Dogs and Punching Bags
Ratings2
Average rating4.5
From Kaori Ozaki, author of the gods lie. and Mermaid Prince, comes another poignant exploration of love, family, and belonging.
After leaving her isolating life in Tokyo, 34-year-old Nichiko returns to her remote island hometown for her estranged alcoholic father’s final days. There she meets Chimaki, an eccentric young man who stirs up old memories—and feelings Nichiko had all but decided she no longer deserved. But despite his puppy-like enthusiasm for life, Chimaki’s almost obsessive need to help those around him seems to be compensating for an unspeakable past...
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This was a great read. I loved the interaction between the leads and how their relationship grew over time. There were some weird moments, but they didn't ruin the overall reading experience. I loved the arc and how the story progressed from start to finish. It felt like a good feel-good movie.
Overall, highly recommended by me. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced review copy.
This is a quick and heartwarming read with some heavier moments that might make you tear up a bit here and there. There is definitely a more mature, nuanced take on the shōjo genre.
The characters are unique, have their individual quirks, and come together in interesting mixtures of personalities. Although this is a standalone serial, the characters are fleshed-out and complete, and I really felt like they all grow, change, and find redemption as the story progresses. I felt very comfortable with this non-toxic, beautiful love story (that may have had me alternating from giggling and kicking my feet to tearing up and back again).
To an extent, this was as much a roller coaster ride of emotions for me as it was for the characters. But it definitely comes together to be a rather fulfilling and interesting slice-of-life manga for a mature, thoughtful reader.
