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Okay, so here I go.
It was not brilliant. It was certainely not a masterpiece, but it was better than, let's say, many of the manga out there.
The story revolves mainly around a flirty playboy, Katakura Kippei, who is one day told be his family to take care of his 5-year old cousin Yuzuyu, whose mother has "disappear" (read this as "run off to God knows where"). Other than this... normal family, some other characters are Sakashita Miki, a cousin of Yuzuyu, Tokunaga Kokoro, a classmate, love interest and later even girlfriend of Kippei, and some of their classmates, of which the most ... revelant are Kokoro's two best friends and the new transfer student, Ooga Akari. Not that they steal the spotlight too much, they are pretty much there to create new tensions to the otherwise lacking story. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice read and I did, on some level, enjoy the manga, but that was all. There are so many things that could have been better, better thought, better written.
First, it's the love story between Kippei and Kokoro. It was sweet, something the manga would seem pretty boring without. But, even though it had the potential to be one of those couples where the two lovers suit and complement each other, I got the feeling that it was just thrown in the middle of the story, without managaing to completely fit in. Right from the beginning, it was never really explained why they liked each other. They said they love each other and that they want to be together forever, but it seemed to be more because of the author's wish than for a real reason, like they were together simply because "they should be". Of course, Kokoro said once that she liked Kippei because he's so carefree he seems to have no worries, but I wonder, is that enough? Is it a big enough reason to want to spend the rest of your life with someone? Not to mention that Kippei never said why he loved Kokoro. It could be because she was the cool beauty type, seemingly unaproachable, one of the few girls who didn't fawn all over him, but then again, the same goes for Kokoro's friends. So why did he like Kokoro so much? The best we can do is speculate and hope for the best, as no real reason was given. That being said, the whole relationship seemed kind of superficial, lacking in depth. They said they loved each other, but they didn't really show it. It made me wonder how a relationship like that, where the two parts seemed to have communication issues, could really work out.
Another point in which the plot seems to be lacking is Miki's story. It's said that she had an ordinary, simple life until she saw one of the teachers beating up a boy pretty badly. She told on him, probably to the director of the school, and after that everyting started to fall apart. The teachers and classmates begin to bully her, she begins skipping school as a result, her parents start yelling at her and even hitting her, telling her that she is a shame to their family. And while all this happens, nobody seems to care. Not one of the teachers or classmates tries to help her, and even the boy who was being beaten seems to at least ignore her. This would be a pretty sad and serious situation, but there are no real reasons given as to why everybody acts this way. Why would everyone starts bullying her because she told on an abusing teacher? She seemed to be doing the right thing, so why was there absolutely no one who thought all that was wrong? Are ALL people really that indifferent? If this would have been brought to the police, they could see it as harassement. And why, for God's sake, didn't she tell her parents about all this? It is not made clear wether or not she told them about the beating she saw, but she should have told them about the bullying she was going through. Why didn't she fo it? Because, in her words, "it would make them sad". So she chose to endure it to "protect" her parents, as if they were some fragile, unstable people. This wasn't the case though, and even if it was, she was trying so hard to hold on for the parents she loved, parents who nevertheless didn't seem to notice there was something going on in their daughter's life. Things got so desperate that she tried to kill herself. How can you miss that as parents? Just how wrong can this get?
And after everything was cleared up, the things started to fall back to normal. She was once again happy, and she even said "it's no big deal" about getting therapy. Yeah, because apparently wanting to commit suicide is something every normal teenager wants to do.
And while we're talking about familly issues, let's take a look at Yuzuyu's situation. Her mother got so lonely and miserable after her husband died that she ran away, leaving her daughter in her (the mother's) sister's care. And, after she managed to earn some money and get back on her feet, through the help of some guy she planned on marrying, she of course wanted to take Yuzuyu back, because, hey, she was her mother after all. And she succedeed to do so, because Yuzuyu wanted to go with her. Well, even though I totally understand why a 6-year old would want to be with her own mother, I don't thing it's the right choice to leave this serious matter in the hands of a 6-year old. Even if that's what the little girl wanted, the adults should't have let her go. If this matter had reached Social Service or a judge, I'm not sure the judge would be making the same decission. The mother DID abandon her child after all, and she was pretty unstable to begin with if she ran away like that. Of course you'd be shaken if your husband died, that's no excuse to leave you child behind. Apparantly just because she was sorry for what she had done was enough for her to get away with it and take the child back, from the people who so lovingly and carefully took care of her. Apparently child neglect and abandonment is not serious enough to keep a child away from his/her mother.
Aside from this lack of psychological depth, another dissapointment for me was the ending. After Yuzuyu went back to her mom, the manga fast-forwarded to some time in the future, where Yuzuyu was now a teenager. And that was all. Yuzuyu was writing Kippei a letter in which she told him how she has always loved him and how she never forgot him. Sweet and everything, but it gave me the impression that Yuzuyu didn't visit him again after she left, only there woud be no logical reason to why she wouldn't. He got really attached to her, and she clearly did so as well, so it's safe to say she would have missed him, so she would want to see him again. But if that was the case, then why did she write that letter to him as a teenager? It was probably a way for us to see how much Kippei meant for Yuzuyu (if that wasn't clear by now), but it felt out of place, useless. If you'd see someone you care very much for regularly, why would you write to tell him something that you probably reminded him at each visit about? To me it made no sense. Unless she was talking about a different form of love, a romantic one, but given as she reconnected with Shou-chan again, I doubt that. Not to mention Kippei was probably married to Kokoro by then, which again are only guesses, as the manga never showed what happened to the relationship between Kippei and Kokoro. As far as we know, they could have broken up, or Kokoro died, or whatever else. It's pretty unlikely that something bad happened to them, but I don't think it would have killed the author to say something about the progress of that relationship. Were they still together? Did they marry? Did they have kids? We assume all those happened, but we'll never for sure. That being said, I was pretty dissapointed with the ending, as it let so many things in the air. What about Miki? What about Kippei siblings, Reiko and Satsuki?
All in all, this manga was nice and sweet, not too long, not too short, and that's pretty much all. It's not a manga that's I'll be re-reading very soon. I did like about it that it was told from the guy's POV. That felt fresh and new. And I also liked the female lead, pretty different than those weak, stupid, crybaby, leads we see in a lot of manga. Unfortunately, the manga as a whole didn't manage to reach it's full potential. A lot of thigs remained unfinished, and the serious topics touched by the author could have been much better written, with more care to the psychological aspect. The manga was sweet, I think that's the best way to descibe it, but it also could have been much better, and it's a shame that it wasn't.

First, I'm warning you that this review may contain spoilers. Don't say I haven't told you.

If I were to describe this manga in a single word, than that would be SAD. It is the saddest manga I have ever read, yet and the same time, it is also the most touching and the most heart-warming. I'm not a person who cries very easily, but this manga brought tears to my eyes more than once. It is labeled as a Tragedy and I truly agree with it. Being the tragic tale of a puppy, named Pao, of course it would tell the hardships that Pao ... has to face, but they don't seem forced, like there is too much tragedy in it. Instead, they seem very real, being things that can also happen in real life and they make you sympathize with him, as well as the other characters that deserve sympathy.

The story starts with 2 sisters finding a female dog that has a 'cut neck'. They bring it to a vet and then they take it home, promising to look for until the end. After less than a year, the dog gives birth to 3 puppies, the youngest one being Pao.
Unfortunately, the family suddenly goes bankrupt and they have to leave, unable to look for the dogs anymore. They are therefore abandoned, and this is where the tragic story starts.
Not long after that, Pao has to separate form his siblings. He then starts wondering the city, hoping to find some happiness. He encounters hardships as well and sadness in his journey, bu he manages to also find happiness and small bits of hope. He doesn't always find a large bowl of food, instead he finds a family and kind people who care for him.
Unfortunately, this small bits of hope don't last long. Sooner than he expected, he is faced with more pain and sadness, encountering the cruel reality. Yes, that's how it is. Life isn't always sweet, sometimes it's bitter, and poor Pao has to learn that the hard way. Some people are kind, while others are bad people that would hurt you even if you haven't done anything wrong, just to make money, or sometimes out of revenge, or out of pure cruelty. Pao has to survive, but survival isn't always easy. In a world were money makes the law, if you don't have money or, in Pao's case, if you don't have a wealthy owner, life is hard. Not only for you, but also for your master, and the lack of money can make even the kindest ones become cruel.

The characters of this manga are simply great. They portrait both the good people as well as the bad ones from society. Many if the good ones die, but they died bringing a little light of happiness to Pao, like Pao did to them. They die, but they die with thoughts of happiness in their minds. Their heart is filled with the happiness of being able to bring happiness to others, and that's what makes them happy in the last moments of their lives.
Pao, the main character, is a puppy who tries to survive in this harsh world. He wants nothing more than a family and someone who would love him, yet he faces pain and has to suffer because of the human's cruelty. He wants to find love, and instead he finds sorrow. He meets with his lost brother and sister and sees them die, even if they did nothing wrong. He meets with his former masters, but they lose all hope in life and commit suicide.
But after all the suffering he was faced with, Pao still manages to trust humans. He learned to distinguish them by their eyes and he finds in his heart to bring them happiness, to reward then for the hope they have given him.

The other characters are there to bring the little hope and happiness Pao was faced with. They give him new hope, and they teach him that all humans are bad, and that he shouldn't lose his hope. The bad and cruel people Pao was faced with taught him the harshness of this life, the cruelty of humans and the power of money. But they made Pao strong, and without knowing or wanting it, they made him able to survive.

The art, like the characters, was great. It shows very well the feelings the characters have. Since Pao distinguishes a human by their eyes, the art also focuses on them, making them expressive and reflecting their personality and their emotions.

In the end, this manga is a real and touching story about life. It shows it's cruelty, it's harshness, it's corruption. Life isn't perfect, and only the strong ones survive. Humans can be very cruel, and in their way, it doesn't matter if they hurt humans or animals.
It also tells us that animals, like us, humans, have a heart, and they can feel joy or sadness just like we do.
This manga is a story that collect the tragic stories of both humans and animals. It's a heart-warming tale where tragedies and sufferings are put together. It's a tragedy that brings tears to the eyes and sympathy to the heart.

Ok, since there are no reviews for this manga, then I'm going to write one.

Oh, by the way, this review may contain spoilers, so don't read it unless you haven't read the story. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I'll start by saying that this manga, at least to me, seemed REAL. It's not complicated or confusing, but rather simple to understand. It starts with Shouko, the daughter of a famous actress, that has been out-staged by her mother all her life. At first, she is proud of her mother, but as the story goes on, she becomes jealous of her mother, as everybody that sees ... her only looks at her as her mother's daughter. It's just that she only realizes this after she meets Ujou, her mother's new boyfriend. Then, she started to realize just how jealous she actually is on her mother, and thus she wants to hurt her. She sleeps with Ujou, but when she sees that even this doesn't work, she plans to go into the entartaiment world as well. Simple and clear.
I've read other reviews that were dissatisfied with the ending. But hey, maybe they expected some typical shoujo happy ending, where the two protagonists get together. To be honest, I was expecting this, too. So I found the actual ending good, a bit unexpected if you want, and realistic, something that happens quite often in the real world. (I'm not talking about the girl stealing her mother's boyfriend, I'm talking about the two of them NOT getting together).

And here we are, the characters. The main ones, the girl, her mom and her boyfriend. They are all conceited and self-centered and mainly think only about their own problems. They aren't depicted as bad in the manga, and they are similar to the people from real life. For example, Shouko, the daughter. As I said, she has been out-staged all her life by her famous mother, and nobody except for her 2 friends actually saw her for who she is, but for her mother's daughter, which isn't exactly something pleasant. She only realizes that she is jealous of her mother after she meets her boyfriend, Ujou. And what does she do after that? She rebels against her mother and in order to hurt her and to win against her, she sleeps with Ujou. Then, she goes into the entartaimant industry to win against her mother on her own. I believe she does fall in love with Ujou, but she doesn't realize it. And I think that all she had done was in order to step back from her mother's shadow and shine on her own. Again, pretty simple to understand.

Now let's take Ujou. He is a cold person and a talented pianist. He doesn't particularly like playing it though, he rather does it out of obligation. He has to get his left arm stabbed in order to realize how much he actually loves playing the piano. And I don't think he loves neither Shouko or her mother. More like, he accepted to be Hisako's boy-toy out of commodity, as she was willing to pay his tutisions. As the story goes on, he starts to get annoyed by this and thus plans to hurt Hisako, using Shouko. In the end, I don't think he loves either of them, he was just causing them to quarrel, as they both loved him. He leaves in order to have his arm re-operated, but he doesn't come back afterwards. And why would he? He is just as self-centered as Shouko, actually more than her in my opinion, only caring about his arm and his piano. Yeah, I agree, in the end I think he did notice and acknowledge Shouko, but this doesn't mean he fell in love with her. So there was no reason for him to return in Japan after the operation.

And finally, Hisako, the famous actress. She was a rather good mother to Shouko, until she and Shouko met Ujou and started to quarrel, becoming aware of their most hidden feelings for each other. She doesn't want to lose to Shouko, not realizing that Skouko feels the same way, being another self-centered character. She portrays the seemingly perfect woman, beautiful, elegant and successful, but in reality she is only another ordinary woman, with worries and fears like any other's. After Ujou was out of their life, I believe that she and her daughter went back to how things used to be.

And the last character I'm gong to talk about, a supporting one this time, Miu/Umi. In my opinion, she was the only character that actually cared for other people's problems and feelings, beside her own. She was a good friend, better than how Shouko was to her. She was sexually abused by her step-father and she was maybe a lesbian. If you ask me, enough problems for somebody to get conceited and think only of herself. But no, she actually think of other people, even if her problems are maybe more serious than Shouko's, for example. She doesn't do anything to her father even if he rapes her every night or so, because she knows how happy her mother is because oh him. She prefers to endure it than to take away her mother's happiness. Also, she wants to protect Shouko from Ujou, a thing I believe it's right, since Ujou was using her (Shouko) anyway. In the end, she is able to tear them apart, which may be a good thing. I think her character is the saddest one of the manga, because she doesn't solve her problems or find happiness, like the other characters. She is unable to tell somebody of her step father, and she doesn't find happiness, even though she is the one that deserves it the most.

The art is fine, nothing special, but somehow different from the standard shoujo art. It's not the worst I've seen out there, but not the best either. The profiles of the characters could have been drown better, but aside from this, I don't have much I can complain about. The expressions and the faces were ok, you can see when the characters are surprised or sad.

In the end, this manga was a good read, for me it seemed like a touch of realism, where the characters are different from the ones usually seen in shoujo manga. They seem real, and they choices they make don't feel weird or unreal, but real, something we could also do if faced with similar situations. If you want a rather realistic manga, that has it's drama and that has a rather sad ending, not the usual happy one but one that could also in real life, then you could read this, it might open your eyes a bit that not always things go the way we want them to.