So this woman has seen some shit. 3 billion years of shit, in fact. Emanon reincarnates through a daughter every generation, with all of her memories intact, and the mother losing recollection of herself as Emanon. Never able to settle, she wanders the world and takes in the memories, leaving all behind, including family (see above image).
Some absolutely stunning artwork and scenery. Nudie bits are common but never feel out of place or pandering. Pages and pages of scenery shots with no word bubbles are common.
Now I did read it a little backwards, Memories last, but I didn’t really lose any impact from it, in fact, they tie in a bit well I thought.
Memories of Emanon was the original manga based on Shinji Kajio’s novel, told from the perspective of a sci-fi nerd who meets her on a ship. She tells him her story, and being an open-mind accepts the story and theorizes on her purpose in the context of history and evolution. When he wakes up and the ship is at port, she’s vanished.
While he was going into his evolution spiel, I was a little worried he was gonna explain the end game of the plot, but I think it’s a little out of the scope of the next manga, Wandering Emanon, which is the continuing wanderings (duh) of Emanon and her point of view.
I honestly felt Memories made Emanon feel a bit more human than she did in Wandering, I saw a more cheery and conversational side of her, and Wandering can be more cold and detached (especially when she’s about to bail). But even then, she’s clearly capable of loving and connecting to people, and these are some of the most heartwarming parts of the story.
Thanks to John John Kowalski’s avatar for recommending and introducing me to this fine piece of work. I recommend it as well if you want something a little laid back but still with an interesting premise.
How About No, January 2017
Manga OT 