Dogs and Punching Bags

犬とサンドバッグ [Inu to Sandbag] #1-2

by Kaori Ozaki

Kaori Ozaki is back with another heartfelt exploration of love, family, belonging, and whether happiness can be found on the other side of a dark past.

After returning to her remote island hometown for her estranged alcoholic father’s final days, 34 year old Nichiko meets an eccentric young man whose almost obsessive need to rescue people and animals seems to be compensating for an unspeakable past.

Genres: Manga, Romance, Comics, Seinen, Graphic Novels, Japanese Literature

394 pages, Paperback

Published January 21, 2025

About the author

Kaori Ozaki (Japanese name: 尾崎かおり) is a professional comic artist and character designer. She made her debut in 1993 at the age of 15 for shojo publisher Shinshokan with the short series An Angel above the Piano. Her breakthrough work Immortal Rain earned her great acclaim globally as it was translated into a dozen languages and eventually published in the United States by Tokyopop. She worked on the eleven volume series for 12 years before switching publishers and switching genres with her first title from Kodansha's young adult magazine Afternoon, The Gods Lie.

Reviews

[DianaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank you to the publisher for an arc!

i need this animated STAT — the last fifty pages had my heart in my throat and tears pouring down my face. dogs and punching bags is a story of love and loss, family, and finding a place of belonging. the art was absolutely beautiful and my heart broke for our mmc chimaki and his depressing backstory, but i loved his tenacity for life and desire to help anyone/anything 💗

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A woman in her thirties returns to her childhood home on a small Japanese island with one suitcase and a whole lot of emotional baggage. There she meets a man with his own tragic past but who bears the burden differently due to his possibly neurodivergent personality.

It's an entertaining mash-up of two other manga series I like, mixing the odd relationship of Tramps Like Us with the quirky island life of Barakamon.

The first half is tinged with melancholy as we await reveals about the characters' histories, but the second half takes a turn and verges on screwball comedy at times. It turns out to be a tasty cocktail.


FOR REFERENCE:

Originally published in Japanese as Inu To Sandobaggu (犬とサンドバッグ) Vols. 1-2 by Shogakukan, in 2022 and 2023. Inu To Sandobaggu (犬とサンドバッグ) was serialized in Gekkan! Spirits Shogakukan, 2022-2023.

Contents: Chapters 1-10 -- Final Chapter -- Afterword

[Keiko, the manga enthusiast ♒︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

My gratitude to ever-generous Kodansha Comics and publisher for providing me an advanced copy of this series in exchange for an honest review.

Life can wear you down like a beat-up punching bag, but it still goes on.

Dogs and Punching Bags—it must definitely be a metaphor for hopes and challenges. The is inspiring, nevertheless.

I’ve been meaning to read Dogs and Punching Bags and when I found out it’s available as an ARC, I didn’t miss a beat and grabbed my chance to get an official copy. At first I thought it was quite long and realized it’s a 2-in-1 volume.

I’ve read a Kaori Ozaki manga before and I just realized she does include bits and pieces of frowned-upon and controversial issues across her works (e.i. the huge age gap between the hero and heroine, adultery).

This one though felt like a ghibli movie but only for older teens/adults as an audience. The setting is refreshing, the back stories are interesting. The story may have heavy notes at times, but it manages to bring back laughter and smiles on the face.

[seana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I read The God’s Lie by Kaori Ozaki a while back, and I have to say, this manga was miles better. Although I’m not typically a fan of age-gap romances, this one was handled remarkably well. It also featured one of the most… unique sex scenes I’ve ever come across in a manga.

This would’ve been a five-star read if not for the redemption it gave to a wholly undeserving character.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a funny and heartfelt story! Dogs and Punching Bags is a story about love, loss, and finding your place in a community! I loved Chimaki and how sweet he is despite his tragic backstory. The art is also breathtaking, and I loved it so much! There were a few pages where I was like, "Wow, I want to hang this on my wall!" So much thought and character is put into the side characters in the story as well! If you're a fan of graphic novels and manga, I totally recommend checking this out!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[greta · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5

this was such a cute read! it was a bit sad at times and thought provoking so if you’re not in the mood for that, i don’t think you should pick it up. other than that, it was a quick and romantic read!

i loved the characters ESPECIALLY chimaki. he was such a sweetheart and definitely a boyfriend material. i absolutely loved the way he treated nichiko.
however, nichiko was a tad annoying at times, especially the way she acted after she found out this one thing about chimaki. that aside, i did love their blossoming relationship and definitely preferred she stayed with him rather than the married guy lol.

the writing style was easy to get into, although i didn’t care *too* much about the flashbacks. i don’t mind if there are a couple of them but in this case we got a lot and i found it just a little boring.

the best part of the book was the romance between chimaki and nichiko for me, i just wanted them to get together lol. i also loved chimaki’s little sister, she was such a sweetie! i wish we got more of her.
overall, i do recommend picking this up, it was worth a read. ♡

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I just like this author's work, cause again super slice of life yet I couldn't stop reading.

Basically a 34 year old women is trying to figure out life. Goes back to a small town with her ill father, and as he passes away she tries to find the meaning in life. Sadly she's mixed up, messing with a married man, but meets a new guy on the island who has a set of troubles himself. The past is never nice to people, and this story is about forgiveness and letting go while finding meaning in life. Overall a great look into the life of normal people trying to get by in life. A 4 out of 5.

[⚡eli⚡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics, for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

Dogs and Punching Bags follows Nichiko (34 y.o.), who leaves behind her lonely life in Tokyo to return to her secluded island hometown due to the impending death of her estranged, alcoholic father. There, she meets Chimaki (23 y.o.), an eccentric young man. Yet beneath his boundless zest for life, lies an intense urge to help the lives of those around him—perhaps a way to compensate for a haunting past he can’t outrun. What sort of past? Read and find out!

What I can say about DAPB is that it ranges from being humorous, weird and quirky, to seriously sad and depressing.
My fav funny moments were Chimaki's 'table' scene in a suit, panel with comment 'But I've never fished out my own ... before'' and Nichiko and Chimaki's vulnerable moments telling their truths. If you enjoy a beautifully drawn story with depth and themes like age-gap, hope, love and loss, and finding a place for belonging - this is for you.

''Life can wear you down like a beat-up punching bag, but it still goes on.''

[Bella Azam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is funny, heartfelt, moving and bittersweet story of finding hope, moving on from the past set in a small island with the charms of simplicity of a small town. There is love and budding romance (an age gap relationship) but both are two consenting adults, one with a baggage and another with a past that haunted him. I like the simplicity of the story as not much conflict happened but its a cute story overall.

Thank u Netgalley and Kodansha Comic for the e-arc

[Danielle R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Koari Ozaki has her own genre. Let's call it... 'everything is beautiful and everything hurts' because while her stories are all so realistic and sad, there's always a sunrise at the end of the dark tunnel. I always find myself alternating between bawling and smiling when I read her works.

This was a fantastic cast! I loved Nichiko who has been stuck in a meaningless life for as long as she can remember and is desperately looking for something. I adored Chimaki who lives with the weight of a mistake he can never be free of but takes time to try to save injured mice and rescue wet butterflies. I liked Momo who got to learn a great lesson about loving yourself from several people throughout. I enjoyed Himari who gave us the climax of the story after succumbing to some ridiculous 'kid logic.' I even liked Atsumu (the jerk) because I feel like he learned something too.

I always appreciate a story that brings in every character and loose end that it mentioned. Real life isn't so neat, but this is fiction so I love to see it. The inclusion of Chimaki's dad and the ghost of his brother, the way he ripped the tablecloth off the table during his argument at the restaurant, and tomatoes being his little meet-cute with Nichiko was all perfect.

I love Kaori Ozaki's work, even if she makes me cry every single time. It all hurts and it's all beautiful. Life is worth living, simply because there are pickles and stars and tablecloths and sea shells and people and dogs. 5/5

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing look at life after loss and dealing with grief. The characters are all well-developed and you can feel the love and loss throughout. Both Chimaki and Nichiko are mourning losses in different ways. I love the way that the heavier topics are presented but don’t bog the reader down in sadness. This is my first read by this author and I will be looking for more.

I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.

[Simão Carvalho · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a pleasant surprise. Kaori Ozaki never disappoints.

[Laura (crofteereader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were definitely some weird parts, but I do appreciate how Ozaki broaches heavy subjects while maintaining a very personable kind of levity. I like that Atsumu wasn’t irrevocably awful, though I think he deserved worse than he got. And I didn’t really get the whole dog part of the story (like, why was that relevant?) but both of our main characters were endearing and deeper than I originally guessed (which is something I’ve definitely come to expect from Ozaki main characters)

{Thanks Kodansha / Vertical Comics for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5★ // Upon receiving word of her estranged father's declining health, 34-year-old Nichiko leaves her life in Tokyo, returning to her small island hometown. While healing from her isolated past and re-rediscovering her sense of self, she meets Chimaki, a young man with puppy energy and a heart of service. However, the reason for Chimaki's altruism may not be as innocent as it seems..

Don't be fooled by the title - there is a lot less dog in the story than expected (barring Chimaki's personality), but also a lot more depth and meaning than expected.

As for the punching bag, it felt like *I* (i.e., my heart) was the one being punched with all the emotions I experienced while reading this.. I really felt for both of our incredible MCs. Although being a stand-alone volume, I felt that the characters were well fleshed out, their personalities and growth clear. Also, I love to see a mature, non-toxic couple!

This was such a beautiful story on self-identity, love, loss, loneliness, belonging.. plus so much more. I'm already ready for the re-read!

🎵 Song to pair with: Punch - NCT 127

{Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for this eARC!}

[seraa · Rating 5 out of 5]

age gap romance but in such a way that i dont hate it or find it uncomfortable at all

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Actual rating 4.25 - rounded up*

The first week of the new year hasn't been great reading-wise. I've picked up and put down five books, probably reading around 1,000 pages this week but not finishing a single book (I did manage a short story in there). When I saw this manga on NetGalley as a read now option, I decided to give it a shot because I needed a break from prose.

So, thank you NetGalley, Kaori Ozaki, and Kodansha Comics for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

We're following the stories of two people as they battle their pasts and find where they belong. I almost believe you should go into this as blindly as you can because you'll be just as shocked as I was throughout. There's a lot of childhood trauma, death, and talk of dying (so tread lightly).

I'm also glad that the dog aspect was light. I was nervous about just how spiritual we were going to get, but I'm glad that it was alluded.

In general, I though the characters were well fleshed-out and their backstories were captivating. The entire town was well set and the side characters were well-explored. I really enjoyed this manga and I think that it would make a terrific anime.

I truly had the best time while reading this and I kept a "journal" throughout with spoiler thoughts, which I'll copy and paste below if you're interested in following along as you read.

READ WITH ME

30%
This is such a weird manga, but I can't stop reading it. Basically, we're following a woman who moved back to this very small island to "watch her dad die" since he was awful to her and pushed her entire family way (not just from himself, but from each other--she hasn't seen her mom or brother since they left). She's tending to the garden at the house she grew up in, finding that she's lonely and missing her childhood dog she grew up with.

That part actually made me teary-eyed. She had to leave her drunk and abusive father, which also meant leaving her childhood dog behind with him. She realizes that he probably waited for her and died alone and neglected. Like. Fuck.

In addition to her story, we're also following a twenty year old who is infatuated with her. He works at the only convenience store on this island and we see that he's very caring. He's a nurturing human, giving bits and pieces of himself to anyone who needs it, even a dying mouse (he tries to ferry it to the mainland). We also meet his overprotective mother and his little sister, as well as a coworker that is crazy-jealous of the main character because it's obvious these two are falling for each other.

The punching bag comes into play because she's angry and has a lot pent up bullshit to deal with. Punching it out seems a lot easier than going to therapy, I suppose.

The weird part about this manga is that the MMC is often compared to her childhood dog. If it turns out that he is her childhood dog reincarnated... I don't know, that's weird. There's quite a large age difference between these two: she's almost 35 and he's in his early twenties. It's possible that's where this is going.

There was a full on comparison between herself, himself, and her childhood dog (which I actually kind of liked). Like her pet, they both don't understand the world around them fully and how it operates. They feel like outsiders.

42%
That was heartbreaking. He was a kid when that happened. He obviously thought his brother could fly (from a previous scene), so he pushed his little brother off a cliff and into the sea. His brother didn't make it, so now he's "making it up to God," by being the best possible person he can be for other people. The FMC found out and she sent him home to walk in the rain. Like... T.T

OMG AND THEN we find out what actually happened. His mom decided to read them all The Little Matchgirl (depressing as fuck) and described heaven as this wonderful place you go when you die. You'll sprout wings and fly up there. When you die. The boys were playing and his younger brother asked him to give him a push to "take a trip to heaven." The knots that formed in my stomach.

48%
The scene where his little (TWIN) brother is gripping the back of his shirt and telling him to live. Like. FUCK! T.T

66%
So much happened. FMC apparently had a full ass relationship with a married man and got played hard. He told her that he couldn't take a trip with him and she decided to take one of her own. She crossed paths with him at the airport and saw his whole family with him. She kept the ring he proposed with her with (alongside a promise to leave his wife) as a reminder of the anger she harbored for him. She cut her hair and moved back home to deal with her father when she met MMC.

She realizes that she overreacted and should've heard MMC out, but still ended up leaving. The married man texted her saying that he'd like to see her on her birthday, that he left his wife. She goes to Tokyo to meet him, calling him a liar--that she knew that he never left his wife. And he sneers at her and says something like: and you still came; you get me better than they do. Blah blah.

In walks MMC and they get into an altercation (very entertaining). FMC takes him by the hand and they leave together. Super cute.

67%
OMG. He saved her pickle bed. T.T (she broke it out of anger, even though it was the last thing she had of her mom's)

100%
How fucking cute. I actually really love that the cheating bastard gets a small redemption arc and learns something from this experience. I did find their sex scene to be a little weird, but I think it worked for them. And the last shot where she has a baby bump??? Like. How adorable.

[Amara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

Dogs and Punching Bags follows Nichiko's return to the island she grew up on. Here she meets the younger Chimaki, whose kindness allows Nichiko to glimpse a more hopeful future.

“Why are you so passionate about helping people? I've got to. Otherwise, I can't make up for the rest of my life...”

One of the best parts of this manga is the beautiful art style. Ozaki is immensely talented, and deftly demonstrates her 30 years of experience in the industry. Her art style pairs perfectly with the tragic, but ultimately hopeful tale she weaves in Dogs and Punchings Bags.

The character journey of both main characters takes center stage in this story. Ozaki invites us to reflect on the reasons of why and how we live our lives. This is complemented by distinct and memorable side characters with their own satisfying storylines.

While I enjoyed this manga overall I did find the pacing a tad fast. This story could have done with a few extra chapters, maybe an extra volume, to especially explore life after the conclusion to the story. I would have also liked to see a bit more than the glimpses we got into Nichiko's past. This manga went a long way with the philisophical points it tried to make, but fell short at various points to really drive home some of its messages. Giving the story some more space to breathe would probably remedy this.

“There are so many beautiful things in this world. The more I see, the more I want to drink them in, and the more I want to live.”

Overall there is a lot to enjoy in Dogs and Punching Bags. I would recommend this manga to people who enjoy reflections on life and love complemented by a beautiful art style. It is a quintessential Japanese tale in parts reminiscent of Your Name, Fruits Basket, I Want to Eat Your Pancreas, and I Sold My Life for Then Thousand Yen per Year.

TW include, but are not limited to: suicidal ideation, child death, manslaughter, animal death

Thank you Kaori Ozaki and Kodansha Comics for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

TL;DR: An engaging story about finding your place and community, even in the darkest parts of your life.
Source: NetGalley, thank so much to the publisher!

Plot: Nichiko returns to her home island, a tiny place, to find herself. There she meets Chimaki and their stories blends.
Characters: I really enjoyed these characters, especially Nichiko. She was refreshing in her pushback against societal norms but also her steadiness.
Setting: The island setting is an easy one to pull off, but I still really enjoyed it’s small cast and scenery.
Art/Layout: Absolutely love art. I really enjoyed this, it was sparse but had a lot of grace. A lovely style.

Thoughts:

Dogs and Punching Bags follows Nichiko who returns to her small home island, a common tourist spot, after having a rough patch in the big city. She’s leaving behind a broken relationship, and at 34 she’s pushing the boundaries of what Japanese culture finds acceptable for a single woman. She meets Chimaki there, a young man in his early twenties who works at the connivence story but has his own dark history and story. The two of them hit it off as friends and we follow their relationship as their lives start to meld.

I really enjoyed this! The tone in this was unexpected but one I gobbled up. There was tension and there was some intense emotional reactions, especially with Chimaki’s story. But the island setting and the almost cozy vibe made this such a hopeful and overall happy manga. I was happy while reading this and the ending left me smiling. My only complaint about this was that Chimaki seemed a bit infantilized - and I’m not sure if that was intentional as his story really seems to look at the idea that’s he stuck in a place and way because of what happened to him as a young boy.

Besides that this was lovely. The art is graceful and really adds to the setting and feel and ultimately there is a Happily Ever After, so this could be considered a true romance. I especially loved Nichiko who pushed back several times against people commenting on her age and single status. An absolutely lovely read, one I recommend.

[Off Service Book Recs · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Life can wear you down like a beat-up punching bag, but it still goes on"

Thank you to NetGalley, Vertical Comics, and Kaori Ozaki for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this title!

Nichiko knows her alcoholic father's days are numbered as she steps back onto the remote island she once called home. Troubled with her feelings about her father, the wretched past she left on the mainland, and her musings on feeling somewhat unmoored in her 30s, she expects to find little comfort as she exits the ferry. When she runs into an eccentric younger man who is the manga equivalent of a golden retriever boyfriend - complete with a burning desire to save everything and everyone he comes across - she is surprised at the hope she feels (even through he's 10 years her junior). Dogged and dig-eyed Chimaki has his own secrets, however, and only time will tell if together they can carve out something new and true in their respective beat-down lives.

I thought this was going to be a wrestling manga based on the cover and picked it up on a whim because I thought the artwork was beautiful. While it's not really about boxing beyond being a metaphor, I was completely pleased to find a wonderful story that I think a lot of people can really resonate with - finding yourself as an adult, the power behind regret and sunk cost, learning to live under and out from the shadow of tragedy, the warmth of found family, the societal expectations that can hold us back, the redemptive power of forgiving yourself, and learning to let go of regrets in the things we cannot change, to name a few points. A little corny at times, and deeply emotional at others (and with some adult-level spice, content, and language, so don't pass this along to your kids), this was a beautiful 2-in-1 volume I'd recommend to anyone who needs an afternoon of a crisp and fulfilling story to shake their woes away.

[fridge_brilliance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went and judged a book by its cover: picked up this manga because of how fresh and clean the cover art looked. I thought it was going to be more of a slice of life on a small island kind of story, and was a bit surprised to discover how central the romance to the story. The romance features an age gap, but it’s handled with grace: for starters, it’s a woman who is older, and secondly, the age gap as such does not become the main focus of deliberation or shame for either of the main characters. It’s a fairly short manga, but it did have a room for a surprisingly fleshed out love triangle, even though the blurb didn’t prepare me for one. Looking at other reviews, I can see I can see why some readers brought up undeserved redemption, but I thought it was probably on par with the rest of the storytelling decisions, which were handled with sympathy and relative lack of judgement that leaves room for complexity. For a story that was focused on finding your place in the community - and one quite hopeful in tone - it managed to weave in a lot of sorrowful elements: grief, trauma, emotional resolutions that are years in the making. And yet everything was generously sprinkled with warm humour which elevated the reading experience.

This was my first time reading this mangaka, and I think I will keep my eye open for more of her books. I like stories that clearly only a mature woman could have written.

Thanks to Netgalley for an early reading copy.

[Alexia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best manga I've read in a while. I came into this not expecting anything. With a title like, "Dogs and Punching Bags", I mean ... you don't get much from that. It could go either way honestly. But, oh my gosh this book is so beautiful. I'm saying this after crying for like five minutes straight. I did the type of crying that makes you feel like you got the flu or something.

Where do I even start? This book is about love. All types of love. It's about loneliness, regrets, and forgiveness. You just got to read it. Please experience this book for yourself.

Chimaki's life really touched me. His story is so sad but he's such a funny, innocent, sweet, and beautiful character. See ... now I am crying again! There are some parts that sort of touch on the unseen/spiritual side that just grabbed my heart and squeezed the life out of it (in a good way).

The final chapter is so freaking good. With manga you already have an image put before you but somehow Kaori Ozaki managed to make her writing stand out a bit more during an intimate scene between Chimaki & Nichiko. Like, I obviously need to check out her previous works because if her other books are anything like this! Whew. Okay, I'm done. This review is long enough. "Dogs and Punching Bags" gets all the stars.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

[Zephorah Dove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa, this was a great read. It had so much to do but everything panned out nicely and not too rushed.

Our FMC comes back home to bury her dad after escaping her childhood home years ago. Our MMC is also back home facing people who know his darkest secret.

When I found out what exactly happened, I was so shocked and gutted that a child had to grow up with that kind of grief and ridicule from everyone for a gut wrenching incident that is...inherently the adults fault. Besides that heavy burden, he's well traveled and is super sweet to the point of being a bit too naive.

I think they meshed so well together because of his "weirdness". He was able to get past her defenses and bring some joy to her life. I did find it weird how everyone called him not normal, but no one seemed to want to get to the root of it? Could he possibly be on the spectrum of some sorts?

When her ex came to visit, I howled of laughter because what?! Watching him get so fed up with their lovely dovey-ness brought me joy because he's a scum bag for cheating and misleading the FMC. The fact that his wife took him back shocked me.

I'd definitely recommend this if you're looking for a story set on a small island with likeable characters and an easy going story. I read this in one sitting and immensely enjoyed myself.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for the DRC!

[Katharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was such an oddball but in the best way. It's very hard to explain, but this story is about finding a place where you finally feel at home. Both of the main protagonists have traveled the world trying to find something, but only manage to find it when they return to the island where they grew up. The main characters are pretty realistic, and it makes you root for them. The path the plot takes is pretty windy, like a backwoods mountain road. There are moments when you wonder where it's going, but it always manages to hook you back in. But it's a very charming story about how we all have people who truly love us and there IS somewhere in the world that we belong in.. Sidebar, there is one [spice] scene in this story, but it's completely plot-relevant and makes complete sense to be in there. This story also has a crazy balance of tragic and comedic, morose and light-hearted. The art, of course, was gorgeous. I love this author's art style, which is part of the reason I jumped to read this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Siina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dogs and Punching Bags is slice of life and seinen. I really enjoy Ozaki's series, since she knows how to make short stories that are full of life and emotion. The original Japanese version is two books long as this is an omnibus containing both of those. It's a good call, since the book feels whole now on a totally different level. Nichiko is a 34-year-old woman, who returns from Tokyo to her home island after learning that the man she loves is married, but didn't tell her. She tries to find herself again and meets this Chimaki named guy, ten years her junior. He's got a past, but that doesn't prevent them of for starting to have feelings for each other. I really enjoyed the age gap and how the woman is older. Especially the ending is wonderful and the picture of everyone at the back shows something great.

The art is wonderful as it always is in Ozaki's manga. The atmosphere is even hollow and sad mostly, but there's that amazing glimmer of hope. The realism is something you can actually touch. I really enjoy stories like this a lot - well-constructed, emotional and relatable. I highly recommend. This is surely a manga for adults in a good way.

[Emi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Publishing date: 21.01.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC. My opinions are my own.


Hmm, I am feeling a little mixed here. This manga is nice and all, but maybe not quite what I was looking for. I think bullet points will serve me well:

Did like:
- The artstyle was nice
- Age gap was handled well and not necessarily the central theme
- Loved the little sister
- Main couple was in general cute

Did not like:
- Redemption for an undeserving character
- Unnecessary sex-scene could have been fade to black
- Story felt a little all over the place
- A certain revelation seemed to be handled a little poorly by the main character
- This is a spoiler, find it at the end of my review ...

All in all, this is an okay manga. I have read better, I have read worse. It isn't overly long, I finished it in a single day. If you are interested, I would say go for it.

My rating will be a firm 3 stars, smack dab in the middle as I don't feel any particular way about it.

TLDR: Typical small-town romance manga with an age gap



The spoilery disliked part: Epilogue with pregnancy

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not sure how Dogs and Punching Bags would leave me feeling after reading the blurb and the first chapter. It did provide enough of a hopeful note to encourage me to read it and before I knew it I finished the entire book. It was absolutely lovely! I've seen enough bungled attempts at stories where a person with a mysterious past (Nichiko) returns to their small island/village only to meet a local with a dark past (Chimaki) that I was apprehensive, but all of the story elements were well executed. Bonus points as well for not having the characters from multiple age demographics fall into trope hell; they were portrayed in a believable and relatable, if not likeable, manner. As someone older than Nichiko I was very amused at her need for liquid courage during one particularly inspired scene. I mean this as a compliment: This is the kind of story that lends itself well to a screenplay because this book takes you through the emotional arc of a short drama series. (I received an ARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.)

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nichiko came back to her homeland of a small island. Everyone on the island thinks she's this big shot from Tokyo, but her life doesn't seem so big at all. As she familiarizes herself being back home, one guy would be more than happy to help her.

This one shot manga was very refreshing to read. It started out with melancholy but it feels like as though you're changing with Nichiko. It was fun to experience the people of the island. And it was something else to learn about the characters much deeper.

The manga also feels like a love letter to all golden retriever partners. And I love that so much. It was just so sweet and lovely.

This was a good dive in to realities of life and also its complexities. Because who does have all their stuff together? This was a good reminder that everything will be okay. I'm so glad I read this.

Finally, the art is so gentle and I love how you can easily ease in to the manga through the illustrations. Overall, this was a really good manga.

* I received an eARC of this book

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dogs and Punching Bags is a one-shot manga about a woman returning to her home island after her father is bed-bound and easing into life after the end of a tricky relationship. There, she meets a younger man that reminds her of her childhood dog, but despite being so sweet and caring carries some trauma of his own.

This was longer than I expected and that's not a negative; it gave the story a little time to breathe and ramp up before falling to a close again. Love stories of community where everyone works together and cares about each other even when some bad things happened in the past. The only thing that bothered me was the constant harping on Nichiko's age (early/mid-30s) as being "old" and even calling herself middle-aged at one point. Not a fan! But the rest of the story was cute and good and I enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the eARC in exchange for review!

[chthonicbambi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
Thirty-four year old Nichiko returns to her island hometown for her estranged father's final days. There she meets Chimaki, a younger and kind, albeit quirky, man whose incessant need to help others is fueled by the guilt of a fatal mistake he made as a child.

Both Nichiko's and Chimaki's backstories are very touching and the relationship that forms between the two is sweet. However, I found the story to be somewhat underdeveloped and all over the place. I also didn't feel like a particular character deserved to be painted in a sympathetic way but I understand that the mangaka wanted to create nuanced characters that, although have made mistakes, are still capable of redemption. Anyway this was alright. I definitely thought it was better than The God's Lie which I have also read but didn't enjoy. Perhaps this mangaka isn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

[Badger · Rating 5 out of 5]

hands-down my favorite work of ozaki’s. this manga, originally a two-volume work, now combined into one volume, touches on a lot of incredibly heavy topics and discusses them in an incredibly human way by being perfectly imperfect. every character is given their due and given the chance to shape themselves into three-dimensional human beings. it was such a refreshing read.

i was down bad for nichiko and chimaki. at the heart of this manga is the budding romance between them: a twenty-three year old hurt puppy of a man and a thirty-four year old woman with more than her fair share of emotional baggage. i loved them and the journey ozaki took us all on. i think this is a great work for seasoned manga fans, as well as one for those who may be new to the format. i’d absolutely recommend it to everyone who it looking for a compelling read where people just get to be people.

my many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the early digital review copy.