Far into the future and circling the earth at an altitude of 35,000 meters, mankind now lives on a mechanical ring that circles around the earth from space. Inside of said mechanical ring, people live in apartments on different floors. These floors not only let in more light the higher you go, but they also help identify social status. The highest floor is, of course, the brightest and has the most rich folk there. It is so bright because they, and some on the middle floor, are the only ones able to afford window cleaners. Now, this is where Mitsu comes in. Mitsu's father was a window cleaner, but one day his rope was cut and he disappeared, thus he was assumed dead. Five years later, Mitsu has graduated junior high and just started his job as a window cleaner in his father's place. But he'll soon find out that cleaning windows is no easy task, because you must have the proper equipment, go through thorough steps to even go out into space, fill strange requests from clients, repair damages from meteorites, make sure your air doesn't run out and your equipment is undamaged, and then do it all over again on the same windows! Is this way of living so wrong, or is there more to the mundane every day tasks and experiences than can be seen on the surface?Boy, Mitsu and Jin sure do get some strange clients. Although, I can't really say that I found anything in this volume annoying. It was just kind of... slow and calm. Kind of sweet, interesting to read, but it didn't really pull at my heart strings. Then again, maybe I've just become bitter. I wonder if this is what the series is going to be all about though? Their experiences with their clients and the outside world? And did Mitsu's father really die while putting up a fight, or was he fighting to break free? Apparently, mankind had to live outside of the Earth so that they could preserve it. But out in outer space, wouldn't they feel ill and greasy all the time? I also feel like that immunodeficiency disease from lack of sunlight and the radiation poisoning (which were both mentioned before) will somehow catch up to a character everyone likes. Or even someone that is already dead? If you know what I mean? Hmm? Anyway, I don't really have that much to say about Saturn Apartments yet, but I do find it intriguing. I am sure it won't take me too long to get to the next volume. After all, one and two need to be returned to my library as soon as possible... Erh... Ah, but lastly, Tamachi is thus far my favorite character... indefinitely! The second being Miyuki the kitty~. The series started out well enough with this one, though it could do more with the class-conflict issues, the unrealistic concept of money in such a situation, the potentiality of a ring around the Earth harming the life below (because of blocking the light), and there's definitely more to be done with the characters. Most of the characters, including the protagonist, are boring and void of personality.Also, the series could do better by not portray the filthy rich as quaint and charming despite not bothering to assist in funding the cleaning of the lower levels' windows, instead ordering their own cleaned several times in a row. Perhaps it says something about the reality of the class society in the author's origin. Finally, how does this fictional class-divided society function anyway, with such limited resources and modes of production?
What do You think about Saturn Apartments, Vol. 1 (2010)?
The story was interesting and something different than what I usually read. I like the art style.
—mina
People look frog-like face-wise in this story. Interesting concepts and jobs.
—c2ssyp2ssy
Window-washing only gets so exciting, even at 35,000 meters.
—dev123
