Отзывы о книге

abystoma210
Apr 15, 2021
Houseki no Kuni review
Ok, so, this is a really hard one to talk about.

I'm mostly writing this review because most of the ones published are from earlier points of the story and considering how everything changes through ths story it seemed fitting to do one in it's actual point.

To describe the plot, it's centered on a main character called phosphophilite. In personality is pretty much like Akko Kagari, at least on the start, and it's goal is to find a job that it can do to help the other and find it's own place in the group.

This androginous gem is in a world where they are in constant attacks of a strange race called the lunarians that every few days invade the island the inhabit to break them and steal their broken gem bodies. This gives some conflict and a somewhat constant threat considering that when the plot progresses the attacks of the lunarians become more and more bizarre and hard to deal with.

Lore wise is pretty unique, it gives the right amount of information to know and understand it's world while it keeps lots of secrets for the protagonist to solve. The only complaint I could have is that they really take a long time to actually unveil them and it's basically all of them almost at the same time so from some point forward there¿s not much to discover anymore.

All of this is a really nice setup that is maintained for most of the series until things change really drastically from the middle point forward. I won't specify much on it, but I will say that it's a really painful story but that I would recommend because of it's uniqueness and interesting way of developing.

(mild spoilers, nothing specific, but beware)

So, to summarize the hard part to talk about, this is a story that changes it's tone gradually but really, really drastically. The story unfolds in a way that repeats certain patterns in several arcs until everything changes midpoint and it kind of stalls pretty hard. The situation is really interesting but the complexity they end up delving in once the misteries are revealed slow the pace a lot from middle point forward.

The tone, characters, plot, everything is radically different from one half and the other, not a bad thing precisely because this is a consequence of the natural development of the plot they are dealing with, but it can be really jarring if one is not prepared to see the profound lows the characters can get in once things start getting really messed up.

Getting out of that, the art is pretty interesting, simplistic but really adequate to show the physical changes the protagonist goes through. There's some really interesting simbolism and narrative structure based on budhism and narratives they use. In general I would recommend it as a really unique experience that definitely not everyone is going to appreciate because of the strange and particular ways the narrative and the plot end up going to.

In general, a story a lot more interesting than entertaining.
0
0
0
zuultek5
Apr 15, 2021
Houseki no Kuni review
Houseki no Kuni tells a strange story standing somewhere between fantasy and sci-fi, good and bad, strange and yet addicting. It is something with the overall feeling of intertwining sorrow, nostalgia, anger and hope that makes this manga enjoyable, rather than the plot and the characters.

Phos, our main character, is like the ugly duckling of the Gem Kingdom - energetic, nice and loving, but still weak and clumsy, among a nation of fighters. And the plot is straightforward - about the growing of Phos in a strange desert-like world. I would say that the manga indeed lacks something in the development of the characters - it is somehow missing, too slow or too sudden, which could be a plus in some cases and it does not affect how lovable Phos is, but nevertheless it somehow makes the story static.

The Art is fine, but it does look a lot like shoujo (the long limps somehow remind me of CLAMP art, I wonder why), although I would say this manga has nothing to do with the genre. It does fit seinen more and I would say the contrast between the art of the Gems and the devoid of life world is refreshing. The plot is also fine, but could be too slow or predictable from time to time, taking into consideration that most of what I've read so far was..let's say fighting.

Even though I said all of this, I would recommend this manga and I do hope they would make at least an OVA out of it. It has its bad sides, but it's enjoyable and indeed refreshing, more like your Sunday afternoon reading, than anything else. I find it addicting and I would continue to follow it, despite its downsides and I hope helped you consider reading it. It's worth for the feeling. :)
0
0
0
blackrabbz761
Apr 15, 2021
Houseki no Kuni review
This is a review up to chapter 36, because that's all I've read.

This manga is very interesting. No not interesting because it grabs your attention, but it makes me want to talk about it so much.

Let's start with the art. Although the basic art style is not anything insane, the dark shading and unique character designs are really the main highlights of this manga. Characters look unique, and most of thin and tall, often many of them have very feminine traits, like long hair, smaller hands and longer fingers, as well as more refined and smooth eyes. This adds a layer to the manga, that I have not seen before really, it makes the experience more mind-bending and interesting for the audience. The art sets the mood of a mysterious, unknown world, as secrets are being uncovered every chapter.

The characters are fine in my opinion. The protagonist is going through some pretty good development, and his relationship and chemistry with cinnibar is contradicting and has potential to lead to an interesting development and climax. Most of the side characters don't get enough depth for me to say that they're great, but I'm sure that will change as I read more of the manga. (also ghost quartz is kinda hot if you know what I mean).

The plot is well-written and paced, the information that we receive doesn't feel like it's coming at us at one time, nor does it rely on flashback moments to convey important information. Right now, it's more like a mystery uncovering plot, where the protagonist has to piece together little bits of information to get to the truth. Nothing too much to say here. I do want to add that the plot amour in this is very minimal, so that's a plus.


Overall, there's nothing to complain about. And I know that this is just the first 36 chapters, but trust me, it's really good, and I definitely recommend this to you if you haven't read it already. In my opinion, this would probably become the new gen evangelion or madoka magica, which means it'll probably be my favorite new gen soon.
0
0
0
kittykatloren1
Apr 15, 2021
Houseki no Kuni review
[Spoiler Warning]

I really do like Houseki no Kuni's wonderful characters and whimsical fantasy tone -- until it loses it along with most of its charm and Phosphophyllite's sanity. From chapter 19 onward, Houseki no Kuni's tone and pacing suffer bouts of schizophrenia. Excessive and often repetitive action scenes drag out the midsection of the currently released chapters, littered with gratuitous "deaths". The most interesting and nuanced characters are sidelined until all that's really left to focus on is Phos, Cairngorm, and Adamant -- and maybe Cinnabar, too, since the mangaka really likes to remind you that Cinnabar exists just as you're about to forget.

Houseki no Kuni's greatest sin is wasting your time, which comes to a head when Phos is forced to learn about the existence of humans again despite already learning the information some 40 chapters earlier. After 40 months (this is a monthly series, so storytelling time is precious), Phos finally learned information they had already learned and then forgotten. No new information is gained, so for the reader this is a colossal waste of storytelling time. The long stretch of fights in the midsection of the 61 chapters play like a groundhog day loop of Phos's failures, wearing down your energy to continue reading.

The art is simplistic and rough, with Clamp-like spaghetti limbs. Each of the gems wear the same clothes and have roughly the same face, making them hard to distinguish save for their distinct hairstyles. The roughness of the art begins to take its toll the more Phos's design changes with each "upgrade" they receive. These upgrades come in the form of new materials to replace Phos's lost body parts, roughly corresponding to the Seven Treasures of Buddhism and meaning to date there are likely 2 more upgrades left. This gives Phos a Frankenstein's monster appearance of mixed colours and a messy design that doesn't do the art any favours.

I really do want to like Houseki no Kuni more. A lot more. But I'll keep reading it anyway.
0
0
0
radrachel9
Apr 15, 2021
Houseki no Kuni review

"If every part of a ship is replaced, is it still the same ship?"

Now, this is only my second review, so bear with me here!

To preface, this manga series is one of, if not, my favorite. However, I won't let my bias towards this series get in the way of this review. This is a REVIEW, after all.

Story - 7

To start this out: This series looks like K-ON! + the rock exhibit at your local museum, doesn't it? Well, then you'd be wrong. Very, very, very, very wrong.

Now, I'm not going to summarize the story, for that would be getting into spoiler territory. But, I can say for a fact that the story is definitely an engaging and interesting concept. If anything, it's original. One of the most original series out there.

However, it does take a while, I'd say ten or so chapters, for the story to actually begin making traction. It's a slow and somewhat boring start that leads to a tense and well thought out tale.

Though those boring chapters are not without their charms! Symbolism plays a heavy role throughout this story, especially in terms of floral and animal symbolism.

I.E. Butterflies are often showcased as a symbol of rebirth/metamorphosis, a VERY important theme throughout this series.

However, it doesn't take a genius to see the story have its ups and downs. The current arc in the manga (Chapter 75 came out two days ago to put in perspective) there are a large number of filler scenes that just seem to drown out the actual flow of things. These filler scenes aren't exactly boring, or unenjoyable, but not necessary, and takes away from the story as a whole.

Art - 6

The artwork for this series is beautiful, eye capturing, and elegant. However, it can be awfully hard to actually tell what in the world is happening at certain points throughout this series. At times, the artwork can be stunning and perfectly capture the scene, and other times it's just a confusing bunch of panels.

That being said, the good greatly outshines the "bad", if you can even call it that, and though some of the battle scenes had me going "wait, what just happened?" they are still greatly enjoyable in the big picture.

Character - 10

OH BOY! This manga's strong spot, right here. Character. Oh, I'm fuming with excitement!

Change is a heavy theme in this story, and it shows through its characters.

To start this off, the characters in this series are very well developed and intricate. Some characters are even based around certain philosophies, and every character is based around a certain theme.

For example, Phos, (without getting into too much spoiler territory) is associated with the "Ship of Theseus." (That quote at the start of this review.) Change is VERY heavy with them, and the way it's executed is on the lines of brilliant.

Characters have drastic and beautiful developments, symbolic moments, and unique depth to them and their ideologies and individuality. Despite being immortal gems, they feel real, relatable, and most of all, compelling.

Enjoyment - 10

I'm a fanboy of this series. I sit and wait, counting down the days every month for the new chapter, so I can analyze it and read it thirty times waiting for the next. I enjoy this series greatly, though I can see it isn't everyone's cup of tea. Who knows, maybe I just look too much into things, this series being no exception? That could very well be the case.

Overall - 9

Houseki no Kuni/Land of the Lustrous is not quite a masterpiece, but it's quite an enjoyable and unique work of art. I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good character-driven story with outlandishly original, yet somehow working, concepts.

It's thought provoking, symbolic, and original. What more could you want from a series?
0
0
0
N0tActive6
Apr 15, 2021
Houseki no Kuni review
I'm not a huge fan of the way the plot has been progressing lately (spoil chapter 80).

I like this series, but I can't help but feel the quality of the writing has degraded ever since Phos went to the moon, so I thought I'd discuss it a little here and get some opinions. This might get a little long, so there's a TL;DR in the bottom.

The major issue with this arc is that we're switching from a mostly character-driven story to a mostly plot-driven story. While LotL obviously has a good plot, most of it came from how characters interact with each other and Phos learning about the world and changing within it. Other than "lunarians are attacking", there really isn't much happening in the world.

We take a sudden shift from Phos just wanting the truth to Phos tries to end the war between the gems and the Lunarians. The arc starts off great, because you're not sure who's side you should be rooting for, or if you should even be rooting for Phos because he seems kind of evil and suspicious trying to lure people onto the moon (granted, it's for a greater purpose, but being a lunarian spy is just creepy).

The problem with this is that after that point, we almost get no character interactions outside of Phos, Adamant, the Prince, and Cairngorm. Everyone else seems to have been thrown to the side so we can get more time to move the plot forwards. Characters like Dia, Amethyst, Alexandrite, etc have barely appeared at all in the last ~15 issues other than a few cute scenes, and we barely see the perspective of any of the gems on earth. This already makes things iffy, but lets talk a little on what the main characters have been doing in this arc.

The prince and Cairngorm
I like the idea of Cairngorm being broken of their curse and becoming more like their own character, while some people called him evil it really isn't the case, as he did thank Phos for bringing them to the moon and did show some appreciation despite everything. Other than that, the relationship between the prince and Cairngorm really isn't going anywhere. Other than Cairngorm wanting to become a lunarian, all their time spent together could've been utilized better. I'd rather have seen the rest of the cast getting some love.

Feels like some parts are missing?
Since we're mostly spending our time on the moon, we don't get any perspective for what's happening with most of the characters. We see the earth gems visibly upset about some of them leaving to the moon, but that idea doesn't get expanded at all. Also, some things that should've been there just... Aren't. For example, we never saw Rutile's reaction to Padpara being revived and shattering him other than this one panel in chapter 70 (which was heavily rushed and hard to follow imo). Considering we just had a huge time skip, I doubt they'll ever talk about this.

I wish some characters would explain how they're feeling so we can understand their perspective. Dia looks alright on the moon, but are they happy? The earth gems look frustrated, but do they not have any doubts about killing the moon gems they used to love? We never got any of that.

What the hell is going on with Cinnabar?
Cinnabar's arc just makes NO sense. The first encounter with Phos, he said he wanted to go to the moon. After that, they literally thought to themselves "If you had just asked to team up... I would've said yes". When talking about finding the truth, Cinnabar said they haven't decided on trusting Adamant or not, indicating that they're willing to work with Phos in finding the truth. In general, they're distant but very close friends with Phos. After all their interactions, Phos FINALLY tells him the truth, and FINALLY asks to team up, but CINNABAR SAYS NO?????

What the hell? It felt like they threw out all of Cinnabar's development away in one chapter. Not only that, but cinnabar treats Phos as an enemy and even attacks him in chapter 70 FOR NOOOO REAAASOOON. Literally just tried to kill the one character that legitimately cares about them. Are you telling me he didn't actually care about Phos after all this time? I hate what they did with cinnabar this arc, hopefully there's a reason for it.

TL;DR
This arc is kind of messy story-wise. Everything is happening a little too fast and we're not getting developments in the right spots. Some characters like Cinnabar aren't acting like themselves at all just to cause trouble for Phos. I honestly doubt most of them should be as heartless as they're being now. It feels like the writing has gotten a little lazier and more plot-heavy but sacrifices character development to move things forwards. Hopefully things will get better in later chapters.

I still like the story and would love to see what happens next though.
0
0
0
Ayaxxx10
Apr 15, 2021
Houseki no Kuni review
This review is spoiler-free, I won't give you any information you wouldn't find out by searching it or by reading the first chapters.

An absolute joy to read, both on it's visuals and the writing.

"Land of the Lustrous" is captivating, it looks like nothing i have ever seen and has an amazing use of the constant black background to craft loads of striking scenes coupled with dialogue that perfectly fits what it's trying to convey, this wouldn't be nearly as much of a masterpiece if didn't had this specific artwork. While it may not be as detailed as most manga are, this kind of composition works together with the narrative to create an absolutely outstanding piece of art.

Our protagonist is androgynous looking like almost every character in the story, his goofy and lazy personality allows for a much easier start and for us to easily relate to the character of Phosphophyllite, it tries to drag you in as soon as it can and doesn't waste your time, early establishing the main, elegant-looking enemy and the element that makes the entire story flow as it does, the physicality with which the Gems are broken. Not only does it look great, but it adds to the overall whimsical feeling and plot, by chapter one you already know what can happen to these characters and the chance that they can be rebuilt, it makes you ask questions about the moon and it's dwellers constantly, but you'll have a long way ahead to get those answers.

Reading the first chapter again surprised me by how many things it established I just didn't knew where that important and the great foreshadowing, it's very clear that Ichikawa Haruko had a very good grasp of what she wanted this series to be and created a structure in which she could execute all that.

It already starts off pretty interesting and good looking, and from then on, it goes to develop and entertain you with different things that have a believable relation, I never doubted the reasons of a character to be where he is or do what he does, and I definitely never doubted the flaws the characters have, they're not perfect, you may think that they would be after knowing how they look, but the first three chapters talks about three different characters and how they are far from perfect.

While the moon is one of the main elements of the story and being taken to it is clearly a sign of the characters losing, I felt that maybe it wouldn't have too much tension and payoff to the great buildup, I was terribly wrong, i'm not talking about the answers the series gives later on, even tho they are great, i'm talking about how satisfying it is to watch our character's tales.

Every time they broke beautifully, they get rebuilt and as result become easier to be broke again. Some series where characters can't be killed use things like cutting of a limb to take something away from the characters, so having immortal characters that can be rebuilt and not knowing exactly what happens on the moon may sound like the tension would be drain out by the circumstances, but it doesn't, the series actually manages to have a incredibly good body horror aspect both visually and narratively, which creates some of the best looking fight and presentation scenes I have seen in my life.

I could go on about the specifics, but that would be spoiler territory, and I don't want to ruin anyone's possible amazing experience with this masterpiece, I strongly recommend this and it's anime adaptation to literally everyone, as even the CG looks great.

Fascinating concepts, great character development and portrayal, this manga manages to masterfully balance fantasy, horror, action and comedy in a package that I can easily say will be my favorite manga for a very good time, maybe for the rest of my life, since one of the reasons I don't read too much are because most of then don't interest me and I just find anime to be easier to consume.

I can't praise this as much as I wished to, so i'll stop here and go watch something as you go read it, and I hope you find it as amazing as I do.



0
0
0
Gin-iro13
Apr 15, 2021
Houseki no Kuni review
Imagine a society where there is no gender, no race, no scarcity of resources and where beings are immortal. How would such a society function? Would such a society be a utopia? Would members of such a hypothetical society still fight with one another? What could even serve as a cause to fight? And if there is fighting, how would members of such a society reconcile with one other? How does one forgive an immortal enemy? These are just some of the heady themes that Houseki no Kuni (Land of the Jewels) has to ask of its reader.

Set on Earth, tens of thousands in the future, when mankind has gone extinct – 28 immortal jewels, all of them equal and genderless protect their small island from mysterious Lunarians who wish to abduct them for unknown reasons. One of these jewels – Phosphophyllite – a good-natured jewel – possessing no redeemable qualities, is our protagonist. The series follows this jewel’s journey as it develops from useless to useful to… well… something else completely. I won’t spoil it.

The first third of the plot can be summed as the “slice-of-life” portion of the series, the part where readers are most likely to drop the series for either being uneventful or for having wacky art. Personally, I’d recommend the anime for this portion (which I have reviewed separately) and then transition to the manga. The second third of the series is the build-up and the last third is the payoff. And what a splendid payoff it is! I won’t spoil it.

Houseki no Kuni is inspired by Buddhist concepts of suffering (dukkha), compassion (maitri) and nirvana (moksha) and is a reflection on how people who genuinely have love for one another can still end up being hurt and causing hurt. With this in mind, the series documents how society, through the suffering of Phosphophyllite, slowly enters in a downward spiral of distrust, anger and violence. And the series does this so well that it is simultaneously beautiful yet tragic, exciting yet foreboding and comic and yet deeply disturbing. While the series gets the ball rolling slowly, it is remarkably well executed. I can safely say that if this series is able to end on what it intends to deliver – the series could end up becoming as one of the finest manga that I have had the pleasure of reading my past 15 years.

So, what’s not to like?

Well, as mentioned earlier, the art is not that great. The characters are often indistinguishable from one another and some fight scenes look downright amateurish. Which is surprising because some manga panels are downright jaw-dropping gorgeous. In any case, be prepared for some sub-standard art. Also, some of the sub-plots (e.g. involving Ghost Quartz) while cohere philosophically are rather jarring (that is to say, that the subplots exist solely to make a philosophical statement rather than to take the plot forward). Finally, if you’re a reader who prefers their manga for fun and light reading or are generally put off by plots that have religious subtexts, this is not the manga for you. I, personally, come from a country where Buddhism has had a presence for over 2500 years, and where it has left and indelible presence on my country's culture, so I can readily relate to what this series has to offer. Highly recommended. 9/10.

*This review stands as of Chapter 90. I will update the review once this manga ends.
0
0
0
DelicateYui14
Apr 15, 2021
Houseki no Kuni review
This is one of my top manga series of all time.It's going to be getting an official English release this year and despite the series not being finished yet, i thought it'd be a good time to write a review of it for anyone who's curious about it.
------------------
Story+Characters
------------------
The story is very interesting and contains a lot of mysteries. It presents many questions about this world and it's characters. Like, who and what are the moon people? What is the managers goal? Where do these gems come from? and is there anyone else on this world?The series is not all dark and depressing either,as there is a lot of comedy here too which i enjoy.

The most intriguing part of this series for me were the gems themselves. All the characters aren't just named after gems, they literally are that gemstone and take on their real world properties.For example, Cinnabar is toxic and keeps himself away from everyone, whilst Diamond is one of the strongest fighters due to his hardness level which prevents him from breaking easily.

I really enjoy all the characters in this series,while some get more time in the spotlight than others, their personalities were distinct enough that i remember them well. Phosphophyllite is an amazing main character,without spoiling anything, lets just say he gets a LOT of character development.

Also an interesting thing to note is that all the characters are androgynous and refer to each other using male pronouns. Just another element that makes this series so unique.
------------------
Art
------------------
Very stylish. I love how the art shows how shiny these gems are,like how their hair refracts the light onto their shoulders. Although it is a little morbid seeing a character broken into pieces sometimes.

The character designs are great too, despite how most of the characters wear the same uniform, their hair styles are unique enough to tell them apart. Backgrounds art is also great, and it really sets the mood in some scenes.I like the use of solid black.
------------------
Final thoughts
-------------------
Since it's not finished yet and i don't know when it will i'm giving the series a 9 overall for now. If it keeps being this amazing and answers all the questions i have,when it's finished i could easily give it a 10.That's how good this manga is.
Please give this manga a go if you're looking for something different from the norm!

(I also recommend watching the beautiful anime style trailer too, so you can join me in wishing it gets an anime series someday.)
0
0
0
Houseki no Kuni
Houseki no Kuni
Автор Ichikawa, Haruko
Художник --