Status
Available
Call number
Publication
VIZ Media LLC (2005), Edition: 1st, 184 pages
Pages
184
Description
Noriko and Izark are on the run from those who want "the awakening" that they believe Noritko to be. Weakened from a recent battle, Izark has become dependant on Noriko to nurse him back to health. Meanwhile, Noriko is trying to learn the native tongue so she can converse with her strange friend.
Series
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1993
Physical description
184 p.; 7.5 inches
ISBN
1591166012 / 9781591166016
UPC
782009196136
User reviews
LibraryThing member Jenson_AKA_DL
This volume picks up where the first left off. Noriko is concerned about Izark's sudden sickness and tries to find someone to help. Unfortunately those that would attack him soon learn of his weakness. I'm really enjoying this easy to follow fantasy series about a young warrior driven to protect a
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girl from another world despite his best intentions. This will certainly be a manga series I want to include in my collection. Show Less
LibraryThing member exlibrisbitsy
I was expecting things to maybe slow down a little and we step back and really get to see this world poor Noriko has gotten plunked down into but unfortunately for the characters, and fortunately for us, the adventure picks up. Izark is struck by a strange, sudden illness and Noriko finds herself
But that isn’t the biggest problem they face, because now that Izark is considered out of commission the robbers we met in the previous volume decide now would be a great time to strike and attempt to kill Izark before he can kill them. What follows is frankly stunning, and I won’t spoil it but it shows some fantastic character reveal for Izark and some real character growth for Noriko. The scared little girl from Japan, actually proves she can do and be more than just a helpless, hapless female in constant need of saving. Her actions are purely defensive and show quick thinking and a lot of nerve. I have high hopes for Noriko as the series progresses.
My only negative points were the same ones I have with a lot of manga and that is occasionally there is too much telling and not enough showing. A man who had been badly hurt in the previous volume gets hurt again and cries out that, “My wounds have reopened!” Another time characters fix tea and one character explains to the other as they are making it that it’s so they can stay up late almost as if he is more speaking to the audience and not the other character. I’m never sure if that is the author putting that in or bad translation or what. Another problem I had was the author put several autobiographical comments in panels throughout this volume. It was disconcerting and kept pulling me out of the story. I love reading author’s notes at the beginning or short fun comics at the end that talk about the author personally or their process, but I have no interest in having injected in the middle of a fight scene that the author likes Jackie Chan movies. It also made me take a moment when we got back story on Noriko to realize what was going on because it was in the same tone as the autobiographical comments before. I almost skipped over the back story thinking it was more author trivia and not character history germane to the plot.
I hate to sound so negative about a series I am really starting to enjoy! The mystery around Izark deepens, Noriko is learning how to stand up for herself, and the fantasy elements and possibilities of the world continue to grow. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to these teens next.
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floundering in her attempts to help him because of the language barrier in place. She is forced to mime her intentions and more often than not she misinterprets what is being said around her and reacts inappropriately.But that isn’t the biggest problem they face, because now that Izark is considered out of commission the robbers we met in the previous volume decide now would be a great time to strike and attempt to kill Izark before he can kill them. What follows is frankly stunning, and I won’t spoil it but it shows some fantastic character reveal for Izark and some real character growth for Noriko. The scared little girl from Japan, actually proves she can do and be more than just a helpless, hapless female in constant need of saving. Her actions are purely defensive and show quick thinking and a lot of nerve. I have high hopes for Noriko as the series progresses.
My only negative points were the same ones I have with a lot of manga and that is occasionally there is too much telling and not enough showing. A man who had been badly hurt in the previous volume gets hurt again and cries out that, “My wounds have reopened!” Another time characters fix tea and one character explains to the other as they are making it that it’s so they can stay up late almost as if he is more speaking to the audience and not the other character. I’m never sure if that is the author putting that in or bad translation or what. Another problem I had was the author put several autobiographical comments in panels throughout this volume. It was disconcerting and kept pulling me out of the story. I love reading author’s notes at the beginning or short fun comics at the end that talk about the author personally or their process, but I have no interest in having injected in the middle of a fight scene that the author likes Jackie Chan movies. It also made me take a moment when we got back story on Noriko to realize what was going on because it was in the same tone as the autobiographical comments before. I almost skipped over the back story thinking it was more author trivia and not character history germane to the plot.
I hate to sound so negative about a series I am really starting to enjoy! The mystery around Izark deepens, Noriko is learning how to stand up for herself, and the fantasy elements and possibilities of the world continue to grow. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to these teens next.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
Picking up right where the first volume of Kyoko Hikawa's fourteen-volume manga series From Far Away left off, this second entry in the romantic fantasy saga sees Japanese schoolgirl Noriko, stranded in an alien world in which her coming has been foretold, and wandering warrior Izark, with secret
I enjoyed this second installment of the series just as much as the first - more, probably, because I started it eager to know what would happen next. I liked the way the characters were developed here. We learn a little bit more about Izark: the flashback to his youth, when his own mother abandoned him, after revealing that she only bore him because she was paid to do so, went some way toward explaining his isolation, although the exact nature of his superhuman/inhuman curse is not revealed. Noriko, although still a little silly - she is a teenager, after all! - continues to improve, showing that she can be strong, when needs must. I liked the way she stuck up for Izark, when she thought the doctor and mayor were bullying him, even though it turned out not to be necessary, and the scene in which she manages to carry the wounded Izark to safety was quite a surprise. The relationship between the two feels more reciprocal here, with each lending a hand, when the other needs it (although Noriko certainly needs it more, there is no denying). All in all, a solid follow-up to the first, one which left me wanting to know more! Time for the third installment, I think...
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reasons of his own to dread Noriko's coming, temporarily trading places. As Izark, depleted by a mysterious recurring malady, becomes desperately ill, Noriko rushes to help him, fetching a doctor in spite of her ignorance of the local language and customs. The bond between the two grows stronger, despite Izark's internal doubts as to the wisdom of protecting "The Awakening" when he should want her dead, and when the thieves that he bested in the first installment return, he is recovered enough to defeat them, with a little help from Noriko. Former Rienkan mercenary Keimos, in Calco town as well, is another matter however, especially when his erstwhile boss, Lord Rachef of Rienka, takes a hand in the combat...I enjoyed this second installment of the series just as much as the first - more, probably, because I started it eager to know what would happen next. I liked the way the characters were developed here. We learn a little bit more about Izark: the flashback to his youth, when his own mother abandoned him, after revealing that she only bore him because she was paid to do so, went some way toward explaining his isolation, although the exact nature of his superhuman/inhuman curse is not revealed. Noriko, although still a little silly - she is a teenager, after all! - continues to improve, showing that she can be strong, when needs must. I liked the way she stuck up for Izark, when she thought the doctor and mayor were bullying him, even though it turned out not to be necessary, and the scene in which she manages to carry the wounded Izark to safety was quite a surprise. The relationship between the two feels more reciprocal here, with each lending a hand, when the other needs it (although Noriko certainly needs it more, there is no denying). All in all, a solid follow-up to the first, one which left me wanting to know more! Time for the third installment, I think...
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LibraryThing member seldombites
This manga has lovely artwork and an interesting plot. I particularly like how Noriko cannot speak the language when she first arrives in the new world - so many books and movies don't seem to acknowledge this detail. This volume is very entertaining and full of laugh out loud moments. I highly
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recommend it. Show Less
LibraryThing member mrsdanaalbasha
I wonder what Izark is? Maybe he is a Japaneses vampire or something... but there is the whole chi thing... I wonder.
LibraryThing member mrsdanaalbasha
I wonder what Izark is? Maybe he is a Japaneses vampire or something... but there is the whole chi thing... I wonder.
LibraryThing member lexilewords
Welcome to volume 2 of From Far Away! In this volume Izark and Keimos learn the measure of each other, Rachef is super weird and what's this about Noriko being adopted??
New (recurring) cast member Seer Gorya who is Rachef's main seer and vassel makes his first appearance and we learn a little bit
Noriko continues to try her best to learn the language while Izark continues to tell her he doesn't understand when she babbles. I appreciated the minor digression into why Noriko is so determined to be useful. Noriko learned, from a young age, that unfortunate things can and will happen, but dwelling does nothing. Channeling that anxiety about her future into creating a present she feels fulfilled in, is the core of Noriko's character. Does she wanna get home? Yes. Does she know how? No. instead of focusing on THAT she is focusing on how she can help others who are offering her so much.
Izark has a sadder back story, of which we see a brief bit about and some of which Keimos makes guesses at. Izark also resolves to find a solution that does NOT end in Noriko, aka The Awakening of Doom and Destruction, dying.
Keimos is f*ck*ng crazy. I don't mean he's reckless or does nonsensical things. I mean he is a psychopath, maybe a sociopath. I don't know if he distinguishes between right and wrong. For him it's "strong" and "weak", you're one or the other and if you're strong he cares about you existing...until you prove stronger then he.
Rachef shows a bit of his true colors here when he unleashes a power of his. His motivation basically being it's less of a pain to do this then if he gets hurt and is useless to me.
Meanwhile the villagers of Calco waste no time speculating about Izark & Noriko nor does the Mayor mind asking Izark to handle their bandit problem. Shameless!!
New (recurring) cast member Seer Gorya who is Rachef's main seer and vassel makes his first appearance and we learn a little bit
Show More
about the "chimos", an animal that's a bit like a chinchilla and can help a person teleport. Noriko continues to try her best to learn the language while Izark continues to tell her he doesn't understand when she babbles. I appreciated the minor digression into why Noriko is so determined to be useful. Noriko learned, from a young age, that unfortunate things can and will happen, but dwelling does nothing. Channeling that anxiety about her future into creating a present she feels fulfilled in, is the core of Noriko's character. Does she wanna get home? Yes. Does she know how? No. instead of focusing on THAT she is focusing on how she can help others who are offering her so much.
Izark has a sadder back story, of which we see a brief bit about and some of which Keimos makes guesses at. Izark also resolves to find a solution that does NOT end in Noriko, aka The Awakening of Doom and Destruction, dying.
Keimos is f*ck*ng crazy. I don't mean he's reckless or does nonsensical things. I mean he is a psychopath, maybe a sociopath. I don't know if he distinguishes between right and wrong. For him it's "strong" and "weak", you're one or the other and if you're strong he cares about you existing...until you prove stronger then he.
Rachef shows a bit of his true colors here when he unleashes a power of his. His motivation basically being it's less of a pain to do this then if he gets hurt and is useless to me.
Meanwhile the villagers of Calco waste no time speculating about Izark & Noriko nor does the Mayor mind asking Izark to handle their bandit problem. Shameless!!
Show Less
Call number
IBF