Nijigahara Holograph is simply the best graphic novel I have ever read! Reading it was a different experience from my weekly manga fix aimed for the shounen demographic. It is of a far more grander scale. The kind you stumble upon once in a while, like a surprising chance encounter: you never knew what's in store until you've experienced it. And when you're done, you're just left both stunned and mesmerized. I can't even remember the last time I've been this affected by a work of art. It's just extraordinary.The works of Asano Inio, the mangaka who penned and drew the story, were not ordinary to begin with. I chanced upon Solanin while looking for great manga and I was immediately captured by his drawing style. The anime-ish quality to his character design is almost absent (there's no big, sparkling eyes here). He also pays good attention to details. (And so should his readers or they'll miss a few pointers.) I was also awestruck by his storytelling. Most of his subjects, as showcased in his earliest work, What a Wonderful World, are simply the struggling young citizens of Tokyo yet, Asano Inio always find a unique, dramatic way to unfold their stories. His works are just a breath of fresh air after all the shounen and seinen stuff I've devoured in the past.
I consider (and I think people familiar with his works would agree) Nijigahara Holograph his magnum opus. I've read that even Asano Inio himself thinks he'll never be able to write anything that would top it (but I'm hoping he would 'cos that'll be a blast!).
The story focuses on a group of students in elementary school who studied at a school near the Nijigahara (Two Children Field) and what happened in their lives ten years later. Suzuki was the new kid in class who jumped off the roof of his previous school. Komatsuzaki was the school bully who, unlike his comrades, bullied not for money but for an unknown reason. Kimura Arie was pushed into a well by the whole class. Ms. Sakaki had mysteriously hurt her left eye. There was a sudden burst in the population of butterflies. And there was a rumor among the children about a monster inside the tunnel behind the school and something about the end of the world. "The butterflies separated by fate are becoming one" is the story's theme and indeed, the truth about the mysteries is slowly unfolded to the readers, the story becomes whole and it is explained how each character is responsible for another's fate and how things came to be--all in a mind-boggling fashion.Aside from Asano Inio's irrefutably beautiful artwork, the strength of the manga lies on the flow of the story. The plot was divided into twelve chapters and the chapters were not arranged in linear chronology. The way the plot was developed was like watching a Michael Gondry film. Imagine the confusing plot development of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind drawn into manga and you get the idea. In fact, Asano Inio's careful attention to details made me feel like I'm watching a movie. And definitely, a good one at that.
Reading manga is not quite the same again post-Nijigahara Holograph. Everything I encounter paled in comparison or just looked plain crap art- and plot-wise. Whether you're just familiar with the format or you're an avid manga reader like me, this one's a must-read for you. Trust me, you can not leave this world without experiencing this. ;)
