Eden: It's an Endless World!
Sci-fi has always been in the top most read genres of literature.
Especially for mangas, cyberpunk and futuristic dystopia stories have tons of fans dedicated. In the likes of popular counterparts like Akira and Neon Genesis Evangelion, Eden: It's an Endless World! does not disappoint in the realm of fiction mangas. Even though it’s a less known series, the 18 volume story, written by Hiroki Endo, has been captivating readers internationally since 1997.
The plot is set in the 2100s. Elijah Ballard, an ambitious young boy, is off to save his sister from the hands of the Propater Federation, a government-like organization that controls a big portion of the world, which has been plagued by the Closure virus for about 40 years. This virus hardens the skin and liquefies the internal organs, forming a lifeless shell, but eventually mutates to attack inorganic matter. The reader follows Elijah and his complex relationships with the people around him, whether it be the members of the Nomad group, cyborgs and robots, or other rebels.
The planet seems to be covered in chaos, with 15% of the world’s population decimated by the new disease and countless wars and disasters happening. The story develops through scenes of violent fights, flashbacks, and, even if the overall tone is pretty serious, wholesome scenes depicting the strong ties of friendship and family.
Eden is an interesting manga because it includes aspects of hardcore science and religion. In fact, a big inspiration for Endo was Gnosticism, and a few characters are named after gnostic deities. In addition, the artwork is insanely detailed and, instead of having bland backgrounds, cities all over the world are drawn with lots of realism, all while keeping a traditional manga style.
The character development is also notable, as we not only follow the main characters but also get to know the story of Elijah’s father, which is a big hint for the plot, and other supporting characters.
Definitely not a recommendation for those who are faint at heart, but Eden is a perfectly executed, futuristic coming-of-age manga while keeping the story incredibly realistic.
About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.
