Tate no Kuni
The Vertical World

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A boy is living in a strange world that stretches vertically, resembling an enormous pipe. The boy doesn't know what's above or below the level he resides on or what is outside the walls, how deep is the seemingly bottomless pit next to his dwelling, or how to scale down. But more than anything else, he wants to know. And as he's pondering these thoughts standing on its edge, an unconscious girl is seen falling down the pit from somewhere very far above.

Does he rush to catch her? No—instead, as he watches her vanish into the black abyss, he feels frustrated that she beat him ... to exploring the unknown. And, without a second thought, lunges after her in an attempt to catch up. With this weird encounter starts their bizarre adventure, transcending time and space to uncover the secrets behind the Vertical World.

But seriously, wow. The Vertical World is the textbook example of a hidden gem, and I couldn't have been more glad to find it in a sea of sheer obscurity. As a matter of fact, while writing this a few days after it finished its run, a grand total of 726 users had it on their list on MAL. Perhaps owing to the lack of punchy art, it is being grossly overlooked even despite being published in Jump+, the online counterpart to the wildly popular Jump series of manga magazines. Astoundingly, this is the case both abroad and at home in Japan, as stated by the author who, fortunately, was given the green light to finish the story as planned despite the poor viewership. And I'll admit to being guilty of negligence myself, as the cover art didn't exactly look inviting by any means and made me hesitant to even start. But as I'd learned shortly afterwards, what lied underneath this humble exterior was a high-octane, deeply emotional, intellectually stimulating story that does a stellar job escalating the stakes and making you hunger for the next chapter the further in you are. Much better than most of the regular Jump manga, in fact! Truth be told, it's been a while since I'd read a work so genuinely captivating, imaginative...

...And at times, utterly confusing! As I've implied earlier, The Vertical World is, among other things, a time-travel adventure—but even that is just the tip of the iceberg. Being a very "soft" sci-fi, the story contains a lot of elements that push the limits of speculative fiction, but rather than hand-waving away the more implausible elements, it attempts to explain everything that sticks out. Furthermore, it does so in a simple, concise manner that enables a solid and surprisingly consistent (even if not very scientifically sound) narrative—while remaining fun. The decision to put it on the softer side of the spectrum pays off handsomely here: instead of confining himself to the most proven of scientific principles, Kuu Tanaka lets his imagination go absolutely wild and spares no effort invoking all sorts of purely theoretical phenomena to enhance the story he is telling and the world he is portraying.

And by gods, what a unique world it is! If you've ever been fascinated by the gargantuan technological megastructures of Blame!, the abstract horror and ontological mystery of Cube (and/or its less accomplished sequel), or the exploration rush of the Metroid series and similar games—and I certainly am—you're probably going to have a blast with it. What it lacks in moody desolate atmosphere, it makes up in weird and creative ways to utilize the setting and scale it up well into the mind screw territory, with layers upon layers of scientific abstraction ranging from pocket universes and wormhole traversal to digitized minds and computer viruses given flesh—all in the span of just 120 short chapters. And no, that list doesn't comprise even half of the phenomena you're about to encounter.

The story starts off relatively tame and the early chapters give off a rather cozy, whimsical vibe reminiscent of Kaiba which clearly inspired some of its visual direction. But by around 2/5 of the run it picks the pace up considerably and never slows down from that point. Every time you feel like you're about to finally learn an answer to one of the core mysteries, a previously unconsidered facet emerges, and the path to a more complete understanding becomes more twisted and challenging by the chapter. It's so easy to become overwhelmed by the complex plot weave that even the publisher is inviting us in the short afterword blurb on the last page to re-read it from the beginning in order to put the earlier parts of the story into the context of the later revelations. How often does that even happen? And I'd say it shouldn't be considered a simple recommendation, but rather a part of the actual reading experience—much like with Primer, Memento, and some similar works with a top-heavy narrative structure which opens up like a flower bud once you look at the reasons for every plot turn in retrospect, and hence demands repeated viewings. (Also, having a visual timeline chart definitely wouldn't hurt in this case.)

Now, of course, this way of storytelling is inherently problematic because of how insistently it piles up mysteries and red herrings, making it easy to lose track of what's going on for the reader and the author alike. In this respect, The Vertical World is certainly closer to Twin Peaks than Primer—and although it does give off the impression of careful planning, there still remain many bits and pieces that are hard to reconcile even knowing the full truth, and some creative liberties that look outright silly regardless of context. In particular, the arbitrary magnitude of injury (or the complete lack thereof) characters take from falls or hits, or the ability of certain characters to grab onto smooth wall or cliff sides when falling down—sometimes while *also* holding another person or two. It can become tiring by the end. I get that the world is stretched vertically (duh) and so people are bound to fall *a lot* simply because the premise invites them to, but come on—I have disbelief to suspend here! In general, the physical prowess of the main cast is often overstated for no good reason, and at times that makes the manga look somewhat dumber than it deserves.

It doesn't help either that the art, as I've already mentioned above, can be described as minimally functional at its best—and "kids' doodles" at any other time. It really is on the level of the original One-Punch Man and ONE's other early webcomics. This does give it a certain charm, but if anything, you still need to get used to it. It does get somewhat better over the course of the run (though it would be fair to mention that OPM also does) and at some point starts feeling natural. In either case it does highlight the strength of the writing, as people are reading these works not because but rather *despite* the poor art, and still remain loyal. The fact that pages are elongated and are designed to be scrolled down rather than turned over is definitely a big counterweight to the art deficiencies, and this, along with manhwa publications by Carnby Kim, is one of the best examples of such appropriate usage of the medium.

In any case, fortunately, I'd say none of the problems I've listed are a real deal-breaker. The Vertical World still excels in the most important aspects, remains wildly fun throughout and delivers engaging character interaction without forced interpersonal drama. And it actually nails a flawless ending (a depressively rare occurrence!): not rushed, nor stupid, nor needlessly melodramatic, but Just Right. I don't even remember the last time I was so deeply satisfied by the ending; it's positively cathartic and it reduced me to a sobbing mess for a good few minutes. So if you are willing to look past the sketchy art and the often cartoony approach to human physiology, the experience you'll be met with is best described by a quote from one of the characters:

"I haven't the slightest idea what might've happened... But I can tell you one thing. You've all been on an amazing journey, haven't you?"

Couldn't have said it better.

(P.S. Since this is published in Shonen Jump+, you can read the entire manga for free on Shueisha's official site and mobile app, Manga Plus. There, you have no excuses to postpone reading it anymore.)

Story: 10/10

THIS MANGA IS SO COOL! One of the most interesting and complicated plots I've ever seen, and the author is actually able to make it seem fully fleshed out by the end of it. The author really just throws you into this mysterious world that gets explained over time through the landscapes and natural character interactions, there is no infodump about the world's mechanisms at the beginning. The ending is great, and if it weren't for the art, this would easily be a 10/10 for me.

Art: 5/10
The art kinda... sucks. Personally, I didn't care, as the manga was interesting enough for me to look ... past it easily. But yeah, it objectively is not good compared to most other manga. It's not as though it's chicken-scratch and outright ugly, closer to looking like basic sketches rather than a final product.

Characters: 10/10
All of the characters in this story weave together in such a fascinating way. And for the most part, each shine on their own as well. While my personal favorite character is Kelvin (<3 Robot grandpa), nearly every character has a strong argument to be someone's favorite.

Enjoyment: 10/10
If you couldn't already tell, this is one of my favorite manga. It makes me giddy whenever I think about the plot, or the characters, or how everything is fleshed out over the course of the adventure that Ruska and his group go on.

Overall: 9/10

What a weird manga.

The story is very confusing and there are a lot of plot twists and that's the interesting thing about it. I want to know more.

Characters in the start are not that interesting (probably because it starts right into action, but I like that so) but the more chapters you read you start liking them and wanting them to accomplish the things they need to.

The story has a lot of time travel and teleportation so be prepared to be "wait what" when it starts to happen.

There are some little plot holes (like a character had a solar panel even though in this world ... he shouldn't even want something like that) but they didn't bother me too much.

I didn't research anything about it so what I say next should be taken with a grain of salt.

It feels like a passion project, the art is bad (it gets a little better after) and the manga starts right into action but it already grabs you with questions about the world.

I feel some nostalgia reading it, because I feel like the author had the idea and went with it, instead of thinking too hard and ended giving up, it inspires me to actually finish my stories.

My only fear is that, even the author doesn't know what is happening and when the time comes to give explanations in the end of the story he ends up not doing it or give a stupid one, but for now I'm having a blast with it.

The Vertical World is when you take:
・ the deceptively whimsical art direction of Kaiba,
・ drawn by a worse artist than Mob Psycho 100's ONE,
・ set in a BLAME!-like world,
・ with the plot escalation of Homestuck.

There's a few more interesting similarities between the Vertical World and Homestuck:
Both comics integrated their unorthodox web format into their storytelling. And both comics deal in similar high science fiction concepts, namely time, space, infinity, relativity, information, alternate dimensions, nested realities and circular causality.
In that regard, there's only few mangas or animes that tackle these topics as deeply as the Vertical World does. Because in order to touch on all of ... these subjects, you'd need to create an alien and arbitrary universe, and then focus on the exploration of that universe. You can really tell that the author is very interested in astrophysics - not just because most (or all?) characters are named after famous scientists or other scientific phenomena. Some plot twists/conveniences might seem a little random at first, but I suspect the author does have a clear goal in mind, and he doesn't forget places and events that might contradict some of his new ideas either. Lots of times I thought I finally had a good grasp on how the titular vertical world works and where the story would go, but then a new revelation shattered my understanding and revealed a much deeper truth.

Without giving too much away, all I can say is that it's EXTREMELY interesting and well worth a read when you're at least somewhat into science fiction. You just need to get over how bad the art is.
Thankfully, the manga is very accessible as it's getting the simul-pub treatment on the official Shonen Jump website.

With the manga having finished a couple of days ago (as of this writing), I thought it would be a good idea to give my thoughts on the overall story.

Art: The first 2 thing you'll notice about it are these: it reads in a vertical manner, and it's kind of rough and simplistic. As it progresses, it does start to become more complex, but it never quite moves away from it's simplicity. It is simply something that you'll have to get used to.

Characters: They start of kind of simple, and they don't really develop that much. This is because, most of the time, they are ... simply there to move or explain the plot (especially in the beginning). This isn't to say that they don't have their heartfelt moments, but there aren't that many of them, and that's because of...

Story: "If the art isn't particularly good and neither are the characters, then why should I read this?" you might be asking, and the answer is the story. So much story is happening that the mangaka had one of the characters say, and I quote "We've never had any idea what we were doing, but we made it this far anyway". If I had to describe it, I would call it "Escalation: The Manga", because HOLY SHIT does it escalate things to a degree that you'd find hard to believe. And that's exactly the defining aspect of this manga, the one reason you'd need to read it. The only things you'd need to remember are that, around chapter 30, it starts being very confusing with it's concepts, and it keeps getting more and more confusing the farther along you get, and, because it's a dense manga, you shouldn't take to long to read all of it, because you WILL forget plot points and characters. I had to drop it shortly after I started reading each chapter weekly because I barely remembered some details, and just waited until it finished to read it all in a couple of days.

TL;DR: Art is kind of rough, characters are serviceable, leaving the story as it's biggest draw, which is okay because the story itself is kind of like a car crash in slow motion, not because it's bad (although you could definitely see it that way (and I wouldn't blame you)), but because you can't keep your eyes away from it.

Though Tate no Kuni starts out with the common premise of a boy finding a mysterious girl and following her, it quickly develops into a thoughtful, Star Trek-like sci-fi story that uses lots of theoretical physics concepts and explores the nature of reality. This manga lies in the same realm as highly-praised works like Dennou Coil and Serial Experiments Lain in that it is driven by the characters seeking an understanding of their world -- a world that is meaty, intricate, and thought-provoking for the reader. All of the plot points are intentional and add to the reader's understanding of the manga's world; there is ... little filler. There is also no fanservice in this manga, which makes it inoffensive and accessible to most readers. The manga doesn't rely on typical manga tropes like good vs evil (the nature of most of the villains and heroes is called into question, and not in an overdone twist villain/redeemed villain sort of way), long battles, a school setting, or excessive romantic tensions, which makes it refreshingly different for hardcore manga fans and palatable to people who aren't that into anime or manga.

The art is this manga's weakness, as it is minimalistic and soft. That actually works in this manga's favour, however, because it allows the reader to focus on and absorb the incredible story, and it provides a unique feel to the manga. The minimalistic art also enhances the story's impact by making the events seem more fanciful and extraordinary, although they are ultimately rooted in real physics concepts.

Overall, this is one of the best mangas I've read, as it provides a deep, thoughtful story with a fascinating, unique world that doesn't depend on fanservice, romance, or filler battles to captivate the reader.

This manga is recommended for people who like science fiction and want to read something different, as it differs a lot from the common tropes and styles in the standard manga.

The art is pretty simple, amateurish even. But it has its perks, such as using a vertical scheme (akin to the manga title and plot), making for some long and interesting vertical panels. It was created to be read specifically online, as this kind of style doesn't translate well into a physical manga. There are also some colorful parts in specific objects in important scenes, which is a fine touch. The characters are plain as ... they mostly have few traits and functions, so it's easy to predict what they are going to do. At the same time, the main characters form an endearing clique and enables the plot to focus on the enigmas of the world, rather than the characters' internal struggles.

Tate no Kuni has an intricate story that keeps building up in its complexity, adding many scientific concepts throughout the story. The best thing about the story is the world building. All the mysteries about the vertical world, including what it is and how it works, keeps the reading interesting and makes you wonder what's next and think about theories to explain the plot.

The manga has the potential to be a masterpiece, it has masterful world building and a compelling story. If it was done with better effort regarding its art and characters' depth, it could easily become one of the best mangas ever done, which can be frustrating as it's not bound to receive the praise it deserves for the story. That doesn't mean the manga is not enjoyable as it stands though.

10/10 - this manga is amazing at tying together a variety of cool concepts into one cohesive whole. It starts off weird, and keeps getting weirder - every time the characters learn something new about the world and themselves, new mysteries pop up. The characters each have so much personality that each and every one of them could have a story written about themselves, yet it doesn't feel hard to keep track of all of them. The plot twists in the middle are exciting and add even more to the cool factor of the world. The sense of awe inspiring scale that's developed over time ... by shattering previous notions of what counts as "large" is by far the best part of the manga. The only real complaint I have is that the art isn't amazing at the beginning - but the hook is so strong that it's compelling even still, and the rest of the manga has better art to make it easier to read.

Incredible manga, highly recommend it to anyone who loves worldbuilding in things like Made in Abyss, Her Summon, or the works of Dowman Sayman, or sci-fi in general. There's really nothing quite like this one.