ヨコハマ買い出し紀行 9 [Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou 9]

ヨコハマ買い出し紀行 [Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou] #9

by Hitoshi Ashinano, 芦奈野 ひとし

一年間の出稼ぎの旅から帰ってきたアルファを出迎えたのは、いつの間にかアルファの身長を越す程成長していたタカヒロだった。アルファの初めて体験する一年。それは、アルファが過去を通り過ぎた証――。黄昏の時を生きる人々と過ごす、てろてろの時間をお楽しみあれ。

Genres: Manga, Comics, Slice Of Life, Science Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Japanese Literature

166 pages, paperback

First published March 22, 2002

About the author

Hitoshi Ashinano (芦奈野 ひとし, Ashitano Hitoshi) is a Japanese manga artist.
Prior to his professional debut as a solo cartoonist, Ashinano worked as an assistant to manga artist Kousuke Fujishima, while also releasing some doujinshi (amateur manga) under the pen name 'suke'.
Ashinano's comics are known for their contemplative, laid-back, nostalgic feel. His first and best-known series is Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō, a slice-of-life manga set in a post-apocalyptic world. The manga was serialised in Kodansha's comics magazine 'Monthly Afternoon' from 1994 to 2006, won the 2007 'Seiun Award for Best Science Fiction Manga' and was adapted into an anime.

Reviews

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

my favourite of the series so far 😌

i can’t really fault this one, but it didn’t completely blow me away, so 4.5 stars it is

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alpha returns home! We spend some time catching up with friends, and Alpha ponders how the journey might have changed her. I loved the chapter of the rain, with some pretty pictures of Alpha watching the rain. I am consistently amazed by how beautiful the settings in this manga are, the world of the series comes alive when we get to see Mount Fuji, or the waves of the ocean, or any of the other beautiful locales.

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alpha comes back home after a year! People have grown, and she still has to repair her cafe. She also meets with Kokone again who is very much falling in love with the ocean and her friend. Life is back to calm sameness, though who knows what change is on the horizon?

[Helena Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

kind of unrelated but who programmed the messages through kissing thing that's so weird. i guess they have receptors in their mouth or whatever because of the camera being held in the tongue but it was sooooo weird. especially because that one girl was like blushing and hesitant to kiss people which IS HER JOB. idk man i didnt like that it felt...... queerbait-y. or fetish-y. sorry i know it shouldnt be mean just because a man wrote it BUT ITS HARD TO IGNORE

[Emir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alpha vuelve a su hogar y nota el paso del tiempo en sus seres queridos. Comienza a armar su cafetería clásica, mientras en los momentos de soledad comienza a mostrar una madurez y ser consciente de cosas que antes no notaba.

Kokone conoce a la sensei y comienza a saber sobre sus orígenes.


Es maravilloso como transmite tantas cosas solamente con los días cotidianos de un personaje.

[Nolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alpha has returned home after a year of traveling. So much has changed, much is the same. As always, a peaceful, lovely manga to read.

[S46354595 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Mushishi, I don't want this series to end. I want it to just continue on indefinitely.

Yokohama Shopping Log Review

5/5 stars

This will be a spoiler free review. Onto the review!

This is a manga series I picked up on a whim because I saw something about it somewhere and thought it looked cool. It's about this android girl named Alpha who lives in the middle of nowhere and runs a coffee shop. This is a really sweet, cozy manga that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I don't want to say much about the plot because it’s really easy to spoil this, but I'll do my best.

Alpha spends most of her time bicycling around the countryside, sitting at the beach, and taking photos. She is friends with the townsfolk from the nearby town, and as the series goes on she makes friends with some people from other cities, including some other androids as well. There’s a really silly email system between androids, which you’ll have to discover for yourself. I will not tell you what that means aside from that it's super gay and very cute. If you are confused, just go read it and you'll immediately understand.

If you are feeling burnt out or need a break from the stresses of life, I think this is the perfect series to read. It's got this tranquil feeling to it that will instantly help you relax. I read it during a busy moment in my life and I realized after I had binged the entire series in one sitting that I really needed exactly what this series offers. It's got enough character development to keep you engaged, but is otherwise all vibes, no plot, so you can just relax and enjoy all the beautiful drawings of the seaside.

I’ll have to see what other manga this mangaka has written, because this was so lovely.

Have a nice day/night everyone!

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 5 out of 5]

A post-apocalypse story... that’s actually extremely wholesome, relaxing and uplifting. There’s no darkness, violence, despair or evil to be found within these pages. Nothing but ambient, atmospheric, nature-fueled positivity between the last remnants of humanity and humanoid androids coming together to live peacefully in harmony and give each other the love and support they need to find purpose in their daily lives.

Alpha is a sweet robot girl that runs a cafe at the end of the world. She invites the few guests she receives into her shop to sit down and talk with her over a steaming cup of coffee. She bonds with locals and travelers by sharing heartwarming stories of the past and dreams for the future. They share happy memories in the present rather than dwelling on the past. Communities come together to raise children with hope for a brighter future. The population has decreased immensely, but loneliness has become a thing of the past.

The story plays out in a seaside country with boundless blooming nature with no pollution or industrialization in sight. Nature has reclaimed the earth, sea levels are rising and rich vegetation covers nearly every inch of land. The last survivors of the world respect nature and treat it like a friend rather than as a resource to be abused for profit.

It’s a mature apocalypse story that balances whimsical childlike wonder with coming of age self-discovery and finding contentment in a world that’s been robbed of most living things.

An underrated classic gem.

My rating: 4.5/5

[MySF Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've written a short review over here.

[Eressea · Rating 4 out of 5]

20260116 2nd read
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20181224 1st read