Saturn Apartments
Saturn Apartments is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hisae Iwaoka. It was serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine Monthly Ikki from November 2005 to June 2011, with its chapters collected in seven volumes. Viz Media licensed the series for English-language publication in North America.
Plot
The story is set in a distant future, where the Earth has been evacuated and humanity now inhabits a man-made ring-shaped city orbiting 35 kilometers above the planet's surface. The ring is divided into floors, of which there are three; the first being the living space of everyday workers, the second being dedicated to agriculture, and the third being the dwellings of the upper class. The plot follows the life of a young man called Mitsu, whose job as a window cleaner allows him a glimpse into the lives of the ring's inhabitants, as he attempts to learn more about his father's disappearance while working in the same job.Publication
Saturn Apartments, written and illustrated by Hisae Iwaoka, was serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine Monthly Ikki from November 25, 2005, to June 25, 2011. Shogakukan collected its chapters in seven volumes, released from October 30, 2006, to August 30, 2011.The manga was licensed in North America by Viz Media, who released its seven volumes from May 25, 2010, to May 21, 2013. It was also licensed in Taiwan by Taiwan Tohan, and Kana in France.
Volumes
Chapters are called "floors".Reception
Matthew Warner enjoyed the interesting world presented in the manga, and praised the 'simple, yet gorgeous art style'. Johanna Draper Carlson compares the protagonist, Mitsu, to Charlie Brown, as they both have rounded heads and small eyes, and are "dealing with a grim life". Later, she describes Mitsu as being a typical 'plucky young manga hero' who improves at his work, but is also noted for his talking to his upper-class clients. Greg McElhatton compares Iwaoka's artwork to Travis Charest and Sean Chen, praising the details of the work.YALSA included the first volume of the series on their 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list.