尾かしら付き。 (1)

尾かしら付き。 [Okashiratsuki.] #1

by Mizu Sahara

樋山那智、ソフトボールに汗を流し、日焼けに憧れる平凡な中学生。彼女は同級生の宇津見君が抱える重大な秘密を知ってしまう。それは彼に「しっぽが生えている」ということ。「みんなと違う」ことに戸惑い傷つきながらも、ふたりが心を通わせあう、10年間の物語――。

Genres: Manga, Comics, Seinen, Fantasy, Romance

Comic

First published November 20, 2018

About the author

Japanese name 佐原ミズ.

Pen name used by manga-ka Sumomo Yumeka for her predominantly seinen works. Published in the magazines Afternoon (Kodansha), Melody (Shueisha), and Comic Bunch (Shinchosha).

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less "fantasy" and more magic realism, A Tail's Tale opens at the end of the story, with protagonist Nachi having a baby. At first that feels like an odd decision, but as the volume progresses, it becomes instead something much more reassuring, because Nachi and Utsumi don't have a smooth road to their happy ending. When time winds back to middle school, we have begin the story of two insecure kids finding reassurance with each other before the cruelty of the human mob gets in the way.

The greatest strength here is two-fold. Nachi and Utsumi's slowly budding relationship is sweet, and it's easy to see how they help each other to feel confident and comfortable. But Utsumi's got a secret, a vestigial tail inherited from his mom, and although Nachi thinks it's neat, the rest of the school (and town) isn't so sure. Things come crashing down quickly, and the breathtaking viciousness - even by purportedly "well meaning" adults - threatens to undo everything that they've built up. It's a roller coaster, that's for sure, as it gives the kids happiness and then allows cruelty to rip it away. I'm not always a fan of angsty stories, but this one has me hooked - and besides, we've already seen proof of the eventual happy ending.

[Yeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

tôi yêu chemistry trong truyện của Mizu Sahara vl ToT

[Tabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS IS SO GOOD I MIGHT CRY

[Hisgirl85 · Rating 4 out of 5]

High 4 stars. Depending on the last volume, this easily could be 4.5/5 stars. I may even just change it if it continues to reside in my brainspace. I fell in love with the unique viewpoint and reflective nature of this story. This manga had me jumping for the next volume and when I saw the last one was not available, seeking out the author's other works and trying them. Depending on the endings, a new favorite mangaka? And a contender for a new favorite manga.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

if it were up to me, all stories would be about a softball player who is unable to tan and the boy she loves who has a tail.

When it gets into the weeds of dealing with subjects like discrimination, it gets a little clumsy-to-hackneyed, but it's well-intentioned so I can deal.

[cobwebbing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Standard shoujo fare, a bit bland, and a touch of magical realism.

The titular "tail" is, as the cover implies, a pig's tail, but really it could be any oddity that separates the main male character from his peers. I get the impression Sano just likes drawing pigs and thinks their tails are cute.

There's some interesting commentary to be had on tanning and how the main character longs to be tan to fit in with her softball teammates even if tanning will be a net negative for her socially. This is reflected in the part-time tanning salon employee she meets who is presented as a bit of a loser (still cute, though). It is also my general understanding that being tan in Japan is countercultural and there are several alternative fashion trends that have tanning as an aspect of it.

I'm a bit surprised that there are four books in the series since this premise doesn't really feel like itself to that long of a story. I hope it holds my interest and/or has a bit more happen.

[Nilla Tama · Rating 4 out of 5]

A love story between a girl and a boy who has a tail. This is also about social discrimination towards something ‘abnormal.’ Very good story and art. Loved it.

[Skye (Skye's Scribblings) · Rating 3 out of 5]

9/25 Interesting premise! Am definitely in for more.

[Valérie Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quelle merveille que cette courte série de 4 tomes! Derrière la touche pas tout à fait expliquée scientifiquement de la différence de Utsumi, on fait réfléchir en fait à la peur face à la différence d'un autre, et à nos vives réactions de rejet "pour protéger ceux qu'on aime, pour protéger aussi celui qui est différent."

J'ai adoré le personnage secondaire de la grande soeur. Elle explique: "C'est dans la nature des Japonais. Notre peuple s'est installé sur un archipel isolé et a construit une communauté au sein de laquelle nous avons toujours eu tendance à faire comme les autres et à suivre le mouvement. C'est pourquoi la différence avec notre entourage nous fait peur. On a beaucoup de mal à accepter ce qui ne rentre pas dans le moule" (tome 1). Je pourrais lui répliquer que c'est une réaction assez universellement répandu! Mais la grande soeur permet de mettre le doigt sur d'autres réalités plus typiquement japonaises (la reconnaissance au travail quand on est une femme, le préjugé que les femmes doivent se marier, etc.)

C'est ce discours très réaliste et critique, apporté avec tant de nuances à travers l'histoire, qui m'a beaucoup touché. Ça m'a fait penser à Entre les lignes #1 ou Don't Call It Mystery, Tome 1 (en moins critique!)

Et que dire des dessins qui rendent l'histoire encore plus poignante? Un merveilleux récit, un coup de coeur, vraiment!

[Ikkychann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hiyama Nachi has always been slightly different than the children her age —she gets along with her much older half-sister, she stays pale and hardly got a tan under the sun, and when the school hearthrobe Kino-kun confessed to her she couldn’t see past the fact that he never does any cleaning in class and turned him down. Her seemingly peaceful days changed when she gets closer to Utsumi-kun , a quiet and kind boy, who hides a bizarre but harmless secret: he has a literal pig’s tail on his behind.

The story is tentatively short and simple, but it gives me a lot of thinking about conditional love, minority’s struggle with social acceptance, unfounded prejudice and xenophobia. Especially, Nachi’s unforgettable quote when dealing with an obnoxious neighbor: “I thought about how prejudice comes to be. I’m sure…it comes to be when you abandon the will to understand. Keeping yourself willfully ignorant of things that could prove to be interesting is definitely an offense against our humanity”.

[Curious Madra · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did find this pretty wholesome, I wouldn’t have put FL’s stepsis and tan boi together, I didn’t appreciate him slapping her when she was nearly off with the lawyer dude and him being immature turned me off man. Of course it didn’t help the fact that I wasn’t able to access some pages on this manga online so I couldn’t get the full rundown. However I wouldn’t really call this emotional that much since ML and FL reunited not too long after ML had to move out of town with his family. I also found the other side characters being meh like they were pretty pointless. Tan boi should’ve been erased personally lol…

[Martina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mi è piaciuto molto. I disegni sono belli, i personaggi mi hanno fatta sciogliere con la loro tenerezza. La storia è fresca e simpatica, ma affronta comunque temi come l'esclusione e la stigmatizzazione senza risultare né pesante né sbrigativo. Davvero carino, consigliato.
Una menzione speciale anche alla sorellona e a quello che spero sarà il suo interesse amoroso futuro, davvero dolci.

[Maellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh 🥺

[Louly · Rating 5 out of 5]

read first 19 chapters. it was adorable and sad.

[Keiko Tsuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stelle ✨
Disegni teneri e fatti bene, storia particolare e semplice al contempo, piena di messaggi trasmessi con leggerezza.

[Inas · Rating 5 out of 5]

i guess i just like torturing myself

[any୨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh my ... its about discrimination, eh.

[Minh Dương · Rating 4 out of 5]

hơi cute

[Latifah S Ningrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mizu Sahara's work this time is really fun to follow. I can't wait to read the next volume ☺️

[Snail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to follow this artist’s work online back in like… 2000. Blast from the past!

[Wjjj99 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waiting for my utsumi 😩
Chemistry 🧪 đỉnh cute 🥰

[Darcy Roar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet short run series about being yourself and finding your people. It's pleasantly realistic (with a tiny sprinkling of fantasy) and generally just a nice little read.

[estrelladmiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

BRO?😭

[DT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish I could find the other volumes. The boy dates and eventually they also begin to live together. The point made about the fl not liking that she couldn't tan like her friends was used to show that she too, like the ml, had something about herself that she didn't like. The thing I loved most about this manga is the depth of the relationship between the fl and her sister. Usually in shojo or slice of life, the siblings of the mc don't add anything too meaningful to the story but in this manga, the mc's relationship with her sister is so beautiful. She always asks her sister for advice and they spend quality time together that usually ends with the mc gaining wisdom she didn't previously have. There are four volumes to this manga but I can't find the last few chapters anywhere on the internet, I believe that the translator dropped it which is unfortunate because where the story left off, the older sister of the mc had finally acquired a love interest.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sahara-sensei’s art is beautiful as always! I bought the whole collection for this series the other day so I’m reading it now. I liked the first volume a lot and can’t wait to know more about Nachi and Utsumi’s story!

[solanina_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un titre très touchant qui permet de mettre en place les différences entre les personnes et l'appréhension que l'on a vis à vis de quelque chose de nouveau, d'inconnu. Les dessins de la mangaka servent très bien le propos et proposent des personnages hauts en couleurs qui ne cessent de se surpasser.

[Ines911 · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'avais peur que ce soit un truc de furry mdrr mais en fait l'histoire est très mignonne et la fin du tome 1 me donne vraaaaiiiment envie de lire la suite