山本善次朗と申します 4

山本善次朗と申します [Yamamoto Zenjirou to Moushimasu] #4

by Yōko Maki, 槙ようこ

幽霊を見て、対話できるほたて。ほたてのまわりには父・善次朗をはじめ、やんちゃでやさしい人ばかり。　そんなほたての前に現れた女子高生の幽霊。　切ない恋、やさしい恋。　彼女にほたては何を想うのでしょう――!?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Supernatural, Drama, Romance, Slice Of Life, Shojo

172 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

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

[Bibliothecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for complete series

Yamamoto Zenjirou to Moushimasu is one of the sweetest manga I have ever read and one I often like to return to. For a series of only five volumes, it has a relatively large cast but all characters are written in such a loving way that they make for a wholesome stet. The titular character Yamamoto Zenjirou is a young man whose ten-year-old daughter Hotate comes to live with him for the first time. Hotate's parents never married and she grew up living with her grandmother having never met her father. The two get along from the get go and make a lovely father-daughter pair throughout the story.

But what is this manga series about? It has quite a few focus points and you can't really put it into just one box. Besides being a very sweet and considerate girl, Hotate is mostly ordinary if it weren't for the fact that she can see ghosts. She treats ghosts and the living around her with equal kindness which doesn't always go down well, some people deciding that she is creepy or weird. But her positive attitude helps her win over the living and the dead alike. It is a little episodic in that Hotate, with the help of her father and ghost friend Hayami, finds ways to help ghosts find their way to what comes after death. Often her living friends are involved in one way or another as she helps them with their sorrows and problems as well.

Given that most ghosts linger as a result of regret or unfinished business, this manga looks at tragedy and sorrows people carry with them. Hotate is a very selfless character who often overlooks her own wellbeing but is lucky to have a supportive group of friends and family. I think at the heart of things, this is indeed a manga about relationships, family, friends and love for others. It is heartfelt and beautifully told and I just absolutely love the characters.

There is also a bit of romance, but it is such a small component of the story that someone who picks this up for the sake of romance will probably find themselves disappointed. That being said, I adore the little romance that is there. First and foremost, I love the a wee bit of romance that Hotate herself gets involved with. She is only ten years old and so it is only very subtly hinted, but it is so sweet and pure that it just has all my heart and it is true enough for me say that I am satisfied - I have no doubt there will be happiness for her down the lines. There are two more potential couples - one gets established but is only a minor part of the plot while the other is not only also a minor part of the plot but also doesn't get resolved by the end of the plot. It doesn't need to be, though. It is all very subtle but I appreciate it for that. All interactions between the characters, whether out of friendship or love, are so beautifully done.

I love Yoko Maki's art and I think I liked it best during this series, especially for the first four volumes. There was actually a rather large gap between the publication of the fourth and then final volume - I remember thinking this series had ended on a cliffhanger with no resolution. I was so thrilled when a concluding volume was released. On the downside, due to the break between volumes, the art has changed quite a bit. Although the art is still lovely, I preferred the one of the original four volumes.

As long as you don't expect a big dose of romance, I highly recommend this lovely manga about a little girl and her friends, family and ghosts.

[Soobie has fog in her brain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Das war nicht so gut wie die andere Bände aber die Geschichte gefällt mir sehr.

Ab und zu die Kinder, die Hotate trifft sind ein bisschen seltsam, wie Nazuna und ihre Brille. Aber ja, Hotate selber ist sehr nett.

Nur ein Band und dann bin ich mit dieser Reihe fertig. SIGH!

[Dony Grayman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Edición española. Último tomo publicado en castellano antes de que la editorial se fuera a la mierda.