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This is a story that hit all the right notes for me..!

The world is one that operates in a similar fashion to that of YKK (without the apocalypse, though), and provides the characters with a huge amount of freedom.

As expected of Ashinano, the story is quite relaxing, but spices it all up by being far more focused on wanderlust than YKK was. This world has just as many tantalizing unsolved mysteries as the one Alpha lives in; that's an aspect of storytelling I've seen in precious few stories (Blame, Dark Souls, YKK, and Name of the Wind), and it's something I think adds an ... enormou sense of Life to any given artistic work.

Including ambiguous details allows the world to exist beyond the bounds of its narrative, and keep the mind forever wondering what else exists. I think this really touches at a part of the human mind that is not usually accessible to the average person. The world has become small, but in stories like these we can feel what it must have felt like to be at the edge of the known world.

Ashinano panels this story in such a way as to convey the vastness of a world ten times larger than our own, and to allow us to feel the slow and steady flight of the Cub plane.

An interesting note, this story was the first I've ever read that genuinely brought tears to my eyes from a page transition. The moment Isaki sees the vision atop Mount Fuji is one I'll never forget. I was blown away by the buildup and payoff Ashinano provided with this adventure.

For anyone enamored with stories about exploration and pushing one's boundaries, this is an absolute must read.

By now I have re-read YKK in full 3 times, and all I can say is that with each reread my enjoyment for this manga has only grown. Every reread has offered up new secrets and details I hadn't noticed, or had forgotten.

Note: I highly recommend finding a cozy soundtrack and listening while reading this. Personally, doing so has enhanced my experience tenfold. If you don't have any particular music in mind, I recommend the soundtracks to the YKK OVA's as they do quite well at capturing the tone of the series.

Ashinano Hitoshi's art goes from good to great to amazing over the ... course of the first dozen chapters. He knows how to capture serenity within his linework and produce absolutely beautiful scenery. I find that my favorite phase of his artistic evolution is around the middle, where it retains a decent amount of detail, but with more simlified forms than the very first few chapters. While I enjoy the latter half, it does get, a lot simpler. Of course that's not a bad thing by any means, I just like a balance. However, the artwork by the end of YKK is something I think worked for his next series, Kabu no Isaki even better, as his simplified forms are complemented by the vastness of the sky.

The characters are delightful and feel very natural in their portrayal. He allows us to experience the world through them, and their experiences help add to the subtle worldbuilding.

tl;dr
YKK is an absolute masterpiece, and if you ever need a story to soothe the soul and help you appreciate the little things in life this is it.