Kaina of the Great Snow Sea 1

by Tsutomu Nihei

Itoe Takemoto (Illustrator)

SF/Fantasy visionary Tsutomu Nihei's most accessible and exciting series yet! With a strong influence from classics like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Castle in the Sky, Kaina tells the story of two worlds - above and below, both of which look to one another for salvation. Part of coming-of-age, part adventure, part high fantasy, this is bound to be a classic. Nihei's character designs are brought to vivid and engaging life by Itoe Takemoto (known for series including The Beast Player). With a very well-received anime adaptation currently on Crunchyroll, Kaina of the Great Snow Sea is perfectly set up to be a smash hit.

A young man named Kaina ekes out an existence high atop the canopy that spreads from the titanic orbital spire trees. He and the handful of aging fellow villagers who remain believe they are the last humans in the world—after all, no one could survive amid the great snow sea that blankets the surface below. But they're about to learn how wrong they are…

Here begins the epic tale that could change the fate of a dying world forever!

• ISBN10: 1647293472
• ISBN13: 9781647293475
• Publish Date: 25 June 2024
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Vertical Inc.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 160
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781647293475

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Summary:

Kaina and his people do a decent job of surviving high in the trees, seeking out some sort of life in this dying world. Naturally, they’re not all that used to visitors, believing themselves some of the last survivors.

When a visitor does arrive, much to their surprise, Kaina and his people quickly learn how wrong their assumptions are. Not only are there other survivors, but they’ve found a safe place to live.

Review:

I wanted to love Kaina of the Great Snow Sea Vol. 1. The title and cover made it look like this story would be my ally. While I agree it has a lot of potential, it failed to suck me in before I finished the first volume.

The premise is compelling - a small, isolated village doing everything possible to survive. They have every reason to assume they’re the last surviving village, so imagine their surprise to learn that there’s at least one other. Cool, right?

It’s definitely a problem with execution, not premise. The world didn’t feel all that fleshed out despite telling us the stakes (again and again). Likewise, I didn’t feel all that attached to any of the characters, including the titular character.

Overall, I’d say that Kaina of the Great Snow Sea Vol. 1 was worth the read, but it is not a series I’ll be continuing. Great concept and potential but slightly disappointing results.

Highlights:
Fantasy & Sci-Fi
Action Manga
Dying World

Will I continue the series? Nah

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