All aboard a claustrophobic ship, a man silently suffers from heartbreak. His mind aimless, his soul shattered - it does not matter where this ship sets sail towards, only that it goes somewhere, anywhere. The sky is a milky midnight blue. Mystery shrouds the air. It is here that our main character meets a wanderer that rocks his world.
"Who is she?" he wonders. Enveloped in cigarette smoke, buzzed from a few pints of amber brew. Freckled, hands in the pockets of her worn-out jeans. An intoxicating presence. Our main character sneaks a few glances at her when she's not looking. Who can blame him?
There's a tendency among manga authors to portray badass women as cold and standoffish, but Emanon is the opposite. She is friendly and receptive. She listens to your stories and ramblings with an open mind. She doesn't avoid your questions, she simply decides not to answer them. Every once in a while, she flashes you an enigmatic smile. Basically, she's cool as shit.
What truly makes Emanon a great character, though, is how down-to-earth she is. She's wise beyond her years, and yet, she's still trying to figure out her purpose in this dusty old world, just like you and me. Her existence is an everlasting sorrow - she's forced to shoulder a burden that no one else can bear. Despite that, she does not curse her life - she only seeks to understand it.
Reading "Memories of Emanon" brought me solace. I found comfort in knowing that somewhere out there, there are people twice as smart as I am, twice as successful as I am, that are also feeling lost in life - other "Emanon"s, if you will. And so, in search of that purpose, we continue to wander through life. Because to wander is to belong.
