Full Moon wo Sagashite

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Admittedly at first I expected this story to just be cute. Something light, something fluffy to "baw" at for a while. It is as sure as hell cute, but there is a hell of a lot more to this manga that initially meets the eye.

For one, it's PAINFUL. For all that the ending feels a little deus ex machina, there is a lot that is not idealized. Suicide, death, and loss permeate the characters' lives. There is a focus on letting go of loss, on being held back by past tragedies, and having the courage to keep living when you have to reconcile that your ... worst fears are, in fact, true, and are not going to change. Many of the characters have stopped LIVING because they do not want to let go of their pasts, and as Mitsuki discovers, the more you step forward, the more your past becomes detached from your heart. And it hurts, especially if that pain is the strongest link you have left.

At its core, this is a story about living one's life to the fullest and being willing to get go of the past for the sake of the future. Mitsuki gives the people around her, dead and live, the courage to let go of the tragedies chaining them to the past and move forward with their lives (or afterlives, as the case may be). Mitsuki's love for Eichi is heartbreaking, and anybody who has loved and lost has felt her gut-wrenching sorrow. This understanding of what she is going through makes her courage all the more remarkable.

I highly recommend this shoujo title to anybody who has ever known loss, who has ever wanted to give up, who has wanted to curl up in a ball and stop the world from turning while they stay in stasis. If you don't belong to that group, I have to wonder if you have experienced life yet.

This is one of the best shojo manga ever. At first I thought it would be just another girl-loves-boy, happily-ever-after story, and I wasn't exactly psyched when I saw the girl was a singer (I don't like celebrity manga too much). After I started reading, though, I realized it was so much more than you typical shojo flick. This story deals with pain and loss, and at times (especially when I'm reading the lyrics that Mitsuki sings) I just want to cry. Mitsuki's love is so sad and moving, it hurts to see her put on a happy face.

The art is--what can I say? Arina ... Tanemura at her best. Her art in this story is simply amazing; the details really helped show the emotions and situations the characters are going through. Arina's art in this manga influenced me very much and raised my standards for great manga to another level.

The characters are very well-developed, and this is the only manga which I can truly say I like all of the characters. Mitsuki is one of the few main characters in shojo manga that I like. But seriously, who can dislike her? She is so sweet and caring, and it hurts when you know she's just pretending to be brave. Her character is very deep and makes you think about the things you have in life. Eichi's character, despite not physically being there, developed throughout the story as well. The love the two have for each other is profound and truly heartbreaking. The shinigami, Takuto, Meroko and Izumi, not to mention the bosses, are also well-developed. Takuto is impulsive and energetic, making him the perfect character to cheer up Mitsuki. Even though Takuto and Eichi are rivals for Mitsuki's love, Arina makes it impossible to hate either of them. You can understand both of their situations perfectly, which makes this manga really rare in that you don't mind if Mitsuki ends up with either one. I was very angry when in the anime Izumi is depicted as evil. He is my favorite character in this manga, and he is not evil at all. Sure, he is sadistic and even a little masochistic, but when he reveals his true feelings he is heartwarming. Meroko is a little obsessive, but her story is good as well. All the main characters' pasts are explored in detail, so even though the story is about Mitsuki, you really do get to understand and appreciate the other characters.

This is one of the most enjoyable manga stories out there. It's complicated but not confusing like some of the manga out there (Vampire Knight, for example). It doesn't drag on and on just to be long, although I think even if it did I would gladly read it. Everything that happens happens for a reason and there is never a dull moment. Sure, it is shojo, but it's nothing like the other shojo stories. The love part of the story is not imposing or suffocating like other shojo manga, but tender and sad and complements the story well. This story will definitely get you thinking about life and make you appreciate everything in it, especially when you compare your own life to Mitsuki's... no love is more tragic than hers. Please read this manga; I swear you will not regret it.

This Manga is a must read! The innocent-looking cover should not trick you into thinking this is a happy story for kids. It does have plenty of sweet, romantic and happy chapters and I still wouldn't call it a dark series, but it also deals with death, Shinigami, and even suicide. If you've watched the anime; the manga still has plenty of differences and details revealed that were not mentioned in the anime.

More information is given about the Shinigami's past lives and their connection to Mitsuki. Izumi, for example, is a completely different character. In the manga Izumi was my favorite character, in the anime ... I just wanted to shoot him.

Even characters such as Eichi, Oshige, Mitsuki's grandmother and Madoka were given more attention in the manga.

Best of all though, the manga has an overall happier ending for all characters.

The artwork is, of course, the detailed, cute, and innocent style of Arina, No complaints. I would say this anime and manga deserved more attention than what it got in the USA.

*Disclaimer: The TLDR is at the bottom.*


Not your typical magical girl transformation shojo, to say the least: 'Full Moon o Sagashite' is much more than that. It's a story about second chances and the pursuit of self-love, forgiveness and redemption.

The characters are layered so wonderfully, and grow naturally as the story progresses. Arina Tanemura does a fantastic job interweaving the relationships and back-stories within Full Moon's universe; you'll find yourself falling in love with all of her characters over and over again. She masterfully and delicately handles the topic of childhood illness and young love. Somehow, she is able to keep the atmosphere of ... the story lighthearted, though bittersweet, while still maintaining a believable fantasy universe where shinigami and ghosts not only exist, but are fully-realized main characters. Tanemura wonderfully builds her characters up bit by bit, all the while slowly revealing more of the darker elements of her story.

Read 'Full Moon o Sagashite', and you'll not only be impressed, but you'll be laughing and crying along with its beautiful characters. However, if you're looking for a light and fluffy, easy to digest, magical girl transformation shojo, this may not be the right story for you. 'Full Moon o Sagashite' is much darker and more complex than its cute characters and gentle themes may imply; the story has magic, yes, but it also speaks on other topics such as suicide, cancer, death, heartbreak, betrayal, sacrifice, love, self-harm, depression, trauma, fame, etc. The themes in 'Full Moon o Sagashite' are very adult, despite its cute appearance and overtones.

TLDR:

Story -9
Art -8
Character -10
Enjoyment -10
Overall -9

Wow. I am not normally a big fan of supernatural works because often the scenarios are so outrageous the characters themselves become unbelievable and the story suffers. This, however, is a huge exception. I didn't really notice any "fluff" characters, even the supporting characters had their own backgrounds and seemed real. Unlike many similar works, where you have to make yourself believe everything, here you only have to believe in shiragamis. After that, everything just flows and the characters behave as, with their respective personalities, you would expect them to. I laughed. I cried. I cheered them on and at the end, felt like I ... had really learned a lot about life too. All this despite the fact I was a bit reluctant to read it and initially suspected that it wouldis be a bit too short to accomplish what needed to be (btw, I was wrong. It finished beautifully, coming to a natural conclusion). Whatever reason you think you have for hesitating to read this manga, forget it. I have read many manga, both shorter and longer ones, but this is the first one I took the time out to review.

In conclusion, read it. The story and characters are fantastic, and you grow and learn right along with them. The art is good, my only possible criticism is the typical, eyes are half the head, thing that shows up in shoujo so often. But, it doesn't detract in any way from the fabulous overall work.

This is hands down the most beautifully tragic mangas I have ever read.
It has the perfect blend of drama, romance, tragedy and a splash of humor to make it a masterpiece.
The characters are each unique individuals with impactful stories. This manga, just like many others, is nearly 100% better than the anime.

The plot: 12-year-old Mitsuki lives for two things singing and her childhood love Eichi. However, Eichi is off in another country. So, promised him that she would become a famous singer so that he could see her. But Mitsuki has a disease that is stealing her voice and limiting her to a whisper. ... Her doctor and friend, Keiichi Wakaoji, is trying to convince her to have an operation done that’ll cure her. She refuses for she fears losing her voice for ever.
One day she is visited by two shinigami (death gods) and they inform her that she only has one year left to live. They grant her the ability to turn into a healthy 16-year-old in order to fulfill her dream before her scheduled death.

Story: 10/10
A girl and boy promises each other to fulfil their dreams. Her dream is to become a singer, however, unfortunately, she suffers from throat cancer. But, with the help of two shinigamis, she is able to sing once again. It's a unique story, I don't think I've ever read something like this before. It was definitely a childhood favourite and WARNING! It will make you cry.

Art: 8/10
Typical shoujo manga art style back in the 2000s, big eyes and quite small head. But the character designs are unique and easily remembered.

Characters: 9/10
There's a lot of character development and you get to know more about ... the characters' backgrounds so you are able to connect with them and feel sympathy. They'll make you cry so much.
Enjoyment/Overall: 10/10
Losing a lot of those tears was worth it, it's such a unique manga and you won't regret reading this manga! Watch the anime too!

The best way to explain Full Moon wo Sagashite to somebody is that it is overcoming loss, and moving on. The entire story encompasses the cycle of grief and acceptance beautifully, more so then any series I've ever seen before.

Each character is the main character of their own story, making it truly believable and interesting to read through. On top of that, each character is likable in their own way, and if they're not, their actions are completely understandable anyway. It's honestly brilliant.

And of course, Arina Tanemura does not disappoint with her brilliant art. It's absolutely gorgeous, as always.

Overall, this story fully grasps the feelings ... of giving up, the bittersweet feelings of moving on and overcoming your past, and most of all, the sadness of accepting that whoever is no longer with you wants you to continue living. Full Moon so perfectly shows these feelings. Even if you have never experienced them, you will understand after reading. And if you have experienced any of these feelings, you will feel genuinely more whole after reading the struggles of the characters in this story.

It's about time I rewrote this.

Full Moon wo Sagashite is the sad, yet inspiring story of a girl who has one year to live, as she found out when two shinigami visited her. Upon learning this astonishing fact, Mitsuki decides to make the best of it and try harder to achieve fame as a singer so she can reach her childhood love, Eichi-kun, who is living in America.

When reading any cutesy manga where there's drama and tragedy, I like to keep a box of tissues on hand. But don't worry, you won't need to use these until the second half of the series =)

Story: Now, ... I've already watched the anime, and the two are not that different. There are several things that are changed in the anime, but other than that, they're the same. I very much liked that Mitsuki had a dream that she wanted to follow, even if for slightly skewed reasons. The best parts of the manga are the funny chapters that are solely filler.

Art: Art? Clean, and very shoujo-y. But in a cute way. I am definitely a fan of Arina Tanemura and her artwork. The tears, the happiness, the anger, the disappointment--all of it is shown wonderfully in this art style.

Characters: I absolutely adored the characters in this manga! They are all very well developed, all with their own histories and drama that they each have to deal with during the course of the series. It's seemingly impossible to do so unless the character was really annoying. Even the ones you initially hate for their spite, you start to feel sympathy for by the end. Except Eichi. I hated Eichi.

Enjoyment: I loved this manga! It was a tearjerker, and I wasn't even the least embarrassed to be crying in front of the computer. There was tragedy, drama, inspiration, and even humor! What more could make you happy? Well, the art style, the ending, and the characters, among several others.

Overall, this is an amazing manga and I would recommend this to any man, woman, or child. At first, one might think that it's just for girls, but it's not. The carefully crafted story and drama and tragedy would surely please anyone :)

Well, I though it was really: Funny, Sad, Touching, Cute, Sweet... and lots more! It can make you feel so many feelings at the same time!
Mitsuki's actions and emotions were sad yet touching... plus she can be really funny at times. She is really loyal to Eichi and it's funny how she always makes Takuto so jealous ^^ I think Meroko's story was quite touching too... the fact that she was so distant to everyone else... it was tragic really... but that doesn't stop her from being her!
The art is WOW... the best I've probably ever seen...
The characters are all really cute... but I thought ... the range was quite small and they were all quite similar as all of them have something happy and something sad. Mitsuki finally becomes a singer, but Eichi is dead. Takuto is happy with Mitsuki, but she doesn't love him (straight away). Meroko is always quite funny, but she's so distant and of course others which I can not be bothered to list... I've got homework T_T
I really enjoyed this series, a change from Magical Girl and Vampire manga but still great!
Overall, must read even if you don't like sad manga!

Ah, Full Moon wo Sagashite, one of the many manga of my childhood. I discovered this manga when I was young. It was around the time when volumes 5-7 hadn't been released yet, and while I finished the entire manga, I had only seen a few episodes of the anime and never got to finish that. I really ought to. But I don't think I ever attached to the manga despite liking it. I had the first DVD once but sold it recently, knowing that the dub would never be finished. I had put the manga in a box and hadn't touched it in years. ... Only very recently did I get back into it. I liked it when I was a kid, but...reading it now, I'm utterly convinced that it's a heck of a lot better now than it was when I first read it, and was extremely surprised by how bold and daring it is, which made me fall back in love with it!

The story is about a young girl named Mitsuki Koyama, who's been through a lot. Both her parents died in a car accident when she was a baby, she was raised in an orphanage for ten years before being adopted by her strict, traditionalist grandmother, who doesn't approve of her dream to become a singer, has never been to school, and worse than that, she has a tumor in her throat that'll not only jeopardize her vocal cords, but kill her. One day, a duo of quirky shinigami come right through her wall to try and take her life, but she uses the opportunity to ask them to make her fulfill her dream. They give her a pill that not only turns her into a teenaged version of herself, but heals her body so she can sing without hurting. Mitsuki manages to get scouted and learns the ups and downs of the music industry. But the quirky shinigami have their own baggage, and Mitsuki might end up unknowingly jeopardizing their lives.

Considering its a shoujo manga, everything is redonkulously sparkly, with the characters having big, shining eyes, chibi faces every once in a while, love triangles, etc. However, one aspect of the manga's art surprised me as a kid, and continues to surprise me now: the meticulous attention to detail on just about everything, from the folds in people's clothing, to their hair, to the environment, everything is just absolutely loaded with almost life-like detail that we just don't see anymore in today's era of anime. The faces are very much expressive, the emotions are raw, no character is wearing the same outfit all the time, etc. Plus, I'm no expert on the music industry, but for the most part, the depiction of someone in the singing business is for the most part very accurate. Mitsuki has to deal with fans, both good and bad, rivals who don't always have the best of intentions, commercials, deadlines, money problems, etc. Fancy Lala did something similar, though I think both Fancy Lala and the Full Moon manga depict the singing industry rather well. They both depict the singing business in a pragmatic light, as in while the music industry has good points, there's also a lot of bad to come with it, but that's normal. Everything has its pros and cons.

At first, the characters come off very stereotypical. Mitsuki is the shoujo character who wants to do stuff, Takuto is a brash, reckless, audacious boy, Meroko is the annoying and indecisive love interest, etc. You'd think they'd be nothing but black and white characters with only one character trait with predictable development. Nope! Tanemura isn't stupid, and she develops her characters very well. Everyone's quirks, personalities, and good/bad qualities are all connected to things that happened in their lives, and helped shape them into what they are now, even after death, and let me tell you, it is glorious. When I was a kid, I didn't really connect with the characters, nor did I really understand the gravity of the things that happened to them. Now, I completely get it, and it hit me right in the gut, and it made me keep reading, just to see them succeed! Even the characters whom you think are going to be completely evil for no reason have valid, even tragic reasons for their behavior, though none of it excuses what they do, and the manga KNOWS it. They're very complex, and the kind of people whom you want to have succeed.

However, as fangirly as I am about this manga, even I have to admit that it is not without its faults. Some of them are pretty small and not worth mentioning, but there is one that seriously bugs the heck out of me, and its rather spoilery: if Mitsuki spent most of her life in an orphanage, and two of her grandparents are the only living family members she had, how come, after ten whole years, they never claimed her? There is no explanation given for this. Did they just not know her whereabouts? Did they not know Hazuki even had a child? Did neither grandparent want her? Did her parents not have identification or contact info on them when they died? These explanations would have been plausible had they been there, but this is never explained, and after Mitsuki spends ten years in an orphanage, her grandmother just pops up out of nowhere and reclaims her. It just feels so jarring to me knowing that Mitsuki had living relatives yet still spent most of her life in an orphanage. Also, how come Mitsuki spent a whole year with a tumor yet she never took any kind of medicine for it? I mean, there had to be SOME kind of medicine for sarcoma, right?! Also, I found that the characters' thoughts come off as WAAAAAY too purple prose-y. There is sooooo much purple prose in the narrative, and although its deep and meaningful, I got tired of it after volume three. I like mystical imagery and all, but I think Tanemura relied too much on ridiculous purple prose when conveying the characters' thoughts. Also...what twelve year old even thinks in purple prose like that?! None.

Even so, despite its glaring flaws, I still hold this manga in high regard. Why? Because it's bold and doesn't give a durn. It knows what it wants, it'll do anything to get there, it isn't afraid to go dark in order to tell its story. Seriously, this is a shoujo manga for young girls, yet it contains so many adult themes, such as suicide, illicit affairs, cancer, loss, existential crises, and even rape (it's not explicit, but still blatant enough to warrant a 13 and up rating). But none of them hold the story back. In fact, they make the story so much richer, and seeing the characters struggle makes you want to root for them and see them overcome their trauma and make peace with both themselves, the people around them, and the demons that torment them...and it is GLORIOUS. I recently got a lot of flack from an abusive fandom because I dared to write a scene of implied rape in a fan fic (it was MUCH more tame than what Full Moon showed), and they all attacked me for it, claiming I'm a bad person who doesn't care about myself, that I need to warn for this stuff (Isn't the T rating enough?!), that I don't care about my readers, that I shouldn't have written it in their precious kids show, that I absolutely have to write my story in the show's spirit, that it's not appropriate, blah blah blah. For a long while I was convinced they were right...until I read this manga again. It helped me out of my writing crisis and got me the answer that I needed. Also, I don't see anyone complaining about Tanemura writing an implied rape scene in this manga! If she can do it, then why can't I?!

Sorry about that. Anyway, if you're looking for a gripping, rich story about life, death, moving past your mistakes, and moving on, then Full Moon is the story for you.

This is a great anime/manga. the plot follows around a girl who has cancer and cant sing or else she starts coughing. One day 2 shinigamis takuto and meroko arrive and they (next is not really a spoiler.it happens in first episode) transform into a very pretty 16 year old girl wtih a perfectly healthy body so she can sing but what happens next at the audition will change her life. The characters are very deep and each are different. there arent a lot of side characters to keep track of or remember so it's very easy for those with trouble with names(like me) and ... none of them look alike so again you wont get confused. The beautiful mizuki as a 16 year old shows how great the art is and the music is very addicting. The music is actually one of the only anime songs/soundtrack that i actually enjoy and cant get out of my head. This may have been targeted at the older childrens group but this can be for any age. Try it, I usually don't read these but the enjoyment i got from it each night on my itouch was phenominal!! Watch and listen to the song on the first episode and try it out. Manga and anime are slightly different.

My eyes still have the beginnings of tears in them from this story. I laughed and I cried it was so good. The story is amazing and it really makes you think about certain things. A lot of the time there isn't one clear answer and thats what makes it so interesting. I really wish that I could hear the songs that she sings because they would be so rich with feelings. It ends so beautifully.

Read it.

This is shojo but not for kids under the age of nine. It could upset them easily. I mean very easily!!! It had me laughing in places and almost shredding tears in others. It is very kawaii (cute) and the shingami (death gods) are really funny!!! I am on chapter 15 and am loving the manga. It is very romantic, but not in a sexual way. Just kissing and hugging. Tanemura Arina did a great job of writing and drawing this manga. Her art is absolutely buratiful! Mitsuki is a great role model, especially if you or your child suffer from stage fright ... or lack of confidence in singing. Mitsuki's songs are soooooooooooooooooooo kawaii. I mean OTT kawaii!!!

Full Moon wo Sagashite was a romantic "suspense" manga, as in every page turn it kept me suprised and frightened at the same time as of what would happen the very next page. The story isn't bad for a fantasy/romance. The fantasy could have at least been more original and more made-up. The romance part was amazing and it passes as being great. The art was very nicely drawn and it seemed like the 'always original shojo art'. The eyes are huge and the bodies all look similar. However they were able to pull it off. The characters seemed like they were not even involved ... in the story. They seem like rip-off unoriginal characters, but however they pass for a least being changed a bit. Since the story has 'fantasy-violence' and a whole lot of drama it passes in my standards as excitement. Overall it isn't bad and if you like romance, betrayal, and death, it definitely should be on your manga list.

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Your Review:
If you want something cute with a little magical twist, I would recommend this.

-Story-

There are times when the story of Full Moon wo Sagashite is really good and really makes you cry and there are times where it really just comes off as unrealistic and over-dramatic. Part of it is due to poor characterization and the other is due to the lose plot.

The ending felt a little... unexciting. I mean, it's nice and wraps everything up in a nice little bow. But you get there and you're just like, "all right, well. That was ... nice. Cheers." You expect it. It doesn't wow you. It's cliche.

-Art-

Tanemura has the best art that I've ever seen in the Shoujo Manga genre. That's half the reason why I read through all of Full Moon wo Sagashite in the first place.

-Characters-

They're all right. That's, really as much as I can say. You do start to sympathize with the characters, as each of them their mandated backstory.

My favorite character is Takuto because I like cats. Izumi is a close second.

7.5/10 - this reflects my personal enjoyment of the series. Full Moon was objectively Arina Tanemura's best work (although I enjoyed SDC more). This was also when her art style was the prettiest. The story tackles themes of death, love, survival and grief. It's quite a hefty attempt for something aimed at young girls, which you have to respect. Unfortunately Arina does have a tendency to write stories in a rather...simplified, fairytale sort of way, so the tone felt a little mismatched when tackling such heavy subjects. She tends to be great at premises and slightly weaker on execution, but you can tell it was ... still a manga with a lot of heart put into it. I just can't rate it higher because I didn't particularly love any of the characters, and I found Mitsuki to be quite bratty and Mary Sue (not so much in the anime which had a different plot and writing team). I would still recommend it to shoujo fans though.

Dramatic but somewhat shallow.

Mostly

Full moon is the story of a 12 year old girl trying to become a singer because of a promise she made to someone she loves. However her grandma hates music. She also has throat cancer. She also never went to school. Her dad was also a top tier singer. Also 2 death reapers try to reap her soul since she is supposed to die in 1 year. But she convinces them to help her instead so she is now this model looking woman who is now an idol.

Its a very fast paced story which is for the better. ... If you stop and actually thought about the series you'd notice how shallow majority of the characters are. Most of the woman are just motivated by the male organ. The heart. Every single character is like in love. And it feels very superficial. Some of them get the very needed backstory but some of them feel incredibly vain.

Despite this I did like most of the series to my own surprise. Combined with the art the author is able to convey the right emotion albeit barely. Like i've said due to the somewhat shallow behavior of the heroines and heroes the dramatic moments feel a bit hollow. But the art is good enough for me to still be gut punched by it at least initially.

The story is also interesting for the most part. It gets a bit convoluted near the end. But the author does a good job of grabbing you by balls and tugging you along. If you can't tell the series is a sad story. But it never overwhelms the reader. Lightheartedness and playfulness is throughout the manga. The cheery atmosphere just adds to the gut punching later on but the gut punching also adds to the levity the series has.

TLDR: I enjoyed this series. Despite 4/5 heroines being major simps, the art is good enough, the story is interesting enough and the characters are likable enough to make me wanna keep reading. 7/10