ランド

LAND

MANGA

STATUS
COMPLETE
VOLUMES
11
RELEASE
July 9, 2020
CHAPTERS
75

DESCRIPTION

In a village where all residents die upon reaching fifty lives a girl named An, whose older twin sister was sacrificed to the "other world" that lies beyond the mountains. This village, called "our world" and governed by people wearing animal skins, is watched over by deities. When An seeks the truth about the mysterious inhabitants of the mountains, hope and despair await her.

(Source: Yen Press)

Note: It won the Grand Prize at the 25th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize awards in 2021.

CAST

Ann
Anne
Kazune
Sutekichi
Ginji
Heita

CHAPTERS

REVIEWS

Boreduser
90/100
A story about being human
The magical thing about storytelling and art is how truly endless it is. Any story can be about anything, and that thing will relate to a number of people. Stories that touch more hearts than others are the ones that are special. The ones that age like a fine wine and tell of a tale that anybody can relate to. Land is a story about life and death, how if our relationship with them is skewed and mismanaged, we lose sight of how to really live. Land is a story of being human.

Land explores the many concepts of how people live. How we attach to certain things and think them to be true without further inquiry. In this instance, I'm talking about religion. Sometimes, people need a little kick and fear to be guided down the right path. "If you do this bad thing, a bad thing happens to you." If you break the rules, you'll be punished or killed.

Land explores how cruel and flow-going people can be. Even if something is obviously wrong, people will close to their eyes to that and continue down the path of least resistance. Is our true essence so cruel? Would every person ignore the cries of a child if it is the then common opinion to do so?

Land asks, "Who are you, and what do you live for?" What are you willing to turn a blind eye to? What in your world is so normal to you that may be obscene to another person? Why is that so normal to you in the first place? What is it about that that says something about you as a person? Imagine you had eternal youth. At age 18, you can get a medical procedure to stop the aging process. Yet, somewhere nearby, while also so far away, you know there's folk who still choose to age naturally and work to their deaths without a whisper of complaint. Does your youth define who you are?

Land asks, "What is life anyway? What about death? If we all live forever, does anything we do even matter?" So, you can't grow old and now have all the time in the world to mull over your options. Stay in college for 20 years, work in an office for 50, it's all the same since everyone else is doing it. Follow the crowd. Don't think about it. Just live as leisurely as you want. Nothing can hurt you. You can't die, so none of it matters. Time is not an issue. Don't think about it. Accidents can't happen. You're immortal. Peer through the looking glass and see an endless nothing beyond.

Land tells you, to be human is to express yourself. The ability to write is something we uniquely have. The capability to make stories. The possibility of making something that goes beyond even an endless life. Nothing is actually eternal. As all things live, they will die. As all civilizations rise, they will fall. To see behind that looking glass at the people around us now is something that can only be done now. To write a story that will reach somebody. To tell a tale of being human as only humans can be. Fleeting, flawed, and beautiful. That is Land.
Continue on AniList