Comments on: To Terra… Reviews

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:20:34 +0000

It is very good

By: ADam.01

ADam.01 — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 03:43:59 +0000

“To Terra…” is a refreshing Story that is as important today as it was in 1977. The Art is unique, creative and genuinely epic. It’s narrative is well developed, mature and really does an excellent job of developing multiple characters in grand design.
A worthy piece of Sci-Fi Manga that speaks in a prophetacal manner.
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By: In the Starlight » Comics Worth Reading

In the Starlight » Comics Worth Reading — Sun, 27 May 2007 21:37:03 +0000

[...] a sample at the publisher’s website. The obvious example for comparison is To Terra, another project with a similar back story, but this review argues it’s unfair to do so. [...]

By: Nancy

Nancy — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 02:42:46 +0000

Hi, and thanks for your discussion of To Terra (which I haven’t read yet). I just discovered your blog today and I’ll definitely be spending some time here. Also, speaking of Hagio Moto, my Japanese husband and I just started a blog where we translate and discuss another classic shojo manga of hers, “Poe no Ichizoku”. It’s a complex, poignant story about a family of vampires who travel through time. Please stop by and leave comments–we’d love for this groundbreaking manga-ka to gain a much wider audience outside of Japan, and eventually want to translate as many of her works as we can (as you already know, currently very little is officially published in English) Thanks again, and I’ll be back!

By: Yay Vertical! » Comics Worth Reading

Yay Vertical! » Comics Worth Reading — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 19:06:42 +0000

[...] Not only does Vertical put out classic manga, they also publish puzzle books. And the lovely and wonderful Anne sent me a copy of [...]

By: James Schee

James Schee — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:05:44 +0000

You and I are sort of in similiar boats here Johanna. I saw this book in stores and thought it had a very striking cover, but the concept just didn’t interest me very much.

With so much modern stuff out there, the Death Notes, Monster and the like. I doubt I’ll ever get around to trying this book. If there were less options it’d be something I would be open to. Yet thats what is so great these days, I don’t have to settle if I’m not 100% intersted in a title.

By: Johanna

Johanna — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:13:39 +0000

Dirk, thanks for elaborating. I’m a story-first reader, so that might account for some of my uncertainty.

Carp, I have a copy of Four Shojo Stories, so I’ve read They Were 11. It struck me as interesting, but a bit … shrill? I had higher expectations than I probably should have had about it, but the treatment of gender roles definitely dated the work for me.

By: carpboy

carpboy — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 05:50:11 +0000

Also, only because it was brought up, I would be in favor of any reading of They Were Eleven (which is difficult since it’s out of print) or even a viewing of the anime (which is also out of print but surely the DVD is on Netflix).

By: carpboy

carpboy — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 05:46:46 +0000

I’m incredibly soured on this title after seeing the movie a few years back, which I absolutely loathed. On the other hand, I’m very much in support of varied releases (beyond Shonen Jump / Shoujo Beat titles) and older manga, so I feel bad disparaging it up and down town. I would suggest trying it at least, though the lack of translation for the sound fx (I haven’t picked up Buddha, it may be done simiilarly) is disappointing.

By: MangaBlog » Blog Archive » Libre links, and more

MangaBlog » Blog Archive » Libre links, and more — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 02:27:59 +0000

[...] Comics Worth Reading Johanna rounds up reviews of To [...]

By: Dirk Deppey

Dirk Deppey — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 00:25:13 +0000

I actually liked the art far more than the story, which reminded me of nothing so much as a mediocre plot outline for an early '70s Gene Roddenberry TV series. It's a borderline work... which, sadly, seems to be the curse of the Forty-Niners in English-language print. (If all I knew of Moto Hagio was her published output from Viz, I wouldn't be nearly so enamored of her, either. A, A' was decent enough, and They Were Eleven was okay, but you can tell that such later works as Mesh, Marginal and especially A Savage God Reigns are superior comics works even if you can't read Japanese. "Hanshin" hints at the power of such works, and even it was drawn only at the cusp of what appears to be Hagio's great artistic leap forward in the 1980s.) I'm interested enough in what I've read of To Terra so far to pick up the second volume, but only just so. If my funds were limited and it came to a choice between, say, To Terra and Nana (or even Strawberry Marshmallow), I'd put the former back on the bookstore shelf in a heartbeat.

By: Kiel Phegley

Kiel Phegley — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 17:51:22 +0000

I know this all boils down to personal tastes, but for me the “older” style of the art is much better to look at than a lot of modern manga. I enjoy the soft, round faces in To Terra and books like Cyborg 009 a lot more than the thin angular cartooning that pervades most of the stuff that’s currently really hot at Borders. Then again, I’ve only been reading manga for a few years, so maybe I just haven’t had the chance to get sick of older styles yet.

By: Andre

Andre — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 15:52:53 +0000

There’s also a new TV anime version that’ll be broadcasted in japan soonish. I think RS only had the VHS rights to the older anime….. it’d be nice if they were able to get it and some of their other vhs-only releases out on dvd.

By: Kiki

Kiki — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 14:14:12 +0000

Yep, there’s a movie. Right Stuf offered it back in the 90s I think – though it was animated before then obviously. It came out under the title Towards the Terra. It doesn’t seem to be available anymore. Probably didn’t sell enough. :(

The movie’s very much like the manga (or at least they match so far, though there have been a couple of significant changes). It’s a sweeping generational story and I’m a sucker for those. :) That’s part of the reason why I’m so excited about the manga. I want to see if the generational conflict gets covered in the book or if it was a movie add-in.

By: Johanna

Johanna — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 13:09:17 +0000

Variety is good, it’s true. There’s a movie?

By: Kiki

Kiki — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 13:02:55 +0000

I really LIKE To Terra – even with the old style look and the cliches. Maybe it’s because I enjoy the movie and want to see the bits that were changed. In some ways it’s like the early X-men done with an epic twist. I’m enjoying seeing the conflict between Keith and Jomy and the society they come from.

It’s not really like any of the manga you’ve reviewed, so maybe it really isn’t your cup of tea; but it’d be great for a change of pace. :)