Nijigahara Holograph

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°English Version°

Nijigahara Holograph by Inio Asano is a manga that by itself deserves several rereadings, it is a puzzle that travels through time in the lives of the characters and that advances or stops at turning points for them. It is dense to read, yes, but it never ceases to fascinate me.

The story is confusing, fanciful at times and mystical at others, and this is what makes it excellent. The basis of everything is a dream, a story, a legend that runs through the years and little by little gets into the depths of each one, letting out the worst of them.

The crudeness of the ... manga is nothing more than a constant reflection of how disgusting people can be in extreme moments, moved by their feelings, their problems, or just because they are like that. Feeding that inner monster that we carry inside.

An emphasis is made on how even the smallest circumstances define the lives of others. A past, present, and future that are linked or connected by someone or something that guides everything (believe it or not) from the dark. Impeccable worldbuilding pulls the strings.

An aura of depression is felt by this, it is the same tragedy happening over and over again. In spite of everything, the story wants you to realize something. Seek that you understand and take charge of the decisions you make, seeking strength and willpower to continue moving forward.

As hard as it may seem, just accept and live.
It's amazing how Asano was able to create this experiment that I can't put a note on. Free interpretation is the best point of the work, taken in different ways to a story that I could not stop reading.
I close thread.


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°Versión en español°

Nijigahara Holograph de Inio Asano es un manga que por si mismo merece varias relecturas, es un rompecabezas que viaja por el tiempo en la vida de los personajes y que avanza o se detiene en momentos de inflexión para los mismos. Es denso de leer, sí, pero no me deja de fascinar.

La historia es confusa, fantasiosa por momentos y mística por otros, y esto es lo que la hace excelente. La base de todo es un sueño, un cuento, una leyenda que corre a lo largo de los años y poco a poco se mete en lo más profundo de cada uno, dejando salir lo peor de ellos.

Lo crudeza del manga no es más que un reflejo constante de lo asqueroso que pueden llegar a ser las personas en momentos limites, movidos por sus sentimientos, por sus problemas, o por el hecho de solo ser así. Alimentando ese monstruo interior que llevamos dentro.

Se hace un recalco en el cómo hasta las más pequeñas circunstancias definen la vida de los demás. Un pasado, presente, y futuros que están unidos o conectados por alguien o algo que guía todo (a creer o no) desde la oscuridad. Una construcción impecable del mundo mueve los hilos.

Un aura de depresión se siente por esto, es una misma tragedia ocurriendo una y otra vez. A pesar de todo, la historia busca que te des cuenta de algo. Busca que entiendas y te hagas cargo de las decisiones que tomas, buscando fortaleza y fuerza de voluntad en seguir avanzando.

Por mas duro que parezca, solo que aceptar y vivir.
Es increíble el como Asano pudo crear este experimento al cual no puedo ponerle una nota. La libre interpretación es el mejor punto de la obra, tomarse de diferentes formas a una historia que no pude parar de leer.
Cierro hilo.

If you are reading this for the vibe and a nihilistic atmosphere this could be what you are looking for. I expected something more plot-driven and thought the Mangaka tried to put too much in too little space. The story didn´t click with me.

Nijigahara Holograph also felt too edgy without enough substance to support it. I kinda feel like if you want to experience this type of vibe Black Hole (a comic not a manga) does the same way better. I´d also argue that this kind of felt like Gantz. Be it the art style pannel layout or just the vibe. If you liked ... this and want more maybe check the few chapters of that manga out.

Nijigahara Holograph – Spoiler Free – Not Recommended

TLDR
Story – 3/10 – 3 x 0.275 = 0,825
Art – 8/10 – 8 x 0.2 = 1,6
Characters – 3/10 – 3 x 0.225 = 0,675
Enjoyment – 4/10 – 4 x 0.3 = 1,2
Total: 4,3 -> 4

Standing there in the cold wind I began to doubt if any of it had ever been real: God, the Magic Box, the Talking Butterfly. And if they were true, what an empty world this was.
... -Nijigahara Holograph

Story – 3/10
Nijigahara Holograph is probably one of Inio Asano’s most complex, and weakest, stories. In fact, even laying down a simple synopsis of the manga is quite a difficult task. The story happens in different timelines, and we jump from timeline to timeline in the most non-linear way in any of Asano’s work. It is actually a very confusing manga, albeit very short (it is one volume long). It requires several readings for one to understand what truly happened. This is not a compliment, as making something unclear for the sake of it does not elevate it as a piece of art. But, as one can glimpse through the mud, we also realise that most of the deciphering Nijigahara Holograph is also not worth it. It just doesn’t feel that it is rich enough to be fulfilling.
It also points in multiple directions and does not develop any of them well – other than the butterfly. Nijigahara Holograph also feels oppressive in its atmosphere and offers a sense of mystery as the story progresses. Aside from this, however, Nijigahara Holograph doesn’t have much else to offer. Its confusing constant timeline jumps removed most of the immersion in the story.
It is even hard to ascertain if the story had leaps of faith, as it is genuinely hard to understand the story.
It also mentions some very dark topics – such as incest and rape – but contrary to some of his other works, where these topics are grazed lightly, this is not the case in Nijigahara Holograph, as it is very stark and raw in its setting.

Art – 8/10
Nijigahara Holograph’s art is on point, as in typical Inio Asano’s fashion. However, the art, in this case, served a mediocre and confusing story. But technically, it deserves some notes: page composition is good, the characters present an average character design – definitely much lower than in other of his works –and the cadence of the panels is also decent.

Characters – 3/10
It is very hard to ascertain anything about the characters in Nijigahara Holograph, as the story is so densely interwoven that it is very hard to unwind.
There are barely any main characters, and the rest of the cast is meaningless. The characters are not likeable, and one cannot understand their behaviour in general.

Enjoyment – 4/10
Nijigahara Holograph is a complex manga that is sure to confuse most of those who actually read it. But aside from the confusion and the pleasure that one may take in deciphering this, it has nothing else to offer. On a personal note, I am a fan of Inio Asano, and it is for this reason that I cannot recommend it. In the end, I didn’t grow as a reader, as a person, and simply didn’t enjoy reading Nijigahara Holograph.