manga onigiri

The manga tells the story of Koshiro (a 20+ guy working for a match-maker agency) and Nanoka (a freshman in highschool). The two first met on a train when Koshiro chased after Nanoka to return something she dropped while getting off the car. They met for the second time near Koshiro’s office where Koshiro nonchalantly gave her two tickets to the theme park nearby. Nanoka, excited about the whole thing, asked Koshiro to go with her. The two rode the Ferris wheel and Nanoka told Koshiro that she got dumped by someone she really liked. Koshiro, who recently had the same fate, was moved into tears. When they were about to part, the twist has been revealed – they were siblings who have been separated since childhood.

When their paths crossed, one can notice an indistinct attraction between the two, perhaps love between siblings but as the anime story goes this, developed into something more. If the anime, which I have watched some years ago, followed the manga faithfully then the manga would definitely take the same storyline. The drawings are crisp, with good background details. The characters are also distinctly drawn. Yes, Nanoka is really cute. Much cuter in the anime though (sorry I just have to mention that ^_^).

The story as a whole presents a delicate theme of sibling love and feelings beyond it. It closely portrays a sort of incestuous relationship but with feelings that are real and honest. It toys with the pains and trials of the characters placed in that complicated situation. The emotions are deep and focus is given more on character development.

I like this manga/anime. It amazes me how the writers handled the concept so objectively and maturely. As unconventional as it may be, I recommend this manga/anime to those who like to explore the intricacies of love and human emotions. I’ll try to finish the manga to see if goes differently from the anime.