Aug 15, 2019
Coo no Sekai is beautiful, scary, heartwarming and absurd. It reads more like a graphic novel and a children's book than a typical manga. Renei has weird sequential dreams every night, where she meets her deceased brother. She is taken to a dreamworld filled with fantastical creatures. I must say, the fantasy is a bit more on the absurd and demented side, which is probably why this is labeled seinen. But I would think of this more as a challenging children's book or for young adults. There's kind of "adult" content, but nothing a 11-12 year old can't handle and it definitely has it's place
...
a bildungsroman.
You could compare Coo no Sekai to Alice in Wonderland, Little Nemo or Neverending Story. Except that there are rarely any grand, epic adventures, but the adventures are grand in emotional value. And these emotions feel alot more genuine than in most of the manga I've read. I'm thinking alot of it would really hit home reading it as a child. This combination of the magical and emotional, supported by capable art and quirky creature designs makes for an engaging read for both children and adults.
The reader is also left wondering how much of the dreamstuff has any symbolic meaning. The dreams seem to thoroughly confuse Renei hersel, but also help her deal with her loss. If you're a very critical reader you might ask yourself the question if the author actually has a clue what he's doing or just letting his imagination run wild. I would say that there's plenty of signs that this is a highly capable writer and the story is profound enough to place it among the most qualitative manga I've read so far. One thing's for sure: I'll take this over One Piece any time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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