A dystopian gem, Hirasawa Yûna's Terrarium comes out of nowhere. Committed and contemplative at the same time, the adventures of Chico and Pino push us to question ourselves. What is human? Is humanity good and deserves to survive? So many reflections among others that seek an answer in this dreamlike epic.
The adventures of a technologist
Chico is a mysterious and intriguing young woman. Not much is known about her except that she is looking for her mother in order to save humanity. This technologist, a doctor and an engineer at the same time, travels from colony to colony in the hope of finding a solution. But not only that! She also has the mission to recover the data of old robots still running and this is where the help of her brother is very precious to her. While Chico is human, Pino (P1n0) is a robot with a very advanced artificial intelligence with humanoid tendencies. He has human reactions, especially in his relationship with his "sister". He is the calmest of the tandem, the voice of reason, and counterbalances the tech's hothead character. However, at times he is cold, almost cruel, in the advice he gives to his fellow traveler. 
Terrarium or arcology?
This atypical duo evolves in a post-apocalyptic world. Bloody and catastrophic wars took place 500 years earlier. Humanity tries to survive in colonies thanks to ancient technologies. Arcology is what makes all this possible. This autonomous system allows the last men to live in a place between earth and space. Electricity, water, food, everything is provided thanks to technological advances and the participation of robots. However, that time seems to be over, in constant decline, putting the last survivors at risk. That's why Chico and his brother went on a mission to a human-scale Terrarium where nature seems to have regained its rights. But is this really the case? Pino implies that gardens and parks are on the verge of extinction, with flowers suffering as much as humans.
An unexpected success
Completed in 4 volumes, Terrarium fell through the cracks in Japan. It was above all the favorite of some booksellers. Then chance wanted a French publisher to fall under the spell in turn. Published in the Meteor Comic, this little-known magazine still has some small successes in its catalog. The flowers of the Aegean Sea is also published in France and Renai Bô-kun (Love Tyrant on Crunchyroll) had an animated adaptation a few seasons ago. In addition to a magnificent pencil stroke, Hirasawa Yûna has a gift for making rather hard scenes poetic. The reading is very fluid, while being interesting and conveying an ecological message. The references to Hayao Miyazaki's various films are quite recognizable but they are not the only references. The amusement park scene is very similar to that of Nier Automata. As for the overall atmosphere, it can be reminiscent of Heart Gear by Tsuyoshi Takaki or Planetary, a series of OAVs with a robot as the main character. Surfing on a rather fashionable theme at the moment, Terrarium manages to pull out of the game. Many mysteries remain to be discovered, especially concerning Chico and his true confusing nature. Glénat really got it right with this beautiful discovery and fully deserves the rave compliments of these last weeks that are made to him.
