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The Girl From The Other Side (Vol 1) is a manga by Nagabe released by Seven Seas on January 24, 2017.  

The Girl From The Other Side (Vol 1) follows a little girl as she lives her life in the forest with Teacher. Teacher is part of the Other Side, somewhere and something dangerous to humans, but the little girl lives safely with Teacher. As long as she never touches him.

EVALUATION 

Genre

The Girl From The Other Side (Vol 1) has a beautiful mixture of gothic, horror, fantasy and cosy cottage living. I think as the books continue, there is more weaving between the genres. However, this volume had a wonderful mix that made me consume this book much faster than I thought. 

I started and finished this book in the thirty to forty minutes before a Journalism class started. I was finishing it as I was in my seat in class before the Lecturer started.

Graphics

The art style is brilliant! It perfectly fits the vibes, genre and story. The slightly scratchy look gives the characters an endearing quality. The little girl feels loved and sweet, and Teacher is soft and caring despite being an otherworldly being.

Characters

Little Girl

The wee girl is so interesting. She properly gives off little seven-year-old-ish vibes. Like constantly doing something, always curious, and her pure innocence at some points made my heart melt. I could have picked her up and ran away. She was so sweet and so shielded from the bad world.

Teacher

You can totally see that Teacher cares so much about this wee girl. Teacher is also so interesting. I want to know more about him. How did he end up in this situation? What exactly is he? Where are the other beings from the other side? Why is the other side bad? I’m addicted. I can’t wait to read more and find out.

Worldbuilding

The world was built brilliantly! While it will develop more over the rest of the books, enough if given in the first volume without a point where I had an info dump. I’m hoping to learn more, but as it stands, a very strong foundation has been created and will make it easier to build up from.

Pacing

As I said, I read this in one sitting and super fast. There was not a single moment of lag. I could easily fly through it, but I didn’t realise the story ended until I flicked to the back cover. Trust me, that was devastating to experience in a full classroom, right at the front, with my lecturer walking about. It wasn’t too fast, either. I wasn’t disappointed at the speed. It was perfect. 

Plot & Theme

The story was very simple in this volume. It was the establishing part. Building the world and introducing the characters and some history. The book pretty much spent most of its time watching Teacher and Little Girl interact with the world and any people they encounter. 

Despite that, it was interesting. The dynamic, with hints of how unusual and almost taboo their relationship was interesting enough to pull the story through. I enjoyed reading it, and now that the introductions are done, the next one will introduce more of the conflict. There are definitely conflicts in the first one, but I don’t think it will be the main/major conflict. 

Story’s Impact

I loved this story. I can’t stop thinking about it. Upon finishing the book, I had that goblin urge to buy the whole series from Waterstones. I did restrain myself. However, that was only because in my family, around September or October, you stop buying things and save them for Christmas ideas. 

RECOMMENDATION 

I highly recommend this book. Mangas might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you enjoy gothic horror with fantasy and otherworldly beings, this might be for you! It’s always fun to get out of your shell, so go for it!!

Information & Rating

Triskele Rating: 6/7

5-Star Rating: 4/5

Book: The Girl From The Other Side (Vol 1)

Author(s): Nagabe | Adrienne Beck (Translator)

Series Name: The Girls From The Other Side | とつくにの少女, Totsukuni no Shōjo | Foreign Girl

Pages: 177

Genres: Gothic, Dark Fantasy, Mystery, Fantasy, Horror,

Format: Paperback

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-626924-67-3

Publication Date: January 24, 2017 

Publisher: Seven Seas

Reading Speeds

(Based on Kindle/How Long To Read)

Average Estimated Reading Speed: 2 hours and 56 minutes

Based on the average of 300WPM

My Estimated Reading Speed: 2 hours and 56 minutes (I actually read this is 30 to 40 minutes.)

Based on my calculated speed of 228WPM

Calculated by How Long To Read’s test

Goodreads Blurb

Once upon a time…

In a land far away, there were two kingdoms: the Outside, where twisted beasts roamed that could curse with a touch, and the Inside, where humans lived in safety and peace. The girl and the beast should never have met, but when they do, a quiet fairytale begins.