Manga Monday: The Girl from the Other Side

 Hey All! I'm back with another Manga Monday that I've been meaning to do since I finished the series in November. But you know, holidays, winter, work, all the adulting things and commitments, bleh. But I finally was able to come around to it, now I want to talk about it, so vamanos, let's go!

WARNING: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD!!

Some Background

The Girl from the Other Side is manga written and drawn by Mangaka, Nagabe. It was serialized in the monthly manga magazine, Monthly Comic Garden, from September 2015 to March 2021. Our story follows Shive, a white-haired, eccentric little girl who is abandoned in a forest. Shiva then meets a beast who seems much nicer than the others. She calls him Teacher. And thus, their journey begins.  

My Thoughts

I was first drawn to this story because I was looking for something like The Ancient Magus' Bride and was immediately directed to The Girl from the Other Side. I then became more curious because of the artwork. The art in this manga is different from ones I have seen thus far. Its dark, gothic appeal, grabbed me instantly and I knew I wanted to read and own the whole series.  At times, the artwork reminds me of tracing pencil, and other times writing on a chalkboard. Either way, the art in this manga is absolutley unique and beautifully done.

The next thing that pulls you in is the world. The setting and the whole concept of the outsiders is interesting and kind of mimics real life in a way. People are scared of what they don't know, and the same goes for the outsiders. Mythology and religion are strong aspects behind our story, and they both set up scenes that are sad and horrific. All the people in the world live in small communes with walls built around them. You start to feel sorry for these people, because at the end of the day that is no way to live. So their actions are desperate and something we may choose to do in times of desperation.

I also enjoyed our characters. Teacher acts like a normal teacher and can be quirky and witty at times. He may be an outsider, but his morals are still intact and it becomes pleasant to read his ongoing thoughts. Shiva is a fun, little girl who acts young, but also is mature for he age. Our young female character has gone through tough times, and her experiences make her a well-rounded  individual.

The Ending

The ending wasn't bad for me, but I felt like it was a little more open-ended than I would have liked. I was also confused, because I'm still unsure if the Teacher and Shiva are fused together or if Shiva was able to come back as herself. If you know or have a theory, please let me know down below in the comments. Other than that, it was a nice ending to a strong story.

Overall

Overall, I took pleasure in reading The Girl from the Other Side. It's a beautiful story with equally beautiful artwork, with characters and concepts that will keep you reading until past midnight. I know there is supposed to be an anime in the works, so excited for that and if they clarify the ending of not. Either way, I'll definitely be watching. Welp, thank you for reading my review, you can also watch my reviews on my YouTube channel. Until next time, Happy Reading!