Manga Review: Sand Chronicles

As far as manga goes, I haven't read a whole lot.  With the semester in full swing, and my preference for anime or text books over manga in general, I haven't read anything new recently.  A few years ago, I borrowed Sand Chronicles from a friend, and really enjoyed it.  So here goes nothing!


Sand Chronicles is the tale of Ann, a girl who moves to the countryside with her mother to live with her grandparents.  She becomes friends with Daigo, one of the local boys from the town, along with Fuji and his sister Shiika.  After Ann's mother commits suicide, she relies on her friendships to help her cope.  As they grow older, the characters discover things that strain their relationships.  

Left to Right: Fuji, Shiika, Ann, and Daigo

This manga focuses on the tale of 4 children as they become adults, and deal with the consequences of the actions of the adults around them.  One of the main themes of this series is time, and hourglasses are featured symbolically.  Time skips between major events allow the reader to interpret what life was like between the changes.  This series is a tearjerker, so having tissues handy is a good idea.

The art style is really pretty, and the scenery was really nice.  Despite the emotional nature of some of the plot arcs, the story is told in a way that feels soft, without rough edges.  That being said, the series does mention suicide, adultery, and some other touchy subjects, so be warned.

Overall, I thought Sand Chronicles was a really good manga, and it's not too long to read in a weekend.

That's it for this week.
Hope Burns Bright