First of all, I’m going to start off by saying that I think YKK is amazing. Not just amazing. Absolute genius. It possibly the most thoughtful, beautiful, and well crafted story of any manga. It takes real skill to create an interesting manga, essentially, about several people living their 'run-of-the-mill' everyday lives. From something as simple as a friend visiting, or going to the beach, its creator, Ashinano, crafts a wonderful, detailed story with equally as beautiful art to match.

I'm not going to bother going through a detailed synopsis, but basically, YKK follows Alpha, a robot looking after a coffee shop for her owner who is away on an indefinitely long trip. It's set in the future after an ecological disaster. Sea levels have risen and a lot of towns have been submerged. The dwindling humans have reverted to a simpler life; living alongside these exceeding human-like robots. Alpha's coffee shop on the far coast of Japan is out of the way of most people, and her weekly number of customers rarely enter double figures. Alpha interacts with the few local people, other robots and her surroundings and each chapter show a new adventure normally from her perspective.

Where to begin now? The characters. Alpha is a lovely character, and instantly likeable. She’s kind, friendly and most of all interesting. The small number of humans and robots that make up the primary characters are all excellent too. Oji-san, Takahiro, Makki, Kokone, Ayase, Sensei and others leave you wanting to know more about their history as pieces of their past are shown to the reader asthe story follows their lives in these slower, more reflective, years.

The story is slow. Very slow. There is no action. No rapid character development. And none of the usual plot points that make up a generic shounen manga. But, of course, that is in no way a bad thing. It’s perfect for the audience it's try to reach and the mood it's trying to create. The peacefulness is shown in the characters, surroundings and story. Reading it is a calming experience and even though the subtle melancholy that is left after each chapter is sad, there are plenty of happy moments, bound to make you smile.
In fact, the overhanging story is very subtle itself. Its better described by the genre, 'Slice of Life'. Because that’s the obvious thing there is to it; watching a period of the lives of the characters. You see how the times of changed and how the remaining humans, and robots, are living in this time.

The art also suits the story perfectly. The landscapes are beautifully drawn and the characters appearance and expressions tell you more about their personality. Its some of the nicest art I’ve seen in a manga. Simple, but it's perfect for the mood of the story. It flows excellentlyl and isn’t full of ruled boxes and panels; adding to the relaxing appearance. Also, the art tells a lot of the story. It requires your full attention to take note of the hints that it gives. The story doesn’t explain everything. But links and answers can be found in the artwork.

All in all, YKK has won me over. It really is a classic and although I can see why a lot of people would not like it (the lack of action, drama, etc, will put people off it), it's something everyone should give a chance. It's cemented itself as my favourite manga, if not favourite story ever. Mainly because I was sad when it ended. More so than any other book or series. Knowing that I wouldn’t be able to follow the life of Alpha and her friends anymore is quite upsetting; yet the ending provides suitable closure for the series and draws together a few of the loose ends to provide a nice ending to the mysterious world of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou. And I think it’s kind of sad that I got attached to the characters so much. But that’s what the series does to me. And I hope if you give it a chance, it'll do the same to you, because, if it does, you'll find a real gem with Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou.

~Maltos