Personally, I found it enlightening to read NH again after conducting a little independent research on Zhuangzi, the Taoist philosopher responsible for the butterfly quote Sakaki reads to her students in the manga. NH borrows many of its themes from Taoism, including its juxtaposition of universality and relative duality; its wariness of society and social dogma; and its non-linear depiction of time. Like Taoism, NH seems vaguely nihilistic, which may be why some readers dislike it. Though I am not a fan of Asano Inio’s society-breeds-suffering mantra, everything in NH is thematically relevant. No frame is wasted, and no excess is indulged. Such restraint is unusual in a medium that thrives on overkill, but I found Asano’s unflinching portrayal of disillusionment and hope to be quite poignant. Petty human concerns pale in comparison to the glowing butterflies, which may well be Asano’s inspired depiction of the Tao. His art renders nature both beautiful and frightening. It’s a selective reader indeed who can call his approach violence against women when females are among his aggressors and the victimization shown is neither discriminate nor glorified. The complaint that NH's length is inadequate given the manga’s scope and the characterization necessary to engage the reader is valid, though I disagree. The point, I think, is that the meaning of Asano's work is ineffable, and our interpretation is bound by our own subjectivity. If we wanted to be objective and Taoist to boot, we could argue that NH is neither good nor bad; it simply is.

... Last updated on July 4th, 2009, 5:41pm

Out of the 500+ odd titles I have read, this is the only one that has actually deserved a natural 10.

Nijigahara Holograph is a brilliantly told, but thoroughly unconventional story. The plot is sliced up the way it is in an effort to give a stronger connection to the character's mindset, which makes it more convoluted, but that's an intended effect. The characters themselves are having difficulty comprehending their lives, and the storytelling is designed to reflect that. It comes full circle flawlessly and actually resolves all the conflicts if you're willing to stop and think for a bit. What makes Nijigahara a mature story isn't the graphic nature of the content, but the resolution and meaning derived from it.

That said, it probably isn't a story for everyone. While I find it technically unparalleled and visually stunning, a person just looking to relax would probably find this irritating (though visually interesting.) Additionally, a lot of the symbolism is very distinctly Japanese in nature, and foreigners without a knowledge of it are going to have an even more difficult time comprehending the storyline, which I think has been causing a few problems here. If you don't like stories that make you sit down and sort your way through, you will not like this and frankly you shouldn't even be bothering to pick up this work in the first place.

I hate to mention this here, but CuthienSilmeriel's post bothers me a bit. You basically just said "short stories are bad because they are short and I can't connect to them." It's fine if you prefer something longer, but please don't attempt to make an objective judgment with that kind of criteria.

That's the thing about this manga. It isn't a reasonable plot with any real distinction. It is as it is, a story that fabricates a world with intricate characters through connection that are not to be compared with the real world. So in that sense, this is an excellent story of time, emotion, and id.

But otherwise, it's not something you gain from. You aren't given anything from the story itself (like the conclusion of a romance, the solving of a mystery, or anything material or spiritual.) If you do get something out of this story, then it works out for you.

Truly needs to be read with a clear and concise state of mind. I'll need to reread this sometime later.

I wasn't even going to read this because of the severity of the negative reviews. However, I went ahead and I absolutely loved it. I had to read it several times to catch all of the relationships of the characters, but it was worth every minute!

This is seriously the first series i read that left me with that impression.. wtf did i just read?.
This is not for the faint of heart, there is darkness all around, and you need to get to the end to grasp its brilliance.

well, the characters, the art, the plot etc is great, as to be expected. however the most profound aspect of this manga that make so in awe is the very skillful way of handling the time switch. i was never too confused that i get angry, because it is seamlessly done i got further and further into the story. the story unfold carefully and flow beautifully, this mangaka have planed it extensively. and i was never confused which of the character is which, because they have great character design and personality.

really, a great read. i dont know why people thought it is too depressing or weird or whatever, it is just a bit different from other manga but still cool.

This was amazing. If you want to know how amazing it is, just look at the effort gone into deciphering the plot. You wouldn't do that if it wasn't worth it.

It is a sad story, but not a sad ending.... it is an ambiguous ending. Interpret it as you choose.
I recommend Hikari no Machi, aka City of Light, also by Asano Inio. I started reading city of light without knowing that, though.

... Last updated on April 25th, 2010, 3:52pm

One of the best things I have read in my life. I just finished reading it for the second time and I'm completely in awe, chills still running down my spine reminiscing.
The first read is more like an introduction to get a feel for the story and meet the characters, but it's only after that you get to read what it's really about. So incredibly satisfying to piece it all together, and even after reading it twice I feel obligated to go over it again cause there's so much you can get out of it.

300 pages... NO, scratch that. You have to read it at least 3 times. Making this book 900 pages of pure fulfillment.
A true masterpiece that transcends manga as a medium, and I feel bad for everyone that won't pick up on this.

... Last updated on February 21st, 2007, 8:12am

Nope. Not for me. Too much misery, the story is blurry because it goes from present to past in a blink, and I'm not fan of this art... but I'm sure that the story has something to say, it's just that I'm too stupid to get it, and not interested enough to read it 5 times before getting a glimpse of what it is about...
For the courageous, clever and curious ones: good luck!

I started reading the first few chapter absentmindedly, but at some point the story really caught my attention that I had to flip back to the previous pages to actually get my mind on the manga, and it pays off.
It's not everyone's piece of cake. The story is told in a very unique way but once you grabbed it you will find the experience quite worthwhile.
Remind me of the movie "28 grams", however the flow of the manga is much calmer.
I don't quite get Suzuki's end, so I think I will come back to it later to see if something opening up. It's one of those manga that sometimes when you re-read it, something else that you didn't get previously pop up.
Great reality art, I especially love the background and the butterfly field scenery.