I was thrilled to see a new story for Kaori Ozaki, I've always loved her art and the way she writes her characters. They're so messy and fresh. Her small town stories are always heartwarming and full of humor.
While some of the tropes she gravitates toward aren't really my cup of tea, I find that I don't usually mind because of her execution, which is always on point. I loved this.

"Life can wear you down like a beat-up punching bag, but it still goes on"

Thank you to NetGalley, Vertical Comics, and Kaori Ozaki for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this title!

Nichiko knows her alcoholic father's days are numbered as she steps back onto the remote island she once called home. Troubled with her feelings about her father, the wretched past she left on the mainland, and her musings on feeling somewhat unmoored in her 30s, she expects to find little comfort as she exits the ferry. When she runs into an eccentric younger man who is the manga equivalent of a golden retriever boyfriend - complete with a burning desire to save everything and everyone he comes across - she is surprised at the hope she feels (even through he's 10 years her junior). Dogged and dig-eyed Chimaki has his own secrets, however, and only time will tell if together they can carve out something new and true in their respective beat-down lives.

I thought this was going to be a wrestling manga based on the cover and picked it up on a whim because I thought the artwork was beautiful. While it's not really about boxing beyond being a metaphor, I was completely pleased to find a wonderful story that I think a lot of people can really resonate with - finding yourself as an adult, the power behind regret and sunk cost, learning to live under and out from the shadow of tragedy, the warmth of found family, the societal expectations that can hold us back, the redemptive power of forgiving yourself, and learning to let go of regrets in the things we cannot change, to name a few points. A little corny at times, and deeply emotional at others (and with some adult-level spice, content, and language, so don't pass this along to your kids), this was a beautiful 2-in-1 volume I'd recommend to anyone who needs an afternoon of a crisp and fulfilling story to shake their woes away.

Thank you Kodansha and Net Galley for the copy to review!

Kaori Ozaki has always been an amazing story teller and artist and as such I was really excited to read her newest work "Dogs and Punching Bags". The story starts off really strong, with a sweet romance and two incredibly likeable leads. At first, it feels like a heartfelt story about two people facing their pasts together, but as it goes on, the plot starts to lose focus. There are a lot of unresolved plot points that take away from what should’ve been an emotional ending, leaving you with more questions than closure. That said, the characters are great, and despite the messy storytelling, it’s still a fun and engaging read!

The concepts in the manga would be confusing for young children, I would rate this a 14+ series.

I want to start off with by saying that Chimaki is most Golden Retriever MMC probably ever and I love it. Also, It was also nice to see a FMC in a manga be about my age and it not be treated like a curse or something.

I was not expecting such an emotional roller coaster when I started this manga, but I loved the whole ride. One minute I'm giggling and the next I'm crying. There is nothing I can think of that I would really change other than there being more volumes so I can read more about Nichiko and Chimaki's life.

e-ARC from NetGalley.

This was fine. I expected a lot more from it, tbh. The side stories were so underdeveloped that they really should have been excluded entirely, and the comparison of the love interest's eye mole to her childhood dog's tick bite immediately icked me out.

I'm not having good luck with manga this month.

To be honest, I’m not 100% sure how I feel about this one. I’ve loved all of Kaori Ozaki’s previous works, especially The Golden Sheep. And I want to love this one just as much.
On the one hand, it’s a cute romance between a woman who’s been hurt by love, and a man who’s never been in love before. But on the other…the age gap. The age gap kind of bothers me just a tiny bit.
Dogs and Punching Bags follows the story of Nichiko who returns home to her secluded island to care for her dying father after a messy break-up with her boyfriend. While at the island, she meets a mysterious young man named Chimaki whom the island residents are wary of, but she can’t help but grow closer to, his outgoing personality drawing her in.
The underlying intrigue really kept me reading. I’m a sucker for mysterious characters, and I had to know more about Chimaki. I did appreciate that she felt conflicted about the age gap. Also, the last chapter had some innuendo, which if you’re not expecting it can be surprising. Nothing too graphic, all mostly suggestion. Loved the story, loved the resolution, but I have mixed feelings overall.
Overall, Dogs and Punching Bags is a cute, gentle tale of love, perfect for fans of manga like A Sign of Affection and/or Kaori’s other’s works.
NOTE: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes only. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read and review this manga. This is something that I was not sure what I was getting into, but I always enjoy this mangaka's art. I at first thought it was a romance. It is, but it also is more of a coming of age/woman's fiction story with an age gap romance(among adults) as a bonus aspect. It teaches some life lessons about how people learn about grieving , how life can change with one event, and how people can make your life better. I have gone back and forth trying to decide what to rate this and I have to say, it's 5 out of 5 stars. This is what I wanted 5 centimeters per second to be and I love the characters and setting. If it becomes a movie, I will watch it. 5 out of 5 stars.

I just finished the comic book and I wanted to write my review right away while my feelings and emotions were still fresh. First of all, even though it has a melancholic atmosphere due to the backgrounds of the main characters, it also warms the heart with the close-knit society it reflects. Although I like the characters in general, there is one place I didn't like in the flow of the story, and that is when Mr. Saito returned to mainland, his wife begged for forgiveness from the man by crying / feeling awful, and the man returned to the role of decent family father as if nothing had happened / as if he had done nothing wrong. I also think that there should be a warning and the age limit should be +18 due to the fact that sexuality is shown by drawing, albeit in poetic expressions.

I want to start this by saying I’ve already ordered the physical copy of this. Being in my 30s I adored that the protagonist is older and how heartwarming this is. It really deals with a lot of complex issues but in such a tender way. I adored the unique characters, the exploration of different types of relationships and how a small community interacts.

The art style and panel layout worked so well and I adored every second of this one. Part slice of life, part exploration of the human condition, this is a must read.

As always thank you to Kodansha Comics for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

thanks to NetGalley for a copy

This was a sweet lil story. 4 stars

Pros:
Gorgeous Art
Short, quick read
Sympathetic Characters

Cons:
Honestly I just wish it hadn't wrapped up so neatly for all our characters. They all had complicated lives and backstories and there was a lot of nuance in portraying them. So the happy end all around came off as slightly twee.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for an arc for review.

Maybe it's because I'm a peer to Nichiko but something about Dogs and Punching Bags hit just right. Am I finally actually aging into josei? (I've been here lol.)
1. The art is gorgeous, the characters are expressive and distinct
2. Nichiko is... so wildly different than me but also so relateable
3. Chimaki is a little guilt ridden weirdo, in the best of ways

The book is heavy with grief, shame, and life changes. But it also maintains it's sense of humor. And even the secondary characters are more fleshed out than I typically experience in one shots. While the resolution was beautiful, I'd happily read more from the island.

This is a quick and heartwarming read with some heavier moments that might make you tear up a bit here and there. There is definitely a more mature, nuanced take on the shōjo genre.

The characters are unique, have their individual quirks, and come together in interesting mixtures of personalities. Although this is a standalone serial, the characters are fleshed-out and complete, and I really felt like they all grow, change, and find redemption as the story progresses. I felt very comfortable with this non-toxic, beautiful love story (that may have had me alternating from giggling and kicking my feet to tearing up and back again).

To an extent, this was as much a roller coaster ride of emotions for me as it was for the characters. But it definitely comes together to be a rather fulfilling and interesting slice-of-life manga for a mature, thoughtful reader.

This was emotional, inspiring, strange and also funny! One moment gave me goosebumps. I absolutely loved it overall!

After leaving her isolating life in Tokyo, 34-year-old Nichiko returns to her remote island hometown for her estranged alcoholic father’s final days. There she meets Chimaki, an eccentric young man who stirs up old memories—and feelings Nichiko had all but decided she no longer deserved. But despite his puppy-like enthusiasm for life, Chimaki’s almost obsessive need to help those around him seems to be compensating for an unspeakable past...

Kaori Ozaki has quickly regained her place as my favorite mangaka. Though a bit more grown up than her other works it still keeps that same feeling of humanity that shines through as you read. I really enjoyed the realistic and complex characters with defining flaws and the ways they played togather. Cannot wait for her next work.

2.5 stars
Thirty-four year old Nichiko returns to her island hometown for her estranged father's final days. There she meets Chimaki, a younger and kind, albeit quirky, man whose incessant need to help others is fueled by the guilt of a fatal mistake he made as a child.

Both Nichiko's and Chimaki's backstories are very touching and the relationship that forms between the two is sweet. However, I found the story to be somewhat underdeveloped and all over the place. I also didn't feel like a particular character deserved to be painted in a sympathetic way but I understand that the mangaka wanted to create nuanced characters that, although have made mistakes, are still capable of redemption. Anyway this was alright. I definitely thought it was better than The God's Lie which I have also read but didn't enjoy. Perhaps this mangaka just isn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

I loved it so much!! The art was beautifull. The story combined love, everyday life, regret, sadness and the feeling of being lost in your early 20s and 30s and it was a joy reading it. The characters were amazing and lovable, I started caring for their story right away. Over all amazing read and will be looking into more stories of this author from now on!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha comics for a copy for review*

This standalone slice of life is great for those that enjoyed Kdramas like Welcome to Samdal-ri and Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. Specifically the romance portion of the story. The coming to the sea for healing type of fiction is always a pleasure to read.

Dogs and Punching Bags is my first manga from Kaori Ozaki. I knew about their other works but I didn't have a chance to read them before. Partly due to me being particular about single-volume works where heavy themes are a part of the plot. Short form is not easy to pull off and oftentimes the feel rushed to me if the author isn't skilled enough.

Dogs and Punching Bags started underwhelming, then took a very sharp turn and eventually did a good job of bringing everything to a close. I found the dependence between and dynamics of the leads compelling. I am reluctant to call this is an "enjoyable" read, but it's worth your time.

This was an interesting contemporary manga. It left me with the sense of how humanity tends to act against its own self interest and somehow while life goes on for many for others it isn’t always the case. There is a sense of hope too in this story. That our mistakes would not define our futures. That we can find love and a good love and that it could stay close to us even with our glaring flaws.

This was a different reading experience for me then what I am used to reading manga. It wasn’t that it was not enjoyable, but there was a seriousness to it that I am not so accustomed to the manga I read being. It deals with grief, regret, and reaching for hope in life. I felt the mixed feelings of what it means to be human after I finished and I think that the remnants of this manga will sit with me for a long time.

Dogs and Punching Bags is a one-shot manga about a woman returning to her home island after her father is bed-bound and easing into life after the end of a tricky relationship. There, she meets a younger man that reminds her of her childhood dog, but despite being so sweet and caring carries some trauma of his own.

This was longer than I expected and that's not a negative; it gave the story a little time to breathe and ramp up before falling to a close again. Love stories of community where everyone works together and cares about each other even when some bad things happened in the past. The only thing that bothered me was the constant harping on Nichiko's age (early/mid-30s) as being "old" and even calling herself middle-aged at one point. Not a fan! But the rest of the story was cute and good and I enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the eARC in exchange for review!