The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up

I've been moving out of my house into a new one and I've been ordering some storage/de-cluttering books and this one has been the most helpful and inspiring! I've taken some pictures of the folding portions and some quotes. The main idea is that if your items don't spark joy then it's time to get rid of them. There are some other tips in the book too that have really helped me like go through all your stuff by category instead of by room, folding techniques, and very respectful and soulful ideas of how you should view your items. (It seems like Japan has a very unique approach to items, such as the Yokai Tsukumogami or when an item is broken and is repaired by Kintsugi. I really love this and the treatment of much loved items. Really sparks joy!) Some people might find this ideas “far-out” but I think it's just giving your items respect and not being so materialistic.

I haven't read the book. I think the manga really sums it up and adds a couple of characters that you can root for and relate with. I really loved this read and I you happen to be doing some moving or spring cleaning I can't recommend this enough! ~Ashley

This better change my life

One of the quickest reads. But oh so satisfying. Always leaves me amazed and inspired, with a smile on my face. I love this comic manga format so much more than the original book. The story is short, sweet and jam-packed with all the essentials of the Konmari Method. This book is definitely on my permanent bookshelf. 

i just started cleaning up my room because of this manga. made me realize how much stuff i had cluttered in my room.

Super cute graphic of the Marie Kondo method, gentle suggestions to let go of things you don't actually care about and some folding tips! She sounds delightful. (Even if some book lover/hoarders got mad at her)

IMO reading the book and the manga is compulsory, if you plan on reading the book, the manga perfectly compliments the book with incredible illustrations, which really help given the visual nature of what Kon Mari is trying to teach.

This is a fun read. Having read Konmari's original book, this served as a great refresher. I think I'm seeing the ideas more clearly than before and understand the ideas and concepts she is trying to teach. The hard part is to do it and enjoy it.

This weekend, I asked my boy what he would like to do with a certain part of the house. He quickly answered. I asked what we needed to do to accomplish his goals. I was amazed at how quickly he fell to work and got it going.

“In the end, people are unable to discard things either because they are attached to the past or afraid of the future.”

I am tackling my clothes today. Time to transform my loving space.

So, I have somewhat mixed feelings about this book. First, the positives: this is a sweet story that provides an accessible example of what the KonMari method is and how to apply it in your life. There isn't really any new information here per se, but presenting the information in a story format helps readers see how the KonMari method works. Having examples like this can be incredibly useful, and like I said, the story is cute.

That said, I cannot understand why the publisher decided to flip this book to read left-to-right. This is 2017, not 1997, and manga is mainstream and popular enough that reading a “backwards book” (right-to-left format) isn't exactly a barrier to entry. It wasn't terrible reading this flipped, but the art felt subtly off. Also...they didn't flip everything. Some panels are unflipped, and the floorplan of Chiaki's apartment at the beginning of the book is also unflipped (and it's obvious; you see her full apartment a page later). I want to get a copy of the Japanese version to get a better idea of exactly what all was changed.

I'm glad this manga is available in English. I'm glad I own it, even as I question the formatting decisions of the publisher. I wish it were available in English in an unflipped format.