Actual rating: 4.5 starsI'm stunned!!! This manga has the best art I've ever seen! Every graphic is very well draw and it's obvious that the author is talented. I was also hooked by the beautiful story and all the deep and unique characters (especially Rostem, my favorite one) until the very last page. I appreciated learning about Central Asia's culture in the nineteenth century that I found interesting.Though, the ending was abrupt and it hit me. It was as if the author cutted the final chapter on purpose. Strange... That excepted, it really was a wonderful read that I highly recommend to all the manga fans.I'm very eager to read the second volume (and hope it'll have a better ending). I loved Mori’s manga series Emma, so I decided to give this one a try as I am on a bit of a book lull at the moment. This was a nice quick read, as most of the illustrations had very little words. It tells the story of a family in Turkmenistan in Central Asia, whose youngest son Karluk at age twelve marries a girl of twenty named Amir from a neighboring village. The girl is quite different from the boy who is shy and keeps to himself and his family, while Amir is outgoing, vivacious and a great bow-hunter. They are slowly getting to know each other, and you can tell they care about each others with the little gestures that they do. For example, she kills some rabbits for them to eat and then uses the fabric given to her by her in-laws to make him a rabbit fur-lined tunic, and he goes to search for her after he learns there may be wolves where she’s decided to hunt. His family is just starting to like her when her eldest brother stops by with some cousins and demands that her in-laws return Amir to them. They refuse and the grandmother, who originally came from their family, stops Amir’s family with an arrow. My favorite scene in the book was when they were on their way to Karluk’s uncles’s family, and they found pomegranates along the way and she was so excited. And the whole scene where they were going to sleep in the yurt (a movable house tent) was priceless. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series! Recommended for ages 14+, 4 stars.
What do You think about Otoyomegatari (2000)?
I like the simple aspect of the story, a young married couple trying to find their way with a major role reversal (a very young husband and an older wife) which in the fourth chapter seems to take that normal manga route were when needing to warm one's self one must remove all clothes and thats kinda unnerving when you think he's a 12 yrs. old boy getting naked with a 20 yrs. woman. the art is beautiful, probably the most beautiful I've seen in manga but the story is I don't know lacking character? but then again its only the first book so I won't pass final judgment just yet.
—hunt
I like the simple aspect of the story, a young married couple trying to find their way with a major role reversal (a very young husband and an older wife) which in the fourth chapter seems to take that normal manga route were when needing to warm one's self one must remove all clothes and thats kinda unnerving when you think he's a 12 yrs. old boy getting naked with a 20 yrs. woman. the art is beautiful, probably the most beautiful I've seen in manga but the story is I don't know lacking character? but then again its only the first book so I won't pass final judgment just yet.
—sheilagaray
I disegni sono qualcosa di meraviglioso, e anche la storia **
—geets
Oddly compelling. I crave more background information...
—patrice
Can't wait to read some more of this series.
—LeThu
