Manga Review: Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

Title: Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou
Author: Asahinano Hitoshi
Release: Monthly
Status: Finished
Genre: Slice of Life, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Art: B
Originality: A
Story: S+
Characters: S
Humor: B
Action: B

Impression: This is the story of a robot named Alpha who runs a coffee shop in a future earth where much of the world’s landmass has become submerged due to the rising sea levels and human civilization has more or less regressed to the level of the mid 20th century’s. Despite the seemingly post apocalyptic setting that the world has become, this series focuses on the daily life of Alpha and the people around her. We see them living out their lives in this strange new world that the author presents to us and that’s all there is to it. There’s no overarching plotline, no ultimate goals, no hidden agendas or even meaning behind what happens in the story. Despite how lackluster and pointless that may make this manga sound, this series proves itself to a brilliant piece that manages to evoke the very same sentiments of its characters in the readers themselves. Whether it’s fascination, melancholy or even nostalgia, this series will, more often than not, creep up on you and play with your heartstrings in ways that very few series would even aspire to. More than anything, this series will make you feel the passage of time and the inevitability of changes around you and that's what makes this series so incredibly poignant. Know that this is coming from someone whose emotions are rarely ever swayed by anything at all and that anything capable of doing so deserves a look at. It is in my opinion the prime example of what the “Slice of Life” genre really is and how even the most bland idea can be spun into something amazing. However, if you still won’t take my word on this, I would suggest that you give this a read and see if you can stop yourself from continuing any further.