On paper Lonely Alien seems like a standard shonen urban fantasy about a group of high schoolers saving the world. And yet theres a lot more to it as a series than just that Lonely Alien is about the pain that loneliness can bring to someone and how if given the opportunity many people would act if what they consider to be their purpose in life is threatened or challenged. Its a story about characters that lock heads against each other in spite of understanding each other because theyre desperate to fill that void within themselves and simply want validation for existing. Its about how bonds are fragile and how people react to the loss of a purpose and/or a person. But Im getting ahead of myself and themes or intent on their own dont suddenly make a series worth reading so the question is what is at the heart of Lonely Alien? 220https://i.ur.com/GEK5MiI.png Lonely Alien initially is centered around a seemingly standard high school student by the name of Kouichi living an unsuspecting life until its turned upside down when he encounters a selfdeclarde alien by the name of Nozomi who chases after him and declares that she wants to take over the planet while also speaking of a meeting from long ago. Kouichi understandably declines the offer and only partners with her after realizing the gravity of the threat to his own family. From then on the series follows a semiepisodic structure mixing slice of life as well as urban fantasy elements with a more complex science fiction plot that only grows more complex as the series goes on. And yet this plot would not work as well as it does without the series strong emphasis on characterwriting which are at the heart of this series. And inspite of what one would expect the action isnt the emphasis of the series but rather its characters to the point where Id argue much of the series first halfs highlights are more quiet still moments that symbolize the distance between various characters a recurring motif emphasized across the manga. 220https://i.ur.com/4myoNBg.png None of this would work if it wasnt for how the series handles its writing which flows fluidly and intimately while also concentrating on developing dynamics between the central characters. There is much nuance that can be missed in Lonely Alien if one isnt paying attention to the dialogue an example being an established character who becomes a major antagonist to the main characters and yet instead of portraying such a rivalry being portrayed through personal lens the clash between them feels less than a clash of ideology though ideology is certainly a variable in why theyre fighting and more on why one character is fighting Koichi for what he lacks and due to his lack of willingness to relinquish his purpose in living up until this point even in the face of information that goes against that purpose. This is a recurring motif across the series that solidifies a certain point loneliness in peoples lives and having our purpose questioned is inevitable but living means constantly evolving and accepting alterations to that purpose as opposed to stubbornly clinging to it because its all youve known refusing to evolve in the process. In that respect the series can be seen as a criticism of fatalism with most antagonists constantly being characters that refuse to evolve or change their purposes and simply accepting that they cannot change and that this is simply the way it has to be while the central leads constantly evolve and progress ever more. 220https://i.ur.com/Ghixyof.png Of particular mention involving that theme is Nozomi who Id argue is easily one of the best female main characters out of a shonen action series. Her purpose in the narrative is at the heart of Lonely Alien and as the series constantly wears down that purpose until she has to find a new one she increasingly slides into selfisolation and attempts to be a martyr for a cause that no longer is relevant to the world she lives in in the context of the plot. Her character arc is a journey of selfdiscovery where she tries to find a place to call home in replacement to what she no longer has and needless to say parts of it are unpleasant to anyone that had a place to call home or a person to entrust but were let down by that place no longer existing. And yet in spite of that angst in her character arc is kept to a minimum and Koichi serves as an excellent catalyst to give her a new place to call home and a new person that she can entrust. Nozomi is childish to a fault yet also jaded and weary of having anyone come close to her being absolutely terrified of losing ever more people. She wants a new place to belong over the course of the story and constantly attempts to bridge closer to Koichi but bridges herself away from him over the course of the series sliding into guilt as well as selfloathing over the constant fights Koichi and her end up embroiled in and getting hurt from accusing herself more of being the reason why hes constantly in danger while also simply being scared of just losing him. This conflict would not work as well without the slice of life segments of the series which increasingly show her romantic development with Koichi as well as show off differring sides of who she is emphasizing her willingness to live a happy life while being conflicted about the task she has been left with to commit. 220https://i.ur.com/NBzYlq1.png Nozomi and Koichis romance is yet another element at the heart of Lonely Alien and easily one of the most memorable parts of the series with both characters motivations seemingly starting in quiet conflict with each other only to intertwine Koichi wanting to return to his otherwise peaceful life while Nozomi wants excitement for its own sake and more battles against the aliens acting as a blood knight of sorts externally. This increasingly changes as both characters grow attached to each other and kicks into stage with Nozomi wanting to continue fighting against the aliens on her own and being unwilling to drag Koichi to battle while Koichi wants to help her as to ease her loneliness and take a more active role both in their relationship and in the fighting. The two character arcs are tied together and their fight against aliens that desire to destroy the world is portrayed less as them saving the world for its own sake and more them desiring to protect the place theyve grown to call home Nozomi finding such a place in Koichi and Koichi finding such a place in Nozomi to the point where he grows to see the bus that Nozomi normally lives in on her own in a desolate field as a second home in and of itself yet one where hed refuse to allow Nozomi to live on her own. This lack of a place to call home contrasts with Koichi who lost his parents at a young age and both him and his brother have been attempting to construct a place to call home in their grandfathers house and serves to thematically tie both characters together. Their development is dynamic natural and subtle and their chemistry Id argue is simply one of the best romances out of a shonen. 220https://i.ur.com/ZBwTWEM.png This analysis extends to much of the rest of the cast who similarly grapple with different variations of loneliness as well as desiring a place to call home. Ayla desires to find a place to call home due to her lack of coherent identity as well as her mixed feelings on her destined role in the narrative Nagi much like Koichi is similarly desperately trying to find a new place to call home but unlike Koichi who outgrows this also desires revenge against those who killed their parents so many years ago. Maya desires to continue her one woman rampage against the world for losing everything and Orbelios King who seeks to revive his lost love quite literally and would spare no cost in doing so. Through these characters different kinds of loneliness are explored the loneliness of being loved but watching as the person you love slowly becomes a worse person the loneliness of having nowhere to belong due to having several places of origin having nowhere to call home at all fighting for a cause that has long been lost simply because it grants purpose the cruel destiny of being left to the waves of time and the loneliness of losing those you love and watching as the series dives into the psyches of all these various characters and how such loneliness can warp anyone. This isnt to say other themes dont exist how relationships would change due to advancing technology as well as environmentalist elements are also briefly discussed but the core of the narrative is through emphasizing the alienation these characters feel and their desperate attempts to either distract themselves from said alienation or actively find a new place to belong. This extends to how this series contrasts characters with each other as its considerably more subtle in how it portrays interpersonal dynamics between this cast and foils often arise naturally as a result of conflict that was foreshadowed much earlier in the series. 220https://i.ur.com/bowRerN.png The plot acts as a natural extension of the series with the series often using comedy and slice of life moments to set up who the characters often are as people outside of the context of the plot giving further insight not only into their actions but also into why they act the way they do. Plot elements are foreshadowed well in advance before events happen and nothing genuinely comes out of left field this is especially noteworthy during a reread where many details that appear sudden like certain elements that may appear introduced in the finale actually were cleverly lampshaded in the plot earlier. In a series noteworthy for its conflict and internal struggle some of the most memorable moments were represented by quiet pages where characters confront each other naturally and try to understand and empathize with the other. Nozomi and Koichis relationship in particular through its highs and lows while often presented which much of the drama one has come to expect from shonen romance series is also filled to the brim with absolutely quiet pages where the characters simply look at each other with maximal emphasis on expression and their placement in a scene and less so on dialogue. In a series that spends many words on humor monologues exposition and action this is a creative decision that serves to wonderfully expand on these characters tying together both the romance in the series as well as its plot to each other. 220https://i.ur.com/8kspzc7.png None of this would be as competently done as it is if it wasnt for the series amazing artwork as well as paneling and dialogue which flows extremely naturally. The series uses simple squares and rectangles from various angles for the most part with spacing evenly laid out across the page for ease of reading. This makes reading the manga a joy and the manga as a whole easy to marathon inspite of its dialogueheavy nature with the series extensively taking advantage of the medium to portray facial expressions character body language as well as massive use of backgrounds to emphasize the particular tone of a given scene. Characters would often be drawn in a crowded street yet reading the page would emphasize their loneliness due to the introspective nature of the manga and by extension much of the cast whichd emphasize that even when surrounded by so many people and seemingly getting along with society at large these characters dont stop feeling pain or alienation from people around them. As such the series does an exceptional job tying its artwork to its themes plot and cast to say nothing of how beautifully the series handles its backgrounds and action scenes. Detailed aliens backgrounds with minor details that most mangaka would not draw due to time constraints houses and character designs are scattered across this manga to say nothing of how action scenes are fluid and welldrawn evoking well both the tension of a given scene as well as simply being absolutely beautiful to look at. 220https://i.ur.com/iZw33j9.png And yet the motif that often comes to mind when thinking of this manga is the constant use of height and placement between characters to symbolize the difference between them with particular frames like these coming to mind: 220https://i.ur.com/tgPwLql.png 220https://i.ur.com/LRKpJZ9.png 220https://i.ur.com/zssayyk.png In conclusion Lonely Alien is a series that is at once humorous laidback and easygoing and yet is also a series that highlights how the illusion of comradery and closeness can perhaps be more alienating than complete loneliness. It is a series that is masterful in handling tone with a cast of memorable characters a phenomenally written romance gorgeous artwork a solid plot and themes that are very wellhandled relatable to anyone that ever felt completely isolated and more than anything explored to the utmost extent that the series could manage. Its the epitome of an underrated masterpiece and everything someone that desires in a shonen action romance series could possibly want. More than anything this series is uplifting and romantic in both the colloquial and adventurous sense of the word with both main characters overcoming their past scars and alienation to love each other and through each other the world in general and finally finding such a place being a series that is at once optimistic while never letting its idealism detract from the seriousness of the topics it discusses having a sense of balance that is at once subtle while also managing to balance everything it seeks out to explore with ease. 220https://i.ur.com/HeLEdxf.png I cannot recommend this series highly enough and I await Maiko Ogawas next work with bated breath. Thank you very much for reading.