Member Reviews
I am beyond excited to have read this manga as I had previously kept up with the other manga that was by these two authors. Your lie in April was so emotionally moving and when reading this manga as well I was beyond moved, there are some themes such as suicide that is very hard to take in so please read with caution.
The manga starts out as a normal manga should that involves teenagers, the main protagonist and side characters are heading to school, meet up with their other friends from their class and that is when things start getting creepy as you try to figure out along side the characters why these things are happening to them.
The characters and their backstory that has been placed in the first volume keeps you engage and into the story.
It made my heart clenched when seeing what these characters feel and put themselves through and I would love to continue reading this manga as it has captured my full attention.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Kodansha for the opportunity to read this manga.
First of all, trigger warning: this manga deals with teenage suicide.
The manga immediately opens with the suicide of a classmate. Things take an even darker turn, when the classmates suddenly find themselves stuck in school in the middle of a snowstorm. They realize they have all forgotten— who was it who died? This was such a page turner, and reminds me of the Twilight Zone. Depending on how the next volumes go, this could become a horror classic.
Minor gripe: I’m not too fond of the art style and the font that was chosen for the speech bubbles (it’s a rounded font that looks unpolished). But the amazing story had me hooked, so it’s still 4 stars for me. And I definitely want to read the next volume too.
#ASchoolFrozeninTimevolume1 #NetGalley
I just wanted to preface this review with giving a major trigger warning for suicide. It’s the main theme in this manga and is constantly shown and brought up so if you are sensitive to suicide being talked about at all, I would skip this one!
This was so spooky!!! I was a little unsure at first because the art style isn’t my favourite but I quickly grew so enthralled with the story and the characters and the absolutely eerie setting that I grew used to the art!
This is set at a high school during a snowstorm where a group of friends had gone because it is exam day but they quickly discover that the entire school is empty. Upon further investigation, they realize that they are trapped inside and all of the clocks have stopped— at the exact time that a classmate had taken their life three months prior.. a classmate that they can no longer remember.
This was so creepy but in the best possible way. There’s no creepy monsters or prevalent bad guys, there’s just a group of friends, trapped in this school. At least, until they start to go missing, one by one.
I really enjoyed this! I was on the edge of my seat from the moment the plot really got going and I was disappointed when the final page arrived so quickly, I could’ve kept reading volume after volume of this!
If you like manga that have a super eerie, dark setting and plot, I highly recommend this!
4/5 ⭐️
TW: suicide, self-harm, blood.
TW: su**ide,s**f-h*rm
I really liked this one!!It was creepy and mysterious and I needed my lights on to read it
I had trouble connecting with it at first but in the end it didn't matter because I was so intrigued at the story that I had forgotten my previous doubts!
Japanese culture has an emphasis on exam hell and the stresses of school life, to the point where suicide is a legitimate issue in the country. A School Frozen in Time explores this concept as a bunch of high school students are trapped in their high school building with no way out. While they’re trying to make out the situation, a mysterious presence threatens their lives as they get picked off one by one. In the middle of it all is a classmate who has killed themselves… the only problem is nobody remembers who it is. It’s a race against time as the cast has to solve the mystery of their surroundings while not dying from whatever force is with them.
This is probably one of the only manga in which I’ve been turned off by the art style. I know this was originally released in 2008, but it just feels amateurish, with the proportions looking terribly off-model half the time and the character designs feeling unremarkable. The lettering for the speech bubbles isn’t anything to write home about, and it just has an air of unprofessionalism about it. There were multiple instances where my immersion was taken away by how the art looked; it looks like an early 2000s webcomic at times.
This wouldn’t be an issue if the story was good and… it really isn’t. There isn’t too much going on in the first volume, with half of the volume dedicated to the “we really trapped in here, aren’t we?” trope. Nothing wrong with that, but I’m not invested in the characters at all. You have the main nerdy guy who’s concerned with the well-being of the “obviously a final girl” friend, a hot-blooded delinquent, and the like. I didn’t really care for these characters, and by the time someone other than the person at hand bites it, I was treated to a flashback sequence that I don’t think was deserved. It feels like a B-grade horror movie with characters I’m not concerned about.
Wow! What an interesting first volume that keeps the reader guessing from the get-go! I will put a warning here that this series deals heavily with the topic of suicide and self-harm, but I thought it was done well. Six students arrive at school only to find out that no one else is there. At first, they think it was some kind of mistake, like their teacher forgot to tell them that the day was a holiday, but then they discover that they can't leave. The door are mysteriously--supernaturally--closed. Then, time stops. "Do you remember?" is the question written on the chalkboard, but somehow, none of the students do remember who it was that committed suicide three months earlier, even though it was a classmate. The mystery thickens. This is not a series easy to predict as each chapter presents new questions. I liked how the mystery slowly unravels and we get to see the relationships of the students unfold naturally. This is really only just the beginning.
I am intrigued enough by the premise of this one to read further into the series! So many questions stand to be answered and I can't wait to see how things are revealed!
The mistery part was very well done, with all the little clues like the clocks and the photo, but it lost me a bit when it turned bloody
Although <i>A School Frozen in Time</i> mentions ideas of the Looking-Glass World, Doraemon, Stephen King's <i>Langoliers</i>, and the legendary ghost ship <i>Mary Celeste</i>, if there's one story this manga's first volume is likely to bring to mind it's <i>Another</i>. Like in that piece, this features a group of students in the same class who know that one of their classmates is dead, but cannot recall who it is - or even if it's one of them.
As a horror set up, it's remarkably effective, no matter who's telling the story. This one adds to its atmosphere the device of the endless snowy day, which gives the entire, empty school the air of existing in a different time and place, one packed away in cotton wool with the sounds of reality muffled. The idea of being "put away" also works with the theme of time standing still - it's almost certain that what triggers the clock to start again, albeit briefly, is one student moving ahead with something he's kept to himself. Did that cause his death? Or his escape? Is there really anyway to know?
Right now I'm betting that there's more going on than anyone realizes, and that the teacher, who is absent from the school but very present in everyone's minds, has more to do with it. Whatever the case, I'm hooked - and not holding out any that rather than any of the stories mentioned above this isn't actually Jean-Paul Sartre's <i>No Exit</i>.
First off, I applaud the publisher for including contact information regarding suicide prevention at the beginning of the book, since its main plot starter is a student's suicide. This supernatural mystery's setup is like an anxiety nightmare, both in terms of the students getting stuck inside the school in the midst of their examination season and the student who committed suicide being forgotten. The premise seemed interesting enough, and I can see how the author is feeding us little bits of information about the characters and their relationships. (I received a free ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.)
I want to first add a trigger warning as this manga covers suicide. With that being said, I was very impressed that they included the suicide hotline and a warning right in the beginning of the manga. Very well done, as we never know how things may affect people.
The manga begins with someone jumping off the school roof, and then flashes forward to the school’s reopening. It’s then that we meet Mizuki and Takano, as they walk to school. It’s then that we learn it’s been two months since their classmates suicide. We meet two of their friends Sugawara, and Rika as well, I enjoyed love the comedic entry they made.
Once they arrive at school things seem normal until they notice that only a few people from their class are in the building, I personally would have noped my butt right out of there lol! But it is snowing so they assume perhaps that’s why no one has shown up yet. After some goofing around and trying to find anyone, Sugawara tries to break out and that’s when they discover that something isn’t right. Especially when they realize coincidentally that they all can’t remember who committed suicide 2 months ago, it’s as if it’s been wiped from their memories.
I’ve heard people compare this to The Drifting Classroom, they even make reference to it in the manga, which reminds me, I need to read that ASAP! I really enjoyed this manga. I love stories like these, Psychological Thrillers are my weakness, and now to go look for volume 2s release date~
Thank you to The Publisher and Author for allowing me to read this ARC!!
Thank you so much Netgalley and publisher, Kodansha Comics for this early access.
Trigger Warning: suicide, death, and self-harm.
I came for this manga because of Mizuki Tsujimura, the author of Lonely Castle in The Mirror, and for the cover background (read: books), unaware of the possibility of involving in a conundrum world. The setting has a resemblance but A School Frozen in Time is more complex, mysterious, and possibly dangerously nasty.
Even so, I saw many storylines similar to this, and probably what's happening is because of vengeance due to bullying. That's my guess. Nevertheless, I am intrigued to see how is the manga going to progress in the next volume. I need to find out what does “Do You Remember?" really meant? The student's wrongdoings? The happy memories?
TW: Suicide and self harm.
I would give this book ultimate stars if I could. This manga was amazing! I loved it! I am always on the lookout for a horror story that will actually creep me out and boy did this one deliver. My skin was crawling from how creepy this manga was. It's also very emotional with all of the students' stories and life struggles and I almost cried multiple times. This book is a literal emotional rollercoaster and I need more volumes ASAP. This is like "The Breakfast Club" and the anime "Another" all in one.
I want to thank Netgalley, Naoshi Arakawa and Mizuki Tsujimura, and Kodansha Comics for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Before reading this book, I want to give Trigger Warnings for suicide and self-harm.
This manga is really immersive to read. Even in just the first chapter, I did not have a hard time getting into the story. It pulled me in this world and the mystery surrounding it.
The rationality of this book and the characters are on point. Some of the details I was asking was given in a good, blunt, and detailed way. The plot twist is also amazing and fascinating. Even though I already saw it as one of the little possibilities, I am still in shock and in awe of that twist. The mystery going on with the suicide of a student and the connection of it why they are locked in the school is also really intriguing to read.
As for the characters, I love the humor between them. They are an interesting set and gives more interesting addition to the story itself. My only problem with them is that I had a a little hard time getting to know them. Some characters are easy to remember because they are more highlighted from the others. But I think it's understandable because maybe they will be more explored in the later volumes.
Overall, I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars. It was really a fascinating and quick read. The mystery aspect is awesome! I recommend this to everyone who are looking for an intriguing read!
Came for a shoujo novel, but stayed for the Robert Frost reference.
Have you ever read a thriller manga? Well this one was the first for me.
A School Frozen in Time is an amazing horror and thriller manga which will give you chills. The plot is surprisingly good. I liked the art work and style alot.
I wasn't expecting this book to turn out the way it did. It made quite frustrated, especially because of the way the first volume ended. I can't wait to read the next volume.
'A School Frozen in Time' by Mizuki Tsujimura with illustrations by Naoshi Arakawa is a manga about students locked in their school for a mysterious reason.
It's a snowy day at school and eight students find themselves trapped in school with no one else around. The doors and windows won't open, even if brute force is used. Technology won't get outside the school grounds. The students come to realize that maybe one person among them was a student that committed suicide in the past.
I liked this unusual mystery that has a supernatural side to it. Using the quote about dying twice seems to be a key to this story. The art is good too.
I received a review copy of this manga from Kodansha and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.
This was such a promising first volume!!! I am so, so excited to carry this series on wow. I'm honestly just so intrigued to find out everything; how this has been done, why this has been done, and most importantly, by who... It was equally parts interesting and creepy- I adored this volume and definitely recommend to mystery/thriller lovers. My only criticism would be that the art style is a little plain for the horror vibe it is trying to portray- the art is far from bad- just not very thematic.
"A School Frozen in Time" is the manga you want to read if you are in the mood for a scary movie. 8 teens find themselves alone in a school with no explanation or its desertion. Then they realize one of them shouldn’t be standing there with them after having killed themselves a few weeks prior. Unfortunately, no one can remember who nor explain why the clocks stopped. In an effort to figure out what is happening, the group split up in search of answers and, as it always goes in horror stories, someone goes missing.
Within the first chapter, the author sets up reasons for various characters to be the ghost. One student is over-stressed; another has a gambling addiction and probably a complex about his cousin; and a few others have relationship troubles. The author also implies within the first few pages that the inciting incident may not have been suicide! If that’s the case, what happened? What are they supposed to remember? Also, what is so important about our MC? We mostly see from his point of view, but I don’t know that the author has established why yet.
I would also like to note the beauty of the snow. It works as both a great symbol to show how cold the world can be and as a communication wall. Snow is associated with white noise and communication breakdowns. None of the teens can get outside or communicate with anyone from the outside world. It especially works because there is white noise in all their heads, blocking out their memories. Even better, because this is set in Japan, would be if the ghost turned out to be a Yuki-Onna (snow woman). I don’t know if that’s where the story could/would go, but that would be totally cool.
Overall, "A School Frozen in Time" has set itself up wonderfully to tell a great story through moderate background tension, allusions to similar horror stories, fantastic character set-ups, and the symbolism. I am personally looking forward to reading more and would recommend this to all my teens!
"A School Frozen in Time volume 1" is about 8 kids who get locked in their high school by paranormal means, after the death of a fellow student that had committed suicide 2 months earlier. One by one, they are targeted, and yet no one can remember the face or the identity of the person who had died. The suspect that the person who died is one of the people among them.
The suspense is slowly starting to build up! It's a very intriguing read so far, because every character has the potential for being the person who died and a reason why they are unhappy. I can't wait to continue reading the series!
Not really having read the description, and just a quick glance at the book, I thought this was going to be a simple romance-fiction about kids trapped in a school. They'll profess their love, it'll be cutesy, the end, right? Nope!
The story takes place in a high school with eight students, eventually joining together to find that no one else is this the building. People can get in, but they can't leave. Odd and strange things begin to occur; the clocks stop at 5:53, a photo on a teacher's desk was supposed to have the eight students in it but one's missing, a phone call enacting a death, a finally a question on the chalkboard: Do you remember?
The students are concerned, one of them died but their memories have been wiped. If they remember who it was, does that mean they can leave the school and return to their normal lives? What will happen if they do remember?
A School Frozen in Time is intense; this is one of the few psychological horror manga that I've enjoyed immensely. From the start of the story, it pulls you in. The art style is fantastic and the dialogue has been translated in the perfect way and doesn't differ from the original context a lot (at least I hope so). And all the characters, even though we don't see a lot of them, are written really well. I can't wait for the next volume's release because I'm so fricking excited to find out what happens next!