Thank you to NetGalley & Kodnasha Comics for the ARC of this manga.

First, the artwork is beautiful. I also appreciate that this manga is covering some heavier topics with children in foster homes and group homes. It also address child neglect and abuse and while nothing is graphic, just be aware in case it’s triggering.

I’m really looking forward to vol. 2 and I will be reading the author’s first manga series now.

**CW: Child abuse, neglect, and trauma.

First published in March 2023, Sheltering Eaves follows Yoru and Tenjaku, who meet at a children’s home and grow up together. After Yoru is bullied, Tenjaku defends her and vows to look after her, which, okay, ~melts~. Naturally, she becomes attached to him, as well as the home, since it’s the stability she never had. As they get older, however, Yoru is scared of what will happen when they graduate and Tenjaku, who’s been itching to get out, leaves her.

Going in and reading Yoru’s first line, I could tell that this is different from the usual manga I pick up. We’re dealing with some heavy topics in a sad setting with sad characters, so there’s little room for the wacky humor I’m used to in shoujo and josei romances. I thought I would miss that component, but it actually makes sense for the story being told. And to make up for any missing humor, there’s plenty of heart.

It’s pretty early on and, already, I wanna wrap the characters in warm blankets and protect them forever and ever. They’re quite mature for their age, but at the end of the day, they’re still children carrying tremendous pain. With that, they have a lot of conflicted feelings toward their parents — wanting to hate them while simultaneously craving their love. It’s just, agh. It’s a complicated emotion, and one I’m glad is being explored.

The understanding between the characters is beautiful, and I can see it blossoming into something special. I liked seeing not just the OTP, but all the kids coming together and being a family. I hope to see more of that, especially with Yoru. Her attachment to Tenjaku is sweet, but it’d be nice for her to broaden her horizons. (To eventually feel some of that love toward herself too. 🫂) I can’t wait to find out how things play out in future volumes.

Thank you Rie Aruga, Netgalley, and Kodansha for the opportunity to read an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first volume of Sheltering Eaves sets up a strong foundation for a slow-burn, coming of age, josei romance. The story follows the tender beginnings of two children, Yoru and Tengaku, who live in a care home for abused children since they were 10-years-old. Despite their circumstances, the two grow up to be close friends. In a world where their living situation puts them at a disadvantage compared to other kids their age, their friendship is something they held onto as they await the inevitable -- turning 18 and having to leave the care home.

As someone who lives in the US, I was fascinated to see how Japanese care homes compared to care homes in the West. A lot of us may be used to hearing the abuse and neglect that stem from care homes in the West, so it was nice to see that isn't the case in this story. By doing so, I think it opens up a variety of directions that Rie Asuga can take the plot and the romance.

I did wish I got a little more out of Yoru's backstory. I wanted more memories like the origin of her Rubik's cube to show the fragments of positive moments she had with her mother. However, with how the first volume ends, I'm sure that more flashbacks to her life prior to living in the care home will be revealed.

I can't wait to pick up volume 2 to see what happens next!

Another great start to a new series from this author. They did a great job of integrating their research into the story itself, which is helpful to readers especially Western readers who won't be familiar with the Japanese fostering system. The art is stellar as always and the characters are interesting, with this first volume showing how the main characters first met and establishing a connecting between them. Looking forward to the rest of this series

I just finished Perfect World by Rie Aruga, so I knew I needed to pick this up.

I love that Rie Aruga knows how to address hard topics, and uses research to build the story. We are following kids in the Japanese foster system/group homes, and Rie Aruga helps breathe life into these characters and makes us root for them.

Because this is the first book in a new series, I don't know exactly where we are going, but I can't wait to go along for the ride!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am completely hooked. I am a sucker for darker and mature tones of manga. This has a lot of potential and I am very invested in this series already. I will be buying the volumes when a few of them printed.

I would recommend this to readers who wants a serious vibe. There seem to be a lot of trauma that will probably unfold as we get more volumes However, I really like found family in books and I think this will be one of those (hopefully). There obviously going to be romance between Yoru and Tenjaku but it seems like the other kids might have some type of family bond.

Definitely check for trigger warnings because this does have child abuse (So far, that's all I know).

I liked the book.
I enjoyed the story and the characters who were strong and determined to do what they wanted.
I really liked that we were able to see their lives as children, how it all began and what they went through, and then we saw them as teenagers and see how their past impacts them.
In addition, we were shown other realities that happen to children in the adoption system, which enriched the story.
And the illustrations are wonderful.
I really want to read the next volume and see where the story goes.

The one thing that I admire about this, is that it appears to be very accurate to what it is like to be a foster child in Japan. I assume it's somewhat similar to the American foster system, but a bit better. Yoru and Tenjaku are both kids who had to be taken from abusive households and placed into the foster system, and they've been together ever since. Now, they're fast approaching 18 and trying to figure out the future when they can no longer stay in the foster system. I did enjoy the character study that was done with Yoru and her backstory, as well as Tenjaku's. Sadly, it wasn't fully holding my interest. Maybe it's because the plotline jumps a lot in a short amount of time or because nothing really seems to be happening. The art style was great.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This manga portrayed parents and children relationship and how if the tie is ruined, it'll practically damage the children mentally even physically. Just in one volume, i found that the children wants nothing but a welcoming home. To the point that they still want their parents to come for them despite the fact they abandoned or harassed them. The idea of sheltering house for the abandoned children is incredibly eye-opening for the issue.

Now to the main characters, i love Yoru and Tenjaku already. They were on pretty much the same condition and now met each other. The inevitable affection they had for each other is endearing, it's almost like they finally have someone that truly cared in their life. But when the reality strikes, there's a time they would somehow separate for their own future, and this added so much bittersweet taste to the story. I'm a simp for an emotional and heart-wrenching story and this one totally got me. I'm looking forward to the next volume!

This book deals with two 16 years old navigating the world in a group home for children. The art overall felt average but it was easy to tell the characters apart. Your and Tenjaku are both dealing with where they will fit in in this world in a few short years along with where they fit in the world in general. We are shown how the worst can be assumed about them but also how their community can be so sweet and supportive of one another. They seem to have a co dependent relationship (which I get honestly) and they are also trying to navigate what that should and will look like in the future. Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was really good but definitely emotional. I expected that though considering it’s the same author as Perfect World. I liked the art a lot, it is really pretty. I also really like all of the characters, especially Tenjaku and the twins. I was expecting more romance, but I think it will end up being a slow burn.

The ending with Tenjaku’s dad made me so upset.

Trigger warnings for child abuse and neglect.

This manga wrecked me! This is a heartbreaking yet touching story about children who are taken care of in a group home as their parents are absent for various reasons. Yoru, a curious but timid girl, feels very dependent on fellow group home resident Tenjaku, who has defended her since a young age. Tenjaku is a talented high jumper and tries to work jobs to earn money to set up a life after her ages out of the group home a reality that Yoru finds terrifying. This manga is lovely and shows true friendship and love. It will hurt your heart but make you smile.

Sheltering Eaves is a josei manga about an interesting topic. The story is about foster care system and kids in it. Yoru was sent to a group home after her mom abused her and there she met Tenjaku, who's father abused him. They are high schoolers already and after a year they need to leave the system and move on their own. Yoru has feelings for Tenjaku, but at least now the boy seems to want freedom more than anything else. Yoru is annoying and it's painful to see how she wants to tie Tenjaku to herself. Tenjaku then is too chivalrous trying to save everyone and that too is annoying. The foster care system is the most interesting part, since I don't know enough about that in Japan. My husband has worked in one here in Finland so the comparison gives extra spice.

The art looks nice, light and fluffy. This is a great contradiction when you think bout the topic and it works amazingly well. Aruga takes heavy topics and creates something human from them. I do hope this will become something more than just a romance eventually. I actually wish there wouldn't be any romance at all or that Tenjaku wouldn't feel the same and Yoru would have to accept that and move on. I can wish, right?

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

“Sheltering Eaves” would be a good manga for someone wanting to read about children homes, foster care, and the lives of children who are abandoned. For me, I was not that into the storyline but I could see why someone would continue the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Rie Aruga for the opportunity to read this manga in exchange for an honest review.

After "Perfect World," I knew something new from Aruga would be a brilliantly told story with its own element of diversity. In this case, the story follows two foster children living in a group home due to their prior abuse or family situations. Yoru and Tenjaku meet at the tender age of ten in the children's home and there they remain as they work through their high school years.

They have developed their own familial bond, though I suspect there may be romance involved later in the story.

I appreciate the perspective of youth in the foster system in Japan, and noticing some similarities and differences between the way they operate compared to that of the U.S. The art is beautiful and the storytelling is truly masterful. This story feels like it will take on a serous approach as the narrative progresses. This manga is great for teen readers and also for educators to glimpse this perspective.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

this was my first series by mangaka rie aruga -- the art was beautiful and the story interesting; the first volume of sheltering eaves introduces yoru and tenjaku, as well as their backstories on how they came to live at the group home.

i'm definitely going to check out the rest of the series after that cliffhanger, as well as rie aruga's other series!

I personally was not a big fan of the story line and plot of this manga an its the first time I've not been interested in reading the follow up manga in a long time.

I liked this story and the art. I think it was a bit slow at the beginning but it's building up to be a good story.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

La storia è raccontata dal punto di vista di Yoru, una bambina obbligata a vivere in una casa famiglia a causa dei maltrattamenti inflittigli dalla madre.
Li crescerà e conoscerà Tenjaku con cui farà amicizia e stringerà un forte legame affettivo.
Quando ormai manca solo un anno al loro abbandono della casa famiglia, Yoru inizia a riflettere sul suo futuro e su cosa ne sarà di loro quando finiranno il liceo.

Devo dire che la storia risulta molto realistica e decisamente drammatica. Non c'è spazio per i sorrisi e il buonumore in questa storia. Sebbene la casa famiglia sia sicuramente il posto migliore per loro, non è giusto buttare nuovamente fuori nel mondo dei ragazzi che ancora non sanno chi sono o cosa vogliono, che non si sono ancora ripresi dal trauma della loro infanzia.
C'è tanta ansia e angoscia che traspare da queste pagine. E' una lettura seria e da non trattare con leggerezza.
Mi piacerebbe però sicuramente sapere cosa succederà ai due protagonisti.

Grazie Netgalley per avermi permesso di leggerlo in anteprima.

------------------

The story is told from the point of view of Yoru, a little girl forced to live in a foster home because of the abuses inflicted on her by her mother.
There she will grow, and meet Tenjaku with whom she will become friends and form a strong emotional bond.
When there is only one year left until they leave the foster home, Yoru begins to reflect on her future and what will become of them when they finish high school.

I must say that the story is very realistic and decidedly dramatic. There is no room for smiles and good humor in this story. Although the foster home is certainly the best place for them, it is not right to throw out into the world again kids who still do not know who they are or what they want, who have not yet recovered from the trauma of their childhood.
There is so much anxiety and anguish that shines through in these pages. It is a serious read and not to be treated lightly.
However, I would certainly like to know what will happen to the two protagonists.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read it in preview.

Thank you for allowing me to read this manga in preview.

It is a story full of trigger warnings, you have to be ready. This story talks about abuse, depression and violence.

These kids live in a family home because their parents abandoned them, the first volume is really very strong and also very beautiful.