From Far Away, Vol. 9

by Kyoko Hikawa

On her way home from school one day, Noriko is unexpectedly plunged into a strange and extraordinary fantasy world. Her troubles compound exponentially when she is rescued and befriended by a handsome young man by the name of Izark. He may be brave and courageous, but inside Izark lurks the darkest evil imaginable. And according to an ancient prophecy, Noriko possesses the power to unleash that evil. Now, inexorably bound together, these two unlikely...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1421503220
• ISBN13: 9781421503226
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: Viz Media
• Length: 179 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

one of my favorites

This series is one of my top favorites. There are a lot of series out there about high school girls who get transported to faraway worlds, but From Far Away is one of the best. Noriko, the main character, is a relatively normal teenage girl. Usually I expect more from a lead, but her personality works well in the story. She's relatively helpless and lost in the first volume; she doesn't understand what's happening around her, doesn't know the language, and has to depend on Izark, the warrior who originally rescued her, for pretty much everything. Even so, she's not annoying, and her little attempts to be useful and not a burden make her very endearing. It's impossible not to sympathize with her and like her. Her interactions with Izark are one of the most enjoyable elements of the first volume; it's immediately clear that he's reluctant to help her, but he can't seem to stop himself. Their conversations, in which neither speaks the other's language, are also entertaining, and it's refreshing to encounter an other-world series where the language issue isn't overlooked or immediately solved by magic. As the story progresses, her relationship with Izark deepens and the nature of the conflict surrounding them becomes more clear. A mysterious evil is gnawing at the world around them; in all the countries and villages they visit, honorable leaders are being removed from their positions. Trees are dying and strange, six-eyed insects and mutated plants are beginning to spread. Fights are breaking out more and more often and people with weak minds are developing strange, monstrous abilities. In the meantime, Izark and Noriko are being pursued by ruthless people who wish to use Izark's powers as the great Sky Demon to dominate the world. The general character design and layout are good; the faces people make are also wonderfully expressive. Surprisingly, the action scenes are also pretty decent, not something I expect from a series primarily meant for a female audience. While the story focuses on Noriko and Izark, there are just enough cuts to events happening elsewhere to give a sense of the conflict the two characters are at the center of. This story is incredibly entertaining. It's one of the few I've encountered that makes good use of the girl-in-another-world formula.

Dark Horse Classic

I first found this series while I was wasting time before class. I skimmed through the first one and thought that it was hillarious. I couldn't put it down. I went to my local bookstore two days later and bought all that they had (1-8 at the time; I now have 1-9). This series is a gem! I wish that there were more websites out there for it, but, alas, there aren't. The characters may seem a little immature (an endearing factor) and overly dramatic at times (it helps if you have any kind of feeling within your body), but these traits only help to enhance the feeling and sense of adventure in the story. They are all drawn beautifully, and the story is superb! It leaves you hanging after each book! A must read for any age. Adorable, freakin hillarious, romantic, and action-packed. What more could anyone want?

Classic, creative, cute

Yes, all three Cs apply. I picked up this manga by accident and really loved the story. This version of girl from another world manga is such a pleasure to read. Noriko is no ordinary helpless manga heroine, she earnestly wants to learn and help. Her initial helplessness is because she does not know the language and the customs, but she fights for what she believes in and know she can help Izark with his curse. Izark is tortured but has a hidden sense of humor that makes him stand out from the standard brooding hero. The art is reminicent of classic manga with sharp lines and long thin forms with respect to the characters, a Classic. The story is creative in that the hero may become the villain because of his secret. Cute in many ways, Geena a character is totally cute and adorable so is her relationship with her father Agol. Also cute is Noriko's language mishaps that cause either embarassment for her and Izark and also continually gives dimension to their relationship. I look forward to more of this series.

Wonderful story all around

This is a wonderful story. Just read it last night and was hooked by halfway through. Since someone already said what goes on it, I'll just comment on technical stuff. Now this is a pretty typical manga with some of the typical attributes: innocent and helpless high school heroine thrust into unknown world/circumstances, some cocky magic users, a few overreactions, a good bit of sappiness, some other types of extremes and a lot of heart. You can decide for yourself if any of these is bad or good. Personally, I think they rather fit the story so nothing is too over the top. Even the two unbeatable warriors of the story aren't two farfetched and you are just rooting for them to meet their match. Continueing, we have a good storyline that is a little hard to predict more than a few pages ahead. You're pretty sure how these guys will react, but even when you're right, it has its own , if subtle, spin. The character's are pretty well rounded in this way. They show exasperation and don't understand the little high-schooler in their midst. Now, my only bad commment is that this is where things can be confusing. I don't believe she can understand them either, but it seems she can at first. Either way, I give both her and the author credit for deciding to try to learn the new language she's exposed to now. The other characters react pretty realistically to this as well. One even finds it cute! The art is beautiful, always with that fake quality of course, but enough of the realistic edge that you eventually forget to see that until the next surreal image (usually a chapter start page). No one's face looks alike and the animals as well as the backgrounds are all drawn with care, clarity and precision. This is a really good story and being a manga, you won't mind stopping if you get interrupted (a LOT easier to get back into), though you might for the first read of this book. If you're looking for a quick read don't buy this book, you'll get hooked on it. However if you want a good read, go for it. You'll have no regrets.