Sunadokei
Sand Chronicles

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When I read the synopsis, I thought this would be like every other emotional Shoujo romance drama, which I love to read from time to time. However, it ended up doing a complete 180 and surprising me in almost every way possible, to a point where it was hard for me to even turn to the next page. I can proudly say it had me on the edge of my seat almost the whole time, just not in a way most people would imagine when they hear that phrase.

The story although seemingly pretty generic coming-of-age at first, managed to give a good emotional rollercoaster. I ... liked the way the author used time skips so that we could see characters go from kids to true grown-up adults. When I say emotional rollercoaster I truly do mean it, from all positive and happy feelings to the most negative painful ones. From the beginning, the atmosphere had its melancholic vibe which is why I said it had me on the edge of the seat. Every time I turned the page I felt like something bad would happen no matter if the current scene was happy or sad. Someone in their review before me said how MAL didn't add a psychological tag to this manga and I can definitely see why's that lol. The last two chapters gave me mixed feelings tho, the conclusion in the final chapter although a nice life message wasn't really satisfying for my shipping ass, while the epilogue did justice for that it felt rather rushed and could be thought out better.

The most important aspect of this manga is the characters, the main four that is. Every one of them flawlessly represents their traits and fits their role in the story perfectly. I really enjoyed seeing them grow over the years, both their good and bad sides. Now I can't speak for female characters, but the two male MCs were pretty relatable. I saw my younger self in 12-year-old Daigo and my current self in teenage Fuji. Like with my complaints in the last two chapters for the story aspect, I have the same feelings for Daigo and Ann in those two chapters, they felt weird and not entirely true to their built-up personas.

Lastly, the artstyle was pretty nice. Although most of the time it was the generic old school shoujo style (which I adore don't hang me pls) it did have some amazing panels during some important scenes. Plus the double-page panels were absolutely stunning. There were a few instances where characters looked so similar that I couldn't tell them apart immediately but besides that, I really have no other complaints.

Overall I loved this manga, both the main story and bonus side stories which gave some side characters more depth and background. I can see why it holds such a high place in the shoujo world and it absolutely deserves it if not more. Now that the author is under my radar I'm planning on trying some of her other works in the future.
Rest in peace Ashihara Hinako.

“Memories are always blinding. They cause you pain… and sorrow.”

As you prepare to move, packing your belongings and separating the valuable from the unnecessary, you stumble upon an item—a photo album, perhaps—that unlocks a cascade of memories. “Look how far I’ve come since then.” You smile, recognizing your growth since those days. But "Sunadokei", or "Sand Chronicles" as it’s known in English, isn't about that satisfying feeling of moving past your old self. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Hourglasses frequently appear in this story, symbolizing the relentless passage of time as we follow the heroine, Ann Uekusa, from childhood through adolescence to adulthood. Yet, something remains ... unchanged; ever since tragedy struck at a young age, Ann has never been the same. Despite her efforts to rebuild herself as her surroundings and the people around her change, she’s still stuck in a rut. As readers, we are accustomed to rooting for heroes who grow, change for the better, and become wiser. However, Sunadokei’s heroine defies this expectation. Ann is not someone to root for; there are no “development” or “redemption” arcs for her. Instead, you find yourself frustrated with her stagnant state, even as you empathize with her circumstances. “Why can’t she just get over it?” “Why can’t she appreciate what she currently has?” These questions are raised within the story itself, and the answers remain elusive until late into the story. But by then, it’s painfully obvious that this is not the point of the story. It never was.

Sunadokei’s narrative is tedious. Reading it from start to finish is a constant battle between your frustration with the protagonist's convoluted inner workings and your impatience to reach a satisfying conclusion. Ignoring the narrative's intent would be a mistake, though—you’re meant to feel frustrated with Ann! Processing trauma is neither pleasant nor logical. The thing is, you can't simply "get over it" because someone else says so; something broken can't be fixed just because others wish it, or even try to help to make it "better". Ann’s journey isn’t about setting her up for a satisfying conclusion. It’s about an intimate exploration of the self and coming to terms with the fact that the shaky ground she stands on might be all she has to continue her path for the rest of her life, with no amount of time in the world to "remedy" it. In the end, the mantra that "time cures it all..." isn't something that works for everyone, especially not when you feel like time is moving forward for everyone else except yourself.

Sunadokei is an emotionally charged story, cutting open and displaying the hearts and minds of its characters. Despite its occasional dull moments and some unnecessary subplots, it poignantly conveys one of the most fragile aspects of the human psyche. Each volume is quite lengthy, so don’t be misled by the low chapter count. Take your time if you decide to pick this one up.

I loved the beginning, it had what felt like the start of a story with some actual depth and characters that didn't fall completely into stereotypical roles of shojo. But towards the middle it just became so... cliché, so... disappointing. Ann goes back and forth between being utterly and madly in love with Daigo and being depressed about her mother. In the beginning she had other characteristics but midway those two things are all she really is: obsessed or depressed. And the side characters that you got to know in the start of the series are suddenly doing things that make absolutely no sense, and ... there's no proper build up or explanation. I also hated the ending so much, it made me feel like Ann was being jerked around and played with until they said "okay... I guess that's enough, come on." I didn't feel any happiness or relief, just annoyed and disappointed. I guess I was hoping to see some sort of growth with Ann or at least see her be happy, but I don't feel like either or those happened. Its a strong start, but a sad and cliched mess about halfway.