Sayonara ga Chikai no de
For Our Farewell Is Near

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“All this living, killing, and dying…
Do you really need a reason for it?”



For some manga, it’s love at first sight. The title may be intriguing, the story might be riveting, the characters possibly lovable, or perhaps the art just blinds you with sheer awesomeness. Either way, you flip through the pages and get instant gratification.

Because Goodbyes Are Coming Soon is not one of those.

Despite that, or rather, because of that, no other one shot has impressed me as much as this one.
...

Admittedly, the manga didn’t grab my attention at first. For starters, none of the characters could actually brag about good looks (these Shinsengumi are no pretty boys), and it’s easy to ignore the detailed illustrations and the smooth scene transitions because of that.

Likewise, the story is delivered in a deceptively simple manner. What happens in the plot is evident enough but it takes a little more effort and perhaps a few more readings to understand the significance of these events. This one shot may remind some of you of those short stories which your literature professors might have forced on you in high school or college: boring as **** if taken literally but filled all those little details which could be interpreted in several ways.

Also exceptional is the story’s emphasis on internal conflict rather than external conflict. Our protagonist (Okita Soji) is already an accomplished swordsman, but he has no cause to live or die for. All other warriors are inferior to him in skill and there’s no obstacle that he can’t overcome. He has the means to win but finds no meaning in fighting.

This is further highlighted by means of foil characters. Okita’s apathy regarding worldly affairs stands out even more when contrasted with the passion of other swordsmen such as Kondo of the Shinsengumi and Yoshida of Choshu. While other tragic figures are often ruined by their ambition and hubris, Okita’s ultimate flaw is his lack of vision. This story challenges the conventional themes of downfall as well as common notions of invincibility and defeat.


Because Goodbyes Are Coming Soon might not be the best option in terms of entertainment value, but if you’re the type who actually enjoys literature classes, you might want to give this one a shot.

This is about the aftermath of a revolution, portrayed without the romanticism you usually find in manga portrayals of the Shinsengumi and the bakumatsu. I like how subtly the mangaka portrayed everything - Okita's flashback was particularly affecting. It starts off a little slow, and I think some will be disappointed that the artist stuck to a close portrayal of how everyone actually looked, but the art is gorgeous with the imagery telling the story just as often as the words. Nicely done.

No surprise from Yukimura, but this is a really solid piece of work. It's got a really fantastic depiction of the Bakumatsu and the tensions at work within the war. On one hand, it doesn't demonize Shisengumi like Okita Soji, but it thankfully doesn't valorize them like the endless romance stories that star them. The real highlight of the piece is a flashback from Soji to his fighting days when he has to confront the question of violence that Yukimura makes one of the main issues in his VINLAND SAGA.

The art is more in the style and quality of PLANETES than it is VINLAND. While ... it probably could have benefited from Yukimura's more lavish modern style, he obviously hasn't developed it yet. What would have been.

When taken together with PLANETES and VINLAND, SAYONARA proves that Yukimura just doesn't miss. With VINLAND wrapping up, SAYONARA makes me wonder what kind of work he'll try next.