Futatabi is a story I find remarkably interesting though not quite because of anything that the story itself is doing. Its easy to forget that at one point the famous Miura Kentarou 19662021 was just like any other mangaka trying to make his way into the industry and establish himself as an author and artist worth paying attention to. He was essentially crossing over the boundary and into a world that did not recognize him nor that he himself had quite recognized either. For that reason its perhaps no surprise that one of his earliest officially published works would be rather restrained in its range and affect yet nevertheless show the incredible potential that would later color his magnum opus Berserk. And it all starts with someone named Venus moving over craggy mountains gazing at the expanse of a new world before her eyes. She has crossed a boundary herself. 550https://i.ur.com/V45cT7E.png 550https://i.ur.com/TkHpuG8.png Even within his earliest published panels Miura shows a penchant for creating landscapes both beautiful and daunting in scope and already establishes Futatabis boundarycrossing theme Sciencefiction is rather fascinated by the concept of boundaries. Whether it be messing with the boundary between man and machine Earth and the cosmos or even the notion of stepping outside that which we comfortably know pushing the limits of our understanding of the universe is the stuff of discovery. These discoveries dont even need to be at the global or societal level sometimes changing the life of a person is all that is necessary. But in the supposed security that boundaries provide they likewise restrain and withhold those same possibilities from being revealed. Its within Venuss realizing that she has indeed seemingly stumbled upon a new world that sets in motion the actions that will determine both her and Ricks new discoverable futures. Bound together by feelings and confusions that they cannot quite make headsortails of they nevertheless allow themselves to be thrust into the impregnable boundary that contains their world physically and emotionally. They have tasted albeit briefly what lies beyond and once the door is opened you cannot simply close it. There is an underlying attraction fueled by their simultaneous perplexity and comfort for the other in the face of a stagnant or miserable world an interplay that Miura would darkly tinker with further in another oneshot later that same year NOA along with Berserk. 550https://i.ur.com/boV5hoc.png Though quite simplistic theres a kind of sincere honesty in Miuras depiction of a foreign element introduced to a character or world that cannot comprehend its existence. The oddness is acknowledged mocked and responded to with seriousness Miuras earliest venture though can only go so far. In truth and likely because of its short fiftysome pages duration and original publication in Weekly Shonen Magazine back in 1985 Futatabi doesnt necessarily have anything within it structurally that would move beyond what might be considered rather ordinary sciencefiction fare. The decisions and revelations within come quickly and sometimes rather limply each given their intrigue primarily by virtue of the main conceit holding them up rather than anything particular that Miura was doing with it. Certain details are withheld until the absolute last possible second perhaps in an effort to give some of the circumstances a rhyme and reason when its not quite needed and some of the mostfascinatingif not also societally tabooaspects of the main idea are never explored. But perhaps thats fine. Everyone even the ones we regard as masters of their craft had to start somewhere. In that sense Futatabi is kind of lovely in its simplicity and as an artifact of who Miura used to be its a manga that is not rewriting the rules anytime soon nor did it at the time of its release but through its characters interacting and taking their daring steps despite the wall that surrounds them Miura was doing the same. It is after all the only way to see what is truly out there. 550https://i.ur.com/6lTUrew.png