Howdy,
Elves, Elves everywhere. Chapter 131 can now be found over at:
http://www.cafealpha.org/
Be sure to say thanks to those elves.
Best,
Dave
- dDave
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Thanks to the elves :)
That was fast.
The first thing, that came to my mind when i read 131 was......."Oh my god, makki-chan has really grown up"...
i am planning to reread all chapters, i forgot too many things like how old makki-chan is etc.
- ykk_fan
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
WOW!
Ashinano's gone and done it to all of us, hasn't he? Went and grew-up that rambunctious little girl who played with the sand fleas. And by having her just drop in on Alpha (and us) so suddenly, we come to realize just how much time has passed...
Now WE can feel as Alpha feels about aging... or not, as the case may be.
Its all said in the last two panels. Powerful stuff.
Many MANY thanks to the hard working Elves bringing this arc to us so quickly! A LOT is coming together right now and its a real joy to be able to follow along in such rapid sucession.
GREAT job!
- Darin~
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
time just fastforward . i feel very sad for alpha. from this chapter alpha look like things be forgotten .i wonder if this mean that the end of YKK is coming near
- charles C
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Words fail me.......
I can't believe that the girl in chapter 126
http://www.cafealpha.org/ch126/2.html
is this woman
http://www.cafealpha.org/ch131/6.html
What a leap.... and it sounds like some kind of closure too
- DavidF
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Life goes by but she stays. How sad.
- tongHoAnh
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
It had been my impression that YKK had been going on with a steady pace from right from the start. But the recent developments of the story seem to be accelerating the plot at an unusual speed. Maybe they are for foreshadowing some major events or plot twists?
It would certainly be terrible if we end up seeing Makki as old as Sensei by chapter 200 (^_^;; ). I don't want to see YKK to rush for a closure, though.
I also feel sorry for Alpha. It must be very bitter for her to see close friends that grew up with her end up leaving her one by one. And there seems to be no news or update of Owner too...
- Doraneko
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Wow.
No matter how much things stay the same, they still change. And vice versa.
After all of the emphasis on Alpha's growth and exploration, it seems that she's been content to be static while the world changes around her. Maybe this'll shock her into motion again.
And doesn't Makki look great?
- El Gonzo
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
And bless you, elves.
- El Gonzo
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Yes, bless the elves! Thank you for another great chapter.
Things do seem to be suddenly in motion for Alpha, or at least for the world around her...
- Silverback
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Whoa, time certainly has gone by in Alpha's world, it seems. Like others here, I hardly know what to say. More applause to the elves for such speedy work!
- Smarasderagd
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
THANKS ELVES
- Woo
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Ah...thanks for the new chap,elves!!
Now for the finer points...
I see maki's uniform looks somewhat like alpha's(although wearing a skirt instead of slacks...)
What's her work anyways?
- Ryo Hakusho
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Thanks a lot.
The story is surely beginning to skip time. How sad. Several years have passed in just 2 or 3 chapters. Where the pace of earlier stories have gone....
- Drake
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
"What's her work, anyways?"
She seems to be a delivery person working for the same firm as Kokone.
- El Gonzo
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
\(^ o ^)/ Thanks.
- painsama
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Thank you, Elves, very much. You're doing excellent work, as always. Every chapter makes me love this story more and more.
I think the most extraordinary aspect of this particular chapter is that Ashinano didn't forewarn us about it, except for Alpha's comment last chapter that everyone's moving away. He's always shown us the farewells before, and in great detail. But not this time.
Makki-chan is quickly turning into the most interesting character in the story. I hope she stays a central focus of YKK for a while, instead of dropping out like Takahiro. But then again, Ashinano may have something in store for Takahiro down the road.
Makki-chan looks good now, doesn't she? Earrings, a new hairstyle (but she's still got that dorsal fin on top), and she looks good in a skirt. She's even got a figure now. We're going to have to start calling her Makki-san soon.
You were right that reading 131 gives more meaning to 133. The various relationships we see in 133 take on a whole new perspective. So just how old is Makki-chan, now?
- martialstax
Thursday, September 8, 2005
Many thanks to the elves for providing our fix of YKK. I'd hate to be missing the latest chapters these days, YKK is really shaping up dramatically!
- PC
Thursday, September 8, 2005
Makki's uniform is the same as Kokone's.
- tongHoAnh
Thursday, September 8, 2005
Thanks elves!
Alpha's getting pretty lonely there :/
- Brad
Thursday, September 8, 2005
>>Posted by martialstax:
Makki-chan looks good now, doesn't she? Earrings, a new hairstyle (but she's still got that dorsal fin on top), and she looks good in a skirt. She's even got a figure now. We're going to have to start calling her Makki-san soon.
You were right that reading 131 gives more meaning to 133. The various relationships we see in 133 take on a whole new perspective. So just how old is Makki-chan, now?<<
Something tells me that Ashinano is playing Makki for all of the sex-appeal he can in that first frame of her in order to get maximum impact.
I'd say she might be in the 12-14 year range at this point, which in agrarian society isn't really underage to start working... there also is a long history of 14yr olds being the point of attraction in Japanese manga. As this story plays out, being in her uniform, Makki DOES look much matured over her self as she worked with Alpha in ch126, but it's not uncommon for kids to suddenly "grow-up" over a summer, getting taller and blossoming... in the later panels as she gets back into the car, Makki begins to look a bit softer and younger, especially as she's depicted standing next to Alpha showing her relative size.
Even if Ashinano jumped a year or more on the timeline, I'd say that Makki is 16 tops and it's a purposeful drawing style being used to effect that is giving her a more mature countenence.
- Darin~
Thursday, September 8, 2005
Howdy,
My take on it is that with chapter 131, Ashinano sensei has jumped the timeline several years at the least. Not only can Makki drive, but she has moved away from home to work in Musashino. In addition, take a look at the relative heights:
http://cafealpha.org/ch119/1.html
http://cafealpha.org/ch131/12.html
Your point about 14 year olds is well taken, but Afternoon is aimed at an older audience. There's no real way to know without Ashinano sensei coming out and stating it, but my guess is that Makki-chan is now about 18.
Best,
Dave
- dDave
Thursday, September 8, 2005
What a nostalgic chapter!
Does Makki now carry a gun, like Kokone and Alpha?
If Alpha gets a messenger job too, would she be able to defend herself, like Kokone?
Messenger jobs must pay pretty good, for Makki to have a car, even if she got it cheap from Maruko. Kokone doesn't seem that rich, so do they pay robots less?
- Kerry
Thursday, September 8, 2005
Alpha and Kokone having (and not being afraid to use) guns makes me think that they were probably programmed to defend themselves as a result of the Disruptions, or maybe as valuable property. Makki might have one as a result of her job, or might not.
- El Gonzo
Thursday, September 8, 2005
At first I thought "Wow! What a time jump...". But then I looked at the chapter numbers and realized that nearly half a year of "our time" was between chapter 126 and 131.
Ashinano made a time jump, but he tried to stretch it over some chapters. The fast forward impression is not completely his fault. It's more because of the current release speed of the elves (Thanks again!), who are trying to put us up to date after a long time without translations.
Not that I'm complaining about this...
- Beaker
Thursday, September 8, 2005
It would surprise me a lot if Makki carried a gun, since the only two guns we have seen so far have been Alpha's and Kokone's, IIRC.
How old is Makki now? Hmm, the Typhoon was 6 years ago in chapter 62. That's pretty close to 12 chapters per "year" just like real life. Makki first told us her age as eleven in chapter 87. So I will guess 15-ish.
- Silverback
Thursday, September 8, 2005
A year ago I would have agreed with y'all that there's a time jump here - but I happen to be the father of a girl who has just started high school. From this experience, I can tell you that the kind of transition we've seen Makki go through is pretty damn close to instantaneous.
The surprise you are feeling watching Makki over the last several chapters is much like my surprise watching my daughter over the last several months. I think Ashinano-sensei has hit it right on the head here, which is what I've come to expect of him.
Thanks muchly to the elves for this, as always, your efforts are greatly appreciated.
- Derek
Thursday, September 8, 2005
from Typhoon in chapter 62 until now 7 years had pass( 1 year for holiday walking around + 6 years rebuild the cafe
- charles C
Thursday, September 8, 2005
Silverback: Actually, there were a couple of hunters who passed by the Cafe and they were packing. It was a throwaway moment though, and I don't remember what chapter it was in.
- Phull Gonzeau
Thursday, September 8, 2005
Howdy,
The scene you mean is:
http://ykk.misago.org/Volume5/158
I'm pretty sure that they are fishermen and not hunters.
Best,
Dave
- dDave
Thursday, September 8, 2005
It was my understanding that the manga tends to follow the pace of the reader's lives-- 1 year / 12 chapters approx = 1 year in "real time"..... Is that not true, in a nutshell?? So that we'd have approx 10-11 years passing since the beginning ?
I know nothing is set in stone, but we do see Takahiro grow up, over what would seem to be about a span of 8-10 years or so, by the time he leaves.
Also, if the math is correct from CharlesC's earlier post (1 year wandering after typhoon + 6 to rebuild the shop, both of which seem pretty clear from earlier chapters) then that would mean 7 years have passed since the typhoon-- then with Maki saying she's 11 in chap 87 (approx 2 years after the typhoon)-- that would make her about 16 right now.... 11+ (7-2)= 16. (<--- algebra, hahaha-- been _years_ since I did something like that) That fits, in my mind. There's a pretty wide range of "development" by 16, but Maki looking like that isn't so far fetched to me (also, many teenage girls attempt to make themselvse look older, which would fit Makki for me....) .
Finally, it would seem really odd to me for there to be a 2-3 year time jump over the course of only 5 or 6 chapters, when Ashinano doesn't note it in the manga itself, and he's never done that, even once, over the course of all the previous 120 chapters. That just doesn't make sense to me-- both in regards to the feel of the manga, and the style of storytelling Ashinano has shone us so far. ..... To each their own, but the hypothesis about her "blooming" at the age of 16 seems the most likely in my opinion.
- Steve Berry
Thursday, September 8, 2005
She started driving quite early, I guess.
- tongHoAnh
Friday, September 9, 2005
"She started driving quite early, I guess."
I get the feeling that the government is highly decentralized by now. It's clear that several of the old laws aren't enforced any more. Private guns are now allowed. Helmets aren't required to ride motorcycles. So I wouldn't be surprised if Makki started riding Alpha's scooter when she was only 13 or 14, and learning to drive at the same time.
- martialstax
Friday, September 9, 2005
Another amazing release, thank you so much for all your hard work, elves!
Heh, I wound up getting distracted yesterday while downloading the chapter pages, and when I started reading today I thought it ended at page 11.... a bit of a different slant, but in the end, kinda not.
Oh, for those interested, the text on the right side of page 2 is approximately:
"A windy day. An unexpected visitor...."
A quiet introduction for such a dynamic chapter.
-S59
- Speaker59
Friday, September 9, 2005
Dave,
You're right. They're fishing poles. I stand corrected.
- El Gonzo
Friday, September 9, 2005
Howdy,
The text on page two was added by the editors of Afternoon, which is why the elves didn't bother with it.
Best,
Dave
- dDave
Friday, September 9, 2005
I also truly appreciate the hard work that Neil (I never thanked him while he actively translated and posted chapters), dDave and all of the elves out there have put into bringing us this manga. I enjoy YKK so much and it’s great that there is a community out there that will work together to make this amazing manga available to those of us lucky enough to find sites like this. With the increased pace of posting chapters as we get up to date, I visit every night. Domo Arigato gozaimasu!
- M3K
Friday, September 9, 2005
Thank you Elves!
I don't recall ever getting any info on Makki's parents. Did I miss it or are we to conclude that she is an orphen?
- outsideking
Friday, September 9, 2005
Howdy,
While we have never been told that these are Makki's parents, it seems to be a pretty fair guess that they are.
http://ykk.misago.org/Volume4/8.html
http://ykk.misago.org/Afternoon2002/143
They tutored Takahiro, and it's likely that is why he and Makki met.
Best,
Dave
- dDave
Friday, September 9, 2005
Howdy,
I just got to read chapter 134. The chapter has evidence of a three year (at least) jump in time.
With the pace that the elves have been working, you should be able to read for yourself in about a week or so.
Best,
Dave
- dDave
Friday, September 9, 2005
> The surprise you are feeling watching Makki over the last several chapters is much like my surprise watching my daughter over the last several months. I think Ashinano-sensei has hit it right on the head here, which is what I've come to expect of him.
Well, having recently met the daughter of a friend that I hadn't seen for a while (maybe a year or so? I forget) I can relate to that. The little girl I remember is long gone now, and it only felt like yesterday when I last saw her to be honest...
- PC
Saturday, September 10, 2005
I think the man and woman who live with Makki are who she calls "aunt and uncle" [a2004, 41].
-- kGo
- Kimoto Go
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Firstly, HUGE thanks to the elves for the latest chapters!!!
I noticed that the kids who venture out seem to follow what few career fields that Alpha had encountered. Takahiro with aeronautics and Makki with deliveries.
I guess that the future doesn't offer (or has no need for) any lavish or distinct jobs like big business, entertainment, or government.
Then again, maybe Ashinano-san understands that our current lives tend to be preoccupied with these "job titles." So maybe that's why the YKK world takes on a more simple and even tribal mentality of making a living, or even "working" for a living at all! Sorry Alpha. ;)
- Glen Hwang
Saturday, September 10, 2005
>The text on page two was added by the editors of Afternoon, which is why the elves didn't bother with it.
Ah, I though it was only the cover-page text that Afternoon added. Thanks, dDave.
>Then again, maybe Ashinano-san understands that our current lives tend to be preoccupied with these "job titles."
I think this is the key -- I'm sure there are larger cities left where people are continuing to make a living, and there may well be a 'rest of the world' to support the old big businesses, but mostly these were prevalent in large cities, and those tended to be in places that were highly accessible, usually near water. If the water levels have risen this much, bigger enterprises may well have had to move deeper inland. Much of the audience is likely in currently urban areas which are under water in YKK's future, making even more of a contrast -- "The place you work every day could be a very different one."
I don't mean to put words in Ashinano-sensei's mouth or on his pages (I'll leave that to the Elves) but this is what I'm getting from the series....
--S59
- Speaker59
Monday, September 12, 2005
Dave, when you say chapter 134 shows a three year jump in time, do you mean from 133 or another point? I'm still waiting for my copy of Afternoon to make it in at Kinokuniya in Seattle
- martialstax
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Howdy,
I'll email you.
Best,
Dave
- dDave
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Make sure it's to martialstax at gmail dot com. Thanks.
- martialstax
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
In my opinion Makki is older than 16 for three reasons: she looks a lot different from how she recently looked when working at cafe alpha, she was able to get a job and then save enough money to buy the car, and the weathervane fish now has the propeller on the back!
That last reason is kinda silly but Ashinano-sensei must have done that for a very big reason, I'm guessing it's to show a lot of time has passed. I wouldn't be surprised if it's something bigger than that though... it's been an icon of YKK for a looooooooong time now, even up to chapter 130, and Ashinano-sensei drew it more than once this chapter.
It's the one thing I'm pondering most about this chapter, what do y'all think?
-k
- Kempis Curious
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
I was thinking... how you can measure the passing of the time if nothing around changes?
If the robots do not age, and the seasons keep returning once and again, identical to each other, it can not be told which year is which, something that happens to prisioners and castaways.... and maybe Ashinano is illustrating that effect, because, as readers, we cannot tell how much time is passed between chapters... and Alpha does not seem to own a calendar...
As inmortal beings, when the humanity had disappeared, the robots could be living in a time without time, so to say.
Returning to chapter 131, I believe that Ashinano has played with our perceptions and our knowledge of YKK.
In chapter 130, the road seemed clear, we had been left with a definite timeframe, Alpha seemed about to take some important decisition and Makki's goodbye had to be one of the incoming chapters.
And there it comes chapter 131, where everything seems normal, and it will maybe another chapter about alpha musings, perhaps hinting at what the readers are hoping to happen... except that it appears a car everybody knows, and of course it has to be another Maruko chapter... only that we have not seen before the person who he gets into the coffe shop.
Till we realise and the shock is served... because it can't be...
There is also a question that worries me. What happened to Alpha's desire of not being alone?
If we accept the several year gap, there has been two moments in the chapter that must have been quite painful to Alpha
First, at http://www.cafealpha.org/ch131/8.html, (and Alpha's face is quite telling) when he learns that Makki is often with Kokone... and she is not...
Second, at http://www.cafealpha.org/ch131/13.html, when we learn that Makki keeps in touch with Takahiro... while Alpha does not...
Somehow, Alpha, like Director Alpha, seems to have being left behind.
I fear that, for example, Kokone have become less and less dependent of Alpha, as chapter 129 seemed to imply... and it is intriguing too, that when Alpha tells Ojisan about the people she misses or will miss... she does not mention Kokone...
Only some useless musings while waiting for a new chapter.
- DavidF
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
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