Welcome back one and all to my yearly spotlight feature known as Manga May. It’s a pretty straight forward concept. I pick a few manga titles to highlight during this month, and post some neat reviews about what I’ve read. This year I selected one longer series (this one), an mid-length series, and one complete in a volume.

Of course, I had to start with one of the longer manga I’ve read (and reviewed) in awhile: Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou. It’s been on my radar for several years, so now that the full deluxe edition of the manga has published, I have no excuses. Not to mention that the majority of the volumes were available via my library, so it was easy to start.

It’s the end of the world, sort of. There seems to have been some sort of environmental disaster, and humanity is on the decline. Yet, for Hatsuseno Alpha – an android and namesake of the small cafe on the outskirts of Yokohama, it certainly doesn’t feel that way. Her owner is away indefinitely, so she’s in charge of the cafe where the customers are few and far between. This doesn’t dissuade her in the slightest though, whenever someone does come through the door she greets them immediately and with a smile. When she’s not in the cafe, Alpha explores with her trusty camera in hand, and goes the distance on her scooter.

For me, while this series is clearly set in the future: it’s the retro futuristic art and ideas that sold me. There’s something so charming about even just the cover art. The muted pastel color pallet that never overwhelms the eyes, just merely draws you in. The subtle detailing of the backgrounds, dreamy but with just one thing off about them. Alpha and friends in the foreground, with the most charming or contemplative expressions. The mere idea that at the end of the world, there’s still a tiny cafe on the outskirts of town with coffee beans and all, is both so absurd but feels so right.

There is something so compelling about the mundane nature of the series. Even at the end of the world, someone runs a cafe, a gasoline stand, or a delivery service. Alpha and company tend to reflect on the changes that occur, one day at a time, reminisce on what was, and have a quiet acceptance of said change. The story, despite this lack of action, continues on at a reasonable pace. It progresses as quickly as you read it. Stopping and starting the series, preferably with a physical copy, is highly recommended in my experience.

If you’re looking for more substance, there is some to be found. Mostly at the larger question of who exactly is Alpha’s owner anyway? As well as the musings, observations, and small investigations of Kokone as the story progresses. These are less concrete questions and ideas to be answered, but more things to ponder outside of your reading experience. They aren’t overwhelming in nature or tone, but give it some nice textures to break up the Alpha dominated narrative.

I’m personally a huge fan of Ashinano Hitoshi’s art style. There’s such a great consistency in his character designs. They blend together seamlessly, even the androids, to create a really harmonious work. The detailing in backgrounds and items is superb as well. There’s such a sense that even the newest items have wear and tear from practical use in them. The world truly does feel lived in, even at times worn out, but still remains a beautiful place worth exploring.

Overall, I highly recommend this series if you get the chance. It really does warm up your soul after a long day, and it’s not so narrative driven that you need to commit to reading it all in one go. You can come and go as you please, and you’ll rarely lose many details. I think the experience, as I mentioned before, works best when you have a physical copy as well. I believe Alpha would feel the same. Be sure to pour yourself a cup of something warm before reading.

As always, I still have two more manga to showcase. Those will come a later in the month, and will be admittedly shorter in terms of chapter count, but not in terms of impact. Be sure to support your libraries this month as well, even just walking through the door and staring at the shelves for five minutes means a lot!

“That’s all”.