Star Strings yori
From Star Strings

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I haven't written a review before, but I wanted to make one for this (very) little story.

I am not someone who likes open ended stories. That being said, while this is one of those, I found it still to be very pretty and even somewhat touching given its length.

Simply, I read this almost like a melancholic bedtime story, one that was meant for adults. Makes you think a bit, throws you for a short emotional loop, overall I really enjoyed this little piece. Also I found it funny how much of Riko from MiA I saw in Kuroru! Highly recommended for sure

First of all, I'd like to say that this is my first review ever, so it may be a bit messy. Taking that into account, let's review this beautiful piece of art:

Star Strings Yori takes place in a very special setting: Kororu, the main character, lives in a world where there's no one apart from her. This is stated in the very beggining of the manga, and it's going to be the main focus of the story. Isolation, the feelings that come with it, fear of the unknown, and the struggle necessary to overcome it will be the main themes covered in this manga.

The ... focus in this kind of feelings is one of the things I enojoyed the most, as these feelings our main character portrays are easily transfered to the reader, making us feel, at times, as helpless, hopeless and desperate as Kororu. There's also room for joy and hope in this story, (for instance, when she finds the string at the beggining) however, it is reserved for only a few specific, special moments.

When it comes to the negatives, as much as I'd like to say it is flawless, this manga has some imperfections that keep me from giving it the 10 it may deserve. To justify this, I firstly have to clarify that I despise open ended stories. And oh boy is this one of those. There are plenty of questions left unanswered, even more than at the beggining of the story (and these are quite a lot). This is only acceptable because of its short length (you can read it slowly in less than an hour) and the complexity that ending this story would require.

When comparing it to Akihito Tsukushi's other work (Made in Abyss), you can really appreciate the detail this mangaka works with, as the quality of character(s) and backgrounds is astounding. Story-wise is something that can't really compare to MiA, as it focus on completely different topics and has a notably different vibe to it. As a consequence, I can't really recommend it if you want something like Made in Abyss (unless you want to read it for the art).

Overall, it's a beautiful story, with beautiful artstyle, and a beautiful character design that will make you think and imagine of all the posible answers to the questions it asks. I recommend you read it, as it may take (at most) one hour of your time, and I can assure you it'll be worth it.

Star Strings Yori feels like a true short story or 'fairy tale'. It has a story it wants to tell but this story requires a certain setting to work. Are we provided with any reasoning or background info as to why we get the setting we do? Nope. That isn't the point, just pay attention to the story being told.

I've seen this put a number of people off from this piece (albeit not so much on this site) but I actually rather like how this was done. What you get is a world that has existed and will continue to exist. We are permitted to ... jump in and observe this world at a point that the author considers interesting then kicked out again when the main event has been observed. As such, the story starts with many questions unanswered and ends with many questions unanswered but you still get enough of a satisfying arc.

If this is fine by you, I'd say jump in. It is a unique setting and world which, for me, is always a good hook. We are provided with a young girl to follow at the moment that her repetitive and lonely life changes direction completely.

I have never written a review before but I'll try my best to be unbiased so bear with me.

Plot: 8/10 Overall, the plot was simple and easy to understand. Like other comments have described, the plot strikes me as a bedtime story. It's concise, and unfortunately ends with an open ending. It left me questioning what would happen next, and left me really wanting to read more but there was no more to read, which was dissapointing to say the least.


The art: 10/10 The art was absolutely beautiful. Tsukushi really has an aptitude for drawing ethereal and detailed artwork. The way Tsukushi draws his art ... in a very verdant and flourishing way just strikes me as overwhelming, those zoomed out shots never fail to amaze me. I feel Tsukushi is very creative with his world, he draws in a way that is very otherworldly and dystopian. The enigmatic vibe the world gives off is something I really enjoy, it gives me a sense of adventure, and leaves me yearning for more.


Overall the story was really sweet, and it made me a bit emotional. The loneliness the main character has to endure really imbues a sadness and empathetic feeling inside of me, but that's why I thought the manga was good. I think a story that can make someone feel emotional are the best kinds, even if they're short and concise. If you want to read a story that leaves you pondering your thoughts after finishing, then I recommend giving it a read.