 | | ▪ | PUBLISHED BY: | | DEL REY | | | ▪ | ART/AUTHOR: | | SATOMI IKEZAWA | | | | ▪ | FORMAT/COLOR: | | JAPANESE FORMAT/ BW | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 183 | | | ▪ | RATED: | | T+ | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 01/30/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 03/12/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | CHRISTOPHER SEAMAN |
Mirai and Ponta is a wonderful couple. He is handsome and generous in spirit, and Ponta is loving, cute, and can catch a mean Frisbee. You see, Ponta is unique in that she is a dog that can, with the help of the magical Guru Guru bone, turn into a human. Or is it that she is a human trapped in a dog’s body, and needs the Guru Guru bone to free her human spirit? This is never made too clear, but GURU GURU PON CHAN is not a manga that is meant for close scrutiny where such trifling matters are concerned anyway. It is a shojo manga that can only work if can accept this premise and suspend completely and utterly without question your disbelief. If you are able to do so, you will be in for a tale that is rich in romance, comedy, and provides a powerful message about the nature of friendship and working on keeping it alive through challenging times in one’s life.
Winner of the Kondansha Manga of the Year Award when published in Japan, this story no doubt raised a few eyebrows for its, er…unique premise. Of course, the idea of a person sharing an animal form is in itself is not unique. Perhaps not even the relationship concept itself, which in Ponta and Mirai is the foundation for the whole story. What is, though, is the attention paid by Satomi Ikezawa to the physical problems inherent in such a relationship. Yes, the manga can be very sweet, but it may be a more than a little awkward when Ponta comes into heat and sends every man and beast lusting after her, as occurs on a regular basis in the story. As it is the foundation of the ‘action’ that takes place in Volume Seven, this edition has included content that has Del Rey raising the age appropriateness level from the usual 13+ to 16+. Arguably, they shouldn’t have stopped there. Western sensibilities will have leave some readers having some trouble accepting this as appropriate subject matter for a manga aimed at a 16+ audience.
What happens is simple. Aoka, owner of a Black Lab named Gang, has moved into Mirai’s neighborhood, and intends to win Mirai for herself and Ponta (in dog form) for Gang at all costs. She kidnaps Ponta and tricks Mirai into coming to her house for a some heavy romance. The only problem is Mirai is looking for Ponta, unaware she is fighting for her honor at the paws of this lusty Lab. Ponta transforms into a human for Gang, but he is having none of it (awkward moment number one). Eventually, she escapes, running naked down the road (awkward moment number two). Mirai, having shaken off Aoka, finds Ponta and one might think the story is over except for the fact that Aoka still loves Mirai, and just hasn’t figured out what is really going on. This is only made more complicated when Ponta develops a bulge in her stomach, and everyone in her human family, along with Mirai, Aoka and Gang, thinks she is pregnant for her ‘tryst’ with the dog. What is Mirai to do? His love for human Ponta is strong, but the real possibility her dog side is, well… geez, do I really have to spell this out???
There is no doubt, if you get past some of the more unusual/discomforting aspects of the story, you may find this to be a warm and occasionally very funny love story. The heart of the author/artist fills every frame, making this work a labor of love that give freely of itself to the reader. The artwork is light on tones, and heavy of frills and curls- the mark of a shojo manga if ever there was one. The dialogue is short, smart and to the point. As noted earlier, this is not a manga that is meant for careful scrutiny for deep meaning in the text of the piece. It is what it is, and as the reader, you should accept it as such.
IN SUMMARY:
GURU GURU PON CHAN is a love story that builds on a quirky premise and spins it into an escapist tale full of cuteness and outrageous situations. An award winner in Japan, GURU GURU PON CHAN comes to you from the creator of OTHELLO! |
