Life | Manga - MyAnimeList.net

Ayumu Shiiba has always struggled when it comes to her grades but decides to study even harder so that she can go to Nishidate High School with her best friend, Yuuko Shinozuka. When the results of the entrance exams came out, it turns out that Ayumu herself passed, but unfortunately, Shinozuka did not. Consequently, Shinozuka reveals everything she had felt about Ayumu—nothing but resentment.

Depressed that her closest friend has now deserted her, Ayumu finds a way to make her temporarily forget the loneliness: self-injury. As a result, she chooses to be alone and quickly becomes an outcast at her new school, refusing to socialize with anyone. Yet when her classmate Manami Anzai suddenly befriends her, Ayumu's world seems to brighten—but little does she know that something more horrible would start coming her way.

Life is the story of a certain girl's isolation, a tale filled with despair and persecution enough to bring any person to the brink of insanity. However, only the strongest will find the light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how impossible the odds may seem.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

Life won the 30th Kodansha Manga Award in the Shoujo category in 2006.

The first nine volumes of the series were published in English by Tokyopop from April 11, 2006, to June 10, 2008, before the license was dropped. The manga was republished digitally in English by Kodansha USA from March 7, 2023 to November 5, 2024.

The manga was adapted into a live-action TV drama that aired from June 30, 2007, to September 15, 2007.

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Characters

Hatori, Miki

Main

Shiiba, Ayumu

Main

Anzai, Manami

Main

Sonoda, Yuuki

Supporting

Hirose, Nodoka

Supporting

Sako, Katsumi

Supporting

Shinozuka, Yuuko

Supporting

Hiraoka, Masako

Supporting

Toda, Wakae

Supporting

Reviews

Feb 9, 2011

Amane8009

Recommended

This Manga really touched me. I can't express enough gratitude to the Mangaka.

Story 10/10
This story contains so many mixed vibes, but i mean that in a good way. There is Bulling,suicide,friendship,true friends,cutting,self harm,sexual assault, and so much more. *may contain mild spoiler* We find Ayumu our main protagonist making a new friend at her new high school named Manami, she is seemingly nice and ayumu is really starting to think things are going very good. Manami's boyfriend breaks up with her, she trys to commit suicide by jumping infront of a train. Ayumu saves her and manami makes her help her get katsumi(bf) back because ... of a promise they had made. Things go wrong and everyone starts miss interpreting what ayumu was doing and then Manami thinks Ayumu has betrayed her. She thus becomes the victim of an on-slot of bullying, lead by manami.

Art 10/10
Can you say beautiful art that you tremble over? Thats how good the art is. I mean i seriously felt every corresponding emotion i saw in the manga. Such as Ayumus sad; crying face i felt it in my own heart. When you saw smiles they made me feel like the sun had come out from behind the clouds. Scared faces really showed fear, blank stares held no emotion, determination really made you hope she would win. The eyes are one the most beautiful aspects of this mangas art.

Characters 10/10
I felt that the characters were dramatic but were portrayed wonderfully.
Ayumu: weak at first, cared to much of what others thought, Cutt her self to relieve her own pain.
Manami: Your basic popular person, she is like the cheerleader in this type of manga, she had the perfect boy friend, stood out in the class, a big liar, and hated when other people seemed more popular then her.
Miki: The Strong lone wolf, she doesn't care what others say and just does her own thing; providing strength for ayumu when she needed it.
Katsumi: Seemingly the Nice jock type guy. But a sadism loving bastard. He liked tieing girls up/ In other words bondage. He was bound to manami because of both of their fathers businesses.

Enjoyment 10/10
I Really enjoyed This manga to my hearts content. I read each volume as fast as i had could get my hands on it. I enjoyed it so much that when i found out that its publishing company that was translating it into english was stopping at 9...i was so hurt...i had to finish it. I ordered the next 3 in Japanese from ebay and slowly ordered all of them and i learned how to read Japanese because of that. ^__^

Overall 10/10
If i coud give this Manga a high grade i would. It was so epically amazing, beautiful and heart warming. I even after ordering the remaining volumes in japanese i also got 1-9 in japanese as well so now i have 1-20 In Japanese and 1-9 in English.

I recommend this to anyone who needs there heart to be touched. The story is filled with heart crushing disasters but heart warming happiness as well.

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Jul 17, 2009

yaoi_lover_miyu

Recommended

Although she goes through MANY struggles, Ayuma Shiba definitely shows what it means to be a true heroin. Although weak in the begining, she learns through her hardships and life changing experiences, good and bad, that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and stand up for what you believe in. Excellent story line. Pulls you in the moment you read it. Definite read for those who enjoy dark and slightly sadistic story lines. Characters were created very well, and they carried the plot all the way to the end.

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Jul 3, 2009

Bluesander

Mixed Feelings

Preliminary (14/80 eps)

Story: 6/10
UNBELIEVABLE. This story is harsh. The mangaka must've enjoyed tormenting her characters, especially Ayumu. This story is harsh and sadistic to the point where the plot is almost unbelievable. I didn't cry for her nor did I pity her. The story is just that unbelievable. Still, I like the way that the mangaka didn't
provide a hero for Ayumu. Most shoujo fantasies have heroes, it's overrated.

Art: 8/10
The art isn't bad. I'll give this manga that much. The mangaka's drawing style really fits the plot, so if you must read this manga, you will enjoy that fact. The drawings are probably the only part ...

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