Yasuo Ohtagaki Writes about a Tree, (but not really).

 

Opening page of Tree by Yasuo Ohtagaki (Viz Media App)

What's this? 

If you never heard of Yasuo Ohtagaki, let me put you on game, my dude. This is the manga illustrator behind the gritty, jazz-fueled, space opera that is Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt (I will definitely write about this beast soon).  Instead of writing like I have a paper due for my classes, let me just show you what I'm talking about:

MS Gundam Thunderbolt manga Volume 5 cover, featuring the Atlas Gundam

MS Gundam Thunderbolt manga Volume 2, featuring the iconic Psycho Zaku on the cover.

 

Now enough gushing about how beautiful these mech suits are. Let's talk about his latest one-shot. The story of Tree centers around Sandra and Eddie, a duo consisting of a female pilot and a robot companion trying their best to escape an attack from space pirates. As they get bombarded by parasites, Sandra decides to head through a wormhole to escape their attackers. After a bright flash and feeling like she, along with the ship felt stretched beyond belief she awakens to see Eddie heavily damaged. What follows is a journey for survival that will pull at your heartstrings. Now, I'm not gonna spoil the ending, so just trust me that these 30 pages go above and beyond to tell a fantastic story of love, heartbreak, despair, and hope. Imma just say that Eddie really went there (whew!). 

Where can you read this?

• You can read this for free on the Viz Media app available on both Google and Apple Play Store. 

Is it too long to read?

• Mera mano, no.
• Being a one-shot, means that it is a totally digestible short story in just 30 pages. 

In Closing

If you love short bursts of sci-fi, emotional storytelling, dope robot companions, and vulnerable lead characters who also happen to be badass, then this is the story for you! Tree is a welcome one-shot for any manga fan, from the hardcore purists to the ones starting on their journey. 

Thank you once again for taking some time out of your day to read this post. You are the reason I do this!

Geekfongo out!