The art ist pretty good, the topic is certainly interesting and yet somehow the story doesn't make me want to read on. I don't know exactly why, but the book just couldn't catch my attention.

Gosh this was such a cute book. I know it is a good manga when all I want to do is read the next one. I really like the FMC and MMC, and it covers a tough topic of children within the children home foster care system in Japan.

The artwork was striking and done so well, I was really impressed with how beautiful and expressive the artwork was.

Definite recommend.

e-ARC from NetGalley

I want more of this story!

There's something so appealing about soft romance in manga. We get so many toxic and abusive male leads who make our female protagonists' lives harder than they need to be, so this type of story is so refreshing.

This manga follows two individuals - Yoru & Tenjaku - as they grow up in a group home for abused children. From the day 10-year-old Yoru arrives, Tenjaku becomes her best friend and protector. Now, at 16, the pair know their time in the home is coming to a close, and they will soon be forced to make it on their own.

This is a coming of age story just as much as (if not more than) it is a romance. Tenjaku is working himself to the bone in preparation, while Yoru's biggest worry is being separated from the boy she secretly loves. While he is always there for her, he does not seem to feel the same need to stay by her side, and his feelings are ambiguous - is he protecting her like a lover or a brother? Even the reader can't be sure.

Everything about this worked for me. The drawing was gorgeous. The characters were lovable. The story is compelling. The anxiety and fear of the unknown is contagious. I haven't loved a manga this much since My Sweet Girl by Rumi Ichinohe! Can't wait for volume 2!

Really good first volume. The story it tells is a bit sad due to the main character being in a children's home, but it does it with heart. It pulls you in and gets you invested in what is going to happen to these kids as well as what happened in their pasts. I'm looking forward to future volumes.

Having read and loved this author's previous work Perfect World, I had high hopes and expectations for this book. I'm happy to say this did not disappoint! I really appreciated the obvious time and effort Perfect World put into it's subject matter, and even in this first volume I can see the same level of respect is given to the topics here. The cast is interesting, the story lines are short but impactful, and I'm interested to see where everything leads. While I didn't find it to be too emotionally difficult to read, it does deal with child neglect and abuse, so if these are things that trigger heavy emotions, I'd mention to be ready for it before moving forward with the series. I really loved this volume, and I'm looking forward to seeing the journey these two children take into adulthood.

This book covers what it's like to live in a children's home in Tokyo. Kids whose parents could not take care of them or were abusing them come and live in the children's home. We follow the two main charades as kids, then skip to them being in high school and about to have to go live on their own. We see how the two characters have different outlooks on this, one: how can they call this our new home and then kick us out when we turn 18 while the other one is getting part-time jobs to prepare himself for living out on his own. The story with these two is very interesting and even shows how the wolf views kids in their situation.

This was pretty good! Basically about orphans finding homes with each other, just being near each other, and creating a family. You have Yoru who loses her dad, and her mom becomes mentally unstable and she has to go to a group home. There she meets Tenjaku and they quickly become friends. You can tell they love each other, not sure if in love just yet, but they want to be there and project one another. We get a time skip around half way to them in High School trying to decide what they'll do once they turn 18. It's a nice slice of life look into that type of life. I was surprised it took itself so serious, very little humor, but at the same time it's what kind of makes it, well, it's own thing. So I enjoyed the sweetness to the relationship here between leads, and the growth of character in a different situation than most. I'll check out volume 2 for sure. A 3.5 out of 5.

Child abuse and neglect at its worst!

The main characters meet in a children’s home after getting abused and neglected by their respective parents.

Trigger warnings for SA, abuse and abandonment.

The artstyle and the art sequence is everything! Do not expect romance from this volume.

One evil adult character comes back in their lives. Can you just give me the second volume???!!!!


Thank you, Kodansha Comics, for the ARC.

I was fairly hesitant going into this manga, unsure if it would be over the top. I was pleasantly surprised at the depth, and care that went into the portrayl. Is there still a romance current? Yes, but it's not overly done in a way that detracts from the plot. A very lovely 4 star read and I'll definitely be checking out further books in the series!

I went into this pretty blind aside from the genre and that it was a manga. I have to say it was incredibly thoughtful and an interesting insight to see our characters go through traumatic childhood events and try to navigate through. I will be buying the physicals and continuing on in this series. Thank you for the ability to read this early

Sheltering Eaves is a coming of age manga whose main characters live in a children’s home.

This manga reminds me a lot of Perfect World (not surprising as it is the same mangaka) and Our Dreams at Dusk. They all take heavy content and make it into something beautiful and moving, where you need to keep reading.

I love everything about this manga so far. It is beautifully drawn and all the characters have such depth to them. I really appreciate that it shows the struggle of still loving and wanting to be with your parents despite how much they have hurt you. We can know it’s for the best to be away from someone and still wish that wasn’t the case. I thought that was extremely well done in this manga.

I cannot wait to read the next volumes and see what happens next.

I haven't read many Josei manga, but this felt exceptionally great. The art is beautiful. Following these foster kids from when they are young to sixteen built a strong emotional connection for me. I understand the main characters deeply and care about them. Such impactful, moving characters. As they age out of the system I hope we get to see a happy ending not one full of melancholy.
I also really enjoyed learning about how the foster system works in Japan. A great way to get people to care about these often forgotten and misunderstood kids. I look forward to the next volume.

I'm a huge fan of Rie Aruga's previous series, Perfect World, so I was extremely excited to see a new series from her!

I love how she always puts so much research and heart into her stories, so as soon as I saw that this was a josei featuring two teens in the foster care system, I knew we'd be in for a heartwrenching, beautiful story, and based on this first volume, I can tell it's going to be just as amazing as Perfect World was. Even with just this first volume, I can wait to see Yoru and Tenjaku grow, and I'm excited to see how the series progresses.

If you love beautifully drawn and written stories that will pull on your heartstrings, then I highly recommend you check out both Rie Aruga's beloved Perfect World series, and also start this one!

I was able to read an early egalley via NetGalley and I definitely can't wait to get a physical copy for my shelves!

This volume dealt with a heavier topic than I expected, but it’s not one that I’ve read before especially in a manga. The mangaka did a great job of showing the emotional turmoil children go through in these situations and it shows how feeling aren’t always black and white. I definitely plan to read the next one in the series to see how these kids plan for their next steps in life.

This is a very raw and emotional manga and one with a subject I have never seen in Japanese media before - child group homes, social work & removing abused or neglected children from homes.
I think this hit on a subject that needs more exposure and I think it showed a brief glimpse into life of children in a group home, well.
I am interested to see how the stories and backstories are explored and see a side of Japanese society I knew existed by never witnessed. PLUS I am fully prepared to cry and I know I will, the hints and the drawings are proof already.

“Why was I born into this world? Should I have been born at all? Those questions always lingered in my mind.” - Yoru Tono

✨ Sheltering Eaves tells the story of Yoru, a young girl who arrives at a children's home after being neglected by her mother due to her mental illness. There, Yoru meets Tenjaku.

✨ When Yoru questioned why she was born, it really struck me. I could completely resonate with her words, as I too have questioned my existence, wondering why I was born only to endure suffering due to my frail body and deteriorating health. My parents ended up blaming me for every unlucky thing that happened to them, for every hospital visit, for having a weak body. We didn’t choose to be born. I didn't choose to be born like this.

✨ Yoru reminded me of my past self—the part of me that felt emotionally lonely, always relying on someone else to find happiness, just as Yoru finds happiness when she sees Tenjaku.

✨ I really loved the bond between Tenjaku and Yoru. Although I sense a romantic undertone between them, I’m torn. If this bond turns into romance, it might easily break, especially if they unintentionally hurt each other.

✨ Sheltering Eaves is a story of orphaned kids and their lives before, during, and after their time in the home.

✨ Overall, this has been an emotional and wonderful read for me.

✨ Huge thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for giving me the opportunity to read Tenjaku and Yoru’s tear-jerking story.

✨ WHAT I LIKED:
📌 When Tenjaku saved Yoru multiple times
📌 When Tenjaku and Yoru hugged each other
📌 Tenjaku’s independence and clear goals in life
📌 Yoru’s love for Tenjaku

✨ TROPES:
📌 FOUND FAMILY IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS
📌 CHARACTERS WITH TRAUMATIC PASTS
📌 CHILDHOOD TRAUMA
📌 ORPHANED PROTAGONIST
📌 NO SPICE

🖥️ GOODREADS REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6793586064

💻 BLOG REVIEW: https://kimthebookdragon.wordpress.com/2024/08/27/arc-review-sheltering-eaves-volume-1-by-rie-aruga/

4.5 stars

Like A Perfect World, Sheltering Eaves has a more somber setting for the romance. The first issue spent a lot of time scene setting, so I feel like we still don't know the characters that well.

Also the tense it is written in feels a bit detached. Which may have been a deliberate choice, but for me, slows down the character development and connection.

Thank you NetGalley & Kodansha Comics for allowing me to read this book before it comes out for my honest review. That being said, can Rie Aruga ever release a bad manga? I Definitely don't think so, I'm so excited to see where this new series is headed, she has instantly won my heart over with Perfect World, now with this new series I'm already connected with the characters and their strength.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this manga

This was an interesting read about two orphaned children in an orphanage, but as time went by I got very codependent vibes between them both, due to their backgrounds this was an ok read but I am not planning to continue with the series

Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for the chance to read this volume.

Some heavy source material here - Aruga introduces our main characters who are in a centre for children who have been neglected or abused by their parents. They give hints that a full time foster care system is not something that is too common place in Japan - there’s weekend or summer placements for children instead. Aruga seems to have put a lot of effort into research - even quoting official figures as of the publication date. I appreciated their attention to detail in this respect.

Both FMC and MMC are both likeable and complex. The art work is drawn well. There’s enough here to draw me into reading volume two.