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333rd out of 554 books
—
1,743 voters
Saturn Apartments, Volume 1 (Saturn Apartments/ La Cité Saturne / 土星マンション #1)
by
Hisae Iwaoka
R to L (Japanese Style). A touching, character-rich vision of an intriguing new world.
Far in the future, humankind has evacuated the earth in order to preserve it. Humans now reside in a gigantic structure that forms a ring around the earth, 35 kilometers up in the sky. The society of the ring is highly stratified: the higher the floor, the greater the status.
Mitsu, the lo...more
Far in the future, humankind has evacuated the earth in order to preserve it. Humans now reside in a gigantic structure that forms a ring around the earth, 35 kilometers up in the sky. The society of the ring is highly stratified: the higher the floor, the greater the status.
Mitsu, the lo...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
May 25th 2010
by VIZ Media LLC
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Let me tell you guys about the revelation I had while reading Saturn Apartments. And I'm not going to lie, this is more babbling than a forward review. Also I'm writing this at 3 am. I am tired. So feel free to ignore this and read something more intelligent.
I've read a lot of science fiction. A lot. Even have an entire bookshelf full of Gibson, Haldeman, Heinlein, etc. And yet I don't really consider myself a fan, and I'm always a little cautious about what science fiction books I'll pick up ne...more
I've read a lot of science fiction. A lot. Even have an entire bookshelf full of Gibson, Haldeman, Heinlein, etc. And yet I don't really consider myself a fan, and I'm always a little cautious about what science fiction books I'll pick up ne...more
[Review of volumes 1 and 2.]
Generally, there are two kinds of science fiction. The most common are stories that use imaginary technologies, alien races, and futuristic promise as a gimmick, a means to wowing audiences with slick bombast in order to distract from narrative deficiencies. The original Star Wars, for all its good points, makes prominent use of this technique. Viewers are confronted with impressive fabrications—TIE fighters, droids, a landspeeder, the Millennium Falcon, the Mos Eisle...more
Generally, there are two kinds of science fiction. The most common are stories that use imaginary technologies, alien races, and futuristic promise as a gimmick, a means to wowing audiences with slick bombast in order to distract from narrative deficiencies. The original Star Wars, for all its good points, makes prominent use of this technique. Viewers are confronted with impressive fabrications—TIE fighters, droids, a landspeeder, the Millennium Falcon, the Mos Eisle...more
In Saturn Apartments, the world's population now lives in a mildly dystopic and class-regimented ring that surrounds the planet earth. The ring is divided into three floors--the upper class lives in the top, outermost layer of the ring, schools and the middle class are in the center, and the lower working class live in the bottom layer of the ring. Mitsu, a friendly young man and a recent graduate from school, is returning home to the lower ring to join the window washing guild and work as a spa...more
I am not one for the Manga. I love American comics and don't read a lot of the comics that are backwards, but I thought Saturn Apartments looked like a cool comic. The art was interesting, I would say normal manga style. The story was amazing. It was the type of story that could have been really boring and lame, but Hisae Iwaoka pulls it off amazingly. Her view of this future world is amazing. The way Mistu has to interact with everyone is great.
The premise of the manga is the world is now a nat...more
The premise of the manga is the world is now a nat...more
In Saturn’s Apartment, humans are forced to leave Earth for preservation purpose and they inhabit a man-made foundation of a ring, which circles Earth. However, this utopia has flaws, which separates the social status among each individual. Basically, the bigger your status is so the higher the place you live in. Mitsu is a son of a former window washer, who deals with the death of his father when he was washing the window of the ring-complex. His father’s death leaves Mitsu with him with obstac...more
This comic is about window cleaners. Window cleaners who clean the windows on the outside of a giant ring-shaped space station that is orbiting the Earth.
In the future, the entirety of Earth is declared a nature preservation zone, and all humans move out into space. Only a little way into space tho: looking down from the ring, the planet Earth fills every bit of their view.
The presentation of this book is just gorgeous - print quality and cover art are beautiful. The art within the book does a...more
In the future, the entirety of Earth is declared a nature preservation zone, and all humans move out into space. Only a little way into space tho: looking down from the ring, the planet Earth fills every bit of their view.
The presentation of this book is just gorgeous - print quality and cover art are beautiful. The art within the book does a...more
The Earth is a nature preserve. The population has been moved to a massive building that rings the world. Hardly a utopia, the classes are divided by floors. The poorest on the bottom floors, the richest on the highest floors. This isn't the plot of the book. There aren't, as of yet, any brave rebels fighting against the social order. This is just the backdrop.
The real story is about Mitsu, window washer. In orbit, washing windows outside is a dangerous task. Mitsu's father fell while washing wi...more
The real story is about Mitsu, window washer. In orbit, washing windows outside is a dangerous task. Mitsu's father fell while washing wi...more
Can't quite recall how I stumbled across this, if memory serves I suspect it was picked up in Gosh comics on one of my trips to London. This is the kind of manga work that I really just thoroughly enjoy.
Saturn Apartments is a space station structure, which hangs above the Earth, the planet abandoned to be a nature reserve. The poorest stay on the inside, the richest on the outside, with great windows so they can see down to the planet below. The lead character finishes school, and following in h...more
Saturn Apartments is a space station structure, which hangs above the Earth, the planet abandoned to be a nature reserve. The poorest stay on the inside, the richest on the outside, with great windows so they can see down to the planet below. The lead character finishes school, and following in h...more
Mitsu graduates school and begins working as a window cleaner on the outside of the ring surrounding earth where everyone lives now. There are three levels, the top being the most wealthy and living the best lives, the lowest being the bottom of the barrel where people frequently suffer from not getting any natural sunlight. Mitsu is following in his father's footsteps. His dad disappeared on the job one day and now most everyone is trying to help Mitsu succeed.
Clearly this is a dystopia and I a...more
Clearly this is a dystopia and I a...more
I love manga and graphic novels. I really, really do. It's just that there's so many of them, in so many categories, that I sometimes get overwhelmed when I attempt to pick out my next foray into the format. So, when I come across recommendations lists with annotations, I'm always glad that someone else has done some of the footwork for me. When I read about Saturn Apartments, I was super intrigued by the premise (humans have abandoned Earth to allow it to revert to a nature preserve, and now li...more
Set in the future, teenager Mitsu becomes a window washer like his father before him. Humans have left the earth in order to preserve it and live in a ring 35 kilometers above it's surface in a highly structured society where those living in the highest levels lead the richest lives. It's a dangerous job, but Mitsu makes up his mind to excel at it. And then there's the mystery involving his dad's disappearance. Mitsu begins piecing together his dad's final moments by talking with the people who...more
I'm not a big manga reader. I've never read one, in fact, before now. But this one kind of jumped off the shelf at me. The cover art was intriguing and the concept of anything to do with humans moving into space has always been of interest to me. It kind of reminded me of Earth 2 (tv show circa 1995) And the story did live up to what I hoped it would be. Which is pretty rare. I had to go back to the comic store and buy all the rest of them before I was even finished. Plus the challenge of readin...more
Unique artwork and a sweet (but slow moving) story about a young boy who washes the windows of humanity's new home - a gigantic ring-shaped building floating above the earth. An interesting concept with great characters, but a very wandering plot. Again, I just have to applaud Viz for releasing such unique manga under their Signature line. I doubt this series will sell very well. But I will continue to give these sorts of publications a try, just because the art is different, the stories offbeat...more
In Earth’s future, all humans have evacuated into space to preserve the dying planet. Instead of living on Earth, all humans now live around Earth in a man-made ring structure, occupying apartment buildings in three levels organized by social status. Considering the fact that right outside their homes is space, how can one ever have clean windows? Enter the window washers, those who risk their lives to leave the comforts of their controlled atmosphere to enter space and clean the windows of peop...more
In he future, people live in a ring of apartments around the Earth, which has been declared a nature preserve. The apartments are divided into three sections: lower (dirty, where most people live), middle (schools and public buildings), and high (rich people). The story follows Mitsu, a recent junior high graduate ready to start making a living with the dangerous job of cleaning windows--where only a rope stands between him and a fall to death.
So, what is it? Slice of life, futuristic, action-y?...more
So, what is it? Slice of life, futuristic, action-y?...more
Recommended by one of our big manga reading patrons. It's a quiet story of a boy who becomes a window washer, taking on his father's old job after his death. The story is set in a future where people live on a gigantic ring above the Earth. Cleaning all this glass is a dangerous job but it does give lower-rung folks like Mitsu a chance to peek into the lives of those on the upper floors. I liked it fine, but (like with most manga) was not interested enough to pick up the next volume.
In the future, humans have moved from the earth to satelite apartments in a ring around the planet. Mitsu has just graduated and now begins his dangerous job as a window cleaner 35,000 miles above the earth.
Beautiful! The love of the earth and the longing to return to it are on every page, in every panel. Mitsu struggles to understand his world and his coworkers, and ultimately himself. This one will haunt you with its melancholy, longing, and quiet beauty.
Beautiful! The love of the earth and the longing to return to it are on every page, in every panel. Mitsu struggles to understand his world and his coworkers, and ultimately himself. This one will haunt you with its melancholy, longing, and quiet beauty.
A simple book, and one of contrasts. Thick, stocky figures with wide-set eyes are drawn by lithe, delicate linework; cramped internal scenes, bustling with small details, give way to vast, spartan exterior shots; and the innocence of childhood is placed against the twin specters of work and responsibility. There is nothing revolutionary in Saturn Apartments, but it remains a joy to read.
A surprising sci-fi/slice-of-life manga about a young boy who washes windows in a space suit. The art is sparse but lovely. Iwaoka has done a great job creating this future Earth where humanity lives suspended above the Earth and natural sunlight is for the rich. Can't wait to read more of this series.
Just randomly picked this up to decide if I wanted to check it out for my teen and found myself sitting on the library floor, not moving till I read the whole thing. Reminded me a lot of The Caves of Steel by Asimov - the same kind of city in space feel, but with a teen protagonist. Really well done sci-fi.
It was okay. Parts of the story were easy to get swept away by, but overall I didn't care about anyone or anything. The illustrations were different, which made a nice change, but there were cultural signifiers I didn't pick up on with this new (to me) style. There were a few parts of the story where I didn't understand the implications of a line or an expression because I was missing a piece of the puzzle, culturally or linguistically.
I'm not going to read volume two. This series is for those w...more
I'm not going to read volume two. This series is for those w...more
Kind of different. Thinking of life in a sealed capsule in orbit above earth, is not so far fetched. The notion of replacing humans with robots is becoming more of our reality. There is lots of underlying themes to this book. I will be interested to see what my students think.
great premise. sweet story. we get to learn about the world as Mitsu does. love the illustrations (except that it's sometimes difficult to tell adults and kids apart). definitely enough going on to create a series, just not sure if i'll continue it or not.
def. staring 2 read more manga; this book was no exception; love the concept of lower/middle/upper class & how world's been contained ina bubble & how concept of some sunlight is so precious; lots of nice themes in this kinda sad manga.
An example of how brilliant manga can be. Subtly rendering drawings coupled with a thought provoking plot that any sci-fi or dystopia fan can love. Highly recommend for middle school classrooms and up, possibly even older elementary.
Public library copy. I didn't care for the art style and it really took me out of the story. I'd go 2-stars "It's okay" story-wise, but I'd rank the art, one star. I doubt I'll pick future volumes of this series.
Easygoing slice-of-life domestica--IN SPACE! This is a gentle style of speculative fiction that I very much enjoy and that is very hard to find outside of manga (Karakuri Odette, Aria/Aqua, Yozakura Quartet, etc.)
Supercute artwork and a well-paced, dreamy, melancholy story about an orphaned boy who washes windows on the superstructure that orbits the Earth, now uninhabited and preserved as a nature sanctuary.
Now I have tried a true manga style graphic novel. I found some of the storyline confusing. Probably translation from the Japanese. It was not bad, it just was not great.
Very good manga with a distinguishable art style. I probably won't hurry to buy another volume, though. I don't see the story leading anywhere at this point.
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Hisae Iwaoka (岩岡ヒサエ, born 17th July 1976) is a Japanese manga artist (referring to Japanese comic books).
Her work includes the one-shot manga Hana Boro (Flower Cookies) and Shiroi Kumo (White Clouds) (a jury-recommended work in the 2005 Japan Media Arts Festival) Yume no Soko, (a jury-recommended work in the 2006 Japan Media Arts Festival) Hoshigahara Aomanjuu no Mori, (a jury-recommended work in...more
More about Hisae Iwaoka...
Her work includes the one-shot manga Hana Boro (Flower Cookies) and Shiroi Kumo (White Clouds) (a jury-recommended work in the 2005 Japan Media Arts Festival) Yume no Soko, (a jury-recommended work in the 2006 Japan Media Arts Festival) Hoshigahara Aomanjuu no Mori, (a jury-recommended work in...more
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Aug 18, 2011 11:22am