Kaina of the Great Snow Sea is not for folks who dislike realistic depictions of insects. The art is amazing, but I'm not entirely sure if I'm on board for the story. I feel like a prologue or a quick explainer of its fictional world would have been great. I'm curious enough about how the story would develop in a second volume.

Kaina of the Great Snow Tree

Although an interesting premise, and highly reminiscent of Nausicaä, the story over all feels very flat, as do the characters. The art style certainly pulled me into it, and honestly curiosity will probably have me seek out the next volume for certain.

I would love recommend it for a quick read and just to see something in the same vein as some older style anime.

Really promising start with some fun world building, but it's always hard to tell from just the first volume how a series is going to go as a whole with manga, since the story is just barely beginning. This was really more just setting up a story than telling a story in itself. That said, it caught my interest enough that I'll be on the lookout for future volumes.

Inhalt:
In einer Fantasywelt ist die ganze Erde unter einer dicken Schneedecke verschwunden und Menschen können nur direkt am Fuß von Riesenbäumen überleben oder in Dörfern so hoch oben in den Baumkronen, dass es eigdntlich nicht möglich ist, dazwischen hin und her zu wechseln. Zufällig findet der Junge Ksina aus den Baumkronen die Prinzessin Ririha von der Oberfläche.

Artwork:
Die Zeichnungen sind sehr künstlerisch umgesetzt und wenn auch als erstes auffällt, dass die Seiten sehr weiß gehalten sind, passt dies genau zum Thema und spiegelt das "große Schneemeer" wider. Man erwartet direkt einen White out, daher fesselt es mich persönlich mehr als der Anime auf Crunchyroll.

Sprache:
Ich würde mich jederzeit wieder für die englische Ausgabe entscheiden, da es hier nichts daran auszusetzen gibt. Auch beim Anime habe ich auf Englisch umgestellt, da die deutschen Untertitel einfach nicht gut übersetzt sind. Leider lesen sie sich so unidiomatisch als wäre nur eine Fantranslation genommen worden.

Fazit:
Hätte ich es nicht vorher schon gelesen gehabt, wäre mein erster Gedanke Nausicaa gewesen. Es erinnert wirklich stark an einen Miyazaki-Film. Die Story finde ich auch ansprechend und ich werde wohl weiterlesen. Ich würde eine 9/10 vergeben.

This story is very interesting and the art is excellent. I can't wait to read the next volume to find out what happens. The world is detailed and unusual and very unique. The one thing I found a bit weird story-wise, though, is that the problem with this snow-covered world is apparently a lack of water. At no time does the story address why the people can't just melt the snow that surrounds them. I'm sure that the author has some reasoning, but it isn't clear, and for me that is a big gap.

Thank u NetGalley for the advanced Arc of this manga

This was an OK read but I am not going to continue with the series, beautiful art but not enough to keep me going

3 stars.

I really enjoyed the art style, it was very detailed and complex, and really helped build the vision that I believe the author was trying to convey. Overall though, I didn't quite understand the plot but I can tell this manga has great potential. It being the first volume probably means that it will build, figure out how the Snow Storm originated and more into plot. I felt this first volume was a good introduction, but I think I would have liked for it to have a bit more 'oomph' and higher stakes. I think I was mostly just confused because I didn't quite understand the world building, and the beginning just really throws you in head first without preamble.

The plot is unique though and I'm interested to see where the series goes!

Kaina 1 is set in a unique fictional world of snow sea and the few remaining habitable places such as the canopy.
Kaina lives in the canopy and one day a stranger arrives, and Kaina and his fellow people learn of the truths about their world.
The art style is fantastic, Character designs and details are amazing. The story has an intriguing atmosphere, the emotion is well-delivered.
I am looking forward to the next chapter and whom Kaina will become.
4.5 stars.

I have no clue what's going on in the story really and don't really care to figure out all that much but the art is amazing and definitely makes up for it a little bit.

Book was okay. I found some parts of the story confusing and hard to follow. Otherwise I found it enjoyable

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, Vertical Comics, Tsutomu Nihei (story), and Itoe Takemoto (artist) for the opportunity to read this manga in exchange for an honest review.

This world is incredible. There is the canopy, where one village remains at the top of the giant tree, and there is the snow sea, the cold, watery world at the trees roots. When the princess of one of the nations from the snow sea comes up to the canopy on a floater, she meets Kaina. Having lost her whole party to raiders, she tells the people of Kaina's village about the war taking place between the peoples living at the tree's base. Coming up to find a great sage of legend, she is vastly disappointed that this village doesn't harbor what she seeks. Kaina is familiar with the legend as well, and he has a different theory on how to find the sage. Perhaps the two can help each other out?

Both the story and the art style appear to be heavily Miyazaki-influenced. They have a common, yet whimsical feel. I enjoyed the main characters, the world, and the setup. This could be a shorter series and be extremely fulfilling, but I also see the potential for something longer. Maybe even some romance, after the adventure aspect?

This is a fun first volume any fantasy manga seeker will enjoy.

Kaina of the Great Snow Sea 1 by Tsutomu Nihei (story) and Itoe Takemoto (art)
I read this courtesy Net Galley. In this dystopian fantasy, Kaina, who is the youngest of an elderly group of survivors living in a barren snowscape, has to feed his people with the few resources he can find. They believe they are destined for a slow, grueling death, with Kaina doomed to an agonizing solitary existence after the elders’ inevitable death. They believe they are the only people left. It turns out, of course, they are not, when a princess from another country finds her way to them, in search of something that may help her own people live—but their hope of continued survival comes with complications. This story is a promising beginning and I look forward to the next installment.

#KainaoftheGreatSnowSea1 #NetGalley #Kodansha #SnowSea

I enjoy Nihei's stories a lot, I love his darkness and stagnant story telling. Kaina of the Great Snow Sea is an interesting fantasy manga about two worlds, the one below and the one above. Kaina is a young guy living above the canopy, but food is scarce and the people of his village are old except himself. He keeps thinking there needs to be people down below too and there sure is. At the base of the giant tree lives others, but the lack of water is a problem and thus wars. The snow sea makes things difficult. The setting is somewhat like Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, but more depressing in many ways. I do like eco-catastrophe series. The people down below need help, but how to get there? I happen to like the fact that Nihei hardly ever explains anything and this is the case now too - I keep wanting to read what happens even if I won't understand it.

The art is good, it works well with the story line and the expressionless faces are great. This is lighter than what Nihei normally does, but it's interesting, since this can go anywhere plot-wise. There are three books now, so the series is relatively new. Let's see where this is going!

"**Kaina of the Great Snow Sea**" by Tsutomu Nihei is a masterful blend of science fiction and fantasy that captivates from the first page. Drawing inspiration from classics like "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" and "Castle in the Sky," this story beautifully intertwines the fate of two distinct worlds. Nihei's storytelling is compelling, and Itoe Takemoto's stunning character designs breathe life into this high-stakes adventure. Kaina's journey from the canopy of the orbital spire trees to the snowy surface below is both heart-wrenching and thrilling. With a well-received anime adaptation, this graphic novel is set to be a classic in its own right. Highly recommended for fans of epic tales and intricate world-building. #KainaoftheGreatSnowSea1 #NetGalley