 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | VIZ MEDIA | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | TAKUJI ICHIKAWA / SAI KAWASHIMA | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / BW | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 216 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | T | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 02/19/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 02/12/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
Based on the acclaimed novel Be With You by Takuji Ichikawa that inspired a movie, this manga adaptation of the story offers a moving tale of the life of a small family that undergo an extraordinary event. Young father Takkun does his best to take care of his seven year old son Yuji. But since the passing of his wife one year ago, it has been a struggle, and both of them miss Mio terribly. Back then she had made a picture book for her son and had promised him that she would return to him when the raining season came. The season has come, the rain is falling, and Takkun and his son Yuji are about to witness a miracle: the return of Mio.
People don’t come back from the dead, but to all accounts, this seems to be Mio, the woman they both love. Oddly, she has no memory of her life up until her 18th year, but Takkun tries to help the woman he loved since his youth and at the same time keeps her miraculous reappearance a secret. As the story unfolds, the reader learns about how these two lovers met and married through Takkun recounting the past to help Mio remember. But throughout this bittersweet tale, there is a sense of sadness that rests within its pages. After all, Takkun does not know how or why Mio has seemingly returned from death to be by his side, nor does he know when she’ll leave again… The stand alone story is gently paced and emotionally moving. The emotional depth of the tale builds slow and tender, to squeeze a heart filled with the hopes, worries, and love this small family holds. Although no manga could possibly reach the same emotional depths of the original novel, this is a fine adaptation of the original work, with an art style as sweet and affectionate as the tale it helps to tell while still conveying in image and story, the bittersweet and indelibly moving heart of the piece. A bonus extra is an excerpt of the original novel found at the back of the manga. IN SUMMARY:
A touching story about life, death, and a love that surpasses both.
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