joy to exacerbate the looming threat, give the characters some time with peace that should have been theirs to regularly taste to begin with, before finally pushing them off the edge once and for all. How cruel is the truth that this world cannot save space for the people who need it most. All this to say, A Home Far Away was sad to read. Despite the depressing frame, the hasty approach it took dried up the adhesive of a surefire emotional journey, thus preventing me from being too heavily invested enough for a heartbreak. However, it had its powerful moments, such as when Alan shot through the crucified statue of Christ. That bit, yes, it broke me to pieces. That whole scene in the chapel subdued my capacity for optimism, because it was the last nail in the coffin. After being enclosed on all sides, even Jesus, whom Alan had faith for and prayed to even after all the pain His devout apostles (his parents and the priest, though he really shouldn't be included) gave him, had failed in Alan's eyes. His entire life was practically dictated by people and things that didn't come from his essence. Simultaneously, there is a breathless feeling of denying who you are to escape the punishment of sin. Despite having Hayden, a runaway of memories, even that was fleeting in the end too. It is poetic that their end was met at the palms of the ocean, the primordial source of life and the material used to relinquish sin in the hopes of a resurrected one without it. I express all this, but the genuine emotional movement I had could only be attributed to the approach the story took and the execution to traverse the plot. Were it to be more fleshed out, were more avenues to have been explored, were it to have been more than a trauma dump and a flash-to-pathos, maybe I would have had sufficient room to move as the author's stringed puppet play. Nevertheless, it was a good experience overall, and I am not discounting its loyalty to its themes and the resolute gestures to paint a melancholic work.

Well now I'm sad :( I felt like there was a hole in my chest the entire time I was reading this. This manga completely devastated me. The way it explores religious guilt, corruption within the church, and complex, suffocating family dynamics is raw and painfully real. Every page felt like a quiet, emotional blow. But at the heart of it all is Alan and Hayden’s relationship - and oh my god, I loved them. It was beautiful, sad, messy, and deeply human. The kind of bond that feels fleeting but life-changing. I just want to hug them both. And the artwork? Absolutely stunning. I’ve never read somethingso beautifully drawn - every panel is soft, expressive, and aching. It buries deep inside you and hurts in ways you didn’t expect. I honestly wish this was a full-length novel. I can so vividly imagine a 300-page version of this story in my head - it would be so beautiful and devastating, and I’d gladly let it ruin me. The manga format is gorgeous, and I love the art, but it's so short, and this story has had such an impact on me, I can’t stop thinking about it. I just want everyone to read it. Short, powerful, and hauntingly beautiful. I’m not okay.