Nijigahara Holograph by Inio Asano

myanimelist profile · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:53 am

I guess it depends how easily you're influenced by a depressing story. I practically never feel down after reading anything, nor do I get annoyed by characters at all. Maybe I'm just too positive a person?
Anyway, just trying to say that there's nothing I can enjoy as much as a seemingly depressive story. The dark side of a human mind intrigues me so much more.

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 12:50 pm

Yes, there will be scripts up next weekend when I update my mini-site. I just didn't want to go through all the hassle last Friday when I wasn't sure if we were releasing just yet.

Fan Boy Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Posts: 18

Aight, thankew.

Just ordered the book through Amazon with a postage price twice that of the book itself. rock on

@barbapapa: Yeah I'm kind of the same. If a depressive story is done well I find it more riveting than depressing. I kind of think that's how a depressive story is supposed to work though (doesn't that make the term an oxymoron?). It's just that Holograph isn't the type of thing I'd label as a depressive story to begin with.

I think.

Anyone here know what kind of butterflies those in the story are? That question's been haunting me for some reason.

Fan Boy Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 26

I dunno man, I get what you're saying about the ending but throughout the rest of the manga it wasn't exactly capturing humanity's good side.

Roadie Joined: 25 May 2004 Posts: 58

Plot elements discussed to an embarrasing level of detail here.

Fan Boy Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 5 Location: USA

I read this manga twice today and I'm still blown away. It became easily my favorite manga of all time (even before Mushishi, which I kinda worship). Great story, fantastic characters, and something to think about. I couldn't ask for more!
The quality was par excellence as well. Thank you so much and I hope you will continue to release these kind of mangas.

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 3:00 am

I'm late in posting but I too will have to jump on the bandwagon: it's simply a masterpiece. I won't even try to discuss specific details of the story or my personal interpritations (which I'm still working out), but the overall effect of reading this is astonishing. I think haunting (as opposed to depressing) is the best word to describe it. Even without completely understanding the story's meaning after the first read through the power it has in undeniable; I think the fact that I didn't quite know how to proccess what I read is part of the reason it has such an immediate effect. Looking forward to dissecting it and posting later.
But this pretty much cements my respect for Asano. I expected the writing to be incredible based on the hype and my previous experiences with Solanin and WaWW, but I was really suprised by the art and the visual storytelling. The mood it creates is just incredible, and the use of photographs as occasional backgrounds was amazing.

Fan Boy Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 2

Just wanted to post thanks to Stephen as well (have already talked to bukuwawa in the discussion he linked to above) for an unbelievable job on NH. This is, hands down, the most rewarding manga experience I've ever had. I've gushed at rather, ahem, obsessive length over details in the other thread, so I'll leave it at that ... but seriously, good god. What a book.

Is Asano working on something new, now? Anybody know?

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 2:10 pm

Yes, he just started a new series in Young Sunday (the same place he published Solanin) called Oyasumi Punpun (Goodnight Punpun), in this week's issue. It's tentatively labeled a comedy, though of course its anything but typical. I wouldn't expect it to be anything like Holograph, however... at least in terms of density.

Fan Boy Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 2

Cool, thanks. Comedy sounds fine to me ... and for the rest it's good to know he doesn't feel constrained to produce works of one particular kind.

You had sort of alluded to NH's reception in Japan when you wrote "But nothing in any of his previous works could fully prepare readers for what came next ..." I'm curious to know, does this mean that with it Asano has been widely recognized over there as an extraordinary literary talent? Or has NH been received as good-quality highbrow seinen, but nothing to get all bent out of shape about?

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 4:00 pm

It's received some minor recognition, but not as much as some of his more visible works (Solanin in particular, is being made into a movie). But on the whole, he's becoming quite popular with young people. I think he captures the feeling of the times, and REALLY captures the late-teen/20-something mindset, well enough to resonate with a lot of people.

I don't think he'll ever be a megahit author along the lines of Naoki Urasawa, Kaiji Kawaguchi or Takehiko Inoue... for one thing he doesn't "manufacture" work, and his output tends to be short. But I think it's quite possible he could reach the critical success of artists like Taiyo Matsumoto or Iou Kuroda.

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 4:48 pm

stephen wrote:

But I think it's quite possible he could reach the critical success of artists like Taiyo Matsumoto or Iou Kuroda.

...or Yoshitomo Yoshimoto.

Fan Boy Joined: 16 Sep 2007 Posts: 1 Location: Tucson, AZ

I'm coming late to this, but I wanted to let you know that The Comics Journal's Bill Randall reviewed the Japanese-language edition of this book a few months back, in issue #283. Alas, it's not available online, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.

Fan Boy Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 11

Summer Soldier wrote:

stephen wrote:

But I think it's quite possible he could reach the critical success of artists like Taiyo Matsumoto or Iou Kuroda.

...or Yoshitomo Yoshimoto.

euhrm.. who is that ?

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 10:53 am

we did one shot by him some time ago. its called Twisted and its good. :]