Sand Chronicles, Vol. 8

砂時計 [Sunadokei] #8

by Hinako Ashihara

Can the sands of time heal all wounds?

Twelve-year-old Ann and her divorced mother move from big city Tokyo to her mother's rural hometown. As the years pass, Ann learns to trust and depend on her new friends--Daigo and aristocratic siblings Fuji and Shika. But when Ann moves back to Tokyo to be with her father, will she be able to maintain a long-distance relationship with Daigo?

Revisiting scenes and people from earlier days drives Ann to an impulsive act of desperation. Who will stand by her now? And will she ever make peace with her past...and herself?

Genres: Manga, Romance, Shojo, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Comics, Comics Manga

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 20, 2005

About the author

Pseudonym of Ritsuko Matsumoto, Japanese manga artist.

Debut with "Sono Hanashi okotowari shimasu" in 1994 on Bessatsu Shoujo Comics.

Japanese name: 芦原妃名子

Reviews

[Pennin · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the best manga i've read in years. it’s a story that conveys a meaningful and touching message, and it is one that couldn't have come to me at a better moment in my life. i'm graduating from university soon; i feel lost, and never in my life have i wanted so badly to go back to when i was younger—i want time to stop. and for me this story was ultimately about moving forward no matter how much you want to turn back time to the days when things were simpler, or to stop time and preserve this moment forever. it felt like a pat in the back telling me to take it day by day and to not be so hard on myself.

the mangaka portrayed the ups and downs the characters experienced beautifully. they went through heartbreakingly realistic struggles, and their relationships fell apart and fell back together so naturally. mental health was a big part of this story—ann had been vulnerable ever since her mother's suicide. she depended on daigo for support, for happiness, and the one wish she had was to be with daigo for the rest of her life. but ultimately, no matter how much he loves her, he can't shield her from all the pain in her life; ann is the only person who can save herself. and in the end, she wishes, instead, for him to be happy.

i can't put into words how much i appreciate this story. it is a story of struggle, but one which ends on a hopeful note that encourages its readers to not give up. growing up with ann and seeing her slowly heal and become stronger makes me nostalgic for my childhood and hopeful for my future; i hope i can become stronger too. in the future, i hope i will be able to stand on my own without burdening the people around me.

"i cared about someone. he cared about me. i am this memory and that memory and other memories too. when i think about that, i see how precious my life is."

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

"When I think about that I see how precious my life is."

I really felt my emotions and my heart had been steamrolled this entire series, especially the last volume where I felt so hopeless and depressed due to what was happening and taking place.

However, this volume put my heart back together, leaving me sobbing at least three times at my kitchen table.

I took so many photos of pages that spoke to me and impacted me as I saw Ann's determination to fight for her life and keep living. I don't know if there is just ONE quote I could share, but I think the most powerful quote that wasn't spoken by Ann was her Grandma. If you remember back to what her Grandma said to her Mom, it almost seemed like she was about to say the same thing to Ann, but she didn't. This time she told her you're not alone and I sobbed even harder than I had when Ann declared she wouldn't give up.

Truly, incredible and powerful storytelling! I was deeply touched by Ann forgiving her mom and finding a strength that didn't come from simply working harder, but from a peace that came from forgiveness. Did that mean life was easy afterward? No, but there was strong hope woven throughout every word and page that now after all the anxiety I felt when reading, my heart too now feels at peace.

While at this point it seems like such a small thing, I LOVED the ending and deeply appreciate the mangaka unfolding it the way she did when it came to love. It was another layer that made the ending all the more fulfilling.

I will certainly be reading the next two volumes, but since the creator said this was technically the end of the main story, I feel even content to end here. (Again, I'm not! LOL!) This is by no means a fluffy story as it is filled with heartbreak, but it is a very powerful story that shows the power of finding yourself, realizing you're not alone, and the power of hope. I would say if you start it, definitely have tissues ready because I've lost count of how many I've used! LOL!

Thank you Ashihara for gifting us this powerful series! Oh, how I wish there was a way for us to convey our heart to you as you conveyed your heart to us.

[Andrew Kristensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is one of the best ones I've read in a long while. I went into it only knowing that I liked the art style, and knew nothing of what the story was about. Being able to watch Ann, Daigo, Fuji and Shika grow over a 14 year period was really rewarding in a way. This volume brought the series to a close with volumes 9 and 10 being collections of short stories. There were a lot of twists and turns during the two or three volumes leading to this, that I had no idea how it was going to end. And because the story has you watch these characters grow from 11/12 years old to 25/26, it is almost impossible to put down. Ashihara has you cheering for Ann right until the bitter end. >,<

[Katt Hansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I give up. I just give up. Ann is forever frozen in the past and now she needs rescue more than ever. I have lost respect for her by this point, because she really has NOT made any effort to move on, instead plunging on this fatalistic path toward disaster, too weak to stand up to it.

I love the art. The even loved the beginning of the series. But this jumping along with huge gaps in the years with absolutely no character growth on the part of anybody has left me irritated and kind of wishing i hadn't bothered.

[Alex2739]

Technically this is the last volume of the series (the author has stated that the next 2 volumes will just include extra stories and such), so I guess the time has come for me to write my overall review...

(Only a small spoiler ahead, concerning with whom An ends up with. Just bear that in mind... -if you continue reading -)

I guess I was right for believing that this was a story about soulmates. But it was executed very differently from what I was expecting...and from other stories which deal with the same trope. To be honest, I was going to throw hands if they didn't end up together!! But the storyline got sooooo complicated that I had lost all faith.. Maybe the author wanted to approach this trope from a more realistic perspective but it was still very dramatic to resemble reality...

I guess what makes me not love the series is the fact that what I was looking for was a story about soulmates and I didn't care if it were realistic or not. I just wanted to see love triumph over everything else. I wanted characters to feel more realistic and I wouldn't have minded if the story was not. But I got the exact opposite.... And thus I know, these characters and their story will not stay with me for a long time.. What a pity, there was a lot of potential, but I wasn't able to like the series as much as other readers did.

(っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ <- *sad me*

[baisik · Rating 5 out of 5]

A graceful conclusion to the story!

[Ana Maria]

"Hazme feliz, Ann"
Mis protegidos <3

La verdad es que me ha gustado bastante todo el tomo. Un poco jodido que Ann haya tenido que llegar a su punto más bajo para darse cuenta de que no está sola, pero almenos ha podido recuperarse de ello lo cual no siempre se da. Y de ella y Daigo pues que voy a decir, desde el volumen 1 que estaba en su barco así que muy contenta.

Shiika está guapísima y me alegro de que le vaya bien y lo de mudarse definitivamente pues oye good for her! Su hermano en cambio... Ai Fuji, hemos tenido nuestras diferencias y eso, pero te merecías algo más que acabar con tu prima (por muy maja que sea ella, sigue siendo un no gigante).

Enfin, he ojeado las historias extras que vienen y creo que va a estar interesante. Dejé de ponerle notas a los volúmenes hará un par ya y tampoco sé bien que ponerle a la historia en sí, así que tendré que dejar un tiempecillo a ver qué acabo sintiendo (al ritmo que estoy leyendo lo tendré pa el volumen 10 tho).

[Alison (AlisonCanRead) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last volume of the story Sand Chronicles. Volumes 9 and 10 are bonus volumes. Volume 7 ends and Volume 8 begins with Ann in a bad place. She just broke off her engagement with Sakura. She doesn't seem upset about this in particular, but it rekindled all the pain and insecurity that she's been hiding from for years. She's on a train traveling to Nima to see the giant hourglass she visited with her mother so many years ago. On the way she stops in Okayama, the city where Daigo teaches. She goes to the playground of his school on a whim and hears from a student that Daigo is getting married soon.

When Ann gets to Nima, she discovers that the hourglass museum is closed! Poor Ann...nothing goes right for her. She goes to a nearby beach, devastated that she can't visit the museum but mostly devastated about life in general. She finds some broken glass and slits her wrist. When she nearly passes out from the blood loss, she realizes that she doesn't want to die and cause everyone so much pain...but it's too late.

Ann wakes up in the hospital. She was saved at the last moment. As awful as it was, the suicide attempt is good for Ann. It's the impetus she needs to find her internal strength. She returns to life, determined to get back to normal and be strong. And she does much better.

But Daigo's always there. They meet again when Ann travels back to Shimane. Ann is different with him. She congratulates him on his upcoming marriage. She's happy for him. Able to move on. Daigo says there's not going to be a marriage. It was just a rumor. Instead, Daigo wants to get back with Ann. Now it's Ann who says it'll never work. Daigo tells her it can and all Ann needs to do is make Daigo happy. The shoe is on the other foot now...it's Daigo who will rely on Ann. Daigo says that just by being there, Ann makes him happy. And they live happily ever after. I'm doing a horrible job of summarizing this scene. I'll just say that it's incredibly touching and beautiful. It made me teary even on a second read.

I'm sad to see the formal story of Sand Chronicles end. Even though it's overdramatic, it's a fabulous realistic fiction story. The characters are well-developed and the love story is timeless. I highly recommend it.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I began reading manga (which was only two months ago), I never expected to read something that was truly touching. I thought it would all be fun and cute. This series changes my mind completely about the type of manga I like. Sure, I enjoy reading funny manga like Special A or cute manga like Fruits Basket, but I enjoy reading manga with a realistic story line and deeper meaning much more. It’s just better that way. That’s what this series was for me and I can only hope I’ll find more like it.

The artwork is a little muddier than I like. I’m more partial to defined drawing, rather than the scratchy drawing so often found in shoujo manga. I think it’s meant to give a more dreamy quality, but I just find it a bit on the annoying side. Since I liked this series so much, I’m willing to put that complaint aside.

The character development in this series is just unreal. I didn’t think manga was capable of that kind of thing. I couldn’t have been more wrong in that assumption. Ann’s development throughout the series is heartbreaking and incredibly realistic, considering her age. She goes through so many of the screw-ups and indecision that comes with being a girl in her teens or early twenties. I felt that I could relate to her throughout most of the series because I have gone through a lot of the same things. Daigo has a tendency to be a little more hard-headed, but it definitely the more mature of the two. He makes no secret of his complete devotion to Ann, even when she’s too messed up to realize what’s in front of her. He’s unwavering and therefore a more static character. However, this doesn’t hurt the series, as it is about Ann growing up, not Daigo. The situation Fuji and Shika find themselves in is a little more dramatic. They too are developing characters and both do a lot of growing up. Their search for their true identities is one that gives the series a bit more intrigue. They both learn a lot they didn’t know about themselves along the way.

This is certainly the best written manga I’ve come across. If you’re into manga, or are thinking of trying it out I highly recommend this series. It’s definitely girly shoujo manga, but it’s got a great story.

[Solace Winter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is where Ann's story ends, so this is where I'm going to do my review. The rest of the books are about Ann's mother, and while interesting, at the same time I don't take it as the main plot.

Ann's story is depressing. It's a great way to tell a story, but it was just dark and *spoiler* The happy ending felt really forced. They haven't seen each other in 6 years, but they're like, "Yeah, let's get back together." It would have been better if she learned she could live her life without him, or they fell back in love naturally, or the last 6 years were written differently in general, but this was just a happy ending to a depressing story so it had a happy ending, instead of giving her anything to truly feel happy about in her life.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems that this was the real end of Sand Chronicles, and that the last two volumes are bonus stories. At least there's a note at the end that says as much. I loved the series as a whole for being a sweet romance with realistic complications. I also liked that it took an unusual (for the genre) length of time to unwind. Ann is 12 when the series starts, and 26 when it ends, and the characters feel age appropriate nearly every step of the way. The overall message that I took from the series is that you shouldn't need another person to prop you up, but that it's fine to lean on those you love when you need support.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

(rating for whole series) there's a lot of elements of the story that would irk me in any other series. these characters are undeniably messy and flawed and take their grief and anger out in bad and hurtful ways, but it's written in a way that allows for understanding and sympathy. also any themes and motifs about time always do it for me i love that stuff.

[Amy Gideon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the ending, but I'm a sucker for happy endings!

[Kayla Loewen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending was just perfection! I wish this could have been the book to end the series, it was so beautiful.

[WendyTheOwl · Rating 5 out of 5]

volume 1->10 (no spoilers)
FR
Pour commencer l'année 2023; j'avais envie de me relire quelque chose que j'aime, une lecture doudou.
Alors, clairement, ce manga ne peut techniquement pas entrer dans cette catégorie réellement, parce que on parle notamment de suicide. Mais c'est une lecture très nostalgique pour moi.
Je l'avais découvert à un moment assez compliqué pour moi, et bizarrement, j'étais tombée totalement amoureuse de l'histoire, malgré la difficulté, malgré les personnages dont je ne supporte pas forcément ce qu'ils.elles disent/font.
Et malgré les défauts, malgré ce que moi, je n'aime pas...
C'est toujours un coup de coeur. Je suis toujours amoureuse.
Mon avis n'a pas changé. Je n'aime toujours pas les mêmes choses. Et j'adore toujours les mêmes choses.
Je ne peux pas le recommander à tout le monde, au vu des sujets. Mais si vous pouvez gérer les cw, n'hésitez pas !

ENG
To start the year 2023; I wanted to re-read something I like, a cuddly reading.
So, clearly, this manga cannot technically fit into this category really, because we are talking about suicide in particular. But it's a very nostalgic read for me.
I had discovered it at a time that was quite complicated for me, and oddly, I had fallen totally in love with the story, despite the difficulty, despite the characters of whom I don't necessarily support what they say/do.
And despite the flaws, despite what I don't like...
It's always a crush. I'm still in love.
My opinion has not changed. I still don't like the same things. And I still love the same things.
I cannot recommend it to everyone, given the subjects. But if you can handle the cws, don't hesitate !

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 8th installment of Sand Chronicles by Miss Hinako Ashihara concludes the story of Ann, Daigo, Shika, and Fuji. The 9th and 10th installments are bonus stories. Miss Hinako Ashihara wraps up the story in a beautiful but realistic way. Ann and Daigo got their happily-ever-after.
On the other hand, Shika and Fuji are still reaching for their happy endings. They are heading there,
but not quite there yet. What Miss Ashihara is saying is that life goes on and problems would come and go no matter where you are in life. Ann's struggle will always be a part of her, but at least, she now knows that she can rescue herself with or without Daigo or Fuji. There are still two volumes left in the series, and though my heart still belongs to Shika, Daigo, Ann, and Fuji, I'm pretty sure with Miss Ashihara's art of storytelling, the new characters will find their special space in my heart too.

[thi · Rating 4 out of 5]

a more melancholy drama that I do really like but it is not without its faults

I love coming of age stories in all forms, there’s no right or wrong way to deal with suicide, of a parent none the less, and this story doesn’t sugarcoat the irrational, selfish behaviours of grief, depression, love and heartache

“After all it’s pretty arrogant to think you can ‘save’ someone, isn’t it?”

The many love connections can be grating but forgiven considering the timespan covered and I can see people not connecting with the amount of anger, dependency and guilt depicted in association with suicide and depression

While I did not agree with some implications, granted via the English translation, i do though value the bitterness and think the story handled a lot of sensitive themes respectfully, and was not overly graphic

the almost got me at that ending omg

[-moonprismpower- · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhh I cried when Ann was on that beach, realizing that she made a mistake… that she didn’t want to die. She wanted to live… I loved that Ann realized that she’s surrounded by so many great people who would miss her… Why would she want them to feel that pain, the same pain that her mother put on her???


But the very end was my favorite. Daigo and Ann realizing that they haven’t really been that happy since they broke up so many years ago… A sweet reunion I was hoping for!!!!!


Overall, I loved this series. I really feel connected to these characters. I loved watching them grow up. I could relate to the happy, sad and silly moments. This is a great coming of age shojo series… and you can’t find a lot of those!!!! This is definitely worth the read!!

Now onto the bonus volumes (9 & 10)!

[Adam Rattray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashihara decision to announce halfway into volume 8 of a 10 volume series that this is the ending and the rest of the series is the epilogue has the be one of craziest things I’ve seen a mangaka do.

Besides that, Ann’s journey coming to terms with the death of her mother and finding the strength to live is genuinely awe inspiring and makes this series one of the best manga’s I’ve ever read. A real all time classic full of heartbreak, emotional turmoil and beautiful touching moments of connection in the face of despair. What are you waiting for, go read Sand Chronicles!

“I cared about someone. He cared about me. I am this memory and that memory and other memories too. When i think about that… I see how precious my life is.”

[Eli Gimeno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que historia más triste y bonita al mismo tiempo.
Las lágrimas corren por mis mejillas y tengo un nudo en la garganta.
He sufrido las pérdidas de Ann como si fuesen las mías, yo también me he sentido así en más de una ocasión y yo también me encuentro perdida en mi misma.
Perder a una madre siendo tan joven te cambia la vida por completo, te insensibiliza en algunos momentos y en otros te deja totalmente expuesta al mundo. Qué difícil es navegar la juventud con ese peso en el corazón.

Todos los personajes han dejado algo de ellos en mi corazón. Es una historia que llevaré conmigo para siempre, pero que dudo que pueda volver a leer del dolor que me causaría de nuevo.

[Evey - Maud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce tome clôture l'histoire d'An et Daigo. Et quel dernier tome. La fin répond totalement aux attentes des shojo dans cette veine mais cela ne vient pas amoindrir la qualité de la série. Ce tome m'a bouleversé, j'ai pleuré, plusieurs fois. Même en ayant déjà lu il y a longtemps la série je dois dire que j'ai été autant touché que la première fois, voir peut être même plus.

[Amanda Setasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume was really really cute. Honestly I normally don't read these types of series, but this one has been great so far.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ann finally faces her feelings about her mother and acknowledges how they affected her relationships over the course of the story. It was a long time coming and an important turning point.

[Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to come :)

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

And now I’m crying again.

[Grace Ziehm · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapter 15
Epilogue

[L’étagère de Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Juste incroyable!!

[cami]

I loved this volume soo bad ohhh

[Kasey McSwain · Rating 5 out of 5]

aaahhh!!