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A Distant Neighborhood / 遥かな町へ #1-2
A Distant Neighborhood
A RETURN TO CHILDHOOD
Who hasn't dreamt of going back to childhood? But who has actually made the journey? Hiroshi Nakahara is a forty-something salaryman returning to Tokyo from an intense business trip when he is catapulted back into his fourteen year-old life and body whilst retaining all the character and experience of the adult.
Will he change his past or be forever condemned to relive each painful moment? That fateful day his father disappeared without explanation, the death of his mother ... would he marry his childhood sweetheart and never see his wife and daughters again?
Master manga-ka Tanigucji at his most powerful with the art individually reversed to western style by craftsman Frederic Boilet.
Who hasn't dreamt of going back to childhood? But who has actually made the journey? Hiroshi Nakahara is a forty-something salaryman returning to Tokyo from an intense business trip when he is catapulted back into his fourteen year-old life and body whilst retaining all the character and experience of the adult.
Will he change his past or be forever condemned to relive each painful moment? That fateful day his father disappeared without explanation, the death of his mother ... would he marry his childhood sweetheart and never see his wife and daughters again?
Master manga-ka Tanigucji at his most powerful with the art individually reversed to western style by craftsman Frederic Boilet.
408 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
64 people are currently reading
2369 people want to read
About the author
Jirō Taniguchi
209 books614 followersName (in native language): 谷口 ジロー
Zodiac: Leo
He began to work as assistant of the late mangaka Kyota Ishikawa.
He made his manga debut in 1970 with Kareta Heya (A Desiccated Summer), published in the magazine Young Comic.
From 1976 to 1979, he created several hard-boiled comics with the scenarist Natsuo Sekigawa, such as City Without Defense, The Wind of the West is White and Lindo 3.
From 1984 to 1991, Tanigushi and Natsuo Sekigawa produced the trilogy Bocchan No Jidai.
In the 1990s, he came up with several albums, among which Aruku Hito (歩くひと), Chichi no koyomi (The Almanac of My Father), and Keyaki no ki.
In 2001, he created the Icare (Icaro) series on texts by Mœbius.
Jirô Taniguchi gained several prizes for his work. Among others, the Osamu Tezuka Culture Award (1998) for the trilogy Bocchan No Jidai, the Shogakukan prize with Inu wo Kau, and in 2003, the Alph'Art of the best scenario at the Angoulême International Comics Festival (France) for Harukana Machi-E.
His work has been translated in many languages.
Far from the violent storylines often associated with the manga, Taniguchi has developed a very personal style, more adult. Along with other writers, like Tsukasa Hōjō, his comics focus more on the Japanese society and culture, with a subtle analysis of its customs and habits.
Zodiac: Leo
He began to work as assistant of the late mangaka Kyota Ishikawa.
He made his manga debut in 1970 with Kareta Heya (A Desiccated Summer), published in the magazine Young Comic.
From 1976 to 1979, he created several hard-boiled comics with the scenarist Natsuo Sekigawa, such as City Without Defense, The Wind of the West is White and Lindo 3.
From 1984 to 1991, Tanigushi and Natsuo Sekigawa produced the trilogy Bocchan No Jidai.
In the 1990s, he came up with several albums, among which Aruku Hito (歩くひと), Chichi no koyomi (The Almanac of My Father), and Keyaki no ki.
In 2001, he created the Icare (Icaro) series on texts by Mœbius.
Jirô Taniguchi gained several prizes for his work. Among others, the Osamu Tezuka Culture Award (1998) for the trilogy Bocchan No Jidai, the Shogakukan prize with Inu wo Kau, and in 2003, the Alph'Art of the best scenario at the Angoulême International Comics Festival (France) for Harukana Machi-E.
His work has been translated in many languages.
Far from the violent storylines often associated with the manga, Taniguchi has developed a very personal style, more adult. Along with other writers, like Tsukasa Hōjō, his comics focus more on the Japanese society and culture, with a subtle analysis of its customs and habits.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 426 reviews
February 27, 2017
This is a beautifully illustrated story of identity as a man rediscovers life through the eyes of an adolescent. The story is astounding and one of Taniguchi's greatest successes and triumphs.
July 27, 2025
A delicately designed and narrated Japanese graphic novel that delves into the universal fantasy of going back to our younger lives while also retaining the hindsight of later years. Wouldn’t it be splendid to feel once more the exhilaration of those early days that were filled with new experiences? On the other hand, wouldn’t the knowledge of future mishaps fill us with agony? Would we try to change the course of events knowing that we would also alter our present conditions while doing so? Would we have done things differently? Could we correct the past?
The hero of this story, Hiroshi Nakahara, boards the wrong train and not only goes back to his childhood hometown but also, miraculously, to his 14-year-old self. Once there he experiences the whole range of feelings and dilemmas that arise from his weird situation: he is a middle-aged man living in his own young body, with all his memories and knowledge intact. The answers he finds while grappling with those existential questions mentioned above bear more relevance to his 48-year-old self than to the young boy he once was.
Not quite sci-fi, not quite a young-adult adventure, but not an adult drama either, this beautifully designed manga is a philosophical fairytale exploring themes such as destiny and free will, and how much we can or can’t alter our paths in life. This hardcover edition is quite heavy, but the work itself is light as a feather, perfect for readers who enjoy returning to their own younger selves every now and then by entering the imaginative world of comics.
The hero of this story, Hiroshi Nakahara, boards the wrong train and not only goes back to his childhood hometown but also, miraculously, to his 14-year-old self. Once there he experiences the whole range of feelings and dilemmas that arise from his weird situation: he is a middle-aged man living in his own young body, with all his memories and knowledge intact. The answers he finds while grappling with those existential questions mentioned above bear more relevance to his 48-year-old self than to the young boy he once was.
Not quite sci-fi, not quite a young-adult adventure, but not an adult drama either, this beautifully designed manga is a philosophical fairytale exploring themes such as destiny and free will, and how much we can or can’t alter our paths in life. This hardcover edition is quite heavy, but the work itself is light as a feather, perfect for readers who enjoy returning to their own younger selves every now and then by entering the imaginative world of comics.
May 6, 2024
“A Distant Neighborhood” by Jiro Taniguchi is a poignant and introspective journey that masterfully blends the nostalgia of childhood with the wisdom of adulthood.
The story follows Hiroshi Nakahara, a middle-aged man who inexplicably finds himself transported back to his eighth-grade self while retaining all his adult memories. This narrative device allows Taniguchi to explore themes of regret, family, and the choices that define us. The protagonist’s struggle to make sense of his predicament and the opportunity to revisit and understand pivotal moments from his past is rendered with a delicate and empathetic touch.
Taniguchi’s artwork is characterized by its clean lines and attention to detail, which brings the setting and characters to life with remarkable clarity. His contemplative style emphasizes the quiet moments, creating a touching meditation on life’s fleeting nature and the impact of our decisions.
I enjoyed the human and soothing storytelling, and the author's ability to address universal themes through the lens of everyday life in Japan. The author has a sublime ability to bridge cultures, with the Japanese milleu of the story and the plentiful Western readers who have read the work since.
It’s a must-read for anyone who appreciates the art of graphic storytelling and the exploration of the human condition.
The story follows Hiroshi Nakahara, a middle-aged man who inexplicably finds himself transported back to his eighth-grade self while retaining all his adult memories. This narrative device allows Taniguchi to explore themes of regret, family, and the choices that define us. The protagonist’s struggle to make sense of his predicament and the opportunity to revisit and understand pivotal moments from his past is rendered with a delicate and empathetic touch.
Taniguchi’s artwork is characterized by its clean lines and attention to detail, which brings the setting and characters to life with remarkable clarity. His contemplative style emphasizes the quiet moments, creating a touching meditation on life’s fleeting nature and the impact of our decisions.
I enjoyed the human and soothing storytelling, and the author's ability to address universal themes through the lens of everyday life in Japan. The author has a sublime ability to bridge cultures, with the Japanese milleu of the story and the plentiful Western readers who have read the work since.
It’s a must-read for anyone who appreciates the art of graphic storytelling and the exploration of the human condition.
March 15, 2021
¿Cuántas veces no has soñado con revivir algún momento del pasado? ¿Cuántas veces no has querido cambiar algo de tu trayectoria vital? Probablemente, esta es una de las cavilaciones que más suelen ronronear por nuestras cabezas. Esos “Y si…” permeando a través de nuestros pensamientos. Es algo inherente al ser humano, o eso quiero creer. Ejemplo de ello son varias películas o novelas: Cuento de Navidad, las recomendables Family Man o The Kid, o la siempre nombrada Regreso al Futuro. Nos interesa el pasado, ver con otros ojos lo que ocurrió y saber, si cambiando alguna decisión (vital o no), nuestro camino nos llevará a otro lugar. Pero como estamos advertidos por la ficción, una y otra vez, no suele acabar bien.
Sin embargo, Barrio Lejano propone algo diferente. Eso sí, el punto de partida es exactamente el mismo. Hiroshi Nakahara se encuentra de regreso a casa tras un viaje de negocios cuando se percata de que, por error, ha tomado un tren que le conduce a su barrio natal. Sin darse cuenta, paseando por el pueblo, llega hasta el viejo cementerio donde esta enterrada su madre. Repentinamente, y sin explicación alguna, se ve catapultado a revivir su infancia. Eso si, conserva sus recuerdos y conocimientos de adulto. Una vez superado el impacto inicial, Nakahara comienza a buscar un sentido a lo que sucedió años atrás y ver, si de alguna forma, consigue que su padre no desaparezca una noche de verano.
Taniguchi, desde el puro costumbrismo, va tejiendo un relato nostálgico que se balancea entre el drama familiar y una reflexión sobre el paso del tiempo. Por momentos, Nakahara revive -y nos hace vivir- esos idílicos días de felicidad y despreocupación de la infancia, donde las clases y poco más abarrotaba de preocupaciones nuestras mentes. Barrio lejano es una historia introspectiva, que busca reflexionar sobre las decisiones vitales que tomamos a lo largo de nuestra vida. Sin embargo, su personaje principal se queda en la mera superficie y la reflexión no llega a tener la profundidad que parece buscar. Su mayor virtud reside en como el autor aborda una segunda madurez para su protagonista, como redescubre el pasado de su familia, siendo al fin consciente de su ignorancia adolescente.
Es este aspecto, esta consciencia adquirida de forma progresiva en cada capítulo, lo que más he disfrutado de la lectura. Un costumbrismo inmersivo, progresivo y coherente en el mundo de la familia de Hiroshi. Taniguchi presenta una historia de realismo mágico en la que pretende remover historias familiares del pasado, sin caer en el argumento fácil ni melodramático. El autor echa un vistazo con afecto a la infancia a la par que busca mostrar los diferentes puntos de vista de una decisión vital. Barrio Lejano prefiere no perderse en paradojas temporales ni indagar en lo ocurrido, sino solo mostrar una parábola sobre la aceptación y el puro crecimiento personal. Hablar sobre los anhelos perdidos y las decisiones difíciles sin maldad. Busca mostrar puntos de vista y comprensión. Nada más.
Todo ello lo hace desde el preciosismo gráfico. El dibujo hiperrealista de Taniguchi nos transporta hasta el colegio o la vida de pueblo, enfatizando las expresiones faciales de cada personaje y dejando viñetas llenas de detalles y preciosismo. Por mi mente no paraba de resonar la banda sonora de la fabulosa Recuerdos del ayer. Quizás falte sensación de movimiento, pero el trazo de un maestro como Taniguchi lo compensa con estampas perfectamente narradas, siempre con ritmo y haciendo fluir la lectura como pocos. Barrio lejano es una historia de viaje en el tiempo que permite, si no es que lo pretende, hacernos conscientes de nuestro camino en el presente y quitar la lapida sobre ese pasado que tanto nos puede atormentar.
Reseña en el blog: https://boywithletters.blogspot.com/2...
Sin embargo, Barrio Lejano propone algo diferente. Eso sí, el punto de partida es exactamente el mismo. Hiroshi Nakahara se encuentra de regreso a casa tras un viaje de negocios cuando se percata de que, por error, ha tomado un tren que le conduce a su barrio natal. Sin darse cuenta, paseando por el pueblo, llega hasta el viejo cementerio donde esta enterrada su madre. Repentinamente, y sin explicación alguna, se ve catapultado a revivir su infancia. Eso si, conserva sus recuerdos y conocimientos de adulto. Una vez superado el impacto inicial, Nakahara comienza a buscar un sentido a lo que sucedió años atrás y ver, si de alguna forma, consigue que su padre no desaparezca una noche de verano.
Taniguchi, desde el puro costumbrismo, va tejiendo un relato nostálgico que se balancea entre el drama familiar y una reflexión sobre el paso del tiempo. Por momentos, Nakahara revive -y nos hace vivir- esos idílicos días de felicidad y despreocupación de la infancia, donde las clases y poco más abarrotaba de preocupaciones nuestras mentes. Barrio lejano es una historia introspectiva, que busca reflexionar sobre las decisiones vitales que tomamos a lo largo de nuestra vida. Sin embargo, su personaje principal se queda en la mera superficie y la reflexión no llega a tener la profundidad que parece buscar. Su mayor virtud reside en como el autor aborda una segunda madurez para su protagonista, como redescubre el pasado de su familia, siendo al fin consciente de su ignorancia adolescente.
Es este aspecto, esta consciencia adquirida de forma progresiva en cada capítulo, lo que más he disfrutado de la lectura. Un costumbrismo inmersivo, progresivo y coherente en el mundo de la familia de Hiroshi. Taniguchi presenta una historia de realismo mágico en la que pretende remover historias familiares del pasado, sin caer en el argumento fácil ni melodramático. El autor echa un vistazo con afecto a la infancia a la par que busca mostrar los diferentes puntos de vista de una decisión vital. Barrio Lejano prefiere no perderse en paradojas temporales ni indagar en lo ocurrido, sino solo mostrar una parábola sobre la aceptación y el puro crecimiento personal. Hablar sobre los anhelos perdidos y las decisiones difíciles sin maldad. Busca mostrar puntos de vista y comprensión. Nada más.
Todo ello lo hace desde el preciosismo gráfico. El dibujo hiperrealista de Taniguchi nos transporta hasta el colegio o la vida de pueblo, enfatizando las expresiones faciales de cada personaje y dejando viñetas llenas de detalles y preciosismo. Por mi mente no paraba de resonar la banda sonora de la fabulosa Recuerdos del ayer. Quizás falte sensación de movimiento, pero el trazo de un maestro como Taniguchi lo compensa con estampas perfectamente narradas, siempre con ritmo y haciendo fluir la lectura como pocos. Barrio lejano es una historia de viaje en el tiempo que permite, si no es que lo pretende, hacernos conscientes de nuestro camino en el presente y quitar la lapida sobre ese pasado que tanto nos puede atormentar.
Reseña en el blog: https://boywithletters.blogspot.com/2...
January 19, 2023
I’m not great with graphic novels, but always try to read one or two a year. I try to read them in French both to keep my French alive and slow myself down so that I might appreciate the art work. ‘Haruka-na Machi e’ is a Japanese manga about a forty year old man who is transported back to being aged 14 again while retaining his adult memories and awareness. He remembers that his father left when he was that age and sets about trying to prevent that from happening. The story and the detailed art work are impressive. Recommended!
October 13, 2024
Seis estrelas.
April 6, 2015
Si je lis si peu de bandes dessinées ou de romans graphiques, je pense que c'est parce que j'ai du mal à m'habituer à la rapidité de l'action dans ce genre d'ouvrages. J'aime les romans plus denses, car j'aime m'installer dans une certaine atmosphère, prendre le temps de m'intéresser aux détails, de réfléchir, de m'attacher aux personnages. Et c'est parce que ce sont des éléments qu'on retrouve trop rarement dans le graphique, que j'aime décidément Jirô Taniguchi.
L'histoire peut sembler banale : un homme de 40 ans se retrouve dans la peau du jeune enfant qu'il était, et vit à nouveau les événements familiaux, alors qu'il peut les prédire. On pourrait discuter longtemps de la prétendue teneur fantastique du récit, ce n'est vraiment pas, selon moi, le point important du livre. Le voyage dans le temps, l'entrée dans un monde magique, le décalage entre deux dimensions, est de toutes façons une technique récurrente dans les œuvres japonaises contemporaines - au hasard, Murakami.
L'auteur nous emmène plutôt sur une autre piste : le personnage ne passera pas trop de temps à se demander le pourquoi du comment de ce retour en arrière. Il aurait pu le faire, et alors ça aurait été très pénible pour nous.
Au lieu de ça, nous prenons le temps de nous interroger sur le sens à donner à la vie, sur le poids du remords dans les événements du passé, et sur la dimension inévitable, inéluctable, des malheurs de notre enfance - de grands mots pour un texte très court, portés par des dessins captivants.
Quartier lointain est beau et doux. Il sait éviter les clichés dans lesquels il aurait été si facile de tomber.
L'histoire peut sembler banale : un homme de 40 ans se retrouve dans la peau du jeune enfant qu'il était, et vit à nouveau les événements familiaux, alors qu'il peut les prédire. On pourrait discuter longtemps de la prétendue teneur fantastique du récit, ce n'est vraiment pas, selon moi, le point important du livre. Le voyage dans le temps, l'entrée dans un monde magique, le décalage entre deux dimensions, est de toutes façons une technique récurrente dans les œuvres japonaises contemporaines - au hasard, Murakami.
L'auteur nous emmène plutôt sur une autre piste : le personnage ne passera pas trop de temps à se demander le pourquoi du comment de ce retour en arrière. Il aurait pu le faire, et alors ça aurait été très pénible pour nous.
Au lieu de ça, nous prenons le temps de nous interroger sur le sens à donner à la vie, sur le poids du remords dans les événements du passé, et sur la dimension inévitable, inéluctable, des malheurs de notre enfance - de grands mots pour un texte très court, portés par des dessins captivants.
Quartier lointain est beau et doux. Il sait éviter les clichés dans lesquels il aurait été si facile de tomber.
July 30, 2018
Hiroshi Nakahara es un ejecutivo de 48 años que viaja hacia su casa en Tokio, agotado y con algo de resaca, cuando se equivoca de tren. Resulta que el tren llega hasta el lugar en el que vivió durante su infancia. Los recuerdos le vienen de improviso y decide visitar el cementerio en el que descansa su madre. Aquí sufrirá un desvanecimiento, y cuando despierte, se dará cuenta que vuelve a tener 14 años, pero con la mente y los recuerdos de 48. Será entonces cuando asistamos, junto al desconcertado Hiroshi, a su reencuentro con el pasado, que quedó marcado por un hecho trascendental, la desaparición de su padre.
‘Barrio lejano’, de Jiro Taniguchi, es una gran historia sobre el paso del tiempo y la posibilidad de enmendar los errores. Es una novela gráfica costumbrista, emotiva y sincera.
‘Barrio lejano’, de Jiro Taniguchi, es una gran historia sobre el paso del tiempo y la posibilidad de enmendar los errores. Es una novela gráfica costumbrista, emotiva y sincera.
June 30, 2023
Magično i emotivno, Ghibli u formi mange. Podsetnik koliko svoj život možemo da oplemenimo i na neki način ponovo otkrijemo ukoliko pokušamo da ga posmatramo kroz oči četrnaestogodišnjeg sebe. Putovanje kroz vreme koje je putovanje u sebe, bogato detaljima, prirodom, hranom i sitnicama zbog kojih vredi živeti.
June 18, 2024
ENGLISH (A Distant Neighborhood) / ITALIANO
Hiroshi is a 48-year-old married man with two daughters. He lives an unpretentious kind of a life, made of work, good drinks with friends, days which looked all the same. But one morning he accidentally gets on the wrong train, ending up back at his birthplace. While he was visiting his mother’s grave, he falls asleep. And he awakens at the age of fourteen…
In the end we’ll never know if it was all a series of soothed reflections in subconscious that now appeared thanks to a vivid dream, or a time warp in line with the best sci-fi movies. It’s not important. This is a work made up of introspection, an analysis of his own past re-experiencing a delicate period. And at the end it’ll be time for the protagonist to take stock of his life. As the story advances Hiroshi tries several times to modify his own past, hoping to change some key events that have profoundly marked the lives of his loved ones. The change takes place, at the end. But in himself.
Vote: 8
Hiroshi è un uomo sposato di 48 anni, nonché padre di due ragazze. Non ha particolari pretese dalla sua vita abitudinaria, fatta di lavoro, qualche ubriacata con gli amici, giorni tutti uguali. Un giorno però inavvertitamente si trova sul treno sbagliato, e finisce per tornare nel luogo dove ha trascorso infanzia ed adolescenza. In visita alla tomba di sua madre, si addormenta. E si risveglia quattordicenne…
A conti fatti non sapremo mai se si è trattato di una serie di riflessioni sopite nel subconscio e venute a galla grazie ad un vivido sogno, oppure di una distorsione temporale degna dei migliori film di fantascienza. Non è importante. Questa è un opera fatta di introspezioni. Un analisi del proprio passato rivivendo un periodo delicato, ed alla fine per il protagonista sarà tempo di tirare le somme e fare un bilancio della propria vita. Più volte nel corso della storia Hiroshi tenta di modificare il proprio passato, sperando che cambino alcuni eventi che hanno segnato profondamente la vita dei propri cari. Il cambio avviene, alla fine. Ma in lui stesso.
Voto: 8
July 21, 2025
Es un manga que me ha transmitido tristeza, nostalgia, melancolía y un poco de impotencia... nunca me ha pasado que he llorado, siendo el dilema del argumento tan real. Podría ser la mejor obra de Taniguchi sin pestañear, sin desmerecer Cielos radiantes, que a comparación de esta no me pareció tan emotiva. El dibujo de manga clásico me flipa y los personajes me parecen muy carismáticos. Me parece genial la idea de que un hombre de 48 años vuelva a los 14 años con los conocimientos de 48 años, y se profundice en el tema de como nos sentimos personalmente. Podría ser sin duda el mejor manga que he leído este año, sinceramente.
January 10, 2019
Middle-aged businessman Hiroshi Nakahara is returning from a business trip and boards the wrong train. Instead of home, he finds himself headed for the town where he grew up, a place he hasn't visited in years. He decides to look around while waiting for the next train, and finds the temple where his mother is buried. At her gravesite, he feels something shift--an earthquake?--and the next thing he knows, his mind has seemingly traveled back through time to his fourteen year-old body. If it's a dream, he seems unable to wake, and finally resigns himself to living as a young teenager again. And then it occurs to him: his father left his mother when he was fourteen, just walked out one day and never returned. Perhaps he can learn why his father left and prevent him from doing so?
A Distant Neighborhood is one of the best manga I’ve read, a tale of nostalgia and father/son relationships set in Japan during the early 60's. Hiroshi is a fine protagonist, very believable. The art is richly detailed. This is just a gorgeous book.
I thought I'd have more to say about it, actually. It was a deeply satisfying story, but many of the questions that might occur--Did he travel to the past, or was it all a dream? Did he prevent his father from leaving? Does he return to his own time? etc.--are better answered by reading the book rather than having me describe it. Unlike many manga published in English, this one has had the artwork flipped so as to read left-to-right. This was done with Jiro Taniguchi’s full consent and participation. The only issue I had with it was a few pages where the order in which to read the panels wasn't obvious, but it didn't really spoil the experience.
This is one of those manga to trot out to impress folks who don't normally read comics. Highly recommended!
A Distant Neighborhood is one of the best manga I’ve read, a tale of nostalgia and father/son relationships set in Japan during the early 60's. Hiroshi is a fine protagonist, very believable. The art is richly detailed. This is just a gorgeous book.
I thought I'd have more to say about it, actually. It was a deeply satisfying story, but many of the questions that might occur--Did he travel to the past, or was it all a dream? Did he prevent his father from leaving? Does he return to his own time? etc.--are better answered by reading the book rather than having me describe it. Unlike many manga published in English, this one has had the artwork flipped so as to read left-to-right. This was done with Jiro Taniguchi’s full consent and participation. The only issue I had with it was a few pages where the order in which to read the panels wasn't obvious, but it didn't really spoil the experience.
This is one of those manga to trot out to impress folks who don't normally read comics. Highly recommended!
March 30, 2020
I was not expecting to love this manga quite as much! It's a beautiful and powerful story that moved me almost to tears. I can't wait to read another Taniguchi now :)
October 1, 2025
Un manga meraviglioso contemplativo e toccante in cui un uomo, tornato ragazzo, rivive la sua infanzia e i legami familiari. Con il tratto delicato e poetico di Taniguchi, un viaggio nel tempo che diventa riflessione sulla memoria e sulle seconde possibilità.
September 22, 2023
Acabei de finalizar esse mangá e estou extremamente tocada. Não quero falar muito da narrativa em si, pois acredito que todos devem ler e fazer conexões com suas próprias vidas. No entanto, é necessário ressaltar a beleza estética e poética dessa história. A maneira sutil de falar sobre o tempo, a segunda oportunidade, e até mesmo uma certa autocrítica envolve o leitor de uma forma única. Esse mangá é uma preciosidade que eu agradeço ao universo por ter parado nas minhas mãos.
April 3, 2021
El que m’ha agradat més d’aquesta novel·la gràfica és la sensació de nostàlgia i del pas del temps que transmet en tota la història, amb un ritme tranquil i unes escenes costumistes molt ben aconseguides. Potser m’ha faltat un desenvolupament del personatge més profund i una resolució més rodona, que li donés més força a la narracció.
May 22, 2020
El libro es MUY bueno. El final, IMPRESIONANTE.
March 8, 2019
A heartfelt masterpiece.
In the late nineties the protagonist, a 48 year old engineer of sorts who drinks a bit too much, mostly to escape from the pressures of his job as an engineer and from his family, takes the wrong train and ends up in his childhood town. He wanders around disturbed by how much the streets have changed, and particularly by the realization that his parents' shop, which was also his childhood home, has been replaced. As he's visiting his mother's resting place, inexplicably he ends up transported back in time to the early sixties, when he was 14. Back to very different streets, and to a home that holds a happy family: the protagonist's little sister, his mother who died in her forties, and his father, who in a few months from that point in the sixties will leave his family forever.
As a personal note, I also wrote a story that starts with the protagonist, in a less than optimal mental state after work, taking the wrong train and ending up in the wrong place. I had the idea to write the entirety of that story because it happened to me and I was annoyed and daydreaming while waiting for a train to come from the opposite direction. While my story, in contrast, leans on the psychotic side instead of the cool-headed nostalgia of this one, I wonder if something similar happened to the author of this manga.
Every beautifully detailed page drips with nostalgia. I felt that the author was telling something really important to him, maybe even barely disguised as a fictional piece. He did a fantastic job recreating the lost Japan of the sixties, and that atmosphere in which most people were trapped into their social roles, sometimes even from birth, with little wiggle room.
In this kind of plot it's always compelling to witness the protagonist interacting with people who seem destined to end up as the protagonist already knows they will: one will die in his twenties in a motorcycle accident, another wannabe writer will never be heard from again, the class' shy beauty will end up living abroad and married with a diplomat. After a short period of confusion and denial, the protagonist adapts to this second opportunity of reliving that period of his life but with the wisdom of an adult, although an adult that wasn't particularly happy with his life. He manages to fulfill the dream of every 48 year old man, which is, of course, to .
Having been gifted with the opportunity to interact with his parents again, armed with the perspective of someone who in his "previous" life had a wife and two kids of his own, he realizes that he understood his parents very little. He attempts to learn about their past, how they got together, etc., in the hopes of piecing together why his father eventually left to never be seen again. I found his father's background very compelling: .
Although a lot has changed in the protagonist's run as a 14 year old in comparison to how it went the first time, (huge spoilers regarding the emotional climax) .
I loved the story, but I feel bad for .
In the late nineties the protagonist, a 48 year old engineer of sorts who drinks a bit too much, mostly to escape from the pressures of his job as an engineer and from his family, takes the wrong train and ends up in his childhood town. He wanders around disturbed by how much the streets have changed, and particularly by the realization that his parents' shop, which was also his childhood home, has been replaced. As he's visiting his mother's resting place, inexplicably he ends up transported back in time to the early sixties, when he was 14. Back to very different streets, and to a home that holds a happy family: the protagonist's little sister, his mother who died in her forties, and his father, who in a few months from that point in the sixties will leave his family forever.
As a personal note, I also wrote a story that starts with the protagonist, in a less than optimal mental state after work, taking the wrong train and ending up in the wrong place. I had the idea to write the entirety of that story because it happened to me and I was annoyed and daydreaming while waiting for a train to come from the opposite direction. While my story, in contrast, leans on the psychotic side instead of the cool-headed nostalgia of this one, I wonder if something similar happened to the author of this manga.
Every beautifully detailed page drips with nostalgia. I felt that the author was telling something really important to him, maybe even barely disguised as a fictional piece. He did a fantastic job recreating the lost Japan of the sixties, and that atmosphere in which most people were trapped into their social roles, sometimes even from birth, with little wiggle room.
In this kind of plot it's always compelling to witness the protagonist interacting with people who seem destined to end up as the protagonist already knows they will: one will die in his twenties in a motorcycle accident, another wannabe writer will never be heard from again, the class' shy beauty will end up living abroad and married with a diplomat. After a short period of confusion and denial, the protagonist adapts to this second opportunity of reliving that period of his life but with the wisdom of an adult, although an adult that wasn't particularly happy with his life. He manages to fulfill the dream of every 48 year old man, which is, of course, to .
Having been gifted with the opportunity to interact with his parents again, armed with the perspective of someone who in his "previous" life had a wife and two kids of his own, he realizes that he understood his parents very little. He attempts to learn about their past, how they got together, etc., in the hopes of piecing together why his father eventually left to never be seen again. I found his father's background very compelling: .
Although a lot has changed in the protagonist's run as a 14 year old in comparison to how it went the first time, (huge spoilers regarding the emotional climax) .
I loved the story, but I feel bad for .
April 3, 2021
Preciosa historia sobre las segundas oportunidades y el paso del tiempo. Barrio lejano nos traslada a la infancia del protagonista en un pueblo japonés de los años sesenta donde la vida y la rutina se despliegan en un torrente de nostalgia vital que te atrapa como lector. Lo mejor de este manga es la capacidad que tiene Taniguchi de hacerte partícipe de las esperanzas, miedos y ambiciones de sus personajes. Personajes que respiran vida y que muestran un microcosmos en el que te gustaría quedarte a vivir.
Una obra maravillosa que trata temas familiares de increíble crudeza pero que son tratados con una suave melancolía, como la que te envuelve cuando miras el paisaje de tu niñez. Barrio lejano es una obra sobre la empatía, sobre entender al otro y reconocer con el paso del tiempo que las imperfecciones de las personas son las que nos hacen humanos.
Una obra maravillosa que trata temas familiares de increíble crudeza pero que son tratados con una suave melancolía, como la que te envuelve cuando miras el paisaje de tu niñez. Barrio lejano es una obra sobre la empatía, sobre entender al otro y reconocer con el paso del tiempo que las imperfecciones de las personas son las que nos hacen humanos.
January 31, 2018
Esta es una historia costumbrista con un toque de realismo mágico, hiroshi nakahara es un hombre de mediana edad que al volver al pueblo donde pasó su infancia visita la tumba de la familia de su madre, momento en el que sufre un desvanecimiento y cuando despierta ha vuelto a la adolescencia, todo es como cuando tenía 14 años, pero el ha aprendido mucho y conoce muchos sucesos futuros, así que su vida cambia en consecuencia... así Hiroshi se propone descubrir cuál fue la razón de que su padre abandonara el hogar dejándoles a él a su hermana y a su madre por vivir otra vida.
La historia es triste y entrañable, el dibujo en la linea de lo que se puede esperar de Taniguchi, sencillo y sobrio, pero al mismo tiempo muy detallado cuando hace falta.
La historia es triste y entrañable, el dibujo en la linea de lo que se puede esperar de Taniguchi, sencillo y sobrio, pero al mismo tiempo muy detallado cuando hace falta.
January 11, 2025
"Nessuno diventa veramente adulto... Nel profondo del cuore restiamo sempre bambini. Proprio come questo cielo... Il tempo ci fa solo credere di essere diventati adulti... Essere adulti significa essere legati da catene che imprigionano anche il cuore libero di un bambino. Ora che sono tornato di nuovo ai miei 14 anni riesco a vedere ciò che un tempo avevo trascurato".
L'ho divorato in neanche un giorno. Commovente, intenso, di una bellezza disarmante. Avevo le lacrime agli occhi.
Dritto dritto fra i preferiti. Grazie, maestro Taniguchi.
L'ho divorato in neanche un giorno. Commovente, intenso, di una bellezza disarmante. Avevo le lacrime agli occhi.
Dritto dritto fra i preferiti. Grazie, maestro Taniguchi.
September 2, 2023
À chaque relecture de ce chef d'œuvre (oui, oui, rien de moins), le charme opère et je me retrouve avec le protagoniste en plein Japon des années 60 avec son esprit de quarantenaire! En vieillissant, il vient à chaque année me bouleverser et émouvoir davantage. J'ai hâte de le relire déjà dans un an ou deux!
January 25, 2021
Semplicemente perfetto.
Una graphic novel che è un romanzo di formazione illustrato. Jiro Taniguchi rinnova il suo talento per i fumetti e la grande narrazione. Testi molto significativi e poetici.
Consiglio questo fumetto a chi ama e conosce gia le opere di Jiro Taniguchi ma anche a chi vorrebbe iniziare a leggerlo.
Una graphic novel che è un romanzo di formazione illustrato. Jiro Taniguchi rinnova il suo talento per i fumetti e la grande narrazione. Testi molto significativi e poetici.
Consiglio questo fumetto a chi ama e conosce gia le opere di Jiro Taniguchi ma anche a chi vorrebbe iniziare a leggerlo.
November 20, 2022
Toliko magično i u isto vreme na savršen način utemeljeno u realnosti da mi je prosto čudno kako je moguće da ovo blago od mange Hayao Miyazaki nije adaptirao u film iz Ghibli produkcije.
January 13, 2025
La pro Loco di Tottori torna alla riscossa.🔥🔥🔥
Taniguchi mi ha sorpreso questa volta, con una storia semplice, ma introspettiva. È stata una domanda che mi sono posto spesso durante la mia infanzia, specie nelle ore delle materie scolastiche in cui meno brillavo, "Cosa succederebbe se un giorno tornassi indietro in questa classe con i miei pensieri da adulto? Riuscirei a suonarlo decentemente il flauto? Capirei la grammatica tedesca?".
Egli esplora in maniera più che soddisfacente, per quanto mi riguarda, questo grande Se.
Le pagine in cui egli approfitta della sua condizione di 48enne nel corpo di un 14enne sono molto divertenti, proprio perché spesso equivoche (le premonizioni, le bevute, le relazioni intrapersonali, gli elogi e sgridate dei docenti).
Un gioco ad incastro, egli lentamente si ricorda dei suoi vecchi compagni di classe, e dei loro tragici o felici destini, ritrovandosi così a pensare a capitoli della sua vita ormai chiusi e mai riaperti.
E forse sono le relazioni che decide di rivivere le più interessanti.
Capire il come e il perché della sparizione del padre. L'impotenza, ma anche la grande empatia, di poterci parlare come ragazzo-uomo. A che età smettiamo di essere figli?
Piccola confessione: ho un rapporto di amore-odio con le storie che contengono viaggi nel tempo. Quando il viaggio è il focus principale del racconto riescono a divertirmi, incuriosirmi ed entusiasmarmi (gente che diventa Nonno di se stesso). Quando invece il viaggio nel tempo è solo un elemento del racconto che offusca la trama o peggio esso è il Deus ex Machina storco invece il naso e penso "L'autore qui è stato pigro". (Non me ne frega niente se la signorina Granger ha ottimi voti, non potete dare una macchina del tempo ad una adolescente).
Questa storia per fortuna fa più parte della prima categoria che della seconda.
Taniguchi mi ha sorpreso questa volta, con una storia semplice, ma introspettiva. È stata una domanda che mi sono posto spesso durante la mia infanzia, specie nelle ore delle materie scolastiche in cui meno brillavo, "Cosa succederebbe se un giorno tornassi indietro in questa classe con i miei pensieri da adulto? Riuscirei a suonarlo decentemente il flauto? Capirei la grammatica tedesca?".
Egli esplora in maniera più che soddisfacente, per quanto mi riguarda, questo grande Se.
Le pagine in cui egli approfitta della sua condizione di 48enne nel corpo di un 14enne sono molto divertenti, proprio perché spesso equivoche (le premonizioni, le bevute, le relazioni intrapersonali, gli elogi e sgridate dei docenti).
Un gioco ad incastro, egli lentamente si ricorda dei suoi vecchi compagni di classe, e dei loro tragici o felici destini, ritrovandosi così a pensare a capitoli della sua vita ormai chiusi e mai riaperti.
E forse sono le relazioni che decide di rivivere le più interessanti.
Capire il come e il perché della sparizione del padre. L'impotenza, ma anche la grande empatia, di poterci parlare come ragazzo-uomo. A che età smettiamo di essere figli?
Piccola confessione: ho un rapporto di amore-odio con le storie che contengono viaggi nel tempo. Quando il viaggio è il focus principale del racconto riescono a divertirmi, incuriosirmi ed entusiasmarmi (gente che diventa Nonno di se stesso). Quando invece il viaggio nel tempo è solo un elemento del racconto che offusca la trama o peggio esso è il Deus ex Machina storco invece il naso e penso "L'autore qui è stato pigro". (Non me ne frega niente se la signorina Granger ha ottimi voti, non potete dare una macchina del tempo ad una adolescente).
Questa storia per fortuna fa più parte della prima categoria che della seconda.
July 29, 2025
Uma história ternurenta. Nakahara é um homem de família de 48 anos que, sem perceber como, se vê de volta à terra natal com 14 anos. A possibilidade de reviver a vida em família com a avó e os pais, que sabe muito bem que irá acabar, leva-o a esforçar-se por os conhecer melhor e de caminho, descobrir mais sobre si próprio e valorizar a família que construíu também. Tem ainda a graça de se ler da direita para a esquerda, o que parece muito complicado de início mas apanha-se o jeito num instante.
March 10, 2025
Nostalgiczna podróż w przeszłość jako droga do zrozumienia siebie i swoich bliskich oraz próba wyłamania się z niewłaściwych schematów. Trochę zbyt facecikowe, zgrzytały mi przemyślenia dojrzałego notabene mężczyzny z dwójką dzieci na temat relacji z kobietami, ale najwyraźniej taki mamy klimat.
September 13, 2025
je n'ai pas trop compris le hype. Mais, les graphiques sont sympa
April 10, 2023
Recomendable para quienes disfruten del género 𝙎𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙚-𝙤𝙛-𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 o 𝙄𝙮𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙞
𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗶 es 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲. Y es un 𝗺𝗮𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼 contando historias que hacen 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿.
Es un plan muy atractivo, pensar en qué haríamos si tuviésemos la posibilidad de cambiar algo de nuestro pasado.
Aunque es un arma de doble filo, si tenemos el poder de cambiarlo, el futuro se ve comprometido…
Con este tipo de lecturas, uno se da cuenta de la importancia que tiene aprender de los errores del pasado.
La clave puede que esté en sumarle importancia al presente y restarle importancia al pasado.
Y que la felicidad muchas veces la tenemos delante nuestra y es todo cuestión de perspectiva el saber verla y valorarla.
Citas 🩷
«𝘈𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘥𝘰 𝘮𝘪 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘥𝘰, 𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘥𝘳𝘪́𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦… 𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘢 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘢»
«𝘝𝘪𝘷𝘪́ 𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘪́𝘢 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘰»
«𝘔𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪́𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘻 𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘪́ 𝘦𝘭 𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰 𝘥𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢»
𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗶 es 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲. Y es un 𝗺𝗮𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼 contando historias que hacen 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿.
Es un plan muy atractivo, pensar en qué haríamos si tuviésemos la posibilidad de cambiar algo de nuestro pasado.
Aunque es un arma de doble filo, si tenemos el poder de cambiarlo, el futuro se ve comprometido…
Con este tipo de lecturas, uno se da cuenta de la importancia que tiene aprender de los errores del pasado.
La clave puede que esté en sumarle importancia al presente y restarle importancia al pasado.
Y que la felicidad muchas veces la tenemos delante nuestra y es todo cuestión de perspectiva el saber verla y valorarla.
Citas 🩷
«𝘈𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘥𝘰 𝘮𝘪 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘥𝘰, 𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘥𝘳𝘪́𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦… 𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘢 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘢»
«𝘝𝘪𝘷𝘪́ 𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘪́𝘢 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘰»
«𝘔𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪́𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘻 𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘪́ 𝘦𝘭 𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰 𝘥𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢»
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