EARTH RECORDING 0001 is an emotional short story about an astronaut (Soichi Mawatori) who feels out of touch and out of place amongst his fellow man. while on a mission to the moon he encounters an alien (io) who also says that she too is incredibly lonely and has been traveling the universe for companionship since the universe's creation. the two bond and understand each other, and themselves in the process. ART (10/10): the art in this manga is very crisp, clean, and striking. the scenery and the depictions of earth & space are absolutely gorgeous. soichi's design is also very well done. the design ofthe alien leaves much to be desired though -- i feel like she could have been a little less humanoid looking and a bit more otherworldly.

CHARACTERS (6/10): there were some secondary characters on the base on the moon (an antagonist & a supporting character sympathetic to the main); obviously because it is a short story they didnt go too deep into who they are and theyre motivations. i believe they were just there to depict the duality of humanity and how different humans can treat each other. io was interesting. her motivations to interact with the soichi seem genuine and i enjoy how the story & her character unfold as they gets to know the soichi. soichi is the most flushed out but his back story is still pretty basic -- its the classic story of success fueled by revenge which ultimately leaves one feeling empty or unfulfilled. this too was interesting to see evolve & soichi opinions of his fellow man & himself change as he spends more time with io.

STORY (6.5/10): the story is a simple one with a reflective message & a heartwarming ending. the manga doesnt do anything crazy, it just wants to convey the importance of not taking things for granted, seeing the beauty in everything, and how the sense of self shifts after being in isolation/intense periods of loneliness.

TLDR; its a super quick read with a sweet message and beautiful art design. a nice reminder to take a step back, enjoy your surroundings, remind yourself what you are grateful for and the giant miracle that is earth -- no matter how disconnected you become to others