Review by Karl Verhoven

The credits for High Elf With a Long Life aren’t exactly clear, so let’s being by clarifying that Kou Narita is the artist adapting what was originally a novel written by Rarutori, and the series is scripted by Ciavis.

It deals with elves, who, as the title tells you, have long lives, and Acer in particular is bored with the incident-free idyllic lounging life and craves more excitement. Living alongside humans, though, he discovers all sorts of regulations that to him seem petty and pointless, even when he’s among other elves. However, he’s a lesson to us all, a curious character acting without animosity and prejudice, and because for him time passes more slowly than for others he’s happy to apprentice himself to a dwarf blacksmith for years just to learn the trade.

The passage of time is important as Acer’s long life is used to skip forward in several year increments, and also greatly compresses storylines, almost in wilful opposition to the standard manga. In translation it’s uncertain if this is from Rarutori’s original novel or the way Narita has chosen to interpret it, but an example occurs shortly after Acer arrives in Visitcourt concerning a problem with a water spirit further up the river. We see the preparations made to deal with it, but when it comes to the action that would occupy page after page in traditional manga it’s instead told as a brief flashback after all is done and dusted.

It makes for a refreshing change, as does Acer’s personality, keen to get along and help anyone, and conscious of those helping him, an attitude that seems to spin out to infect those around him. This is greatly helped by Narita drawing kindly looking characters, which is cleverly achieved by attention to posture and how the eyes appear.

Although Acer is prepared to learn, some matters elude him. “Relationships between humans are horribly fragile”, he muses, “making them difficult to grasp. At times like this part of me understands why elves remain recluses”. It doesn’t prevent him befriending and helping humans, although toward the end the nasty side of human nature emerges.

High Elf With a Long Life is surprisingly and appealingly different, a character study rather than a drama, although it’s possible that the distanced approach to conflict might not be to everyone’s taste.