Kabu no Isaki

I've came to this manga years ago and just periodically read few chapters. Compared to Hitoshi Ashinano's probably most known series, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikko, this tittle is much simpler and have very little world building or characters. Story follows young adult, Isaki who is capable of flying airplane without proper license. Piper PA-18 Super Cub, or just "Cub", is owned by middle aged woman Shiro and hers much younger sister, Kajika, often tags along, as she's too small and weak to pilot Cub on her own. Shiro and Isaki have an agreement that instead of paying any money, he'll do some flying chores and deliveries for plane owner. Lateron, another young pilot is introduced: Sayori. She's a hot headed and energetic, as much as Ashino could make such, character. She pays great respect for Shiro, who apparently is well regarded pilot and character, in the region despite hers laid back, borderline lazy, drunk-aunt attitude. Problem I have with this story is that even for Ashino, it is barely holding itself. Art is reserved and character design is simplistic. Stylized anatomy is too close to parody with elongated and stretched figures, and very deformed heads and faces - as if the author didn't feel like drawing. All six volumes were published in the span of six years, and for me, it does feel like story should have had stayed a one shot as it originally was, because how aimless it feels most of the times. What initially been reserved, stylized or a just choice in most places, later felt like tired or messy obligation to finish the chapter, and eventually entire comic series. Worst offender though, must be the finale and resolution. It tried to answer some question, none wanted to get answered. It tried to bond everything together, but ended being cheap or superficial at best. If it wasn't so much out of the blue than perhaps it might be working, but it ended being kind like those exposition-dumps, bringing whole experience to low, disappointing feeling of being cheated. It is a nice read, specifically if you know Hitoshi Ashino and his other works, or just enjoy laid back and calmer slice of life, but still is just lacking any proper value. It really should've had been one-shot, and one-shot only.

Kabu no Isaki is a good manga, but all of its aspects could have been better executed. What is most interesting at first is the location and atmosphere, as it is a huge science fiction world where there are large uninhabited spaces. It may seem empty, but it works quite well for an Iyashikei, because, although there are few characters, they are all friendly, which reinforces the immersion without making the reader feel lonely. In addition, the settings consist mostly of natural locations: meadows, mountains, or simply the sky. The artistic section supports the feeling of spaciousness and relaxation, as the backgrounds occupy large pages,and they are very memorable and expressive despite being minimalist. The problem with the world is that it gets little depth, and by the end of the manga, there are many questions that remain unanswered. Despite all the adventures our protagonists have, the mysteries of the place where they live end up unclear, which is bad, since it was an enigmatic world with a lot of potential. As for the characters, their designs are nice, especially for the size of their heads and their shape. The cute aesthetics support the enjoyment of the work quite a bit. As for the writing, all of them have well-defined personalities, and it's fun to follow them throughout the story. There are few dialogues, but these feel natural, in addition to supporting the atmosphere quite well, being simple and dealing with everyday topics within their world. However, with the exception of perhaps Isaki, the characters have zero development. The interactions between them remain static throughout the story, and each character could have been better developed. Considering that the cast is very small, the work with it is rather incomplete, and the characters end up being quite unmemorable. The characters lack conflicts, so they do not necessarily have to be very complex, but there are opportunities to develop them or give them more nuances, and these are wasted. If I had to choose the best character, it would definitely be Shiro, because, although she is enigmatic, you can see interesting traits of her personality through her actions, which contrast with her relaxed nature. Lastly, the ending is forced, somewhat anticlimactic, and feels like a big reveal was intended, but without proper build-up. When you finish reading the manga, you feel like instead of being a solid work, it's just an incomplete piece of something bigger. Maybe this was a deliberate decision, but I don't think it was a good idea. Being a 6-volume work, Kabu no Isaki could have done better things with its characters and world. I recommend reading it if you want to relax. Take it as a pleasant experience without expecting too much.