#あの子の子ども

[highresshojosei]

My Girlfriend’s Child by Mamoru Aoi あの子の子ども

[animehouse-moe]

My Girlfriend's Child Volume 1

This is a relatively quiet manga, if that makes any sense. It is a drama, and it is centered around a rather taboo topic in media. But it doesn't stretch the truth, it doesn't dramatize pieces for the sake of drama. Essentially, it does nothing to promote itself to readers, and instead focuses on telling a very strong story through this medium.

⚠️Warning: Discussion of Teenage Pregnancy Ahead⚠️

Sachi and Takara are high schoolers with their whole lives ahead of them. Though, in Sachi's eyes that comes crumbling down because of a pregnancy test and the scares that it brings with it. This manga does a great deal to address those fears, confusions, and concerns that swirl around Sachi as a teenage girl, and give what almost amounts to an example as to how significant others should handle the process.

So lets get into it, starting with the art. It's a very wispy work overall, that makes very little use of shadows or darkness, instead opting for something that's very bright and almost fades into the light. There's plenty of detail in the art, but you don't quite notice it all the time because of how faint it is. It's all very monotone, which I find interesting. Takara has darker colors in his design, as do a few other characters, but the overwhelming impression is that the art is focused on white and brighter colors. Could it be about bringing the world under Sachi's point of view versus Takara's, given the difference in color palette for the characters? It's definitely possible, but hard to say so I'll leave it as a question.

The paneling and overall presentation of the manga is well done, opting for providing more information and character acting than scenery or larger spreads. It can become a little dense at times, but overall does a good job of helping better express the characters and provide more life to how they move and act. Take these pages for example.

There's 8 panels total between the two pages it depicts, and effectively all it does is establish how Sachi is looking for her lost cat Nora. It shows that she's not exactly overly prepared for being out in the snow and cold to look for the cat, and that she's also very diligent and willing to search for this Nora, as she looks underneath a bench as well. I think it's a great introduction to the character and understanding how they typically act. But I will also say, that this type of paneling is evident throughout. That is to say, that the overall creativity in layouts could use some work, as it relies heavily on squares and rectangles that fill space to confine the art and the flow of the content.

Somewhere I have no complaints though is the character designs. They're as detailed as they are unique (that is to say, very), and that Mamoru Aoi is very good with facial expressions and character posing. As much as they are well defined and appealing poses, they feel equally at home when interpolated or imagined to be moving.

Moving onwards, I feel like Mamoru sensei is using the visual medium to their best extent possible. Not so much in the sense of what they present, but how. Backgrounds and smaller details are used as focus and storytelling elements. Take a scene like this one, that shows Sachi's isolation and dissociation in the moment.

And a lesser detail that you'll notice is "noise", and how Sachi perceives and interacts with it. Given that we as readers can't experience this noise, it's an incredibly easy detail to miss, but one that exists as a constant in the manga.

There's some really great moments that use it as a way to isolate Sachi in her dissociation as above, but there's also examples when it's used to irritate her or cause anxiety. It's a really fine detail that adds a great deal of character to Sachi's experience. Just take this sequence as an example.

It easily expresses Sachi's frustration with having to listen to the pot bubble and rattle around while cooking, and is a very simple sequence that gives a lot of life and detail to Sachi's character and how she's handling and processing things. And it happens quite often throughout. Mamoru's shown impressive prowess in visually building things up for readers to understand Sachi, whether they've ever experienced a pregnancy, or been an SO to someone that's been pregnant, or none of the above.

I wouldn't call it a one-two punch or anything like that, but they make sure to include and provide inklings and cues as to Sachi's behavior and demeanor. It creeps up on you rather than appearing out of nowhere, and I think when dealing with such an emotional experience, it's a really important detail to nail to the highest degree possible. Things like this scene that precedes Sachi's isolation at the restaurant that I showed earlier.

It's a very simple and straightforward piece that speaks to Sachi's isolation from the moment that she thinks she's possibly pregnant. Forced to act like everything is normal and okay, all the students are shown to be hunkering down for class and settling into their normal routine, while Sachi is separated from them, in her own world, struggling by herself with this experience.

Now, moving on to the sensitive topics at hand: teenage pregnancy and teen sex. It's handled well, well enough that it's able to express those explicit aspects without being sexual or prying. It follows the journey from start to finish within this volume. Not to the point of birth or abortion or anything, but to where it leaves off. It doesn't skip a beat in depicting the fears of of being pregnant, of how society will view and treat you, how it can throw a wrench in plans for the future, how alone and scary it can be to experience it. How you go about getting tested and confirming, processing and understanding the experience.

All these pieces are expressed through Sachi incredibly well. She's not lashing out constantly or collapsing into tears at the slightest inconvenience. But those pieces are still there. She loses her temper, she's obstinate, she's emotional. She's conflicted and afraid and alone.

I think what Mamoru sensei does best here is in explaining the process of coming to terms with a pregnancy. The constant back and forth, the fear and uncertainty that permeates it. The confusion and rushed research and conflicting opinions that change at the drop of a hat. It's incredibly well expressed in such a candid fashion. How a cat can mean the world as to how you treat a pregnancy. How simple words can mean the world one moment and then nothing the next.

Just moments like these that contextualize, and almost normalize the experience for young girls. It adds so much important life and understanding to the story.

Or pieces like this, that show Sachi struggling with researching and fully understanding pregnancy and how it progresses/appears. I think the best part here is showing her uncertainty. She goes on to say that she doesn't have all the symptoms so she's unsure as to whether or not she's actually pregnant.

It's just such a great depiction of the experience, that goes on to show that it can happen to anyone. And that even though it can happen to any number of people, those that experience it still struggle and suffer isolated in their own worlds. Unsure of what to do next, uncertain of what to say and how to breach the subject. It's a really candid and close expression of teenage pregnancy, and I think it's an incredibly important read for any number of people out there to help understand the issues, fears, and challenges that come with pregnancy (at any age, really), and how to handle it with your SO.

[lauraagrace]

In light of ordering volume three of My Girlfriend's Child, I thought I would share the cover of volume two!

I am SO thankful that Seven Seas published this series! It has been a favorite among the shoujo I've read this year and can imagine that I will only continue to feel that way!

[mukaikun]

あの子の子ども (2024) Episode 10 Subtitles by Furritsubs

[modernheavy]

今日読んだ漫画 2023年7月13日(木)

ジャンププラス

『株式会社マジルミエ』岩田雪花+青木裕

[第1話]株式会社マジルミエ - 岩田雪花/青木裕 | 少年ジャンプ＋

別冊フレンド2023年8月号

👸『みだれ髪のミーシャ～ひきこもり王女と専属美容師の恋物語～』なかえ未桜

👓『メガネ、時々、ヤンキーくん』なるき

👶『あの子の子ども』蒼井まもる

別冊マーガレット2023年8月号

🏠『キミと青い屋根の下』ことのは紬

🎶『アオハル荘へようこそ』水野美波

ベツコミ2023年8月号

👑『クイーンズ・クオリティ』最富キョウスケ

[papatomom]

2024.07.15（月、海の日）

3連休の最終日。「うだつの上がる町並み」として歴史的家屋が残る美濃市へ行ってきた。

福井北ICから九頭竜ICまで開通している中部縦貫自動車道を利用し、158号線に入り岐阜県白鳥（sirotori）町へ。

国道沿いでは、令和8年供用予定の九頭竜ICから油坂出入口までの複数の工事現場が、祝日にも関わらず作業中であった。ここが供用されると岐阜の方の自動車道と繋がり、より一層便利になる。福井区間は無料で利用できるのもいい。

白鳥から国道156号線で山間の道を目的地の美濃市へ向かった。

天��は曇天で傘の心配はなかったが、蒸し暑さには参った。帰りに郡上市美並町にある「日本まん真ん中温泉 子宝の湯」で、汗を流し、郡上八幡で遅めの昼食をいただき、帰路に就いた。

写真

小坂酒造場（「百春」蔵元、Kosaka Shuzojo、HYAKUSYUN Sake Brewery、1772年創業、起（むく）り屋根（なだらかな凸状になっている）と卯建（うだつ、家同士の境目に分厚い土壁を入れて、その上に瓦の屋根飾りをつけ、防火壁としたもの）が美しい建築物で有名）

瀧神社（御祭神 水園象女之尊、瀬織津比咩尊、八百万神）

郡上八幡旧庁舎食堂の若鳥のモモ肉を使った「鶏ちゃん（けいちゃん）定食」

など

[anamon-book]

さよなら子どもの時間　今江祥智 講談社文庫 カバー装画＝宇野亜喜良

[fuckyeahmeikokaji]

Meiko Kaji (梶芽衣子) in There Was A War When I Was A Child (子どものころから戦争があった), 1981, directed by Sadao Saito (斉藤貞郎).

[takigawa]

勢い余って「 #ことわざラップ 」の曲が出来ちゃいましたyo! https://x.com/takigawa_w/status/1790783955714928667?s=46&t=8Vf8aUwk_B-ZbQ5UAGv05w ポイントは磯野波平です😂 ((o(´∀︎｀)o)) 曲名”Back Come On!” featuring DJ It’s So No! Now Me? Hey! 歌詞 “Hello！警報 人の振り見て我が振りnow on sale 少数say yeah 人生LUCKありゃCOOLもあるさ 足湯で疲れをfoot bath 骨折りzoneのくたびれmarket 四苦hack 馬鹿も休み休みyeah Everyday 鯛を釣る 正気のSaturday night 武士は食わねどtake it easy 壁に耳あり障子にMary 明日は我がme Ah. year but こう言う 腐ってもtie 今夜はbreak all 明かりをつけましょbomb ball in knee 塞翁がwoman 富国強Hey！ 臨・兵・闘・者・皆・陣・Let's die then YO！YO！白くなりゆく山際！ 一寸の虫にも五分のtime machine どっこいshot 言わんこっちゃNight お疲れsummer Death 波平｢back come on！｣” 2024©️MasayasuTAKIGAWA 瀧川正靖

https://x.com/takigawa_w/status/1790783955714928667?s=46&t=8Vf8aUwk_B-ZbQ5UAGv05w

[yoooko-o]

20/05/2023 part2

[numasaaan]

[laurentlemonke]

馬鹿みたい 子供なのね

夢を追って傷ついて

嘘が下手なくせに 笑えない笑顔みせた

I love you も ろくに言わない

口下手でほんまに不器用

なのになのにどうして

サヨナラは言えたの

だめだね だめよ だめなのよ

あんたが 好きで好きすぎて

どれだけ 強いお酒でも

歪まない思い出が 馬鹿みたい

😔💔

[danzoku]

子どもの解像度

大人になり何年かすぎ

子も姪も甥もおらず

子どもに関わることもなく

子どもの解像度が低すぎる人間がたくさんいる。

古びれた自分の記憶のみで子どもをとらえている人が多すぎる。

子どもの解像度が高くないと

子どもに優しくできないんじゃないか？

と、思う。

結局、知識と経験が

物を言うのではないだろうか。

[halfmoon-horse]

Finally, a Japanese show I can understand