Welcome to The Avocado’s weekly discussion of Japanese pop culture! Today I want to highlight of one of my favorite manga reads from 2023: My Girlfriend’s Child by Mamoru Aoi. There are three volumes in English, with volume four arriving in April. The premise is simple enough: a high school girl, Sachi, discovers that she’s pregnant and must decide how to move forward. What elevates this manga is the care the mangaka takes with telling this story. It is heavy, and sweet, and painful, and heartwarming all at once. And then there’s the art. Mamoru Aoi’s almost minimalist style somehow feels full of color and vibrancy, as each emotion is brilliantly conveyed as the panels draw your attention to Sachi’s expressions and how she feels in relation to the world and people around her. It’s difficult to explain how this manga makes me feel, or why it’s so powerful and stunning, but it has something to do with the way the mangaka makes seemingly small moments feel earth-shattering and grand. I think the panel below best represents this phenomenon, as a simple “thank you” pierced my heart and left me suddenly sobbing.
Once you start reading you’ll see why this manga is so highly regarded, winning 2023’s Kodansha Manga Award in the shoujo category. If you need more convincing, check out Colleen’s video on the cinematic quality of the manga!
I especially love Colleen’s analysis of how Mamoru Aoi utilizes the “shoujo sparkle” in this manga.
And, as always…
What have you been watching/reading/playing/eating/listening to lately?
Happy Wednesday! 🙂