Title: The Girl from the Other Side
Author: Nagabe
Demographic: Shonen
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
Published: 2015 – 2021
English-translated Volumes: 11
MyAnimeList Rating: 8.32
Rating: 8/10
The story starts off with a warning… do not let an outsider touch you because if they do, you’ll be forever cursed. With that, we meet Shiva, a six year old girl and Teacher, a cursed outsider. Because of that initial warning, you are instantly hesitant of this outsider being around the child. But that fear immediately washes away as it becomes clear that Teacher and Shiva are more like father and daughter. And the eerie suspense that brings us into the story changes into a sort of cautious relief as we see their day-to-day life. But even with their charming relationship, the underlying situation is still in the back of your mind because this society is physically split into the Inside and the Outside. Where the inside includes the pure humans. And the outside includes the cursed creatures. So how did this young, human girl end up on the Outside?
Pros:
Worldbuilding
On the Inside, it’s a witch hunt where paranoid people live in a constant state of fear and panic. Anyone who is thought to have been exposed to the curse is sentenced to death. And these people cling to their faith desperate for their God to save them from the curse. Which creates a nerve racking atmosphere where an extreme amount of trust is put into their God’s prophecies and revelations. No matter how severe or concerning those revelations might actually be.
In contrast to what’s happening on the Inside, we’ve got this precarious peace with our two MCs where Teacher does his best to provide Shiva with a bubble-wrapped upbringing in their very abnormal situation. But Teacher is dealing with a six year old. And the author realistically portrays what it’s like raising a child who doesn’t yet fully understand risk and fear. So this attempt at a peaceful life is quickly threatened as Shiva’s naive and trusting nature brings about tense situations which help us to learn more about her terrifying predicament.
Mysteries and Suspense
With these tense situations, we are introduced to more characters that add to the growing web of mysteries. Who can Teacher and Shiva trust? Who is an ally and who is an enemy? How did the curse come about? These additional characters help to reveal the origins of the curse and the real story of how this world came to be.
Beautiful, Detailed Art
The author beautifully brings this story to life with haunting and poetic art. He does a great job of drawing anguish… anxiety… and inner turmoil. The amount of detail put into each and every scene is incredible and I often found myself spending time appreciating each panel. And the stark contrast of black versus white helps to set the eerie mood throughout the story.
Overall…
The Girl from the Other Side is an equally suspenseful and heartwarming story with incredible art, endearing main characters, and strong worldbuilding. I highly recommend reading this manga.
Caroline’s Library 