regards,,
Sasha

Sasas last blog post..To me, Code Geass redeemed itself with its last episode

“If Aria is the cannabis of the slice of life genre, then watching YKK is like injecting heroin direct into your eyeballs.”

It is absolutely criminal that YKK hasn’t had an official manga release in the US/UK.

lastarials last blog post..More Sunshine for May 2009

“I know I need to read the YKK manga now, seriously. “

Yes. Yes you should. The manga is in a league of it’s own when all things are considered, as Sasa says. And you are right to know that the OVAs are lacking, especially when there’s 14 volumes of stuff out there in all. I know the OVAs were a shout out to the fans, and based on how well ARIA has done, maybe an attempt should be made to roll out more episodes of an YKK series. I’d appreciate that at least. And I’d appreciate it more if someone took the chance and licensed the manga here in the US.

I feel like I have a lot more to say, but I think this already covers most of it. But now I feel like writing another post or two about it. :3

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@Chris: there’s a definite ‘life goes on’ attitude to the series, which is I’m sure why a post-apocalyptic story can still be full of hope and life. I’m intrigued about your travelling though - seeing such different communities that are worlds away from your own must have been an eye-opening and rewarding experience!

@RedMaigo: you’ve just cemented my suspicion that the manga explains a lot more but if it can be read in the space of a day that doesn’t sound as daunting to me (it’s the kind of thing to read on a lazy Sunday I think). “the slow, sunshine drenched afternoon of its existence…” That’s a great way of putting it! Very poetic…

@Mechafetish: Go for it! The OAVs only last a couple of hours but by the sounds of things capture the vibe of the original story.

@Sasa: as much as I’ve come to appreciate slice of life in recent years, I’ve always been a sci-fi geek so the background interested me as well as the main events. I’m also pleasantly surprised at how many people have commented here (especially when we’re all so wrapped up in the new season’s shows); whether it’s because YKK has a strong but silent cult following, or whether it’s just not blogged about often enough, I’m not sure. I’d say it was a bit of both actually!

*makes mental note to track down the manga this weekend*

For many years, the 12 volume manga of YKK had been the slice of life for me. Everything else felt (and actually still feels) like a shadow of it, when it comes to the soothing effect that slice of life series try to achieve. Although I consider myself a fan of Aria, to me, it cannot reach YKK in any aspect. I also know that the YKK manga has a rather large and very strong following, and it was always fun browsing on the YKK forums. Of course I have expected quite a large number of people commenting on this posting who usually don’t comment. So yeah, enough fangirling, I am glad that you have come to like the series.

Sasas last blog post..The Vector Factor: A Tale Of Two Taiga’s

Glad you took a look at this, YKK is one of my all time favorite manga!

Mechafetishs last blog post..Revenge at the core of love: Skip Beat impressions

Yes, it was that addicting.

When I heard that their was an OVA a few months ago I leaped on it!

The OVA does bring over the melancholy of the original manga. The story of Alpha moving through the world as mankind enters the slow, sunshine drenched afternoon of its existence is done beautifully. Like Aria, YKK wears a lot of it’s Cordwainer Smith influences on its sleeve. Well without the history shaking tragedy and cruelty.

And no, that is not a snipe because Cordwainer Smith is GOD.

My only nitpick is that there was so much story to tell that the OVA is just not enough.

While the old world ended, and we don’t get to know why, or did we get to see it happen, I felt that the point of the series was that life will go on. How the old world was ended is not important, but I felt that the few people that were left were coming into a more sustainable equiblrium with the world.

While in the military I visited several very remote places where I observed many communities that if 99% of the outside world disappeared that night they would hardly notice. Those communities pretty much were self-sustaining and the only things they get from the outside world was satellite TV and electronic products, but they could grow their own food, make their own clothes and furniture and so forth.

Chriss last blog post..Mahō Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora episode 7 review, facing failure for the first time.

@Dop: I’d love to see a full series of this - perhaps the melancholic undercurrents make it a less appealing financial proposition than Aria, maybe. I’d love to see the story explored further though. The detail about Choro Club certainly explains why I was getting stronger Aria vibes in the second half.

@Ibrevis: once again, seconded on the TV show idea. There were things like the pilot Alpha meets in the (I think) third episode that need following up; the same for the old guy’s grandson and the other girl he hung out with. Aria’s optimism is less complex than YKK’s bittersweetness but I enjoy both for subtly different reasons.

@Maltos: I know I need to read the YKK manga now, seriously. Aria is indeed much more upbeat (in the anime, at least) but as to whether YKK is superior…that probably depends on how much you appreciate the more complex bittersweetness than the wide-eyed optimism. Depends what mood I’m in at the time, actually!

@ghostlightning: you’d enjoy the OAVs, I’m sure. It brings things to life for one thing (at the very least, the imagery is in full colour!) but if you know the full story, you’d probably get a handle on the bigger picture than I did. It is a beautiful little series.

You mentioned “mono no aware” and I think that’s a subtle but important difference from Aria. When I watch Aria I almost never feel sad except now and then when the episode finishes and I realize that the world is really not that beautiful. But YKK is a little more bittersweet, especially in later volumes of the manga.

For instance you said that as a robot Alpha doesn’t get lonely and that’s true at first but she does start to need company more as time passes. I always thought it was hinted that (and I don’t want to spoil it for anyone so I’ll try to be vague) she and a certain male character had feelings for each other which they could never act on because she’s a robot. Which is very sad if you think about it.

Of course, for the most part YKK is simply very relaxing and very peaceful. It makes me want to go out and enjoy the world.

lbreviss last blog post..Oi Hayaku!, now with manly eyebrows

The fact that there isn’t a full length anime series (or several series, to adapt the whole thing) is nothing short of criminal. Hey, the people who made the Aria anime haven’t got any more to make, maybe they should do it…! So long as they keep the same voices for Alpha and Kokone.

I am such a sad YKK fanboy that I bought the drama CDs. I can vaguely follow them because they adapt parts of the manga, which I’ve read in scanlation.

It’s a neglected masterpiece. It needs to get an English language publication. There needs to be a full length anime series.

I have, quite by chance, heard of YKK before, and it does sound rather delightful. Are there only four episodes?

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