The Nijigahara Holograph [a.k.a "Hepburn: Nijigahara Horogurafu - The Rainbow Field Holograph]") - 2006)

by Inio Asano
Ohta Publishing200 pages

From the solicitation: "In this manga, acclaimed cartoonist Asano tells a complex, oblique tale about how an tense atmosphere, symbolized by proliferating butterflies, lead schoolchildren to “sacrifice” a fellow student, and how that act impacts various characters across two timelines."

Originally released in series in a Japanese magazine called "Quick Japan" from 2003 to 2005, this story involves a group of people [children and adults] who are tied together by a singular event when a local girl is thrown into a well and disappears at a location called Nijigahara, the Field of Two Children [later in the story renamed to "The Rainbow Field"]. The events eventually lead to a strange occurrence throughout the town in which glowing butterflies appear in droves, setting townsfolk into fits of awe and wonder, as well as anxiety and insanity.

The story itself is a little confusing at first, jumping constantly between two timelines that both parallel each other and reveal aspects of one another that opens the doors to further exploration and eventually, understanding.

The linear story begins with a young girl talking regularly with her schoolmates about a monster that lives in a tunnel under the Nijigahara Two Children Field, and that the monster will bring forth the end of the world. The girl is eventually silenced by her entire class when she is accosted and pushed into the well, disappearing in the process.

The girl's father is a sorry, almost pathetic, character [often a trope in Manga], but he has his own secrets, such as becoming overly physically excited around his own daughter. The events eventually lead to the children growing up, and the teachers becoming more mature and facing the realities of difficult relationships [such as divorce and depression], and glowing butterflies begin to fill the skies throughout the narrative.

Tension builds throughout each chapter, often leading to horrifying acts of murder, cruelty, and eventually, redemption. The story itself is disturbing in so many ways, but in a truly gripping sense where the reader will feel dread deep within, unlike the common jump scares and gore that are so prominent in horror today. And yes, I think this is a horror story more than anything.

The artwork is top-notch, better than most comics and graphic novels [although like most traditional Manga, it is in black-and-white], and the reading takes some getting used to if you are not familiar with Manga's "right-to-left, line-by-line" flow. Sometimes the artwork, especially the landscapes, seems like it was traced over a picture - it is that good.

The story itself, and actually the complete work [including the cover] are a perfect mix to satisfy almost any reader and fan of horror, and I think even fans of drama and psychological thrillers will find a lot of value in this work. Reading other reviews, I found that, like me, most people who read this felt it was even more satisfying the second time around, discovering deep symbolism throughout, as well as rewarding revelations and satisfying payoffs to some of the more disturbing plot elements.

Easily the best graphic novel I have ever read, I highly recommend this with a 5 out of 5 - and even higher if possible on a second read.

Contains adult themes, some brief nudity, violence involving children, and themes of horror.