(3/14) ...Asada Asa, a strong-willed young girl living in Nagoya in 1959! I was immediately hooked to see how the opening events of the manga, and this little girl, could possibly be connected.

(5/14) Urasawa is very good at introducing us to characters we think might be a bit of a cliche, before imbuing them with all the nuance and grace of a well-developed protagonist in a matter of pages. His characters play with your expectations in interesting ways.

(7/14) An extended flashback sequence that unfolds with absolutely no dialogue is a particular stand-out, delivering pathos without a single word said. Masterfully done storytelling, all contributing to building up the characters we will be with for the long haul.

(8/14) I especially loved this somewhat horrifying panel where a little girl's imagination and a misunderstanding about a turn of phrase leads to the kind of imagery we would more likely see in a Junji Ito manga. A playful and memorable character moment.

(9/14) Seeing the bond that forms between the people coming together to help in the aftermath of the disaster is amazing, and the interactions between Asa and the townspeople she meets are by turns frustrating, hilarious and emotional.