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.

While I appreciate and respect a manga that tackles the sensitive issues of being an orphan in Japan, I also feel that the characters get lost in the process. The author clearly had a series of bullet points that she wanted to write into the store about the plight of orphans and the psychological, social, and legal challenges they face. But even in this first book the main characters are distant, hard to relate to, and involved in what feels more like a sad co-dependent situation rather than a love story.

Story: At a young age, both Yoru and Tenjaku were placed in an orphanage after abuse or abandonment by their parents. Tenjaku was physically and mentally abused by a deadbeat weak father while Yoru's mother's mental illness rendered her unable to care for a child. Both deal with the scars as they grow up together, distance themselves from their parents, and learn to find their own place in the world.

The plotting really could have used more uplifting moments instead of constant dreariness and betrayal. The reveals of the past are well telegraphed and almost pedantic by the time we get them at the end of this first volume. The only 'sunshine' is that both have to constantly save each other from everyone else - which gets wearying after time. The author has the subtlety of a bull in a china shop and the story feels overwritten and plodding as a result.

I wish the issues addressed would have been a small focus instead of the entire plot; I feel that the story would have been all the better for having great characters who bring to light that losing parents/having incapable parents or guardians is more of an small part rather than the single defining aspect of these protagonists' characters. Otherwise, it feels like the author is manipulating the reader to push her own (even good as it is) agenda. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

I'm a huge fan of Rie Aruga's previous manga series, Perfect World, and thus had high hopes for his newest series, Sheltering Eaves. I'm pleased to say that I absolutely loved the first volume and already feel such a connection between our two main characters, Yoru and Tenjaku. I really enjoyed how we got to see the origins of their friendship in the children's group home and then also a taste of their lives at sixteen-years-old; seeing the younger versions of the characters really gave me context and allowed me to connect on a deeper level. The representation of children's home facilities in Japan - as well as what the children go through before, during, and after their stay - was done tastefully and respectfully. I love how Rie Argua creates such diverse stories, and I cannot wait to dig into the rest of this series!

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Sheltering Eaves, Vol. 1 by Rie Aruga in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced by any third parties.

This manga was far from what I expected. It was advertised as a josei romance, but the romance is not really in the forefront of the story at all. I think this is partly why I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected. I wasn’t immediately hooked because I had certain expectations going into it. But once I understood the book's direction, I learned to appreciate it.

Sheltering Eaves is a raw and profoundly gut-wrenching story about trauma, abandonment, and found family. This manga offers an insightful exploration of the Japanese foster care system as well as relevant issues like child abuse and neglect. I really respect the author for handling these sensitive topics with so much care. The portrayal of trauma felt realistic and genuine, making it easy to empathize with the characters and their struggles. It is evident that a nuanced understanding of the complexities of mental health.

While I respect the manga's exploration of important topics, I believe the character development could be stronger. Yoru, the female lead, feels somewhat flat and lacking depth. The author tells rather than shows her personality. Her dependence on Tenjaku, the male lead, also undermines her individuality. I understand that this might be intentional for the sake of the story but I still would appreciate it if we get to know more about her. It was so hard to connect with her and understand her experiences. I found myself more invested in Tenjaku's story than Yoru's.

Anyways, despite these shortcomings, I still value the book's message and I am glad I read it. It opened my eyes to social issues in Japan and encouraged me to learn more about these topics. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me with an eARC of this manga in exchance for an honest review!!

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/