Sunadokei

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Suna-dokei, Sunadokei Dei Sanduhr

Japanese: 砂時計

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Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 10

Chapters: 21

Status: Finished

Published: Aug 23, 2003 to Aug 2006

Genres: Award Winning, Romance

Theme: Love Polygon

Demographic: Shoujo

Serialization: Betsucomi

Authors: Ashihara, Hinako (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 8.01¹ (scored by 4,982 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #716²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #1248

Members: 15,580

Favorites: 391

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8.01

Ranked #716Popularity #1248Members 15,580

MangaBetsucomiAshihara, Hinako (Story & Art)

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Volumes: /10

Chapters: /21

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Synopsis

After her parents get divorced, Ann Uekusa and her mother move from Tokyo to rural Shimane. Accustomed to the anonymity of city living, Ann can't get used to the almost overbearing kindness of the people in her mother's hometown. But when personal tragedy strikes, Ann discovers how much she needs that kindness.

(Source: Back Manga Cover/ANN)

Chosen by the American Library Association (ALA) as one of the Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2009. (Vols. 1-3)

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Background

Sunadokei was published in English as Sand Chronicles by VIZ Media under the Shojo Beat imprint from January 1, 2008 to January 4, 2011.

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Characters

Kitamura, Daigo

Main

Uekusa, Ann

Main

Tsukishima, Fuji

Main

Tsukishima, Shiika

Main

Reviews

Feb 26, 2019

pickprooflemon1

Recommended

Maybe they forgot to tag this under psychological genre.

CONTAIN SPOILERS

This manga has a light beginning but things getting super unstable right after her first break up with the boy she thinks he is the everything she needs. The plot has a a lot of emotions development of a girl from 12 turn 30 years old. As I read through the whole thing in a night, I come to understand the whole emotion roller coaster was due to the psychological trauma she had after her mother committed suicide. The more she doesn't want to be like her mother, the more she becomes. The pain ...

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Oct 29, 2013

Sweet_Love

Recommended

Sand Chronicles takes all the usual Shoujo elements together, and cooks it up in a new and refreshing way; it is not full of cliches nor filled with absurd amounts of melodrama that becomes the pitfall of many Shoujo series, and despite some pacing issues throughout the series, it is a well-written character-driven coming of age piece that is recommended for those who enjoy Shoujo manga.

Sand Chornicles' biggest strength is its moving plot. There isn't only one emphasis on one aspect of the story, such as romance (or angst, as the series progresses), and as the story moves through the seasons, it gives a very ... realistic appeal, and the timeline gives plenty of room for interwining stories and character development. Sure, there is romance involved, it is only one aspect of their lives, as it should be. Even though the series is also very event-oriented, it does not have problems such as overcommitting with melodrama or such - events often resulting in the annoyance and frustration of the reader, and its slice-of-life aspect handles this very well.

The characters are also charming. They all fit into the typical character stereotypes, but they are fleshed out enough to make it work, and undergo hefty amounts of development, fitting for a coming of age manga. They all have their own stories to tell, and their stories are not concentrated in specific arcs, but over multiple volumes, which synergizes well with the story's realistic appeal. This makes the series heavily dependent on its pacing, but it is, for the most part, done without major problems. The story also focuses on four main characters, which helps to keep the story interesting and moving, but not too many that it overextends itself.

Despite these general strengths, Sand Chronicles suffers, perhaps inevitably, from its Shoujo roots and its inherent limitations - most strikingly notable being the ending in volume 8, which somewhat expected, still felt very forced. The characters also stem from the usual stereotypes, and while charming, they require a lot of detail that can be overlooked by the casual reader to appreciate their individual appeal. This is for the most part resolved in the spinoffs in volumes 9~10 - which is very well done, but they can be detrimental while reding the main story from volumes 1~8.

As well, the story simply lacks polish in general. It is especially glaring when comparing the spin-offs to the main story, in which the former is of highly better quality than the latter. This is mainly due to some pacing issues and managing the level of drama throughout the story, while some plot devices simply feel forced, such as the events of volume 7 - which was great in concept, but lacking in implementation.

Sand Chronicles is by no means a masterpiece, it's heavy dependence on its Shoujo roots is a testament to that, but it is easily accessible for any Shoujo fan, and in the end, highly enjoyable, which is what really counts. It's not the most original, nor the most polished, but it's well written and fun to read.

Sand Chronicles is a piece with large amounts of potential, and it will be interesting and well worth to anticipate the author's future works.

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Sep 10, 2021

sparkle_sparkle

Mixed Feelings

I loved the beginning, it had what felt like the start of a story with some actual depth and characters that didn't fall completely into stereotypical roles of shojo. But towards the middle it just became so... cliché, so... disappointing. Ann goes back and forth between being utterly and madly in love with Daigo and being depressed about her mother. In the beginning she had other characteristics but midway those two things are all she really is: obsessed or depressed. And the side characters that you got to know in the start of the series are suddenly doing things that make absolutely no sense, and ...

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Poll: Sunadokei Chapter 3 Discussion Mayuka - Sep 14, 2015	2 replies	by Pollomonteros »» Jan 7, 7:38 PM
Poll: Sunadokei Chapter 2 Discussion Mayuka - Sep 14, 2015	1 replies	by Pollomonteros »» Jan 7, 6:49 PM
Poll: Sand Chronicles Chapter 22 Discussion tolkster - Mar 14, 2012	5 replies	by IarIz »» May 1, 2021 4:51 AM
Poll: Sunadokei Chapter 21 Discussion Mayuka - Sep 16, 2015	5 replies	by camilleish »» Aug 20, 2020 9:25 AM
Poll: Sand Chronicles Chapter 1 Discussion kiyomigirl - Feb 20, 2011	5 replies	by tingy »» Sep 25, 2019 11:09 PM

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