What do you think?
Rate this book
Man's Best Friend
When Ukyo rescues a stray dog and names it Kuro, he soon learns that he may have found a rare breed--his new dog can talk and magically transform into a hunky human! With his dog now taking the form of a hot man and licking him in various places, what is Ukyo to do?!
184 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2004
8 people are currently reading
375 people want to read
About the author
Kazusa Takashima
11 books42 followersName (in native language) : 高嶋 上総
Associated Names:
Такасима Кадзуса
高岛上总
高島上總
Kazusa Takashima is a Japanese mangaka. She likes animals, tea and coffee, but dislikes really fatty meat. She has a lot of allergies and is a bit of a crybaby. Height: 1.50m (4'11). Wishes for world peace.
*All her unfinished yaoi titles are on hiatus or discontinued due to a lawsuit for plagarism which she filed against Kayono but lost. Kayono also had her banned from creating manga for many years.
Associated Names:
Такасима Кадзуса
高岛上总
高島上總
Kazusa Takashima is a Japanese mangaka. She likes animals, tea and coffee, but dislikes really fatty meat. She has a lot of allergies and is a bit of a crybaby. Height: 1.50m (4'11). Wishes for world peace.
*All her unfinished yaoi titles are on hiatus or discontinued due to a lawsuit for plagarism which she filed against Kayono but lost. Kayono also had her banned from creating manga for many years.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
June 9, 2009
When Ukyo rescues a stray dog, he soon learns that he may have made a rare find. His new dog , who he’s named Kuro, can talk! And if that’s not crazy enough, soon Kuro is able to magically transform into a human! With his dog now taking the form of a hot man and licking him in various places, what is Ukyo to do?! From the artist of Wild Rock comes Man’s Best Friend! Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
From Blu.
This was a seriously cute read and I am so glad I picked it up. I have read Wild Rock by the same author and enjoyed it, and yep, it was totally pron romantic and angst!
The story is well scripted and I was totally engaged from start to finish. It was at times amusing, smexy and just pain fun. The trials and tribulations of life with a partner who is a shifter and a cute pooch, as opposed to some behemoth of a wolf, was a little different from most of the paranormal stuff I read and enormously appealing.
There were three separate stories about Ukyo and Kuro with much ummmm… licking, walking and smex. (it’s good honest!) There are also two other short stories about Kasumi and Ken, who meet when they’re younger and have this whole passionate avowal of ‘I’ll always wait for ewe,’ thing going on (it was sweet!). I totally felt like I got much bang for my buck. The final short is about a shifting goldfish… O-o … which was a little different I must say, although not as weird as a shapeshifting seagull.
The art is gorgeous and, did I already say, cute? Seriously, it is all beautifully drawn and the panels just flowed. I liked it much!
You can check it out here at Blu, buy via Amazon, and do have a look at this great review at Sequential Tart. If you’re keen on this kind of story then I recommend Anne Cain’s Paw Prints series too, which you can get here at Loose Id or All Romance ebooks.
http://sharrow.wordpress.com/2009/06/...
From Blu.
This was a seriously cute read and I am so glad I picked it up. I have read Wild Rock by the same author and enjoyed it, and yep, it was totally pron romantic and angst!
The story is well scripted and I was totally engaged from start to finish. It was at times amusing, smexy and just pain fun. The trials and tribulations of life with a partner who is a shifter and a cute pooch, as opposed to some behemoth of a wolf, was a little different from most of the paranormal stuff I read and enormously appealing.
There were three separate stories about Ukyo and Kuro with much ummmm… licking, walking and smex. (it’s good honest!) There are also two other short stories about Kasumi and Ken, who meet when they’re younger and have this whole passionate avowal of ‘I’ll always wait for ewe,’ thing going on (it was sweet!). I totally felt like I got much bang for my buck. The final short is about a shifting goldfish… O-o … which was a little different I must say, although not as weird as a shapeshifting seagull.
The art is gorgeous and, did I already say, cute? Seriously, it is all beautifully drawn and the panels just flowed. I liked it much!
You can check it out here at Blu, buy via Amazon, and do have a look at this great review at Sequential Tart. If you’re keen on this kind of story then I recommend Anne Cain’s Paw Prints series too, which you can get here at Loose Id or All Romance ebooks.
http://sharrow.wordpress.com/2009/06/...
October 7, 2025
Don’t you just hate it when the stray dog you adopt turns into a man and you guys freak it
June 30, 2024
GOOFY AHH wished the main story was longer than just three chapters but whaddayagonnado still a silly lil read 🤭 the art was decent albeit a touch confusing at times but I liked it for the most part. a way to end pride month I know THAT’S right 😭 the others stories weren’t BAD, just not what I signed up for, y’know?
![Profile Image for 小さな N (.❛ ᴗ ❛.)⊃ [_|_] ♡.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1611850887i%2F5476828._UX200_CR0%2C21%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
February 12, 2022
09.2018:
This manga contains a few short stories. The title story is told in a few loosely linked chapters. I wish the whole volume was full of those because they were absolutely hilarious in my opinion. The story itself is nothing to write home about (pretty PWP) but still nice.
This manga contains a few short stories. The title story is told in a few loosely linked chapters. I wish the whole volume was full of those because they were absolutely hilarious in my opinion. The story itself is nothing to write home about (pretty PWP) but still nice.
April 22, 2020
Hümmm... rosszat nem tudnék mondani a kötetről, mert aranyos volt, meg cuki, de nem hozta azt az érzést, mint a Wild Rock. A címadó történet igazán vicces kis két fejezetet volt, Kuro mindkét formájában aranyos és ezek után aztán - Ukyo legalábbis - tényleg elmondhatja, hogy a kutya a legjobb, extra különleges és legkedvesebb barátja.
A Summer's Here Again és a Pinpoint lovers... hát, egynek elmentek, de nem egy túl nagy durranás sztori, míg ott a végén az a kis rövidke Goldfish Princess... hja... na az is jó lett volna, csak ne olyan kis pároldalnyi szösszenet.
A Summer's Here Again és a Pinpoint lovers... hát, egynek elmentek, de nem egy túl nagy durranás sztori, míg ott a végén az a kis rövidke Goldfish Princess... hja... na az is jó lett volna, csak ne olyan kis pároldalnyi szösszenet.
May 4, 2021
Yeah this was a bit ridiculous but it made me smile and sometimes that's exactly what you need. Plus there was a plethora of bonus content at the end for Wild Rock which was a pleasant surprise.
April 20, 2022
Man, you gotta love a mind that comes up with this shit lmao.
December 21, 2022
The things you review sometimes when trying to reach your yearly reading goal...
October 20, 2021
I picked this manga up around the same time as Wild Rock nearly fifteen years ago, but realised I never reviewed it!
The manga’s title comes from the first three stories about Ukyo who rescues a stray dog, who he names Kuro. When Kuro gets excited however, he turns into a handsome man complete with ears and a tail! It’s a cute story but my favourite is actually the next two about Kasumi and Kentaro. They were childhood best friends who were separated because of Kasumi’s parents’ divorce, who meet again ten years later. The story revolves around them falling for each other and the misunderstandings that arise. It is a much more realistic tale than the others and I really loved the character designs of the protagonists.
The last short tale is about a guy rescuing a goldfish that turns into a man, and wants to thanks home for his rescue in an intimate way. The rest is just interviews and filler. 3.5 stars
The manga’s title comes from the first three stories about Ukyo who rescues a stray dog, who he names Kuro. When Kuro gets excited however, he turns into a handsome man complete with ears and a tail! It’s a cute story but my favourite is actually the next two about Kasumi and Kentaro. They were childhood best friends who were separated because of Kasumi’s parents’ divorce, who meet again ten years later. The story revolves around them falling for each other and the misunderstandings that arise. It is a much more realistic tale than the others and I really loved the character designs of the protagonists.
The last short tale is about a guy rescuing a goldfish that turns into a man, and wants to thanks home for his rescue in an intimate way. The rest is just interviews and filler. 3.5 stars
November 19, 2022
The cuteness of the 1st story, a stray dog that becomes human for a guy he loves to the bone, to the others is great. I love the art of the dog and the surprise aspect of what to do when you have to keep your friend hidden in case grandma sees that naked man again in the back yard. hahaha.
I wish in my opinion the transition were better to the other stories, but other than that is my only complaint as i reshelve this book back in my collection on my shelf
I wish in my opinion the transition were better to the other stories, but other than that is my only complaint as i reshelve this book back in my collection on my shelf
July 21, 2022
The second story should have kept up with the themes of the first and last one, it would have made it better. The first and last story we're good the second one not so much it was kind of flat but the first was hilarious and the last was cute.
March 5, 2023
I promise I didn’t get any further than 20 pages in. I really wish I hadn’t had such a hard time with this manga but it was just weird. Ukyo literally kept turning human at the most random of times it made things just so weird. I really wish I had liked it I just didn’t
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2017
Another one of the first yaoi I read and a top favorite as well! Love the artwork and storylines-very funny stuff, and sexy too!
November 24, 2018
3.5 stars ⭐️
#shortstories
#funnyshit
#shortstories
#funnyshit
April 25, 2020
I enjoyed this, it was a comedy to me. I really loved the second story in this collection about the two childhood friends. May re-read another time. The art is gorgeous.
November 6, 2024
Das war so absurd.
April 26, 2025
the dog boy never even wears the little cowboy getup so
December 31, 2020
Da mir "Wild Rock" von Kazusa Takashima schon sehr gut gefallen hat, musste ich "Man's Best Friend" natürlich auch haben. Den Kauf habe ich zwar nicht bereut, denn die einzelnen Geschichten sind ein netter Zeitvertreib und die Zeichnungen sind wieder sehr schön, aber trotzdem war ich ein wenig enttäuscht.
Die ersten drei Stories ("Fallin' in Love", "Burnin' Love", "Gettin' Love") drehen sich um Ukyo, der einen Hund findet. Nur ist Kuro kein normaler Hund, wenn er aufgeregt ist verwandelt er sich in einen (ziemlich gutaussehenden) Mann. Bald stellt sich heraus, dass Kuro in seinen neuen Besitzer verliebt ist.
Zwar kommt es in diesen Geschichten zu witzigen Momenten, doch das ist auch schon alles. Teilweise wird es für mich zu albern, romantische Gefühle oder gar Spannung kommen nicht auf und irgendwie scheint alles nur auf das Eine hinauszulaufen.
In den beiden nächsten Geschichten, "Summer's here again" und "Pinpoint Lovers", geht es um Kentaro und Kasumi, die in ihrer Kindheit befreundet waren, aber getrennt wurden. Als Jugendliche treffen sie sich wieder. Nur hat Kentaro Kasumi immer für ein Mädchen gehalten, jetzt stellt er sich jedoch als Junge heraus, der auch noch in Kentaro verliebt ist. Nach anfänglichen Schwierigkeiten finden die beiden dann doch zueinander. Allerdings lässt die nächste Kriese nicht lange auf sich warten.
Diese beiden Stories gefallen mir sehr gut. Die Charaktere sind sympathisch und die Story ist auch recht interessant.
In "Princess Goldfish" rettet Keisuke einen Goldfisch vor ein paar Kindern, die ihn vorher gewonnen haben und ihn nicht wollen. Aber wie in den ersten Geschichten handelt es sich nicht um ein normales Tier. Wieder verwandelt er sich in einen Menschen. Der Junge (der diesmal allerdings mehr einem Mädchen ähnelt) bietet ihm einen sehr angenehmen Dank an.
Diese Geschichte ist ganz niedlich, das ist aber auch schon alles.
Der Anhang, der auch das Thema "Wild Rock" behandelt, ist ziemlich interessant.
Im Großen und Ganzen ist "Man's best Friend" ein netter Manga für Zwischendurch, nicht mehr und nicht weniger. Natürlich erwarte ich von einem Einzelband, das auch noch aus Kurzgeschichten besteht, nicht die Tiefe von einer Geschichte, die sich über mehrere Bände hinzieht, aber wenn mir alle Stories so gefallen hätten wie "Summer's here again" und "Pinpoint Love" hätte der Manga 4 Sterne bekommen, so sind es gerade noch 3.
Die ersten drei Stories ("Fallin' in Love", "Burnin' Love", "Gettin' Love") drehen sich um Ukyo, der einen Hund findet. Nur ist Kuro kein normaler Hund, wenn er aufgeregt ist verwandelt er sich in einen (ziemlich gutaussehenden) Mann. Bald stellt sich heraus, dass Kuro in seinen neuen Besitzer verliebt ist.
Zwar kommt es in diesen Geschichten zu witzigen Momenten, doch das ist auch schon alles. Teilweise wird es für mich zu albern, romantische Gefühle oder gar Spannung kommen nicht auf und irgendwie scheint alles nur auf das Eine hinauszulaufen.
In den beiden nächsten Geschichten, "Summer's here again" und "Pinpoint Lovers", geht es um Kentaro und Kasumi, die in ihrer Kindheit befreundet waren, aber getrennt wurden. Als Jugendliche treffen sie sich wieder. Nur hat Kentaro Kasumi immer für ein Mädchen gehalten, jetzt stellt er sich jedoch als Junge heraus, der auch noch in Kentaro verliebt ist. Nach anfänglichen Schwierigkeiten finden die beiden dann doch zueinander. Allerdings lässt die nächste Kriese nicht lange auf sich warten.
Diese beiden Stories gefallen mir sehr gut. Die Charaktere sind sympathisch und die Story ist auch recht interessant.
In "Princess Goldfish" rettet Keisuke einen Goldfisch vor ein paar Kindern, die ihn vorher gewonnen haben und ihn nicht wollen. Aber wie in den ersten Geschichten handelt es sich nicht um ein normales Tier. Wieder verwandelt er sich in einen Menschen. Der Junge (der diesmal allerdings mehr einem Mädchen ähnelt) bietet ihm einen sehr angenehmen Dank an.
Diese Geschichte ist ganz niedlich, das ist aber auch schon alles.
Der Anhang, der auch das Thema "Wild Rock" behandelt, ist ziemlich interessant.
Im Großen und Ganzen ist "Man's best Friend" ein netter Manga für Zwischendurch, nicht mehr und nicht weniger. Natürlich erwarte ich von einem Einzelband, das auch noch aus Kurzgeschichten besteht, nicht die Tiefe von einer Geschichte, die sich über mehrere Bände hinzieht, aber wenn mir alle Stories so gefallen hätten wie "Summer's here again" und "Pinpoint Love" hätte der Manga 4 Sterne bekommen, so sind es gerade noch 3.
January 23, 2020
A nice cute story about a boy and his transforming dog boyfriend ❤️🐶
May 2, 2008
There are three volumes of Inu mo Arukeba and I read all three of them... in English. I couldn't add it any other way so I just did this.
First of all, I've been DYING to read this ever since I first heard of it and I looked EVERYWHERE for scanlations but I just couldn't find any. Suddenly I got an idea and I did find it finally. Buy it and support the author, I will!
Volume 1:
That dog was so funny with his expressions and actions! It's just, so unrealistic but whatever, it was entertaining! So this stray dog is legit in love with this guy that passes everyday. The guy takes him in and names him Kuro and that's when he changes into a human.
It's so cute that when he speaks to him he explains that the he begged to the moon to become a human like him. It's also nice that the guy is really okay with suddenly being gay and ... well, it's a dog. Human, yes but initially a dog. I got over it.
This is a cute, funny yaoi, not a serious thing.
The other two volumes are about little events and it gets better. There's one part that really killed me, though. In a good or bad way? I'm still not sure... it's the part with the cop. It was so unnecessary and brief, just a little diss to gay people but he says, "I DON'T SWING THAT WAY" when human Kuro bites him so that was hilarious. Then they roll in the dirt... heh.
Seriously, I LOVED it!
First of all, I've been DYING to read this ever since I first heard of it and I looked EVERYWHERE for scanlations but I just couldn't find any. Suddenly I got an idea and I did find it finally. Buy it and support the author, I will!
Volume 1:
That dog was so funny with his expressions and actions! It's just, so unrealistic but whatever, it was entertaining! So this stray dog is legit in love with this guy that passes everyday. The guy takes him in and names him Kuro and that's when he changes into a human.
It's so cute that when he speaks to him he explains that the he begged to the moon to become a human like him. It's also nice that the guy is really okay with suddenly being gay and ... well, it's a dog. Human, yes but initially a dog. I got over it.
This is a cute, funny yaoi, not a serious thing.
The other two volumes are about little events and it gets better. There's one part that really killed me, though. In a good or bad way? I'm still not sure... it's the part with the cop. It was so unnecessary and brief, just a little diss to gay people but he says, "I DON'T SWING THAT WAY" when human Kuro bites him so that was hilarious. Then they roll in the dirt... heh.
Seriously, I LOVED it!
December 26, 2012
Probably my favourite yaoi anthology to date. Usually I'm not so keen on yaoi anthologies because the stories lack depth, but this one is surprisingly fun.
Firstly we have Three chapters/stories dedicated to the title story about a boy with a shapeshifting collie dog. Yes, it's the yaoi equivalent of the TV series Woof. Artwork's lovely and I was pleasantly surprised to find the dog was the seme.
Next we have two chaters/stories dedicated to two childhood friends parted by one of their parent's divorce and reuinted 10 years later. Our dense hero is somewhat shocked to find his childhood playmate whom he always assumed was a girl is in fact a guy. Bit far fetched, but nice emotional depth.
Finally a Ponyo esque story to finish about a guy who saves a goldfish from being disposed of by some kid only to have it turn into a beautiful human lover.
Strong, sexy stories with really nice artwork.
Firstly we have Three chapters/stories dedicated to the title story about a boy with a shapeshifting collie dog. Yes, it's the yaoi equivalent of the TV series Woof. Artwork's lovely and I was pleasantly surprised to find the dog was the seme.
Next we have two chaters/stories dedicated to two childhood friends parted by one of their parent's divorce and reuinted 10 years later. Our dense hero is somewhat shocked to find his childhood playmate whom he always assumed was a girl is in fact a guy. Bit far fetched, but nice emotional depth.
Finally a Ponyo esque story to finish about a guy who saves a goldfish from being disposed of by some kid only to have it turn into a beautiful human lover.
Strong, sexy stories with really nice artwork.
January 17, 2016
Not as good as I remembered it. I think the art for "Wild Rock" was better - many times, in these stories, the art got sloppy and I wasn't a fan. I also noticed how poorly written these stories were - at least "Wild Rock" and other yaoi manga like "Yellow" have decent storylines. These were full of pansy boys, stupid arguments, and pretty much anything that makes it more of a porn story or a romance novel. All sex and no substance. I guess I understand my phase with this medium better now...
And for the record, I think the "Princess Goldfish" story was the cutest, even though the random sex was just as stupid as the other ones. Yet reading over the Inu Mo Arukeba stories made me a little uneasy since Ukyo has sex with a dog...
And for the record, I think the "Princess Goldfish" story was the cutest, even though the random sex was just as stupid as the other ones. Yet reading over the Inu Mo Arukeba stories made me a little uneasy since Ukyo has sex with a dog...
March 30, 2016
Den Manga fand ich eher durchwachsen. Irgendwie war alles sehr oberflächlich und es gab keine wirkliche Handlung. Alles plätscherte vor sich hin. Hier sind zwei Kurzgeschichten enthalten. In einer verwandelt sich ein Hund, wenn er besonders aufgeregt ist in einen Menschen und lebt bei seinem Schwarm/Herrchen. Das war ganz süß aber wirklich Sinn ergab das alles nicht. Die zweite Geschichte handelt von zwei Kindheitsfreunden, die sich dann im Erwachsenenalter wiedertreffen. Aber auch hier ging alles zu schnell. Also es war ganz nett zu lesen, aber nichts besonderes.
Meine Wertung:
3,4/5
Meine Wertung:
3,4/5
December 23, 2013
Got this manga in college from a friend and it's definitely memorable. I picked it up again to reread tonight because I wanted to pass a little time. I forgot it was an anthology, but the first stories (with Ukyo and Kuro, the dog who turns into a human when he gets too excited) will always be my favorite.
These are ridiculous cute stories (the second set has more angst), but good for fun, fluffy (no pun intended) reading.
These are ridiculous cute stories (the second set has more angst), but good for fun, fluffy (no pun intended) reading.
February 24, 2012
I pick this up every so often when I need I short fix of some funny, light yaoi. I just love Kuro to bits, and it makes me laugh the way Ukyo reacts to everything he does.
I also love the 'Princess Goldfish' story at the end.
I also love the 'Princess Goldfish' story at the end.
December 11, 2013
Una graciosa y tierna historia de amor entre un chico llamado Ukyou y su perro Kuro, el cual por puede convertirse en humano. Un manga yaoi (hombre x hombre) recomendadable para los que quieren reír un rato, aunque hay que advertir que tiene escenas subidas de tono, pero no son tan explícitas.
May 5, 2008
My review of all three novels are on the other volume here
February 7, 2024
3.5 Reread
May 4, 2010
This was a sweet, quick little read. It's cute, short and kind of smutty so if you like that then you might like this.
September 1, 2015
The premise of the primary story is cute in this M/M story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews