KIMI TO UCHUU WO ARUKU TAME NI

DESCRIPTION

CAST

CHAPTERS

REVIEWS

• 

  foolserenade

  90/100
  Here's my introduction on this story about neurodiversity, self-acceptance, space & friendship:

  Before I jump straight into the manga, i want to talk about neurodiversity, and slowly introduce the story and its main characters.

  You might be familiar with the terms autism, ADHD, dyslexia. All of these terms fall into one big umbrella term, which is called «neurodiversity». Within this spectrum, we can find «childhood development disorders», e.g. ASD, ADHD, Down Syndrome, Tourette Syndrome, FASDs, learning and language disorders, and more, where neuro-differences are recognised & appreciated as an integral part of the person. This term was first coined to fight stigma and now it's a movement that focuses on supporting neurodivergent people on flourishing their strengths.

  Many people who are neurodivergent struggle in social situations, which can make it hard to find work or maintain one...
  Some neurodivergent individuals struggle in noisy or stressful environments or situations...
  Some get exhausted by social interactions very easily...

  As you can see, neurodivergent people face a lot of adversities in society. They struggle with things that may be easy to accomplish for anyone else. They act differently than the rest. And from here, it's that they get their negative connotations, given by neurotypical folks, of course. While there has been an increase in the advocacy for the rights & the full-integration of neurodivergent people in this neurotypical society, we are yet to see the day were they are treated with the same kind of respect and with equity (vs equality). The reality is that we live in a neurotypical society, where we see anyone who thinks or acts outside the box as "anormal" or "retarded". This discriminating way of thinking is so assimilated in our minds that people, like Kobayashi, are afraid to be perceived as different.

  And this is where meeting other neurodivergent people make the difference!

  For people like Kobayashi, who have lived their entire life hiding their "faults" and shortcomings, faking to be "normal" like the rest, meeting someone who can understand them can be eye-opening. In the manga, we don't have mentions of any official terminology but I don't mind because the truth is that for the majority of people their condition goes undiagnosed for years until they reach adulthood, some never even getting a proper diagnosis. So I'm not expecting kids to know about these terms, especially if no adult has ever brought them to them.

  Anyways, Kobayashi meeting his classmate Uno, who we can perceived as neurodivergent (although it's not - yet - explicitly said in the manga, I think he falls into the ASD) was a life changing moment for Kobayashi.

  After talking with Uno about why he keeps a notebook with him at all times, he founds the motivation to keep trying at his new job, and he learns that some people just need to get creative to achieve their goals. Uno not only inspires Kobayashi to look within himself and accept his fears and negative emotions but also provides Kobayashi with the courage to keep walking forward, to talk that leap into space. But likewise, Kobayashi provides Uno with something he never got to experience: friendship.

  Uno has learned to depend only on himself and has taught himself (with help of his older sister) to manage social settings by his own. But, now, here's Kobayashi offering his help.

  After they become friends, they joined the astronomy club!

  Uno loves space, planets, stars! Kobayashi joined for Uno, but now he is genuinely enjoying the club and learning more about things he never stopped to look closely at (the sky and such). Their friendship grows from here. Sharing interests between friends is something some of us regard as a given. But for Uno who never had anyone to talk about the things he likes (his hyperfixation), hearing from Kobayashi that he wants to join the club with him and learn more about it is something new.

  They both think the other is amazing for doing things the other can't (e.g. Kobayashi thinks it's amazing how Uno can keep up with his studies when he can't concentrate or read well). They both admire and envy something of the other. But it's through these growing emotions that they become closer and help each other. They are patient with each other. They try to be understandable (ofc sometimes it's hard because they have their own way of thinking).

  This is the story about them and their friendship blossoming in the middle of their youth.

  The last manga I read with a neurodivergent protagonist was My Wonderful World (late diagnosed-dyslexic young adult man meets theater) more than a year ago, so you can guess how excited I was when I first found about this manga.

  I was very happy with what I read, and I look forward to continuing reading this amazing story.

  Continue on AniList
• 

  relicsong

  100/100
  A Heartfelt Narrative On Neurodivergence, Friendship & Finding Your Place

  "It's thanks to you that I can walk in space."

  I am someone who, although I love many popular shows, am also looking for diamonds in the rough. I heard about this little gem of a manga via an ecstatic review, and seeing as how it was praised for its depictions of neurodivergence (which, while it is improving overall from my perspective, still needs better representation), I just knew I had to give it a look.

  Oh my goodness, you know the saying "The first chapter had me instantly hooked?" That was me! That was me reading the first chapter!

  In the first chapter, we are introduced to Yamato Kobayashi, a young man who gets along well with others but feels out-of-place sometimes due to the way his mind works (though never explicitly stated, it is highly likely Kobayashi has ADHD). As he has problems remembering tasks and schoolwork, those around him have dismissed him as "lazy" or "stupid", which is far from the case. Sadly, Kobayashi has long believed that he is all of these things.

  Now, enter Keisuke Uno, a new student at Kobayashi's school and our secondary protagonist. Uno is, at all times, 100% Uno. He often wears a big smile on his face, even when nervous. He struggles to know how loud to speak out his sentences. He carries around a small notebook of daily tasks to remember and what to do in social situations. And most of all, he love, LOVES anything to do with outer space. Similar to how (at least in my mind) I saw Kobayashi as someone with ADHD, I instantly noticed that Uno very likely is on the autism spectrum.

  Both students soon realize that, though Kobayashi is more reserved and Uno is more honest, they have both faced similar problems with how those several people around them, even friends and family, have never truly "saw" them. As such, the two strike up a friendship and begin to act as one another's support system. It is not always easy to truly be yourself, without fear, in a world that can judge you for all that you are in the blink of an eye. It is not always easy to stand your ground, especially when your changing world appears to distance yourself from old friends. It is not always easy to remember that you are not alone.

  Yet, Kobayashi and Uno never stray from the other. The first chapter alone shows that in a short time, they are meant to be each other's rock and stay afloat in an environment that may not always know who they are aside from the stereotypes of the "slacker" and the "oddball". They are travelers exploring space in a different way than those around them, but that certainly does not make their journey any less important, especially as they learn how to etch out their own place in the world.

  I have only read the first volume of the manga as of reading this, but I would be SO ecstatic if this gained an anime adaptation. It is such a beautifully written story with an absolutely enormous amount of heart that will make you laugh and cry in the span of a single chapter. I cannot recommend this one enough!

  Continue on AniList

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