7 Billion Needles volumes 1 & 2 review

7 Billion Needles is a four volume science fiction manga series written and drawn by Nabuaki Tadano. This is his manga debut and it is based on the science fiction story “Needle” by Hal Clement. It’s an impressive debut for Tadano and his art was well utilized in the design of the covers for the four volumes. That’s initially what caught my eye and sparked my interest in this short (by manga standards) story. They did exactly what cover art is supposed to do, it grabbed my attention. I really like that the designer kept the original Japanese lettering in the speech bubbles.

Volume 1:
While on a school trip near the ocean, loner Hikaru, undergoes a transformative event when she encounters an alien life form recently arrived on earth. Before she can even make a guess as to what’s happening, she’s atomized and reconstructed by the alien entity. She remembered nothing of the even and the story quickly cuts to the present day. She’s going about her daily life as if nothing has changed until sometime later when the alien in question reveals itself to her by speaking to her telepathically.

Hikaru is incredibly chocked by this discovery. She’s a social outcast by choice, walking around with her music playing on her headphones in order to block out the world around her. She’s this way because of a personal tragedy. I almost missed this reason for her behavior while reading the first volume and it’s a key element to understanding Hikaru’s character. It helps you to understand and sympathize with her. She’s distant because of the death of her father she’s been this way for years. This alien, calling itself Horizon, is caught in the middle of an inter-galactic game of cat and mouse and forces Hikaru to join him on his mission while he’s on earth. She doesn’t have much of a choice either. When Horizon reconstructed Hikaru’s body, he did so while fusing himself to her, using Hikaru as a host body.

This book of alien possession or alien cohabitation is not in the traditional vein of shonen manga. The tone is more serious and it doesn’t preoccupy itself with “kewl” powers and overly deconstructed action sequences. The help Hikaru must offer Horizon is rather simple, investigate any strange occurrences in her community to try and discover the whereabouts of the other alien Horizon is tracking. Doing such a thing is a daunting task for Hikaru who has barely socialized in years. She proves to be up to the task however and the courage she demonstrates in the first half of this story, collected in volumes 1 and 2, is that of making friends and talking to others. That might seem like a completely underwhelming, especially for a science fiction manga that features aliens, but Tadano writes with such confidence and respect for characters and story that make 7 Billion Needles a compelling story about personal growth, evolution, and friendship.

The first volume felt a bit cold and distant but it reflected Hikaru’s feeling towards the outside world. She’s very secluded and introverted. She’s forced to cast her shell once she discovers the presence of Horizon but this is a slow process and it’s a bit slow but the first volume does provide plenty of action and a surprising amount of suspense I was a bit underwhelmed when I finished reading the first volume but the story stuck with me. I finished the book in one sitting and couldn’t keep it out of my head. The next morning I brought the second volume with me for my commute to and from work.  

Volume 2:

After Horizon’s face to face confrontation with the other alien, Maelstrom, at the end of the first and the beginning of the second volume, Tadano takes a short break from the science fiction elements and shifts his focus on Hikaru and her past. Again, there is a bit of a slow start but Tadano does most of his storytelling in the first half of the book, leaving the second half free to indulge in the sci-fi elements and the action. By setting the stage in this manner, the writer gives more weight to the action that follows and it’s a good technique, simply one I had to get used to.

Essentially, the second volume confirms that 7 Billion Needles is worth the attention I'm giving it. The first volume was a tried and test science fiction story using new tricks. It was unusual in its execution and surprisingly charming despite the protagonist's aloofness. Tadano also continues to pursue the themes of friendship, personal growth and evolution as well as increasing the tension of the conflict between the two aliens. The volume ends with a spectacular way that doesn't feel cheap. This isn't a twist for the sake of a twist. The revelation feels well deserved and it feels like a natural, if surprising, progression of the events that preceded it.

The art is very pleasant. The characters facial expression and body language is clear. Tadano is as good at drawing charming, quiet and moving pages as he is drawing horrific action that feels visceral and immediate. There is a powerful sense of intimacy to his art that added a lot of weigh to many key scenes in the book. My only criticism is regarding the background and scenery type panels. They’re so incredibly detailed and use a lot of what can only been some sort of computerized technique. They’re nice on their own but when combined with the cleaner, gentler lines used on the characters, it’s jarring. There is a cold and stiff quality to those images and it distracts from the otherwise skilfully rendered characters.

In the second volume, Tadano continues to pursue the themes of friendship, personal growth and evolution as well as increasing the tension of the conflict between the two aliens. The volume ends with a spectacular way that doesn't feel cheap. This isn't a twist for the sake of a twist. The revelation feels well deserved and it feels like a natural, if surprising, progression of the events that preceded it. The first half of 7 Billion Needles is an excellent science fiction story that manages to keep one foot planted in reality which contributes to it being an engaging story. The art is crisp and very detailed, if sometimes a little stiff. Tadano’s debut manga focuses on intelligent storytelling, drama, and conflict instead of shonen style superhuman brawling. This is a manga with heart and an interesting message for 21 century youth. It's also got plasma based aliens and other smart science fiction elements which make for a truly successful story. I look forward to reading the second half.