With you and the Rain 1

雨と君と [Ame to Kimi to] #1

by Kō Nikaidō, Rahel Niedermann (Translator)

Frech, flauschig und mit Flipchart bewaffnet: ein kleiner Tanuki erobert die große, weite Welt. An einem regnerischen Tag entdeckt eine junge Frau zufällig ein einsames Tier, das ganz vielleicht ein Hund sein könnte, in einer kleinen Box. Völlig durchnässt und der Kälte ausgeliefert, bittet das kleine Wesen um Unterschlupf. Ein Ding der Unmöglichkeit, da zu widerstehen! Und so nimmt die schicksalhafte Begegnung zwischen einer jungen Frau und einem Tanuki, der ganz vielleicht ein Hund ist, ihren Lauf.

Genres: Manga, Slice Of Life, Fantasy, Seinen, Graphic Novels, Animals, Japan

130 pages, Paperback

First published March 5, 2021

Reviews

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not a dog. That's not a problem, because it's incredibly cute. This is one of those mangas in that very distinct genre of something cute that tends to be much smarter than the humans surrounding it, with the lightest of stories to accompany them.

The long and the short of it: face-shatteringly cute, and beautifully drawn.

(Thanks to Kodansha for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley)

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet and gentle "slice of life" manga, that while it didn't have any overarching dramatic storyline, it flowed gently like a calm brook in a green forest, with light rain pattering all around from a light grey sky.

Very relaxing and cute set of vignettes where a woman and a rescued off the street "dog" (really a magical tanuki, I want one now, SO CUTE!) live a quiet, gentle, happy life, going out, visiting with family and neighbors, casual and calm, no real stress or conflict.

This was a great palette cleanse for me after a really rough book about WWII.

I would recommend this if you need to relax and don't want any stress, just something sweet and simple that won't take forever to read. The artwork is beautiful and calming as well.

3.5 rounded up to 4, calm and soothing, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Woman meets dog… thing… and there will be bonding and cute moments and… and… nothing much else.

Yeah, it’s the latest in another burgeoning manga genre that is best described as ‘adopt-a-thing’. Hapless or friendly human bonds with pet of varying stripes of intelligence, tender moments are on the menu. Preferably, in my experience, without marrying it.

This dog is actually a tanuki that has no particular powers outside of being incredibly smart and adept with a marker or fork. He communicates on a human level and loves cake and that’s pretty cute. His various expressions and reactions are the best part of the manga.

Some sections of this are okay. The woman is a bit of a loner, but she isn’t lonely, and it’s pretty cool to see a human being who doesn’t crave constant human companionship depicted for a change. The bath scene is particularly artful and pensive.

The tanuki trying to get any respect is also a good ongoing story; his poor leaf when he gets taken to the vet… Otherwise he loves his people food and they hang out and do things and… it’s kind of boring, honestly.

This is what I call a puppy kicking book, where you feel bad for picking on something that is trying so hard and very clearly cute, but it doesn’t generate much by way of enthusiasm or even a narrative. I can literally think of fifty other manga that I would recommend to somebody before reading this.

2.5 stars and I’ll round it up because it’s really not bad and the tanuki is cute and the relationship is okay. Within this genre this is even more slight than the superior Wonder Cat Kyuu-chan and that’s saying something.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know he's not a dog. You know he's not a dog. The vet definitely knows he's not a dog, but good luck convincing Miss Fuji of that, no matter who you are. What he is is a tanuki, a real Japanese animal that has the sort of folkloric side that coyotes have in some First Nations cultures, and for some reason, one day he decided that he wanted to be someone's pet. And honestly, it's hard to blame the furry little guy, because many of us treat our pets better than we do other humans, so why wouldn't a quasi-mythical animal want in on that?

I say "quasi-mythical" because the tanuki in question is definitely not your average racoon-dog. He can write, for one thing, but he's also got a leaf on his forehead, which in Japanese folklore means that he could transform into other creatures at any time. (Or perhaps the tanuki form is his transformation...?) While he's recognizably an animal, he acts like a mythical beast, and that disconnect, along with the poor vet trying desperately to pretend that everything's fine and Miss Fuji's total obliviousness, make this as silly as it is sweet. Not much happens, but there's a charm here that's easy to get pulled into.

[Violet ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've seen a lot of anime and manga about pets, but this one has a unique twist. ✨



It's adorable and amusing.

The "dog" had excellent writing skills. 🤣

[MargReadsManga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable!! But ma’am… that is not a dog!! 😂

[Ave Reads ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 2.75 🌟

First and foremost, I'd like to express my gratitude to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me with an e-ARC of this manga.

Unfortunately, this manga did not meet my expectations. There were no advancements from the first page to the last, other than the repetition with the same scenarios about the pet and the owner. Their connection was endearing. As per the owner, her life is no longer empty, when she has a person to actually pay attention to.

[Clairdenoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

#กับเธอและสายฝน เล่ม1
#Ko Nikaido
**เล่ม1 อ่านฟรีได้ที่MEB ถึง31 กรกฎาคม 2025นี้**
น้องทานุกิกับพี่สาวคนสวยวัยทำงานน่ารักมากกกก ความเป็นทานุกิที่เป็นหมาได้นิดๆเป็นแมวได้หน่อยๆนั้น ฮีลใจสุดดด
ชอบมากจนเอามาเล่นเองด้วย(แต่ตอนถ่ายแดดเปรี้ยงนะฝนไม่ตก)55555

.

.

[Rojda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous art style 🫶🏼 the protagonist ist stunning and her... uhm... dog... is really cute! There is no plot. You get snippets out of their lives. 🦝

[Cath.Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Petites scênes très mignonnes composées de fragments de quotidien, mais sans vraie histoire.

[Lucille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolument adorable tranche de vie !

[Malli (Chapter Malliumpkin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc was given by Kodansha & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


For the fans and lovers of ‘slice of life’ styled manga, this is right up your alley! As a manga reader, I feel that I’m always in the romance genre of manga. You know, really romance heavy manga. It’s rare when I’m reading slice of life books or manga, but ironically, I watch a lot of ‘slice of life’ anime. So reading this manga was a nice breath of fresh air for me. Plus, there’s a tanuki! I love tanukis especially when they’re the center of attention for storylines.

With You and the Rain is a manga series that follows a young woman, who’s attention is stolen on their way home from work one day. It’s raining really hard and she stumbles upon a little cardboard box with a creature that looks closely to a dog, but is actually a tanuki. After some persuading from the tanuki, the young woman and the tanuki start their new adventure together.

I really enjoyed reading this manga. I thought it was really cute seeing the two of them go about their life together. Seeing them build their friendship and how their friendship impacts those around them. It’s a very calming read for when you don’t want anything too heavy. Perfect for light reading! As a little side note: if you’re familiar with the manga Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku then you might enjoy this kind of manga due to them having similar atmospheres.

My only issue with this manga is the lack of details. Most ‘slice of life’ manga at least give us some bread crumbs concerning details like character names, setting, etc… You know, the details that make us invested, but this manga was definitely lacking in that department. The only thing we really get is a nickname for the tanuki from the young woman’s father who calls the tanuki, Angel-chan. I wish we had more names to put with faces or even names for settings, but we’re not really given much.

Overall, I did enjoy this manga quite a bit. For myself, personally, this was the type of book I needed to read to feel a little lighter. I needed that slice of life even if there wasn’t a lot of details to keep me fully invested. I think readers who are familiar with this type of style will enjoy it, but I think many readers will feel a mixture of feelings because of the lack of details. However, I still encourage everyone to read this. I’m actually eager for the next volume to come out and I can’t wait to see what our two main characters get up to next!


Blog|Instagram|YouTube|Ko-fi

[Shae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, this one looked really cute, and the art was really nice. This is a title where it was supposed to be funny, and I just found it awkward. This tanuki convinces this woman. and everyone around them, that he's a dog, not a Tanuki. It just makes this woman look like an idiot to everyone around her, and I didn't like how that made me feel.

[เจ้าหมีขาว · Rating 5 out of 5]

อ่านแล้วฮีลใจมาก เลี้ยงทานุกิไปวันๆ

[Nattapan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable. ^^

[Momo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Cute little manga!

I love slice of life mangas so it was no surprise I liked this. The art was beautiful and the story wasn't confusing to follow at all so four stars! I'd recommend this to lovers of slice of life and short manga lovers.

Disclaimer: I read this on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Heather Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, this is probably the cutest manga I've read in a very long time. It's utter perfection--my only issue is that it seems there are only digital copies of the English translation, rather than hard copies? I NEED a physical copy of this as soon as possible! I cannot wait to read further volumes!!

[Kindred Reader (lilastrings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable and heart-warming slice-of-life manga!

With You and the Rain by Ko Nikaido focuses on the daily life of a woman and her strange pet she rescued one rainy day. It has short stories that feature a different aspect of their everyday life, sort of like how The Way of the Househusband by Kousuke Oono is drawn and written.

I enjoyed this so much. It’s so beautifully drawn and reflects the tone and pacing of the story.

This manga is absurd at times that it’s so funny. Especially during the trips to the vet! The poor doctor! The beauty of this manga is the relationship between the owner and her pet - how much they seem to be each other support in the most unassuming ways. There are poignant bits on the manga that I find utterly charming, like the woman and her pet fostering the self-esteem of their kid neighbor. It’s a touch reflective too, like the bit on feeling lost. This manga really is right up my alley of what I love in a slice-of-life manga, and I’m looking forward to more of this!

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Kodansha, for my eARC in exchange for honest feedback.

[Kay ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute quick read. No real plot just cuteness between a woman and her "dog". Not sure if i'll continue the series though.

-

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Siina · Rating 3 out of 5]

With You and the Rain is an odd and quite interesting manga actually. I'm not usually a fan of gullible characters, but the main character seems OK. She picks up a tanuki thinking it's a dog and the tanuki uses notebooks to communicate. It writes on them and shows the signs. Everyone tries to tell her that the animal isn't a dog, but somehow they don't succeed. So, mostly the manga is about the girl and tanuki's mundane adventures and friendship. The manga is quite deep in a sense and finds beauty in everything, which was great. It's a collection of sequences in their lives and well done slice of life with peculiar elements. A humor series even if you like.

The art looks super nice and detailed with a hint of sparkle. The characters are lively and the tanuki is realistic and cute at the same time. The art is detailed and light at the same time, so it pleases the eye a lot. My only concern is whether this can offer anything new after this, since there's no real content. This could even be four stars, but for that I would've liked a little more.

[A Broken Zebra · Rating 3 out of 5]

NETGALLEY ARC

3.5 ★ (closer to a 4 than 3)

A darling little manga with so-cute-I-could-die drawings (A.K.A. practically every one of the tanuki).l

It didn't always make sense and there is practically zero fleshing out of characters, but I loved the artwork too much to stop reading. I think I'm curious enough to see how the story ends, should there be further volume installments.

p.s. There are three panels in German that they do not translate, so I had my husband do so for me. It wasn't overly important text, but I was still surprised at not being provided a translation.

[Janie G · Rating 3 out of 5]

A woman adopts a strange animal with the ability to communicate. They get to know each other and become inseparable companions.

With You and the Rain is a slice of life kind of tale with short stories separated into chapters. The stories together show how the woman, although already content with her solitary life, finds even more meaning in her daily life with her…um…dog… companion. There are several running jokes that make the progression of the manga very endearing. The animal companion is especially cute, my favorite parts revolve around its antics.

While this is a very strange book, it is very cute.

I received a digital ARC via NetGalley.

[BreAnna (Bre'sBooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

With You and the Rain, Volume 1 by Ko Nikaido was a neat surprise I really enjoyed. It's about a young woman who comes across a tanuki in a box looking for a home and their life together after she adopts him. It gives you all of the typical pet manga vibes with a couple of fun twists, he's a smart tanuki. ;-) I'm looking forward to reading more, but it's probably not something I'd want to binge back to back. It's more of a slice of life kind of story, but I really liked it.

[Tory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a weird little series... I'm obsessed. A woman adopts an animal she finds on the street. He says he's a dog (on his little notepad that he uses to communicate and comment on the world around him), but... is he? Does it matter? Whatever he is*, this is such a heartwarming book comprised of little vignettes about their life together with a good dose of comedy throughout. A refreshing read if you don't have time to commit to something really story-heavy.


*A tanuki. He's absolutely a tanuki.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'With You and the Rain, Vol. 1' with story and art by Ko Nikaido is a manga about a woman who adapts an unusual pet.

A woman walking in a park finds an usual animal that may be a cat or a dog, but is probably a tanuki. The animal is intelligent and likes to write notes. It seems to have fooled everyone around it into thinking it's a dog.

These are cute vignettes, but there is barely any character development here. The stories are cute and the art is good. It just depends what you are looking for. I wanted to know more about the girl and the unusual 'dog.'

I received a review copy of this manga from Kodansha and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.

[Lissa Hawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am alternately bemused and enchanted by this. The art is cute and the Tanuki (? Why is this a question?)
is a sweetheart.
But there's not much plot other than girl and Tanuki hang out and no one questions it.
So A for art and cuteness
C- for plot.
3.5 to 4 stars, because I did breeze right through this.

[Carissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an e-arc from kondansha comics via netGalley*

With You and the Rain is about a woman who finds a "dog" in the rain, and their everyday life together. Overall the manga was cute and I liked the art style but there was very little to the storyline. It was quite basic and nothing really happened, even more so than a normal slice of life. It was cute but it wasn't groundbreaking or particularly interesting.

[Luna's Little Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Thank you Netgalley for the review copy.

There isn’t a lot to say about this as Manga. Nothing much happens beyond the main character rescuing a Tanuki from the rain thinking it’s a dog. The Tanuki writes on a notepad to communicate, and she just accepts this.

It’s a short manga and pleasant to pass the time with. I also like the art. This is volume 1, I’m not sure how there is more given the little story there is in the first volume.

[Xirimoya · Rating 4 out of 5]

no esperaba mucho de este manga la vd, me llamó la atención la portada, el título y el estilo del artista que me recuerda al de kowloon generic romance y para mí sorpresa es un manga muy muy muy wholesome, muy tierno pero a la vez muy nostálgico y otoñal 💕💕

[sameera]

duuude this doggo trained:0 i’d take him

found while browsing through manga updates and it had a cute cover:)