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A review by katharine_opal
Alice in Kyoto Forest, Volume 1 by Haruki Niwa, Mai Mochizuki
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
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Alice in Kyoto Forest is a delightful retelling of the original Alice in Wonderland but set in 1800's Kyoto, Japan instead of 1800's Oxford, England. Alice is an orphan, looking for a new start in life, which leads her to return to Kyoto, except it is not the Kyoto she remembers. The art style is charming and has a soft and whimsical feel to it. It drew me in, starting on the first page. The author has shown that they have an appreciation of the aesthetics of late 1800's Kyoto, which is evident in their artistic style. When it comes to the story, the jumps from locale to locale can feel a bit quick. However, this is also how it feels in the original story, so it is accurate as a retelling of the original. This is the first volume and falls to the same small stumbling block most series do. The story elements all have to be set into place in this volume, and there are many. It can feel like the story is a tad front-loaded and there are a lot of story pieces that are disconnected. However, it smooths out by the 4th chapter, with more of the aforementioned pieces clicking into place. I'm sure it will fully smooth out in the next volume of the series. Finally, Alice, as a character is adorable! An earnest young girl who tries her best to make the best of life, with a love of stories. I am interested in how this character will grow as a person she journeys along. This story of this manga intrigued me, and I already am itching to find out what happens next!
~*~
Alice in Kyoto Forest is a delightful retelling of the original Alice in Wonderland but set in 1800's Kyoto, Japan instead of 1800's Oxford, England. Alice is an orphan, looking for a new start in life, which leads her to return to Kyoto, except it is not the Kyoto she remembers. The art style is charming and has a soft and whimsical feel to it. It drew me in, starting on the first page. The author has shown that they have an appreciation of the aesthetics of late 1800's Kyoto, which is evident in their artistic style. When it comes to the story, the jumps from locale to locale can feel a bit quick. However, this is also how it feels in the original story, so it is accurate as a retelling of the original. This is the first volume and falls to the same small stumbling block most series do. The story elements all have to be set into place in this volume, and there are many. It can feel like the story is a tad front-loaded and there are a lot of story pieces that are disconnected. However, it smooths out by the 4th chapter, with more of the aforementioned pieces clicking into place. I'm sure it will fully smooth out in the next volume of the series. Finally, Alice, as a character is adorable! An earnest young girl who tries her best to make the best of life, with a love of stories. I am interested in how this character will grow as a person she journeys along. This story of this manga intrigued me, and I already am itching to find out what happens next!