Author: Hari Tokeino
Genre: Comedy, School, Shoujo, Slice of Life
Status: Ongoing
Introduction
It’s quite likely that you’ve never heard of this manga before. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of children, but somehow there is something about this manga that compels me to read it. This series was released on September 2009 and is currently on-going with no end in sight (which I’m happy about). As expected of a slice of life manga, this story is light-hearted and perfect to read after a long, stressful day. The antics of the children and the other characters in the story constantly brighten up my day. Read on to find out more!
Storyline Premise
The manga centers around a high school boy, Kashima Ryuuichi and his younger brother, Kashima Kotarou. Both of them were taken in by the chairman of an elite academy whom they’ve never met before. In order to repay back the chairman, Ryuuichi then becomes the school daycare’s new babysitter.
The storyline is quite straightforward and mostly deals with Ryuuichi’s life as a babysitter alongside with the children he interacts with on a daily basis. The series does a good job in realistically portraying the problems encountered by the characters and what they do to solve them. For example, in the first chapter itself, Ryuuichi faces a crisis and is reminded of the fact that his parents are no longer alive. Eventually, he managed to resolve that crisis by learning that he doesn’t have to do things by himself and that he can depend on others.
What I love about this manga is the fact that although most of the focus is given to the little toddlers, the author does not forget the teenagers and adults such as the children’s parents, siblings and even some of Ryuuichi’s classmates. The characters are introduced slowly, one by one, in such a way that makes it easy to remember them.
The manga is slow-paced and centers on happenings in the daycare with the occasional adventure outside of that setting, such as the other areas of the school. It’s also filled with plenty of high school romance and humour, not from gravity-defying moments but through the characters’ personalities.
I have to say this though; the toddlers are just too cute!! My heart constantly melts from their antics and the love they show towards their parents/siblings. We should never underestimate the love of toddlers towards their loved ones. Kotarou (Ryuuichi’s brother) is especially adorable and the love the siblings have for each other is so obvious that I find myself being envious at times.
Art
The art is relatively simple, and honestly, nothing outstanding. However, its simplicity makes it easy on the eyes. The characters are also drawn in a way where it is easy to distinguish them and the readers won’t get confused easily.
The children’s resemblance to their parents can also be seen quite clearly. As for the backgrounds and effects, it is fairly simplistic and not overly done.
Characterisation
As I’ve mentioned before, this series introduces a lot of characters and even provides some background albeit in little doses, which makes them memorable. Most of the characters stand out with their unique personalities and the art style makes it even easier to remember their faces/names. In this manga, we have a variety of characters, ranging from the usual nice boy, a boy who has a violent nature, tsunderes (a character which is described to be initially cold before gradually showing a warmer side) to a super butler/secretary.
It honestly isn’t that difficult to love the characters, and their interactions with each other is often amusing and just simply pleasant to read. I feel that the character development in this series is done quite well and I really enjoy watching the children develop and learn from their mistakes as they grow older and experience more things in life.
Conclusion
Feeling upset? This is the right manga for you as it will definitely make you smile non-stop and go ‘awww’ nearly every chapter! It’s a simple slice of life story that showcases daily happenings and funny moments. As I’ve said before, you really can’t underestimate the power of love the children in this story have for their parents/siblings.
I feel that this manga is a masterpiece that everyone should at least try reading once. It has always made me feel better and if it doesn’t do the same for you, I don’t know what else can.
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