Spirit Circle
a review by sadJoe
a review by sadJoe
Reincarnation is a concept that has accompanied human thought throughout the ages. Particularly within the dharma of Buddhism, the idea that all of life is in a constant cycle of death & rebirth is the norm. Not only is all of life intertwined and somehow connected according to this line of thinking, but each being finds itself caught up in an transcosmos railroad where each soul migrates, in attempt to be reborn in its next life.
...you're a middle school student. You show up at school for an ordinary day, and there is a new student who has transferred to your class today. They're beautiful; you take a liking to them. After numerous attempts to befriend them, you realize that nothing is working because they seem to not like you. Not only that, but it is almost as if they behave as if they already know who you are. What would you do if that person later revealed to you that you had encountered each other in a past life before? Not only that, but perhaps you'd encountered them throughout multiple past lives in the course of a number of different timelines?
This is the fate that "Spirit Circle's" protagonist has been given. These are the cards that have been dealt to Fuuta Okeya.
Fuuta's encounter with Kouko Ishigami, a girl who seems to hate his guts, sends him headfirst into an ambiguous realm of rebirth. She is one who claims to be hellbent on revenge, yet he remains in ignorance as to why this is the case. I do not wish to spoil any of the story, so I will only say that as a result of this encounter, he is forced to acknowledge the footsteps of his own soul. Due to this predestined encounter with a pretty classmate, one whom he has "never met before," Okeya travels upon heaven's river to get a look into the past of his soul on the flat circle of time.
This was an incredibly captivating story, from start to finish. There was never really a weak point, neither in terms of plot progression nor in how the narrative maintained congruity with the several different events taking place within the various timelines. Everything maintained connection. The mangaka knew what he was doing. He didn't leave any loose ends; no stone was left unturned. The relationships within the story are all cohesive, and there didn't ever seem to be an event which took place by chance. I really liked how the past, present, and future are presented and tied together within "Spirit Circle."
There are a great many of people that would be able to find something of worth in this story. The mangaka develops the moral of his tale without dancing around the point. His main character is dynamic, and he is incredibly human. I never cringed at anything that he did or said. I feel like this is somewhat of a rare commodity. Especially when it comes to a story of this nature, it wouldn't be unexpected of a character to lash out in some sort of edgy fits of hysteria.
"Spirit Circle" maintained its pace and kept me engaged throughout. This is a genuine story, one which encourages us to "turn the page"--both, in reading this manga and our daily lives. Learning how to let go of the past and begin anew is a lesson that we can all reap the benefits from. Bearing grudges only hurts, not only ourselves, but those closest to as well. This manga shows us that anyone at any point in time has the potential to destroy or save the world and those around them. Truly, "forgiveness is the power of salvation that restores all to as it should be."
A moving tale with the potential to benefit and be an encouragement to many in our troubling times. Even though it may be impossible to fix the past or make up for old mistakes, it is never too late to begin again. As long as we are still alive and breathing, "it all starts now."
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