Giant Spider & Me: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale Vol. 3

終わりのち、アサナギ暮らし。 #3

by Kikori Morino

THE BIG, FRIENDLY SPIDER

Oleg the hunter has dragged Nagi out into the woods in hopes of capturing Asa! Can the giant spider make it past Oleg’s ambush and save the day? The dangers of this post-apocalyptic world might be many, but when you’ve got a friendly, eight-legged companion at your side, things don’t seem so bad!

The final volume!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics, Food, Slice Of Life, Dystopia

180 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 2018

About the author

Japanese: 森野きこり
Chinese: 森野樵

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure why this ended since it could've easily gone on longer. It's a cute and fun story that's even serious at times, and the added recipes and focus on food was great, but three volumes just isn't really enough. I want to learn more about the people and the world and why there's even a giant 🕷 that exists!

Oh well. 😕

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the end of the day, this manga is not only lovely on its own merits, but also tells a good story about how pets really can become our family.

[Dylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a review for the whole series.

This is a decent, light-hearted read but it never pulled me all the way in. Pretty shallow characters and the whole post-apocalypse thing has zero relevance to the story, odd choice to have that in the title. There are some good cooking scenes and some nice cafe stuff which I enjoyed. I wouldn’t rush to recommend this and definitely can’t see myself re-reading it.

[Tyler Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

So cute! Why does it gotta end :(

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read them all in one go and I'm sad it's over. Also cheers for normalizing the singular they (even if it's about a spider), and also it's weird cause the characters are like 12, but I want Nagi and Belle to grow up and be cute girlfriends in love happy together with spider friend and cafe friend. It's the last volume so we'll never know, but either way they're all happy and cute as-is so I'm glad about that.

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, like I thought since my library doesn’t have Volume 2, I missed a bit of the story and why this volume started the way it did, but I still really enjoyed it and was able to pick up what was going on fairly quickly. Though you know those pages at the front of manga volumes where they tell you what previously happened in the story? This one doesn’t have one even though most of not ALL the manga I’ve read so far does, and I was kinda annoyed because I was hoping it would tell me what I had missed in Volume 2! 😒😂 *sigh* Oh well…

This was such a great ending to the series! I liked all the new characters and seeing how far Nagi and Asa’s friendship has grown was so sweet and cute. I really liked the conversation about being prejudiced against others you don’t or won’t try to understand—that was nicely added without it becoming preachy or bashed over your head. The recipes I still think slowed the story telling, but, like I said about Volume 1, it fits the story being told so I didn’t mind it too much.

A really sweet, cozy series that made me smile.

Content: a girl is kidnapped and dragged out into the woods as bait for her friend; a creature is threatened with a gun and shot at (the creature is fine); a creature is sick

[♥Sabulous ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing I didn't like about this volume is that it is the last one in the series.

Asa and Nagi's friendship is so pure and sweet that I wish I could be with them as the continue their adventures together.

Nagi makes me want to be a better cook and try new recipes with confidence. Oh and I want a large spider friend to help me cook because I feel like that will make a world of difference.

[Melina Souza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amei essa história. Adoraria que tivessem mais alguns volumes porque gostei muito dos personagens e de todo clima outonal/natalino, mas achei que terminou bem no terceiro volume.
Com certeza vou reler e vou tentar testar algumas das receitas (as que não incluem carne, claro) :)

[Jojobooks Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first manga trilogy. I’m sad it’s over!

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was so cute and heartwarming! A quick read but a very worthwhile one!

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/Lz1Axdq0LHU

Oh my goodness, this was absolutely the perfect ending with the holidays upon us!

I found it such a moving and compelling ending! It brought tears to my eyes and can say that I felt completely satisfied when it ended! And I am GLAD to say that because how this manga opened up had me SUPER nervous! Out of the three volumes, this one was definitely the most intense and pretty worried. LOL!

But after the intense scenes passed, it was a nice gradual leading to the ending of the series and just found it perfect. I really did. *wipes eyes*

This was a fun and cozy series! I really liked the growth we saw in a certain character in this volume because I wouldn't have expected to SEE that much growth (in a realistic way) in what feels a short amount of time. The owner of the cafe definitely wore on me (in a positive way) and loved how he was able to help encourage Nagi in the cooking department.

I think this series would be perfect to read between Thanksgiving and Christmas because you really get the best of both worlds! You get some yummy recipes on how to make dishes Nagi makes, but you also get the feeling of family and GAINING a family.

It is such a great story and highly recommend!

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very cute trilogy that didn't seem like it could make up its mind which genre it wanted to be. I had so many questions about the post-apocalyptic side of things and didn't like that there's no closure about what happened to Nagi's father, but it's definitely worth the read if you don't overthink it! I would have happily read more volumes and gotten to know everyone better.

[Ken Yuen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 3 is the end! Not much story, but it's a cute recipe book.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a purely heartwarming series! The food looks so mouth-watering delicious that I plan to follow some of my favorite recipes in the future. The recipes alone are worth re-reading for, but I'll also be returning for Asa's irresistibly cute moments! Definitely recommend this to anyone in need of a pick-me-up or just wants to experience the warm fuzzies for the heck of it. :)

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed vol 1 but with the addition of more human characters I quickly became bored. I felt like they were all stereotypical manga characters and the real thing I liked about the series, the relationship and interactions between Asa and Nagi, was pushed to the backburner. Bummer city.

[Kaya Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still very cute! The story never really took off, and it was just a really casual reading experience. I do love the carpenter/cafe owner and think he could be a new parental figure for Nagi since her dad has not come back 🪦 I wish there was more to this series and that we could see more development for the characters, but this short series was worth the read.

[Mpia · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some sad parts but the story ended fine. I'm sad because it's over and I wish we had seen more. Overall it was amazing, I found it comforting and I'm glad I decided to read it.

[Supermomochan (PeachyFishyBooks)]

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But where’s dad?

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fin d'une adorable petit série sur une jeune fille seule dans un monde post-apo qui rencontre une terrifiante araignée qui se révèle être une mignonne grosse bête qui adore les câlins. Ensemble elles vont se battre contre les à priori des gens du village et aussi faire du bon manger, car c'est quand même un food manga qui donne bien faim. Ce n'est clairement pas un manga qui changera la face du monde mais ça réchauffe le coeur et ça fait sourire et c'est déjà beaucoup.

[eggtart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of a bummer it ended so soon, I have many questions left unanswered like Asa and where they come from and what do the adults look like and why does Asa a large spider exist? And is the dad dead?? or is he actually the world's worst father?? Anyway, still a very cute slice of life manga with pretty art and a warm atmosphere. I suddenly wanna work on a boat that has a built-in cafe on it lol. 🌼🌸🌿🌸🌸🕷🕷

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giant Spider & Me: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale By Kikori Morino

Official Synopsis:
THE BIG, FRIENDLY SPIDER - Oleg the hunter has dragged Nagi out into the woods in hopes of capturing Asa! Can the giant spider make it past Oleg’s ambush and save the day? The dangers of this post-apocalyptic world might be many, but when you’ve got a friendly, eight-legged companion at your side, things don’t seem so bad!

Genres: Fantasy & Slice Of Life
Book Style: Manga (Japanese Comics)

I decided to read Giant Spider & Me: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale By Kikori Morino Vol.3 because I've read vol.1 & 2 and it left off with a big cliff hanger with Oleg the hunter taking Nagi away to hopefully capture Asa (the giant spider) and I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Once I started reading this book I fell in love because this story is so cute and wholesome! I really like how the author made a post-apocalyptic environment not scary so that it fells more like an relaxed place. I love the artwork because it reminds me of Studio Ghibli style and how Asa design is very cute and is kind of like a mixture of spiders! It turns out that Oleg went through a situation in the pass of someone he cares about getting along with an animal was killed and he doesn't want the same thing to happen to Nagi so he tries to kill Asa but Asa stopped him by breaking his gun and protecting Nagi. Nagi & Oleg make an agreement to stop trying to hurt Asa and accept it as they are. Later the Carpenter helps rebuild Nagi & Asa's roof and makes a door for Asa to get into and out of the house and we get to find out more about the Carpenter's character. Nagi, Belle & Asa start working at the Carpenter's café and things start really cooking with more fun Japanese cuisine recipes and more customers at the café. Later Asa starts maturing as a spider by shedding it's skin and growing bigger also the community finally accepts Nagi & Asa as good friends by throwing a surprise party at the café for both of them with the whole town visiting them. I love the message of friendship and acceptants in this story and it makes this book series worth reading! I would recommend this book to spiders lovers, Studio Ghibli fans, anyone who wants a wholesome yet cute manga to read!

[Rella · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok el señor seguía con la inseguridad por qué su hija murió de una infección provocada por un rasguño que le hizo jugando un cachorro de oso.
Aquí seré hipócrita, dudo que haya una respuesta 100% moral y ética.

Versión corta: oso no, asa si. (asa no existe y el oso, sabemos que es mala idea).

Versión larga:
1ro: sonaré anti animal. No puedes traer a la casa a animales así. Deja esas situación a protección animal. Por más cruel que suene.
Además, cómo rayos entras un oso a tu casa. Se que es un cachorro pero igual.
Esos animales no en casa. No son domesticables.
2ndo: su hija no murió porque el oso le atacó. No. Le hizo un rasguño jugando, sin intención. Que animales domesticos como perros y gatos también pueden rasguñarte sin querer (al menos los perros, porque los gatos tienen garras retráctiles, pero aún así te pueden herir ambos porque jodiste al animal).
Entonces, asa no ha hecho nada de esas cosas. Como el oso a su hija.
También entiendo que cirto miedo a lo desconocido así esta bien. En la vida real, no hay criaturas como asa, que sabemos que es fantasía.

Asa termina salvándola. Nagi se interpone para que no le haga nada al señor del sombrero.
Regresan al café, discuten entre todos (incluyendo el dueño del café). Llegan a un intermedio, pasa algo y se deshace de asa. Justo.

Nagi trabaja en el café. La chica enojona no solo viene a tragar.

Empieza a hacer frío y asa esta como alejado. Primero piensa que esta molesto, luego enfermo, luego parece que se morirá.
El señor del sombrero le dice que se anime, que gasta energía poniéndose así, además asa estará mejor si ella esta mejor.
Nagi aquí platica que tiene miedo a quedarse sola otra vez (tose tose, el papá, tose).
No, era que mudó de piel digamos. Ahora esta más grande y brillante.

Celebran la navidad, hacen pastel. Enojona "ay pastel es cualquier cosa" y celebran la bienvenida oficial de asa en el pueblo.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion to the manga series about a teenage girl, Nagi, her companion, Asa, a monstrous-looking spider thing, with resolutions as to whether or not the town will tolerate Asa being around, if the hole in Nagi's roof will get fixed, and Nagi's loneliness. And of course, it includes lots of recipes and food along the way.

I'm sad this is the last book in this series. The book lightly explores how people respond to "the other" in many senses of the term, but you hardly realize it. It provides a little food for thought while simultaneously making your mouth water with very enticing Japanese recipes. And Asa is a cute whatever it is. (Though arachnophobes may disagree.) It was an entertaining read and I'm definitely hunting down Kikori Morino's next project. Highly recommended to those looking for clean manga, light dystopia fans, foodies, and lovable monster fans.

Notes on content: Just a couple minor swear words at most (I don't completely remember, but not more than 3). No sexual content. Violence is threatened but only happens in a flashback, and that isn't graphic.

[Bettendorf Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giant Spider and Me concludes in volume3 and it really does feel too soon.

The cliff hanger from volume 2 is resolved and we find out more about Oleg. He gets a very short redemption arc when Asa falls ill and by the end we at least have a truce. We also get a peek into the carpenter's past.

The recipes continue as well, it would be weird at this point if they didn't. I was particularly excited for the vegetarian chirashi, but if you like cake the Yule Log might be more up your alley.

All in all this last volume focuses on Nagi's growing relationships with those around her and the found family Asa helped her build.

I am not one to want a series to drag on forever, but the ending, while sweet, still felt a little abrupt. A 5 volume arc would have given uS a little more insight into a few more characters like Gadot or Belle and her father. However this minor complaint is not enough to avoid the series entirely, and I still highly recommend it. (Reviewed by Jenna I.)

[Jellyjeli · Rating 4 out of 5]

เล่มนี้เปิดมาด้วยฉากที่นางิโดนจับตัวเข้าไปในป่า แอบซีนอารมณ์หน่อยๆอยู่เหมือนกัน แต่พอทุกคนคุยกันได้บ้างแล้วก็โอเค ถือว่าได้เคลียร์ปมปัญหาไปอีกเรื่อง เบาใจไปอีกเปราะ

หลังจากนั้นก็จะเริ่มเล่าช่วงที่นางิกับเบลล์มาช่วยงานในร้านคาเฟ่ (ซึ่งตอนนี้ก็ยังไม่รู้ชื่อเจ้าของร้านเหมือนเดิม) มีลูกค้ามาเยี่ยมเยียนมากขึ้นเพราะว่าเจ้าเด็กสองคนไปกระจายข่าวซะทั่ว ฮา แล้วแบบว่ามีแต่งร้านธีมคริสต์มาสด้วยยย อากาศเย็นๆหิมะตก น่ารักกก เราชอบมากเลย

เออใช่ ตอนที่เจ้าของคาเฟ่วิ่งมาตามนางิไปดูเจ้าอาสะที่นิ่งไปอ่ะ นี่คิดในแง่ไม่ดีไปก่อนแล้ว ซึ่งก็ไม่ผิดมั้ยล่ะนักเขียนขยี้มาแบบนั้น 555555 แต่พอเฉลยก็คือ ฮิฮิฮุฮุ 🥰🥰🥰

ตอนอ่านจนจบท้ายเล่ม มันอบอุ่นใจเราสุดๆไปเลย นางิจากตอนแรกที่ตัวคนเดียว จนได้มาเจอกับอาสะ และมาถึงตอนนี้น้องมีคนดีๆรายล้อมเต็มไปหมด จากวันธรรมดาๆที่ไม่มีอะไร กลับมีสีสันขึ้นมาได้ ฮือๆๆ เอ็นดูทุกคนเลยยยย อยากให้มีเล่มต่อๆไปไม่อยากให้จบเลยอ่า ชอบลายเส้นเรื่องนี้มากๆๆด้วย 🥺💖

[Cecille · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one focuses less on gorgeous landscape panels in favor of a more kinetic, story-driven pacing, and since the story right up to the end mostly serves as a vehicle for the recipies, it's an understandable though somewhat regrettable decision. And while there are still some very good recipies in here, there's more of a focus on sweets and pastries (not as much of a fan, personally).

Still, it's a very cozy read, as is it's other volumes, and this one manages to interrogate some of its own themes in a chapter or two. It was a nice series overall.

[Victoria Lightning Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third and final volume and is just as fabulous as the last two volumes. Wish there were more ! I love everything about this series - the art, the story, even the chapter titles are awesome; 'Danger and Pitta Pocket Sandwiches'. Recommend for all ages and lovers of manga (especially food related manga) and even if you actually aren't keen on spiders - I would gladly have Asa in my life.

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet end to a series that was over way too soon. I can't believe that it was only meant to be three books! Still, it was a fun read and I really enjoyed myself. Nagi and Asa are a great pair, And I really enjoyed their sweet and simple adventure. (Plus, I want to make several of these recipes!) All in all, a worthwhile read!

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A precious final volume to a short and sweet slice of life manga. This first volume is by far my favourite, but I enjoyed every moment of the series. It is such a strange and delightful premise: after the apocalypse a 12 year old girl lives by herself and meets a giant spider. The girl loves to cook. The spider loves to eat. It's slow and adorable.

[H · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, this series has ended and we have had only a few mentions of Nagi's father. Where is he? This is the only thing that really bothered me about this series. Yes, Nagi seems a bit wiser than her 12 years but she is also a bit naive in places. If you suspend your disbelief and just read it as a cute story between a girl and her spider-companion, you will enjoy it more.