Boku no Tsuma wa Kanjou ga Nai
My Wife Has No Emotion

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

I should start by saying that I was, once, incredibly fond of this manga.

I had it rated 10/10. It was in my favourites list. I'd read up to chapter 20-something--wherever it was up to, at the time.

Recently, I've had the time to catch up with latest volume. It is no longer in my favourites list. It is no longer 10/10. I couldn't bear to bring it any lower than a 7, simply because of my lingering appreciation of what came before.

An excellent premise which lost its direction.

The story starts with a man, so desperate for human connection, that he falls in love with his ... toaster. That being, a cooking robot. Second-hand. Designed purely for basic housework, and little else. It seems to be sentient.

The world we are introduced to, here, is unmistakeably science-fiction. Albeit, far more subdued than Star Wars or Gundam. It is the sort of science-fiction that just takes our world--but tweaks it, a little. In this case, it is the introduction of highly-advanced personal robotics. I quite like this sort of setting. It allows for a poignant, but tame, analysis of our own society. Of the human condition.

Indeed, that is what this story first sets out to be. It is a sort of 'psychological rom-com' based on a man who has fallen in love with his toaster. The growths and tests of their relationship. How the both of them grow and develop, as people. The implications, therein. The reactions of those around them--of society, at large.

All coupled with some anime-esque comedy to make you chuckle and roll your eyes. To keep you entertained.

It starts off as such a charming, if bizarre, little series.

However, the latest volume--volume 4--has come to feature aliens. Terrorist plots. Secret societies. Its focus seems to have left the SoL relationship-building of the main couple, and has progressed to some silly unserious shounen. I honestly don't care to recount it, any further.

Comedy which might've started as a one-off April Fools' joke now takes centre-stage of the most recent chapters. Did the writer get bored, I wonder?

Perhaps I'll keep reading, hoping that things get back on track. Perhaps I won't.

This is a manga I checked out for the indulgent premise, but expected to drop for the same reason. I was very pleased to find that it's not only a decent romance story, it's also legitimately good science fiction.

This story takes place in a world where some robots were designed for human companionship, but the main robot character is not one of them. She is a glorified kitchen appliance designed to be easily ignored, the better to perform her role. Then she becomes someone's wife.

The story explores the implications of this in great depth. To put it bluntly, it's everything I thought Chobits was ... going to be, and strictly better. The characters are quite good, and their relationship is surprisingly mature and intimate for a manga of this genre. I recommend this to people who like an adult-feeling computer romance that isn't just a fetish thing.

I learned about this manga because I saw the announcement that it was getting an anime adaptation, and, after reading the synopsis, I was interested enough to give it a go. At first, I was pleasantly surprised. It was cute, charming, and had nice flow that just made me keep wanting to read more; then I got to chapter 13. This goes from a cute rom-com set in a science fiction world to an acid trip that doesn't even feel like it's the same story that I started reading. Without spoiling too much it tries really hard to creep out and unnerve the viewer by ... making the characters and setting this dystopian style trainwreck that feels like it's out of the bladerunner universe. And while this is going on it makes the relationship of the main couple feel fake as the girl changes her appearance despite him supposedly liking her as she was. Really disappointing and I really don't understand what the author was going for. There's warning signs of this early on with the sister just being really strange but I didn't think much of it till I saw the entire story was going to become like that. From reading other reviews it only gets worse. I recommend reading up till chapter 9 and then stopping as that's where the sweetness ends.

I didn't word this review the best but if decide to read past chapter 9 you'll see what I mean.

There's something cute, but also very unsettling about this manga. Although, I'm not sure if the creepiness is intentional, so I think if you don't look for it you can simply enjoy this as a wholesome married life manga.

The wholesome aspect of this is endearing and very charming. There's a natural appeal in married cohabiting life that draws anyone in I think, and there are plenty of manga who take advantage of that, this one included.

Where this one gets somewhat psychological for me, are the scenes where the robots discuss how best to deceive their "husbands" (owners) into thinking they are human-like. They make up ... complex strategies to seem more humanlike to put their owners at ease. There's a particular scene where this happens that was deeply disturbing for me, but in all honesty it adds to my interest in this series, even if I know it will never go anywhere (as it was likely unintentional).

Now, I will add this. In my eyes, this manga is very depressing. The MC, and characters around him, mention this plenty of times but the MC ignores it because he has to. "That" being the fact that his wife is a robot. A robot programmed to obey his every command, and to gradually get better at fulfilling his wishes. His happiness is an artificial, commercial production, and even if it seems charming to gaze at, the reminder that it is a hollow metallic construct haunts me on every page if I do not consciously suppress it.

That being said, I'm sure that's just me. Ignore my rambling and enjoy the wholesome robot waifu ;)

This anime is about a slow, sad romance. A poor doormat of a salaryman is so starved for human contact he begins attempting to flirt with his second-hand bargain cooking robot. This somehow triggers something in her self-learning routines and a very unlikely but very sweet romance begins to develop.
The story is overall very mild slice of life, but the author does play with the audience by putting up death flags and some body horror concepts but they are all red herrings and everything always turns out fluffy bunny. It is frequently humorous with the humor never forced, always growing ... out of the characters and situations naturally. All in all, a good romance for someone looking for a relaxing low drama story to enjoy.
I could see myself raising my review of the manga if the author continues to move the story more out of the MC 3 tatami mat apartment an starts to explore a world with sentient robots more.

Sweet manga that made me re-evaluate whether I want a human gf or not.

This manga is a sweet, lighthearted, fluffy and quite comedic romance manga which doesn't take long to get into.
The characters aren't anything special, but they are very easy to get into. I found myself not liking some of the character designs at the beginning, but they eventually got used to them.

The art is nice, there wasn't really a time I found a panel ugly or unpleasant to look at.

The enjoyment is definitely the main highlight of reading this manga, seeing a couple's odd relationship continue to grow is all I could ... ask for in a manga like this.

The plot of Boku no Tsuma wa Kanjou ga Nai is intricate, with multiple subplots that are all essential for exploring the author’s philosophy on robots, their future, and our interactions with them. While those looking for romance will find it here, it won’t be the typical romance found in other works on this theme. Instead, the narrative extends beyond the protagonist, delving into the future that both humans and robots deserve, shaped by the unique aspects of our psychology and that of the robots.

What makes this manga particularly compelling is how it resonates on a personal level. I see a lot of myself in ... the robot heroine. Like her, I often feel like I don’t fully understand the world, living my life by chance. Many emotions seem distant to me, and I lack experience in interacting with people. This deep connection to the character made the story resonate with me profoundly.

The manga tackles themes not often discussed in popular media, such as the relationship between a human and an android, raising profound questions about self-identity, emotions, and social interaction. It’s a thought-provoking exploration of what it means to be human and how we perceive love and connection.

What I found especially moving is the portrayal of love in the manga. Love is depicted as a complex, mysterious force, something that can be deeply felt even without traditional emotions. The subtlety in how small changes or words affect the characters adds a layer of depth, making the story not just about love, but also a reflection on our own emotional experiences and connections.

I must say, I prefer Mina's character in the manga over the anime. She feels more comforting, more cosy in this version.

Overall, this manga captures the essence of what true love might be—a great mystery that isn’t fully revealed. It’s this nuanced portrayal of emotions and relationships that makes Boku no Tsuma wa Kanjou ga Nai such a special and memorable experience. I encourage readers to engage deeply with the complex ideas presented, paying close attention to every word, and revisiting the chapters after finishing the manga. By doing so, you’ll uncover a new, intricate, and unique world that will resonate deeply with your heart.

I've greatly enjoyed this manga because of two things: its portrayal of machine intelligence as not disimilar, but profoundly different to human intelligence, and Mina, the personification of this idea. I find that it's hard to find a balance when reading robot stories of *any* variety, even stretching far back into the works of Asimov. What I mean by this is that when robots in a story are meant to fit a 'human' role, they're generally depicted as, well, a human. With some bits and bobs, perhaps, but not with any different a mental construction. Whereas when the 'humanness' of robots in a story is ... not a main topic, even androids meant for human contact are treated as completely alien. I find this manga, despite the name, does a wonderful job of this balancing act and that singlehandedly raises the Character score to a 9. (Even though I can hardly stand the human lead)

With that out of the way, we return to the natural order of ratings with Story, which I have also rated a 9. Never in this manga have I been bored or wanting excitement which wasn't there. While this is a slice of life manga, great care is put into finding diverse conflict, both in plain and subtext.

The art is basic, but not inappropriately so. At times, it feels lacking for the gravity and impact of certain scenes, but at the end of the day it's nothing to complain about. It works, and I can't in good conscience give it a score lower than the chosen 7.

Enjoyment is a 10. I feel that this score is far more based on personal preference, so I'll keep it brief as to not try to convince you of something unique to my psyche. Suffice to say, I read all 29 chapters available at the time in 3 hours, stopping not for water nor exhaustion.

With all this said, my final score is a stellar 9. It feels far less 'manga' and much more 'science fiction', and I definitely see myself following this to it's, hopefully distant, end.