Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story and the artwork are very enjoyable, I only wish there was a little more world building so I had a better foundation to work with.

First thank you to to NetGalley, the Author and the Publisher for an ARC.

This was a bit bleak. The world was poorly developed and nothing was explained, nor made it any sense.
The art was a bit monotonous and it gave me headaches if I read it in long periods. Which is stupid because this book is only 160 pages, which means I usually read it in one go.
What I did love was the potential for war and action scenes, I love me some great adventure and blood and gore... 🙈
So for me it wasn't a complete disappointment.
I am grateful to have had a chance to read it before buying it though!

This is a shorter manga series. It takes place in a dystopian-esque world, where humanity is almost extinct in now completely snow covered world. It follows our main character who seeks out someone, and finds someone else, and from there journeys with him and traverses the snow covered land with him, and learns more of the world she lives in.

My thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha/Vertical Comics for an eARC of this book to read and review.

This was bleak. The world was developed, but poorly. Nothing was explained, nor made any sense. I guess the reader is the same as the characters in this world, as they don't know about their past and how humanity got to the state they were in now.

The artwork didn't wow me, the world-building such as it was made no sense, the characters were maybe the best part, but they didn't grab me enough to care to read the rest of the series. Also, how does getting stabbed in the shoulder KILL someone? I can see if the sword they were stabbed with had poison on it, if they had a huge amount of blood loss, from shock (but these are battle-hardened warriors, I would think they could handle themselves), but the death was almost instantaneous, there was no time for shock or poison to set in unless the poison was incredibly fast acting, but no one said the handy for the reader, "Hey, they use poison on their blades, don't get even a scratch!".

I can see me recommending this to manga readers who like to learn about the world slowly as the characters do and who enjoy bleak landscapes and really depressing post-apocalyptic settings.

2, this did nothing for me but I didn't hate it, stars.

While I really loved the graphics and the general concept of this book, I felt a little confused. Some of the images aren’t immediately comprehensive and the plot is a little slow and doesn’t cover much ground on book one. I do really like the premise though and am intrigued by the main characters. I would definitely give book 2 a try!

Rating: 5 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 5/5
-Story: 5/5
-Writing: 5/5
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Scifi, Shonen
-Adventure: 5/5
-Fantasy: 5/5
-Scifi: 5/5
-Shonen: 5/5
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yes

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

I really loved this manga! It is something new and I'd like to see where the story goes. How will the fight what is making their kind dwindle down.

Unfortunately, there was a lot of necessary world building and set up in this volume, which didn't leave much room for character development at all.
The art was fine, but nothing overly exciting. Post Apocalyptic dystopian isn't really my favorite genre, so this was a case of "it's me, not the book".

Definitely recommend for those that are fans of dystopian and survival stories.

Tsutomu Nihei, celebrated for his visionary takes on science fiction and fantasy, delivers his most accessible and exhilarating work yet with *Kaina of the Great Snow Sea*. Drawing inspiration from classics like *Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind* and *Castle in the Sky*, Nihei crafts a world that is as imaginative as it is immersive, blending coming-of-age themes with high fantasy and adventure.

At the heart of this epic narrative is Kaina, a young man living in isolation atop colossal orbital spire trees. His village, a dwindling remnant of humanity, believes they are the last survivors in a world buried beneath an impenetrable snow sea. The story ignites as Kaina and his companions discover that their world is not as desolate as they once thought, setting off a chain of events that could alter their fate and that of the world below.

Nihei’s intricate and grandiose world-building is brought vividly to life through Itoe Takemoto’s stunning character designs. Takemoto, known for her work on *The Beast Player*, infuses the characters with a depth and visual richness that complement Nihei’s complex storytelling.

The anime adaptation of *Kaina of the Great Snow Sea* has already garnered significant acclaim on Crunchyroll, further elevating the series' profile. With its compelling blend of adventure, fantasy, and introspection, *Kaina* stands poised to become a modern classic, captivating both new readers and long-time fans of Nihei’s work.

Kaina of the Great Snow Sea has an interesting premise and is very dystopian feeling. The world in which it is set is unusual and very intriguing. The first volume is pretty much just introducing the main characters and a bit about the world. Really not very much happens in this volume, but it sets up things to start moving in the next volume.

We don’t really see much of the characters personality’s yet for me to have feelings about them one way or the other.

The idea behind this manga seems interesting enough, but not enough happened to really make me invested in reading the next volume.

Kaina lives on the canopy above the great Snow Sea, hunting for his village and trying to survive despite being potentially the last bit of civilization to exist. However, the holes in the canopy are getting larger and when a strange girl is found it becomes known that there's actually humanity down below.

Kaina of the Great Snow Sea feels very Princess Mononoke/Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind light. It also reminded me a great deal of The Edge Chronicles. The art is at time very sparse and grand while having shots and scenery that's very polluted with detail. It's not afraid to go slightly grotesque to build the atmosphere. It's also a super quick read even for a manga. I enjoyed the first volume and would like to see more of where the story goes.

If I had to use only one word to describe this it would be "confusing".
The art stile didn't really work for me as I couldn't tell what was happening, especially in the fight scenes.
Also, I was expecting some introduction to the world, as this is a first volume, but there was very little of that, and I felt like I was just lost in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the chance to read this volume.

Some great world building right off the bat from Nihei. Much cleaner lines and panelling than I’m used to versus the Blame manga but I enjoyed the art style.

Interesting premise here. I look forward to seeing how it develops over subsequent volumes. If you hate bugs I’d probably avoid it though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the e-book copy!

Kaina of the Great Snow Sea is a Sci-fi fantasy following Kaina who lives atop a canopy over the great snow sea with the remaining survivors of civilization. Everyone believes that no one would be able to survive in the snow sea due to monsters and strenuous conditions. One day they are proved wrong when a girl emerges from the sea seeking the sage who can save her people. I think this was a solid setup for what's to come in the plot. However, I kind of found this to be a bit too slow and not interesting. I know there is an anime adaptation and that may be something I check out. I just don't think the manga will be the best route for me when it comes to this story. I do think fans of dystopian Sci-fi will like this series and find the story worth checking out.

✨𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐈𝐓:
Kaina Of The Great Snow Sea is about Kaina and the older villagers who live with him in a small village on the canopy. They always thought they were the only humans in the world, just as their ancestors told them. But then Ririha shows up in a bizarre way, and they’re all pleasantly surprised to see another human like them.

I love how the villagers are so concerned about Kaina. He’s truly lucky to have them. But Ririha has her own nation to save too. This sounds really, really promising. It’s exactly the type of manga I’ve been looking for. The unique plot and characters are already drawing me in. I also love the potential for war and action scenes.

Overall, I highly recommend this if you love dystopia, science fiction, and adventure.

✨𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄:
📌 ACTION-PACKED CHAPTERS
📌 A HINT OF ROMANCE
📌 NO SPICE

🖥️ GOODREADS REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6731877277

💻 BLOG REVIEW: https://kimthebookdragon.wordpress.com/2024/08/06/manga-review-kaina-of-the-great-snow-sea-volume-1-by-tsutomu-nihei-itoe-takemoto/

Kaina is the only young person remaining in the group of survivors living on the top of one of the orbital spire trees. Everyone else is believed dead. But then he rescues Ririha, a girl who lives on the Great Snow Sea. Ririha is looking for The Sage who is supposed to live in a Great Tree who is able to provide water that is lacking in the world below. This volume sets the stage for the adventures to come! My wife has downloaded music from the anime, and I wanted to see what the story was about.

Thanks Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the chance to read this title!

Very good start to what could be an amazing series. I understand the problems the people face, what the older and younger people want, and that there is something not normal happening all in one volume. I can't wait for more to be released.

Arc Copy...loved the art style rich in details and vastness with depicting this strange alien world. Narrative wise, interesting and curious what happens next. Very much a promising start to the series.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

This is all in black and white, and some images don't have a lot of contrast, so some of it was a bit unclear.

Mostly, this made me wonder if snow in this world is not made of water?

Other than that, it seems like an interesting world. I just wish the artwork was more defined so I could enjoy how creative it is.

3.5 stars
Kaina of the Great Snow Sea
I will start off by saying there are points where it reminded me of Gachiakuta or Plunderer- both have worlds where it's believed there is no one living below. Also had a moment where I thought of Eden Zero, where it gives the feeling the villagers force the main character to leave- believing its for their own good. It is a quick read with many panels not having many speech bubbles. So far we know very little about Kaina or Ririha and little about their world. I enjoyed it but felt like there could have been more set up in volume one for the continued series.

In a world with little water and hunting flies for food, Kaina lives on top of the canopy with the last surviving village- who are all elders. These elders worry about Kaina's future on each they are all gone, since there is no one around his age. One day when Kaina was out hunting, a Floater appears carrying 3 individuals. When he investigates there is only one survivor, he saves her and later learns she is looking for the Great Sage to save her people. Unsuccessful with finding the individual, Ririha needs to get back to her people, but there is no way back down to the Great Snow sea from the canopy.

I really like the premise of this series, and anything compared to Nausicaä will immediately get me curious, but it wasn't as engaging as I had hoped. While the art is appealing and the concept of the world is intriguing, the landscape was very sparse in spite of the detailed "spires" that much of the plot surrounds. A sparse world combined with a slow to start story didn't give the series a solid start for me. This is only book one though, so I am curious to see how things develop. There was one panel depicting a city built into the roots of a spire that indicated future potential for more atmosphere and visual interest.