Land of the Blindfolded - Sakura Tsukuba

Land of the Blindfolded was initially serialized in LaLa DX magazine from 1998-2004. This fantasy shojo manga tells the story of three protagonists, who each have the ability to see a part of time, whether it be the past or the future.

Synopsis: Kanade Otsuka, a cheerful and kind girl, describes her ability to see the future by relating it to wearing a blindfold that slips every once in a while, allowing her to accidentally see what might be. In high school she meets Arou Naitou, a quiet and talented boy who has the ability to see the past. His ability was once like Kanade's, but through an experience he had, he now sees the past of whatever he touches. Masahiro Namiki, who can see the future at will, is the friend and rival of Arou, vying for Kanade's attention even though he knows the two are a couple. Arou experiences distrust and manipulation from classmates that discover his ability. His sadness and depression are only lifted by Kanade, who understands his feelings and supports him. As Arou delves into his past, Kanade and Namiki are there to bring him back to a happy present.

Review: A simple yet creative story that explores the "what ifs" of the past and present, Land of the Blindfolded has very likable characters that experience the burdens of knowing more than others. The story moves at a leisurely pace which, depending on your attention span, may hinder your ability to retain interest. Despite that, the author has a talent for developing her characters through interactions and flashbacks. The relationship between Arou and Kanade is very sweet and devoted. Namiki's feelings for Kanade are what initiate his friendship, but he eventually becomes allies with Arou and finds another love interest. Tsukuba's designs are simple like her story. The toning isn't over the top, and the pictures are still nice to look at. More attention to detail is put into the characters than the background or anything else, which is what is emphasized in her story anyway. If you haven't read this yet, I highly recommend that you do. It's a touching story with a little bit of magic that leaves the reader happy in the end.

Romance Rating: Cuddly - this series is filled with little moments between Arou and Kanade. Since Arou can see the past with just touching, a stroke on the face can become an intimate moment. Innocent kisses and cuddling are all that's needed to communicate the depth of feelings the couple has for one another.

Media Status: Land of the Blindfolded is published in 9 volumes by CMX in the states.