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あの子の子ども [Ano Ko no Kodomo] #4
My Girlfriend's Child, Vol. 4
FRACTURED FAMILIES
Sachi has decided against an abortion. However, her choice is not without immediate consequences. While she deals with a flood of forms and doctor appointments, Takara is kicked out of his house and juggles multiple jobs to save money for her and their unborn child. In the midst of it all, Sachi’s dad shows up out of the blue and promises to take care of everything. But what are his true intentions...?
Sachi has decided against an abortion. However, her choice is not without immediate consequences. While she deals with a flood of forms and doctor appointments, Takara is kicked out of his house and juggles multiple jobs to save money for her and their unborn child. In the midst of it all, Sachi’s dad shows up out of the blue and promises to take care of everything. But what are his true intentions...?
176 pages, Paperback
First published September 13, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 6, 2024
That cliffhanger was absolutely devastating 😭😭😭😭
Another very good but heartbreaking volume in this series!
I thought it interesting that the one place Sachi felt she could breathe and be happy was at school! It makes sense given her home life right now, especially when her Dad steps in…
I don't know what to say about her Dad. I feel like he stepped in to "fix" things, but that he didn't ask Sachi's opinions on anything or thoughts about it. Plus when Sachi takes her mom with her to her doctor's appointment, I really don't think she is as supportive as may come across to these doctors? Like even to her teacher? Did her Mom's feelings finally come out in the form of what happened at the end or was it an accident? I don't really feel it is an accident because my first reaction was to write it in quotes. After all, surely that was no accident since Sachi messaged her…
Takara is still one of the best boys I've seen in shoujo manga because I'm amazed at how supportive he is, especially in light of how obvious his fatigue is from working. My heart is hurting for him because Sachi is very much isolating herself and all it seems is that he wants to be there for her. *sobs*
Overall, another very good, but emotional volume! I definitely NEED the next one ASAP because of that ending!
Another very good but heartbreaking volume in this series!
I thought it interesting that the one place Sachi felt she could breathe and be happy was at school! It makes sense given her home life right now, especially when her Dad steps in…
I don't know what to say about her Dad. I feel like he stepped in to "fix" things, but that he didn't ask Sachi's opinions on anything or thoughts about it. Plus when Sachi takes her mom with her to her doctor's appointment, I really don't think she is as supportive as may come across to these doctors? Like even to her teacher? Did her Mom's feelings finally come out in the form of what happened at the end or was it an accident? I don't really feel it is an accident because my first reaction was to write it in quotes. After all, surely that was no accident since Sachi messaged her…
Takara is still one of the best boys I've seen in shoujo manga because I'm amazed at how supportive he is, especially in light of how obvious his fatigue is from working. My heart is hurting for him because Sachi is very much isolating herself and all it seems is that he wants to be there for her. *sobs*
Overall, another very good, but emotional volume! I definitely NEED the next one ASAP because of that ending!
February 24, 2025
Sachi's dad...is definitely a piece of work. I understand why he's upset but god...what a horrible way to treat your own child.
April 16, 2024
Sachi’s dad is here to save the day, but it depends on your definition of saving and maybe also whose day you’re looking at. With so little on her side, Sachi has herself to rely on, but that’s a tall order for anybody, let alone a pregnant teenager.
If there’s a feel-good manga out there, this isn’t it. There have been moments of hope throughout this story, but the world Sachi inhabits is cruel and her tendency to want to take charge for her own decisions is pushing away the most well-meaning help.
And it’s hardly her fault that this is such a mess. Her dad reappears on the scene and he might set a new low point for the ‘bad manga dad’ archetype with how much of an outright misery he is. It all adds to a soapier feel that clashes sometimes with the more education portions, but despite my misgivings last volume this one landed a bit better for me.
What’s even worse, it’s very clear that Sachi’s parents have been tilting towards a divorce for a long time anyway and this just becomes one more (big) thing that seems primed to just break the family into pieces. This event just makes the obvious obvious, but now Sachi’s mom is going through two crushing life events in one go.
In one move I hardly expected, it turns out that Mamoru Aoi has a positively deft hand at writing school scenes. When Sachi goes back to class, the contrast between her home and her friend group couldn’t be more stark and the way they pal around is so natural that it’s really impressive.
Naturally, this is a prelude for the system to completely fail her yet again, as she works with her utterly useless homeroom teacher and a guidance councillor who is only interested in dispensing his own guidance. There’s something weird about a school worried about its reputation suffering by having a pregnant teenager on campus, but I chalk that one up to the culture difference.
Neatly, while Takara is around in this story, he’s very much on the periphery and it makes total sense - he’s working two jobs and killing himself to try and provide for Sachi and their incoming baby, but consequently he’s never around in all the other ways he’s needed.
You can see how much the two care for one another, which you’d think would lead Sachi to reach out, but it’s Takara’s absence that is felt more than his presence. This is Sachi’s story, through and through, but the way they take Takara out of it is smart.
My major problem with this story is that it’s veering very, very close to too much melodrama to me and possibly also misery porn. This is a serious story that’s seriously hard to read and downright infuriating at others.
And I don’t doubt that this very well could be and almost certainly does reflect somebody’s experience, but it’s got a real edge to it that’s worse than many suspense stories; you know the next kick is coming, but not from where.
As savage as that ending is, it is a bit much, particularly with how focused the story is on getting the details right. I do like all the Q&A bits at the end and the emphasis on how Sachi should allowed to make her own decisions - it’s depressing that still needs to be said - but it also can get a bit too science lecture-y at times.
I’d almost believe that the drama is being hyped up to address the banality and forthrightness of the educational component, but those are two sides of two very different coins that are on the same table but otherwise quite distinct. The realism doesn’t hold up to all the crazy going on outside of the research.
3.5 stars - I respect this story, I think this is a good story, I think it is an important story, but I don’t know that I ever enjoy this story. Not the easiest read, but it’s fairly well done.
If there’s a feel-good manga out there, this isn’t it. There have been moments of hope throughout this story, but the world Sachi inhabits is cruel and her tendency to want to take charge for her own decisions is pushing away the most well-meaning help.
And it’s hardly her fault that this is such a mess. Her dad reappears on the scene and he might set a new low point for the ‘bad manga dad’ archetype with how much of an outright misery he is. It all adds to a soapier feel that clashes sometimes with the more education portions, but despite my misgivings last volume this one landed a bit better for me.
What’s even worse, it’s very clear that Sachi’s parents have been tilting towards a divorce for a long time anyway and this just becomes one more (big) thing that seems primed to just break the family into pieces. This event just makes the obvious obvious, but now Sachi’s mom is going through two crushing life events in one go.
In one move I hardly expected, it turns out that Mamoru Aoi has a positively deft hand at writing school scenes. When Sachi goes back to class, the contrast between her home and her friend group couldn’t be more stark and the way they pal around is so natural that it’s really impressive.
Naturally, this is a prelude for the system to completely fail her yet again, as she works with her utterly useless homeroom teacher and a guidance councillor who is only interested in dispensing his own guidance. There’s something weird about a school worried about its reputation suffering by having a pregnant teenager on campus, but I chalk that one up to the culture difference.
Neatly, while Takara is around in this story, he’s very much on the periphery and it makes total sense - he’s working two jobs and killing himself to try and provide for Sachi and their incoming baby, but consequently he’s never around in all the other ways he’s needed.
You can see how much the two care for one another, which you’d think would lead Sachi to reach out, but it’s Takara’s absence that is felt more than his presence. This is Sachi’s story, through and through, but the way they take Takara out of it is smart.
My major problem with this story is that it’s veering very, very close to too much melodrama to me and possibly also misery porn. This is a serious story that’s seriously hard to read and downright infuriating at others.
And I don’t doubt that this very well could be and almost certainly does reflect somebody’s experience, but it’s got a real edge to it that’s worse than many suspense stories; you know the next kick is coming, but not from where.
As savage as that ending is, it is a bit much, particularly with how focused the story is on getting the details right. I do like all the Q&A bits at the end and the emphasis on how Sachi should allowed to make her own decisions - it’s depressing that still needs to be said - but it also can get a bit too science lecture-y at times.
I’d almost believe that the drama is being hyped up to address the banality and forthrightness of the educational component, but those are two sides of two very different coins that are on the same table but otherwise quite distinct. The realism doesn’t hold up to all the crazy going on outside of the research.
3.5 stars - I respect this story, I think this is a good story, I think it is an important story, but I don’t know that I ever enjoy this story. Not the easiest read, but it’s fairly well done.
May 9, 2024
empecé esta obra sin escuchar ni leer una palabra sobre ella, y conforme he ido leyendo he ido reflexionando tomo a tomo sobre el mensaje de la autora:
-¿es provida?
-¿es proaborto?
-¿apoya el embarazo adolescente?
-¿y este título tan mal elegido?
al final, poco a poco, voy llegando a la conclusión de que simplemente es una crónica de las decisiones de una chica de 16 años, y de cómo, conforme toma esas decisiones, se da cuenta de que lo más importante es, al fin y al cabo, la misma capacidad de decisión por sí sola.
todavía sigo analizándola, pero por ahora me está gustando bastante.
-¿es provida?
-¿es proaborto?
-¿apoya el embarazo adolescente?
-¿y este título tan mal elegido?
al final, poco a poco, voy llegando a la conclusión de que simplemente es una crónica de las decisiones de una chica de 16 años, y de cómo, conforme toma esas decisiones, se da cuenta de que lo más importante es, al fin y al cabo, la misma capacidad de decisión por sí sola.
todavía sigo analizándola, pero por ahora me está gustando bastante.
April 20, 2024
One of the most poignant shojo manga I have read in years. Quiet, thoughtful, and beautifully executed, the series examines teenage pregnancy is an experience, rather than an issue. There is a wonderful level of respect demonstrated for young people by the author. I would have loved to have read a work that quietly champions the right to agency, respect and support for teenage girls in the way this series does when I was a teen myself. To see teenage girls taken seriously in this way is genuinely quite moving, as it honestly feels depressingly rare, at least in the scheme the media I can remember reading when I was that age. An absolute gem, and not definitely not a series to miss.
May 13, 2024
4.5 out of 5 Stars: This book does so well in showing how overwhelmed on how Sachi's situation can be. I did want to shake her at times for being standoffish with her mom, and I kind of hated her dad.
I loved Takara even more this book if that was possible how steady he is in the situation.
I was proud of Sachi though for standing up to her teachers and the school and what her goals are and what she wants to pursue. The Q&A in the back of this series is forever will be invaluable. There is a cliff, but I can't wait for the next one and already need a release date.
I loved Takara even more this book if that was possible how steady he is in the situation.
I was proud of Sachi though for standing up to her teachers and the school and what her goals are and what she wants to pursue. The Q&A in the back of this series is forever will be invaluable. There is a cliff, but I can't wait for the next one and already need a release date.
May 26, 2024
i like this manga a lot. It very educational, and has a lot of respect for what the characters are going through. That isn’t something I see in a lot of teen pregnancy media. I also like the emphasis on choice in this manga, the charcters aren’t wrong for telling fuku to have an abortion because “abortion is wrong” their wrong, because Fuku wants to keep the baby, and thats her decision. I like how every volume has a little q&a at the end with sex education professionals to answer questions readers might have. A lot of care was put into this manga.
April 13, 2024
Sachi’s father is a giant A-HOLE!!!! Her school sucks too! I wish she would tell her friend, Yazawa because I think she knows…
Also, when can she actually enjoy this pregnancy???? Teen pregnancy is so freakin depressing. She made her choice to not have an abortion… so why can’t she be happy for her baby?
Also, when can she actually enjoy this pregnancy???? Teen pregnancy is so freakin depressing. She made her choice to not have an abortion… so why can’t she be happy for her baby?
February 27, 2025
Fortíssim el paper del pare amb el típic somriure impassible, però que et clava la punyalada per l'esquena i del professorat de l'institut, tan diferent de com seria aquí. Quanta ràbia, impotència i desconcert en uns moments tan delicats. Patint molt pel final, amb ganes de més!!!! ♥️ Les preguntes i respostes del final cada cop m'agraden més, quines explicacions tan exhaustives i amenes!!!
April 22, 2024
El padre de Sachi es todo lo que nunca debería ser un padre.
Espero que nunca más vuelva a aparecer...😓
Espero que nunca más vuelva a aparecer...😓
July 9, 2024
i feel so bad for sachi :(
July 18, 2024
mi sono martoriato l'anima
August 12, 2024
This manga is very poignant, but I’m really not sure I actually enjoy it?
March 5, 2025
A very interesting manga series exploring teenage pregnancy in Japan and the cultural issues that arise.
April 25, 2025
No me puede gustar más esta serie, que ganas de leer el siguiente
May 1, 2025
Sachi try not to make me cry challenge
November 25, 2025
they're just babies 😭
May 13, 2024
Sachi's family is such a mess right now and the school is really not supporting her at all, really tense and stressful 😥
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews