Kagen no Tsuki

Kana Jun 28, 2012

10

With Ai Yazawa you connect happy and cheeky stories from the world of fashion and music - young people of today taking their first steps. From "Gokinjo Monogatari" and "Paradise Kiss", based between young designers, their rivals and models and "Nana" appeared deep into the music business. With "Kagen no Tsuki" she tells a story that is very unsual from her.Mizuki can't not cope with the new situation in her family and runs one night away with a few belongings and some money to build up her own life. Aimless and confused, she wanders through Tokyo's shopping and entertainment district of Shibuya, until she meets a young man with a guitar, who seems to be as lost as her. They talk and find each other very likeable. Instinctively, they approach each other and feel their kinship. Mizuki clings on to the support that "Adam" gives with his blue eyes. This is only goes good for a short while because she tried to hold on to him very much. However, before they could meet for a clarifying conversation Mizuki dies surprisingly on a fatal accident But even if she she is now a ghost with no memory she is stuck to the place she has last been and can find no rest. Only the small Hotaru, that she brought back into the life can see and hear her from now on. The little school girl decides to help her rescuer thankfully. Together with her friends she wants to find for "Eve" her "Adam" ...Even if you find some familiar elements in this manga - young people want to stand on their own feet because they no longer endure the constraints of their lives - it is quite different than the other works by Ai Yazawa. "Kagen no Tsuki" shines from the beginning of a surreal and melancholic mood. It doesn't want to show any sense of serenity and there are no jokes. Despair is about the actions from Mizuki which slides imperceptibly, and seems not to be even aware of the spirit world. The same happens to the reader. The transition to a different level is done quietly and unnoticed. Although the accident is presented as a turning point, but by the reversal of history of the young Hotaru, you notice later, what has actually happened. And that makes the special charm of the story: Not only is it bittersweet and sad, the artist proves also that she is far more versatile than previously thought. She shows that she can not only capture the glowy happy lifestyle of the young Japanese people, but also the darker sides of love."Kagen no Tsuki" is very quietly told, but drawings are very clean with fine lines implemented and is recommended for all those who like sad and romantic love stories with a touch of magic.