There are tons of manga that depict cyberpunk worlds filled with advanced robots and mechanized cities, such as Ghost in The Shell. There are also numerous manga that deal with the theme of loneliness and isolation, such as Mushishi. But The Country Without Humans is one of the handful of manga that combine these two concepts into one harrowing tale of solitude. Here’s our review of the first volume.

Discussion Time

In a bustling futuristic city filled with autonomous humanoid robots called "Golems", humanity has perished. With no humans to serve, the golems continue their day to day activities according to their assigned programs. That is, until a little girl named "Shii" suddenly appears in the city.

Shii doesn't remember who she is or how she got to the city; all she knows is that a group of mysterious golems has been chasing her around for quite some time. Fortunately, a golem called "Bulb" helped her escape and now acts as her guardian. And thus begins the tale of the last human in the world.

1. A Tale of Thrills And Mysteries

From its cover down to the last page of the book, The Country Without Humans oozes mystery. Even the title itself raises so many questions that invite every unsuspecting reader to pick up the book. What happened to the humans? Who built the city? Who is Shii? How did she get there? These kinds of questions will come flooding to your head as soon as you read this manga. It’s a prime example of a tastefully done click-bait title.

As if that's not enough, Iwatobineko-sensei tells the story using plenty of thrill and suspense. The exciting chase sequences between Bulb and the golem that tries to kidnap Shii, the sudden appearance of a sneaky golem with a human-like appearance, and the devastating battle between Bulb and the cone-head golem who's been chasing Shii are all designed to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

2. Masterful World-Building

Another stand out feature in The Country Without Humans is its masterful world-building. The previous point mentions the fact that the story is drowning deep in mystery, and one of the biggest contributors to that is masterful world-building.

Right at the beginning of the story, we are presented with an unfamiliar world filled with strange-looking robots. And since the protagonist herself doesn't know anything about this peculiar place, we get to see the world slowly open up its secrets as the story progresses.

A vast city that looks like a giant eye. A towering mall where you shop with hovering chariots that have movable arms to grab items. A sentient golem who likes to collect and change its own body parts. All of them are part of the world-building that helps move the story forward.

1. Pacing Issues

One of the glaring issues that you can feel just one chapter into The Country Without Humans is the pacing. Sometimes it moves like a snail while other times it blazes through like a rocket. A variety in pacing is good for the story, but not like this.

One moment Shii is talking about important things with Bulb and a small robot called Muimui for a couple of pages and the next thing you know, she is involved in an intense golem fight. And there are multiple instances where that pattern repeats itself. Though it may not be a deal breaker, it certainly impacts the overall reading experience.

2. Unclear Objectives

Another thing that’s worth mentioning is the objective of the story, or rather the lack thereof. This first volume presents so many questions and so little answers. And based on how everything is unfolding thus far, the story can really go anywhere.

It could be a thrilling story about how humanity ceased to exist. It could be an action adventure story about a girl and her golem fighting their way to the top of the robot hierarchy. And it could also be a simple slice of life story about Shii and Bulb exploring every corner of the dense futuristic city. We really have no idea what the story will develop into.

Final Thoughts

The Country Without Humans presents a very intriguing premise with thrills and mysteries filling every corner of its thriving robotic city. Unfortunately, the lack of goals and the pace that seems to go all over the place can, and will, distract you from the story.

That being said, there are so many interesting questions waiting to be answered and places to explore here that makes it worth it to stick around for a bit longer. We’re looking forward to the next volume!

So what do you think? Will you pick up this sci-fi/mystery manga? Or maybe you already read it and have different thoughts about it? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Writer

Author: Harry

Harry is a manga addict first and freelance writer second. While he hasn’t read every manga under the sun, he has read an unhealthy amount of Shounen and Seinen manga. When he’s not writing in Honey’s Anime, you can find him in his personal blog: MangaDigest.com.

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