By: Yoko Maki
Reviewed by: gothiclolitamaiden, 15
Rating: It was amazing!
Kippei Katakura is a 17-year-old playboy who spends his time chasing girls, careless of their feelings. But when his 5-year-old cousin Yuzuyu comes to live with his family after her mother's sudden disappearnce, Kippei is put in charge of taking care of her. As Kippei gets to know Yuzuyu and starts to understand how she feels, he also begins to realize that all girls were like Yuzuyu once...
Aishiteruze Baby is a very enjoyable and emotional shojo manga. It may not be brimming with bishojo boys or tenderly romantic moments that most shojo fans tend to enjoy, but it is very intelligent, emotionally engaging and thought-provoking. The reader empathizes with innocent, abandoned Yuzuyu, who is starting to have trust issues because of her mother's betrayal, and we can all relate to Kippei as he slowly matures. The author brings to light the difficuties of single parenting and the effects of a parent's absence on their children.
The characters are all very fascinating and fairly well developed, even though this is just the first volume. Kippei, the selfsih teen, is at first a bit despicable. He is almost an embodiment of instant-gratification mindset, but the reader learns that he does indeed have a heart. Yuzuyu is sweet and innocent, and as a child, she does not understand why her mother would leave her. It is easy to imagine yourself in Yuzuyu's place, making the series very captivating. Many of the secondary characters, including Kippei's family and school mates, as well as Yuzu's, are multifaceted characters.
Yoko Maki's art is very attractive, with distinctive character designs and background art that is often both functional and aesthetic. The panel layout is very easy to read, not confusing or overcrowded in the least bit.
Aishiteruze Baby is one of the manga series that everyone manga fan, shojo or not, should read, even though it isn't a wildly popular title.
Recommended to: Any manga fans 13+
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