Land of the Blindfolded
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| Land of the Blindfolded | |
|---|---|
| 目隠しの国 (Mekakushi No Kuni) |
|
| Genre | shōjo, romance, supernatural |
| Manga: Land of the Blindfolded, Mekakushi No Kuni | |
| Authored by | Tsukuba Sakura |
| Publisher |  Hakusensha CMX Manga |
| Serialized in | LaLa |
| Original run | 1998 – 2004 |
| No. of volumes | 9 |
Land of the Blindfolded is a manga by mangaka Tsukuba Sakura. It had been published in America by DC Comics. Was originally presented in LaLa DX magazine from Hakusensha between 1998 to 2004.
[edit] Plot
Land Of The Blindfolded is a manga about a girl named Kanade Outsuka who can sometimes see the future when she touches someone or something. She meets a boy named Arou Naitou who can see the past, and Namiki Masahiro who can also see the future. She often explains the situation by saying that it is as if everyone is "blindfolded" (unable to see either the past or the future) and she and her friends have defective blindfolds that "slip" sometimes (they are able to see the past or the future when they touch a person or object). Thus, Kanade lives in a "Land of the Blindfolded".
Kanade, Arou, and Namiki must live in a world, where society might not accept them if their secret is ever let loose among people other than their friends. On several occasions, people learn about their secret (the school doctor, people from Arou's middle school, family members), with varying results. For example, Arou's classmates from middle school react negatively, distressing him, while another classmate of his attempts to use Arou's talent for the benefit of society.
Land of the Blindfolded is written by Tsukuba Sakura, and is published in English by CMX Manga. It is rated E for Everyone and considered to be "drama" by CMX Manga.
[edit] Characters
Kanade Outsuka Cheerful and kind, Kanade does not always consider the consequences of her actions when she tries to change the outcome of her visions, often at the expense of her own safety (for example, trying to save her ex-firefighter grandfather from dying in a burning building as a young child). She can see the future once in a while. Kanade and Arou are a couple by the beginning of Volume 2 of the manga, with Arou confessing that he really likes her at the very end of Volume 1. Kanade loves Arou's cooking (as well as Arou himself) and they have many romantic moments together. Kanade has a platonic relationship with Namiki. She is called Kanade-chan by her friends and Outsuka by her teachers.
Arou Naitou: He lost his mother a while ago, and always blamed himself. He lives with his father who is rarely at home, but they love each other all the same. An accomplished cook, Arou makes lunch for Kanade (and Namiki, the uninvited guest), who often mourns the fact that her cooking "wouldn't hold a candle to his". Shy and introverted, Arou opens up to no one but Kanade (and Namiki, his romantic rival with whom he often argues). Although Arou is quite popular and could easily go out with any girl in the school, he would never choose any of them over Kanade because Kanade is always able to cheer him up no matter how depressed or unhappy he is. Called Arou-kun by his friends. Even though he and Namiki fight a lot, they actually really care about each other.
Namiki Masahiro: Shunned by everyone because of his powers (including his parents and brother) he runs away and finds himself a job. Only his manager knows his secret, and they seem to really like each other and get along. Namiki is also very intelligent, and transferred from a very prestigious high school to go to Kanade and Arou's less prestigious school. Needless to say, he is at the top of his class. Once Namiki met Kanade, he realized that his powers could (and, arguably, should) be used for non-selfish reasons. He, like Arou, often worries about Kanade putting herself in danger to save other. In fact, he and Kanade meet when Kanade stops a man from crossing the street and getting hit by a car and he, unaware of the injury he has just avoided, tries to hit her only to be stopped by Namiki. He even got a dog (who is often central to the plot and to Namiki's development as a person) and a pet turtle. Namiki is rude and somewhat selfish, but he is really kind deep down inside, and he has an unrequited love for Kanade. Called Namiki-san by his friends.
Eri: Kanade's best friend since about Grade 6. She is madly in love with Ezawa, and tries to change her personality to please him before Kanade convinces her that she should be true to herself. Not the best cook, Eri nonetheless tries to improve such domestic skills to please Ezawa, with varying success. Eri respects Kanade and Arou's powers. She does not yet know about Namiki's. Known as Eri-chan.
Ezawa: Eri's somewhat loyal boyfriend, Ezawa never lacks for attention from girls. His heart was softened by Eri. It's hard to read what he's thinking. Although he is invariably (and sometimes brutally) truthful, going to so far as to tell Eri with complete honesty how bad her cooking is, he nonetheless reveals his sentimental side by eating her less than appetizing cooking simply because she made it for him. Not much is known about him. Known as Ezawa-kun.
Sou: Arou's uncle, he can see the past as well, and he's determined to show Arou the truth about his mother. He's VERY mysterious.
Sanae: Arou's kind, yet sick mother. Now dead, not much is known about her. It is apparent from flashbacks that she and Arou were very close, and that she knew about his power.
Kaicho: Student council leader. She's pretty, smart, and loves Arou. Often seen helping out around the school, it is obvious that she has an enormous workload, and that she has a well-hidden sentimental side. But after being kindly rejected (after much agonizing by Kanade, who sees her confessing to Arou in a vision), becomes good friends with Namiki, and develops a crush on him. It is unknown whether he feels the same way, but it is very doubtful that he loves her. Kaicho is not her name, but her title.
