愛してるぜベイベ★★ 5

愛してるぜベイベ [Aishiteruze Baby] #5

by Yōko Maki, 槙ようこ

板垣に無理矢理キスされ、傷ついた心。様子のヘンな心に結平は不安を抱き、何やらぎこちない2人。ところが、修学旅行先で心自身の口から事の真相を知り、そして…。

Genres: Manga, Romance, Shojo, Comics, Graphic Novels, Drama, Manga Romance

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2004

About the author

槙ようこ, Maki-sensei speaks of herself in the third person. Has a mangaka sister, Aki Mochida.

Pet: Leo, dog
Height: 164.5 cmv

Reviews

[Radwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, Kokoro and Kippei had the talk, or at least they now have what we can call a relationship. Not much Yuzu in this, but the latest chapter as Kokoro grows closer to Yuzu as well is adorable.

We see more of Kippei's family, there's a touch on abuse and sex as well, and I appreciate handling all of that.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kippei's wiser and more considerate than one would expect from a high schooler, but that isn't a lot to complain about. A heavy issue--stalking and assault this time--is dealt with in an oblique way that's appropriate to its intended audience. I appreciated that at no point did anyone but the stalker believe that he was entitled to Kokoro just because he wanted her, and it was great that her friends gave her the emotional support she needed.

Kokoro and Kippei become a couple, and they're very sweet together. Kippei's younger brother is heading into a relationship with a girl in his class, and Yuzuyu is having some separation anxiety from her mother. This volume also includes a couple of short-shorts featuring Yuzuyu at the day care, and "Natts," a girl classmate of Kippei's who's dealing with residual feelings for him after he's started to date Kokoro.

[Jenny Derochemont · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I can't wait to read the next book. I like how they showed some more of Kokoro's and Kippei's relationship.

So I'm wondering who that girl was at the end and what kind of trouble she may or may not cause.

[Bibliothecat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review for complete series



Kippei has a reputation of being a playboy and for not caring all too much about school. His whole daily routine is thrown upside down when his 5-year old cousin Yuzuyu is delivered to his home. After the death of Yuzuyu's father, her mother has found herself unable to care for Yuzuyu and has thus sent her to live with her relatives. Kippei doesn't know much about childcare but he finds himself enjoying his time spent with Yuzuyu and the two form a bond.

Although I really like Maki Yōko, I have never read this early work of hers until now. I appreciate Maki's works not only for the art but also for often breaking free of shoujo norms. Aishiteruze Baby was no exception in this regard, although that was probably also part of the reason why I hadn't picked it up sooner. When this was originally published, I'd be lying if I'd say I cared much for stories about childcare. In addition, I found the covers very unappealing - I'm afraid I still do as they are so awfully busy and crowded. Nonetheless, after years of reading Maki's works I thought it was finally time to give this one a go.

I don't think this manga will work for everyone because similar to me a couple of years ago, not everyone will be interested in the childcare aspect of this manga. I imagine many people will pick up a shoujo romance expecting exactly that: romance. And while this manga does have some romance, its focus is without a doubt on the relationship between Kippei and Yuzuyu as well as how she deals with feelings of abandonment. As a whole, this is a very heartfelt story with great relationships. A lot of the side characters initially come across as rather annoying but the plot takes some time to let us get to know them and this is one of the few manga I've ever read where pretty much all characters are likeable.

I really liked Kippei as a main character, although I'm tempted to say that he was unrealistically kind to everyone which also made his bad reputation seem a bit weird. There is a generally degree of things not being very realistic in this story to begin with: it's certainly not unheard of but I do find Yuzuyu's mother's behaviour a little questionable. Kokoro - Kippei's love interest - also seems to have a rather odd relationship to her parents and I found it a tad unrealistic how she could just up and move in with people in the blink of an eye.

Otherwise, this was a really nice plot that explores various aspects of childcare and family issues. And while those might sound like heavy subjects, this is mostly a lighthearted feel good manga. Yuzuyu is a little ray of sunshine, Kokoro seems a little stoic but turns out to be really cute once she loosens up a bit. The romance between Kippei and Kokoro initially seemed to come a little out of nowhere but I actually really enjoyed how their relationship developed.

I struggled a little with Maki's art in the first chapters - I love her style but this earlier work often leaves characters with oddly blank eyes. I think in the beginning Yuzuyu was the only character I found aesthetically well done. By the end of the series, the art isn't quite what it is in her latest works but it's definitely beautifully drawn and featuring characters with expressive faces where no text is required.

The ending was a tad rushed and I wouldn't have minded a more detailed epilogue, but it doesn't take away from the over all experience reading this manga. As long as you aren't looking purely for a romance manga and enjoy stories revolving around little children, this is definitely a cute and worthwhile pick.

[Emily✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vol. 1 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 2 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 3 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 4 ★★☆☆☆
Vol. 5 ★★★☆☆ (3.5)
Vol. 6 ★★★☆☆ (2.5)
Vol. 7 ★★☆☆☆ (2.5)

Re-read April 2023:
My favorite volume so far! A lot of focus on Kippei and Kokoro's romance. The conflict with Kokoro's assaulter from the last volume was dealt with nicely-- I liked that even his friends were like, "Seriously, dude? Not cool. You're pathetic."
And the little side-stories were cute, too! Satsuki and Yuzu were funny, and I liked the glimpse of Natts' perspective.
3.5 stars

TW: mentions of past sexual assault, PTSD, harassment, parental abandonment

[Emmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel a little disappointed that the series hasn't really picked up much. The first couple of books were pretty decent, but the last few have just skated along at the same tepid pace. I mean, they're not bad, but they're not wowing me, either. Regular teenage drama, but nothing so bad that you're shocked or held in suspense. Will (A) be able to tell (B) about this terrible thing that happened to her? Can (B) come to terms with past hurts and move toward a brighter future? Why is (A) avoiding (B)?? You know that everything will be fine, so why should I even be invested?

[haven ⋄ f (hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This tackles the problem that was created in the last volume. It was decently done. The threat was a little much but I’m glad the guy finally took a hint. (He’s so pushy. It’s annoying.)

The other problem that you would guess that Yuzu would have also gets tackled. It was done well but it lacked something.

Cute moments with some serious elements.

[Ris Sasaki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seeing Satsuki-kun´s love relationship blossom was the something sweet from this volume, but I must say that the development of the story itself (general plot speaking) was a little bit forgettable for me...

[Abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I love the Kippei ad Kokoro are officially together now! I also enjoyed Satsuki's side story with the model girl, and Yuzu and her friend's side story. It was all very cute and a bit lighter than usual, which was nice.

[katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

ich liebe es immernoch ,irgentwie wird alles wichtige behandelt und die Zeichnungen sind einfach nur niedlich:)

[Eve Healy]

Spoiler-Included Review

[-moonprismpower- · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like that Kippei and Kokoro’s relationship got the majority of the attention in this volume! God, I loved when Kippei stood up to that a-hole Itagaki!!!!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This manga was cute overall but not really memorable in my opinion. My favorite character was Yuzuyu just because she was so cute and friendly to everyone. Even though I understand the attitude of Kippei and what he is supposed to be portraying I never like him, not even when he was with Yuzuyu. Overall it was a pleasant and nice reading experience. I would check out the anime though because I felt it to be a great deal more entertaining than reading the manga.

[Amy]

Aishiteruze Baby, Volume 5 (v. 5) by Yoko Maki (2006)

[Melainebooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enfin un peu plus d'actions !

[Katie (Katie's Corner Blog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

see full review @ Katie's Corner