Abstract

In this manga, acclaimed cartoonist Asano tells a complex, oblique tale about how an tense atmosphere, symbolized by proliferating butterflies, lead schoolchildren to “sacrifice” a fellow student, and how that act impacts various characters across two timelines.

Fantagraphics is proud to welcome the great Inio Asano (Solanin, What a Wonderful World!) to its acclaimed literary manga line. Even as butterflies ominously proliferate in town, the rumor of a mysterious creature lurking in the tunnel behind the school spreads among the children. When the body of Arié Kimura’s mother is found by this tunnel’s entrance, next to apparently human traces, the legend seems to be confirmed. Is the end of the world coming? In order to appease the wrath of the beast, the children decide to offer it a sacrifice: The unfortunate Arié, whom they believe to be the cause of the curse, is shoved into a well that leads to the Nijigahara tunnel ― an act that in turns pushes Komatsuzaki, the budding thug who has carried a torch for Arié for a while already, entirely over the edge. But this is only the beginning of the complex, challenging, obliquely told Nijigahara Holograph, which takes place in two separate timelines and involves the suicidal Suzuki; Higure, his stalkerish would-be girlfriend; and their teacher Miss Sakaki, whose heavily bandaged face remains a mystery; and many more ― brothers, sisters, parents, co-workers, teachers, aggressors and victims who are all inextricably linked to one another and all will eventually ― ten years later ― have to live with what they’ve done or suffered through. Black & white.

Author’s Information

Inio Asano (born 1980) is considered by many to be one of the biggest new names in manga of the '00's. Debuting in 1998 Asano was immediately thrust into the manga spotlight by earning praise from luminaries such as Naoki Yamamoto and Shin Takahashi. His ascent to stardom was very quick, and regretfully, the young man went into a bit of a slump soon after. But after four years of struggle and soul-searching as an assistant to some of Japan's most artistically respected comic artists, Asano came back to become the voice of the modern Japanese adolescents.

His breakthrough work SOLANIN captivated the globe earning him recognition in Japan and an Eisner Award nomination in North America. SOLANIN was later adapted into a cultish motion picture further cementing Asano's place amongst outsiders globally. Since 2002 Asano has penned 10 graphic novel series, dozens of short stories, and is now making in-roads as one of Japan's more popular graphic designers. In 2014 his most recent English language release Nishigahara Holograph was selected as one of the best graphic novels of the year by Publishers Weekly, Comics Alliance, Comics Resources, and Good OK Bad.