AME NO FURU BASHO

Ame no Furu Basho is more of an idea and it aims and achieves nothing more than providing food for thought. It's a fairly straightforward tale that showcases life after a break-up and life after a death poignantly.

Eshikawa is a man who has lost sight of his life and stumbles through it, with no clear meaning or purpose after his girlfriend leaves him. After he is informed that she committed suicide, his brain is set to introspect mode. Through the course of the 28 pages, he introspects and goes on a journey of self-revelation.

The story is very simple and there are no plot twists of any sort, and neither are they necessary. Real life conversations cut in occasionally with flashbacks is all that this one is about. And with less than thirty pages to work with, we are handed quite a heavy message. There are no distractions in the form of comic relief or melodrama and it all moves in a focused and rather melancholy direction.

If you're a fan of ABe, looking for a manga with a lot of meat on it or even some eye candy, then Ame no Furu Basho will without a doubt disappoint you. However, if a quick thought-provoking read is your thing, then this should work like a charm. It takes only about five minutes to read, so just dive with both feet in, because you'll be up in no time.