A Distant Neighborhood

For most of the people on this site, there are probably things in life we all regret. Things we wish we could have done differently if given a second chance. Even as a much younger reader than what the manga was probably targeted at, I can sympathize with the idea of doing things I’ve done in the past differently. Harukana Machi-E (hereby referred to in its English title A Distant Neighborhood) is a story that addresses this deplorable feeling felt by many people around the world, taking an 48 year old man back into a pivotal moment of his youth. The main character of the storyis Hiroshi, who upon the opening of the story comes off as a slightly bitter old man, suffering from a hangover, who suddenly finds himself taking the wrong train and visiting his old home town. Upon visiting his mother’s grave he faints, and wakes up to find himself stuck inside his 14 year old body, reliving his youth. However, he still has his 48 year old mind, and he finds himself remembering lots of things of his past. He comes into contact with old friends who would later meet their death, that would move away, and dreamers who would end up forgetting their dreams and living an average life. This memory adds a beautiful sense of melancholy to the story, and creates for interesting character interaction and development. However, the real story comes into play when Hiroshi release that not everything is happening according to his memory. Thanks to his 48 year old knowledge, he finds himself excelling academically, and really just enjoying the simple things of life; this change in personality does not go unnoticed by his peers. After discovering this Hiroshi takes it upon himself to pave the road to a different future, much different than the life he initially lived where his family was broken apart and suffering. This is the true beauty of the story, it is a story of change, regret, youth, family, and the simple beauties of life. That’s not to say the story doesn’t have his flaws. A lot of times Hiroshi just seems to forget that he has a wife and kids in his real life as a 48 year old, he does briefly think about them a couple of times before the end of the story, but the moments are so brief and uncommon that you really begin to wonder if he cares that much about his real family. While that is a major flow, it doesn’t hinder any of the emotional impact later in the story, and the overall story still flows extremely well and is beautifully written. Despite only being two volumes, each character in the story feels nicely developed. Whether it be the members of his family or several of the his classmates in school, most of them have time to tell their own stories, and each of them play their part nicely. Hiroshi is, of course, the most interesting of the characters. The mix between a 14 year old body and 48 year old mind gives him an interesting, reflective train of thought, and none of the dialogue comes off as unnatural despite the odd mix. The art is well drawn and has good detail, none of the characters look incredibly handsome, there are no cheaply drawn comedic moments, no mysterious flower blooming in the background-in short it should appeal to the audience it was targeted at. I can’t really recommend this enough, all the characters are realistic, likeable, and well developed, the story is outstanding and should gain some sympathy among the readers, and most importantly it’s just a fascinating read that contains all the elements needed for a good story. It’s a shame the story isn’t well known, A Distant Neighborhood is a simple yet engaging read that has all the elements to appeal to a large audience, I recommend this to any fan of emotional, well developed stories, but it really should appeal to anyone who finds the story idea to be good. Truly a hidden gem of manga.

This was a very interesting read. It was a story full of heart and heartbreak and realizing who you are. The story is, in a nutshell, about time travel. I wasn't very attracted to the idea at first, but I'm glad that I chose to read this. The story is carried out in a very literaturical (I don't even think this is a word, but whatever) fashion with Hiroshi narrating through the whole thing. After reading the first few chapters you start seeing the beauty of the story. The art was very different than what I am used to seeing, but very good. The character's emotions reallycame through in the art and was able to perfectly set the scene in every panel. The character designs were very well done and varied, giving each character a specific look which gave it a higher sense of immersion. The characters are another part of this story that makes it so incredible. The main character is a very sad, depressing character throughout, but he doesn't annoy the reader with self pity. He manages to feel real by being selfish and selfless at the same time. And at the end Hiroshi realizes what he had and learns to love what he has. The mangaka did an incredible job of fleshing out all the important characters and forming their relationships with Hiroshi. You can REALLY identify with them and they don't feel like manga characters, but real people. The mangaka did a very good job in creating "real" characters. This is really a hidden gem. It's too bad that it isn't more well known because it is really an incredible read. It teaches a very powerful lesson of learning to deal with pain and acceptence and learning love what you have. This manga is a MUST READ and I strongly urge you to not pass it by.

I had to wait a few days after finishing Harukana Machi-E before I wrote this review. I just couldn't believe how much I liked this manga. If I had reviewed this manga immediately after I finished it I would have done nothing but rain 10s down upon it. Now that it's sunk in, nothing has changed. STORY: 10/10 What would you do if you were a 48-year-old man who was visiting your mothers grave. You closed your eyes to pray, and when you opened them you were 14 year old again? But you arn't the only one to suddenly lose 34 years. The world does too. You'vesomehow gone back in time, but you have the conscience of a grown man. What would you do? Would you date the prettiest girl in school? Would you try and stop your father from leaving? What else would you do differently? These are the same questions Hiroshi asks himself as he begins to understand his situation. The story, without a doubt, is beautiful. It is only two volumes long, but thats all it needs. The story isn't weighed down by countless arcs and dozens of useless characters. It is perfect from the mundane first word to the shocking last. ART: 10/10 The characters have noses and eyes proportional to their face. It's not your typical "everyone is bishonen" artwork. The backgrounds are extremely detailed to the point of being photographic. It's almost like you can feel the water dripping down his face as he stands in the rain and smell the salt when he stands at the beach watching the waves crash into the shore. The art truely grants the story life. CHARACTER: 10/10 Since Harukana Machi-E is two volumes long there arn't many characters. And each one adds something to the story. Weather it's the loving father who mysteriously left Hiroshi's family the first time around without giving a reason. Or Hiroshi's shy friend who wants to someday become a writer. Or Hiroshi, who is so caught up with being 14 again, he almost doesn't want to go back. They're all perfectly crafted to be as realistic and as enjoyable to watch as possible. ENJOYMENT: 10/10 I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. Would the prettiest girl in school fall in love with him? Could he somehow get his father to stay this time around? Is he ever going to return to the future? This manga is incrediblely hard to put down and it keeps you wanting more after every chapter. OVERALL: 10/10 Pursue your dreams and love your family. A beautiful message for a perfect manga. I advise everyone, manga fans or not, to read this manga. You'll be glad you did. This manga deserves nothing less than a perfect 10.

Taniguchi often reads like some of the old impressionistic writers. Form, time, direction all seem to have their own shape; they breathe on their own accord. The world then is distilled down to sensory syllogisms, where truth and fiction really are just extensions of one another. Consequently, all that seems to matter is the continuity of perception and the exaltation of sense, transforming into ephemeral experiences embedded in some forgotten psychology. These are never presented as factual, but as fleeting moments offering glimpses into all that was lost. These stories are appendages of the self: ones that serve to internalize the world and externalize theindividual - ones solely predicated on perspective. What is seen, what is felt, and what “is” are all units crafted by an ever-changing reality, shifting not only in a temporal space but within the abstract confines of the mind. Perception is powerful. Nothing encompasses the aforesaid more than Taniguchi’s acclaimed manga "Haruka na Machi e", or otherwise known as "A Distant Neighborhood." It’s a work that seems to override traditional form and structure while challenging linearity and time to bring forth a compelling narrative with stunning artwork. Before discussing the actual story, Taniguchi’s art in this manga must be mentioned. As striking and thought-provoking as the story is, the art is sublime. Taniguchi draws with a sense of realism and nostalgia – a style that suits this story almost perfectly. His stories often feel like meditations or Zen-like introspections of the mind exercising itself onto the world. The moments in between that are being grasped, coalesced, and digested by the senses and cognition are expressed poetically and with the utmost clarity. Expressions, space, distance, textures, gradients, forefront, backgrounds are crafted with an unreal degree of precision and artistry. The narrative is thoroughly rooted in the art and its often through the art and imagery that much of the progression takes place. Additionally, the story is equally compelling. The premise starts off deceptively simple: a 40-something everyday salaryman (Hiroshi Nakahara) takes the wrong train. He notices the scenery changing into something unknowingly nostalgic. Eventually, he ends up at his childhood town. Things have changed. He too has changed. The streets he once knew are unrecognizable. His old home and parent’s shop have also disappeared. Unsettled, he goes to pay respect at his mother’s grave. He falls asleep and upon waking, strangely finds himself transported many decades into the past – when he was only 14. Again, the streets change. Again, he changes. From this point onwards, the story focuses on Hiroshi’s decisions to change both, his world and of those that once inhabited it. He still retains all his knowledge and skills as an adult, and so embarks on his second chance to redeem his past and perhaps his future. HaruMachi confidently conveys the complex completeness of each emotion and conflict. Taniguchi exerts complete control over the intricacies and depth and subtly reveals them through intuition and imagery. Hiroshi encounters the same interactions and events but tries to alter them to get more optimal outcomes, whether it be finding love with the prettiest girl in school or helping his frail mother. Yet the focus is never on the meaning of these interactions or how they will change Hiroshi’s life. The future has already transpired. What’s important is Hiroshi’s inevitable realizations about himself and his place in the world. What’s hidden beyond the entirety of this current timeline is push for acceptance, through understanding all that/those he could not and did not. Thus, this is not an exciting time travel story. This is not a narrative hung up on changing the future. Time and history are all living; dismissing their autonomy is out of the question. What then HaruMachi sublimely shows is the opposite: despite the feigned ability to change things within a repeated microcosm, in the grand scheme of cosmic affairs, things will remain as they need be. What matters is perception and how that perception evolves into awareness (and to inherit the ability to alter that as needed, to live, if not with contentment, then at least with acceptance). The ideas about self-awareness and acceptance echo across the work. These arise from an ethos of a society that is designed to discourage individualistic fervors and the results of such a design on the individual questioning it through their own existence. This is truly where the art shines. Much of the initial set up is Hiroshi traversing his environment while recollecting and subconsciously, lamenting. Taniguchi crafts the slivering pieces of the past, through the elaborate, naturalistic setting as it was and as it is, revealing the bridge between Hiroshi’s memories and his emotions. Both are at risk but impeccably visualized through the transitioning realities that Hiroshi experiences. It’s remarkable how each idea is translated into an image, from the sweeping scenery to the colliding characters. It’s all attuned to create an atmosphere that moves alongside fate, never to rebel against it, but always to affirm it. There are two crucial events that reinforce the established nature. First is the eventual breakup of Hiroshi and pretty girl, Tomoko. Second, is his father’s abandonment. The most defining and personal event for Hiroshi seems to be his relationship with Tomoko. She was the prettiest girl in the school and in the original timeline, has married a diplomat and moved abroad. During Hiroshi’s “redo” he impresses her with his maturity and knowledge and they start dating. Tomoko falls hard for Hiroshi, but slowly recognizes the fact that she simply cannot understanding him or his feelings. Their relationship is thoroughly developed and despite her being smitten with him, she becomes increasingly upset and insecure due to her inabilities. She runs away. And so, ends that romance, as well as any hope for finding love and fulfillment in his future family life. Second and arguably, the most important event in Hiroshi’s redo is the unchanging event of his father’s sudden departure. It is explained that at some point in his 14th year, Hiroshi’s father abandons them, which implicitly causes the early death of his mother. Reliving his life, Hiroshi comes to realize his premature understanding of his parents and their lives. He wants to save his family. He wants to protect his mother. He wants to know why his father abandons his perfectly stable life and loving family. On the night his father is meant to leave, Hiroshi confronts him and demands an explanation. His father wants something more; he wants to escape the never-ending, looming existential dread and to find something life-affirming. This poignantly captures the reasoning for the time-skip and the internal truth that haunted Hiroshi from the get-go. He too suffers the same dread as his father. Forced into a life of unfulfillment, where neither his family nor his job offers any solace, he finds himself “escaping”. The time skip thus is a mere tool, one that he embraces fully, to live out his teenage desires where he knew he had concrete goals and desires that could lead to happiness, regardless of their impermanence. This duality of change and stasis is heavily manipulated throughout the story, but they are also simply tools for attaining the awareness needed to realize the limitations of self-imposed control and influence. And so, he unsurprisingly returns to his original timeline. Again, he changes. In spite of changing many events in his “redo”, things in the present are as they were. Nothing is different. Tomoko is still married to the diplomat, living abroad. His wife and children are who they were prior to him leaving. Friends and family who were dead are still dead. He’s still a 48-year-old everyday salaryman with a heavy heart. Nothing changed, except now he’s fully self-aware. Nothing evolved except his perceptions and his resolve. Ultimately, that’s what matters. After all, Perception is powerful – it can and does change everything.