Utsuro No Hako To Zero no Maria Volume 1

The Empty Box & The Zeroth Maria Volume 1

Source: http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Utsuro_no_Hako_to_Zero_no_Maria

 Summary

Kazuki Hoshino, a typical everyday boy who is madly attached to everyday life.

Aya Otonashi, A strange transfer student who declares war upon entering the classroom for her 13, 118th time.

In this bedlam of repeated March 2nd & intrigue Kazuki tried to find out the source of intense déjà vu and the secrets of the “Box” Aya wishes to retrieve from him.

What is the truth behind the Rejecting Classroom. How does one operate the box? Who is the owner? What does the person who so calmly oversees corpses by trucks want?

Oh, don’t forget the confessions and confusion of overwritten and amplified feelings through the thousands of loops to add a spin.

Interpretation

I found the First Volume to be quite gripping. Though at first it was a little confusing with the perspective going backwards & forwards, adding PoV switches for different parts. After getting used to that element I found myself becoming hooked!

It’s the sort of story which gives you lampshades and foreshadows such that once you actually see what happened one of the first instincts is to go back to that lamp and go over it again looking for anything you missed and trying to guess what will happen next.

Some stories can become so predictable. But this one gives you enough information to make conclusions but leaves out enough to give them room to tear your predictions to pieces as you and the protagonist realise they missed something very critical.

I personally convinced myself out of the right answer multiple times only to revisit it and discard it again. But once the blindfold was fully removed, things simply made sense.

Long story short: I was in suspense for more than 3/4 of the book. I will be reading the next one NOW!

As far as a score goes, I’ll give it an 8/10 because like I said, Though some parts take a little to make sense and the incongruous time line provides a small hurdle; I feel the absolute need to find out what happens next 😉

Final Score: 8/10

~Kanshisha13