ReNoir Comics finally brings to Italy Return to Tomiokareleased under the Gaijin label. The work of Laurent Galandon and Michael Crouzat won the prestigious Jeunesse Award at the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée of Angoulême 2025, the most authoritative French award dedicated to children’s comics. An arrival long awaited by fans who are fascinated by its narrative delicacy.
The plot
The story follows two brothers who were orphaned after the tsunami that hit Japan in 2011. Forced to abandon their home to move in with their grandmother, they must face a new crisis when she too passes away. Their lives change further when they are entrusted to a relative, but the youngest, Osamu, cannot accept the idea of the woman being buried far from what they called home.
To grieve, Osamu takes refuge in an imaginary world populated by yōkai, creatures from Japanese folklore who become a sort of symbolic guide. With the support of her sister, she embarks on a journey to Tomioka, located in the red zone of the Fukushima nuclear fallout. Here the two decide to bring back their grandmother’s ashes, facing not only the dangers of the place, but also the emotional weight of their past.
An aesthetic that recalls Studio Ghibli
The visual style of the comic is one of the most appreciated elements: evocative landscapes, suspended atmospheres and characters full of sensitivity immediately recall the worlds of Studio Ghibli The enchanted city or My Neighbor Totoro. The influence of great Japanese animation is evident, but it is harmonized with a Western graphic and narrative sensitivity that renders Return to Tomioka a one-of-a-kind product.
In Italy it will be released on December 10th
The edition proposed by ReNoir Comics includes 104 color pages, in paperback format with flaps, at the price of 14.90 euros. The volume will be previewed at the Milan Games Week & Cartoomics, while distribution in bookstores is scheduled for December 10, 2025. For the more impatient, online pre-order is already available at this link. If you are looking for a story capable of moving without giving up fantasy, Return to Tomioka it’s the perfect Christmas gift.
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