James Nicoll Reviews

Ichigo Takano’s¹ 2013 ReCollection is a modern fantasy manga.

Kaneda Katsumi wakes in unfamiliar surroundings. He cannot remember how he came to be where he is. On reflection, Kaneda realizes that he cannot remember anything, including his own name. He is in quite the pickle.

Luckily for Kaneda, God is on hand to help him.

The self-declared God does not look like a traditional God, being a seemingly unremarkable glasses-wearing man. God is armed with information that amnesiac Kaneda lacks, thus is able to nudge Kaneda in the direction God feels most prudent. Kaneda thinks that he should check into a hospital. Thanks to his divine guide’s nagging, Kaneda goes to school instead.

At school, Kaneda learns a number of interesting facts. First, that he is a teacher. Second, nobody else appears to be able to see God, only Kaneda mumbling to himself. Having no better option, Kaneda fakes his way through the day. Amnesia proves no asset when managing a home room full of poorly disciplined, disruptive teens.

More alarming revelations follow. Kaneda is not displeased to learn he has a girlfriend. He is very alarmed to discover she is Toyo, one of his students. Despite God’s firm admonitions to have nothing to do with Toyo, Kaneda meets with Toyo. Not wanting her to be hurt, he admits his amnesia, that he has no memory of her or their shared past. Toyo dismisses this as a weird lie.

Curiously, while Toyo cannot see God, she can hear him. As well, student Shuuji Masaoka can see God. Kaneda has not, it seems, gone bonkers over the stress of dating a student. What has happened is unclear.

~oOo~

The art in this ranges from crude to acceptable, with more effort devoted to pretty girls than to the men. The art does not seem to be as adept as the same creator’s later Orange, which improvement over time isn’t that surprising.

This is James’ alarmed face that Kaneda is dating a student. Toyo appears to be second year, which I think would make her about sixteen or seventeen. On the plus side, almost everyone involved appears to believe this situation is appalling, so it’s not one of those manga. As well, the evidence suggests that Toyo latched onto Kaneda after having known him for a long time and that nothing Kaneda says or does affects her conviction that they are dating. Which is not great but not nearly as bad as a teacher actively creeping on students.

What we do know by the end of the Crunchyroll run is that whatever ​“God” is, he verifiably exists, is invisible and inaudible to most but not all people, can float, is apparently compelled to be Kaneda’s guide and involuntary roommate, and is not much impressed by the teacher. In God’s defense, Kaneda is not impressive. God is further hampered by disinclination to use any divine powers he might have to better Kaneda’s life and character, limiting himself to increasingly annoyed suggestions.

I won’t be following up ReCollection, in part because if I wanted to read about men perving on teens, I could reread Heinlein. The mystery just isn’t that enticing and Kaneda is a particularly annoying hapless nitwit. Also, and this is a real deal killer, aside from the three chapters on Crunchyroll, this doesn’t seem to have been translated into English.

ReCollection is available on Crunchyroll.

1: Ichigo Takano also wrote Orange, reviewed here.