Honestly, I was hesitant about picking this series up - particularly with the fact that I couldn't find all the chapters online (vol 6 has to be downloaded off SweetSense itself). The reviews were extremely off-putting, but since I'm a fan of manga like this (Cat Street, Mars - all stories with a somewhat nostalgic overtone) I decided to go for it. I'm extremely glad I did. This story probably isn't for everybody (as indicated by the split opinions reviewers have provided) but even if you haven't had that good ol' first love in the countryside it resonates with you. "Sunadokei" - which I take to mean as hourglass, although I'm not entirely sure - revolves completely around the concept of time, a reflection of our own obsession with forgetting and remembering our pasts, trying to control our presents, avoiding and predicting our futures. Youth is painted in glaring, almost unforgiving clarity in a masterfully told story about first love, friendship and family where as much as you sometimes cringe at what Ann, its protagonist, does - "No, you idiot, don't! NO!!!!" - you can't help but root for her too, or commiserate with all she's been through. I don't think this manga is as pedestrian as it first appears - there is excruciating delicacy in even the most minor details. I particularly love the way this story is told - not in a continuous, contextual way, but in fragments and pieces that we have to glue together ourselves, maintaining the impression of a person looking back on his or her own past, remembering only the things that stood out the most, the things that ended up mattering. With some patience and not a little consideration for the meanings that may lurk in the text, I guarantee that this is a painfully honest story that will stay with the reader, and surprise him or her suddenly with its poignancy. There is only one first love, after all. (:

Sunadokei is sentimental, melancholy, and introspective. I love the tone of the story, but the plot was rather forgettable.

The ending felt rushed and forced, it wasn't very convincing even though it was a fairytale ending which I had hoped for.

When I started to read this ... well I thought it was interesting but .The girl gets REALLY annoying after !!! And she becomes kind of bi-polar . Verdict: Don't waste your time reading something bad wen you can read something good : )

I think this series is okay. It was good at first, but then it got a little too boring. Not my style. And some of the characters I really hate.

... Last updated on August 25th, 2010, 10:13am

If someone sais that this one is a typical shoujo-manga I absolutly can NOT understand it. Sand Chronicles is a very touching and also heart-warming manga you can't put aside. I'm annoyed by all these super-cheerful and naive heroines, who seem to be strong but in the end they can't do anything without the boy of their dreams: the absoluty bishounen (handsome, smart, sporty, can everything, knows everything etc.) But Sand Chronicles is different. Of course the heroine is sometimes very whiny. But the development of each character is amazing (the art is also beautiful, too) . Daigo is-thankfully thankfully-anything but perfect. He is far away from that. I like that and I'm sure that if you are also pissed off (excuse me..) by the heroine type "Maron of Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne" this is definetly for you. The plot is realistic, the characters too and-yes-it's not always sunny and blithely but this manga also has moments in it, which are happy. I also think that real relationships ARE that tragic (@weronique), at least it's not unrealistic.
By the way: what's the problem with typical shoujo-manga? I mean...they're popular, aren't they? I don't like them that much but...I often hear that they're horrible but those person seem to read the most of them (--:--*) Also I do. But that's not the topic right now.

Well...I'm up to volume 9 now and I hope that she won't end up with Fuji...oh please...!

All in all: this is great, whether it takes part at the country or not (spupapi ;-))

... Last updated on January 28th, 2010, 5:28am

Negative:
The beginning was definitely promising...but for some reason it just went downhill for me. The beginning has tints of comedy and light-hearted romance, but then, on later chapters, it started to get darker, and I did not like the atmosphere. Too much angst and melodrama. It seems as if Ann was constantly encountering downfall after downfall...that it got boring. Also, I agree with wintermelon that Fuji's character was wasted, he looked good with Ann!=________=.

Positive:
A plus for its realism on the characters and plot. Also, it may look like a typical shoujo, but there's definitely something more to it than just a girl struck by unfortunate times, but gets through it, knacks a boy while she's at it, the end.
Art: I really liked the art, like Ai no Koe, to me the art is sketchy, but nice to look at. I've liked her drawings ever since Forbidden Dance x33

Overall, it's in between. Not too bad, not good either. Give it a try, though. Nothing to lose anyway.

That's my opinion on Sand Chronicles.

... Last updated on November 28th, 2009, 2:47am

AAaaAh, this has got to be one of my all time favorites. This manga has true to life characters that you can actually relate to and not far-fetched like many you read today. The best thing I love about this is that the protagonist experiences the up and downs of love (OmG! it's not those every-boy-falls-for-the-main-character kinda story) Thats what makes this manga so convincing and heart-warming.
the drawing style could use a little work (the feet are all distorted) but it still retains a lighthearted feel to it, and a little comic relief here and there.

This is a typical manga. I'd love to say that it has an amazing plot and that the end is astounding but ... I can't. First off, I have not read the end. 2nd the characters seem to be shallow and wishy washy. Still I look forward to reading the last page and giving my honest thumbs up or down.

... Last updated on October 14th, 2009, 6:28pm

This manga to me just seems to be the type that I start reading and start out to really enjoy then it becomes a little too hard to read. Nothing really all too good ever seems to happen. It's just one drama after another.
In the end it seems like the kind of manga that I quit reading then read the end just to see how it turns out.