Ken-chan to Neko. Tokidoki Ahiru

"Oh, it's the Vista Express." Ken-chan lives in the countryside in 1976 with his mom, his dad, and his cat, Momo. The highlight of his day is when trains pass through his small town. And that's about it. You might think that such a simple summary would pair with a mediocre manga, but Ken-chan's story is an unexpectedly endearing one. Wholesome and heartwarming, each chapter is a peek into this family's simple life. Ken-chan's father makes him stilts out of tin cans. Momo has kittens. Father drunkenly brings home a duck. Nothing groundbreaking happens, but maybe that's this manga's charm. The art is simplistic, but this pairs wellwith the easygoing story. Pages are filled with simple but lovely blue skies and green fields. In a word, it's charming. Ken-chan's story isn't going to change your life, but it doesn't aim to. It gives you a break from your busy life, your hectic day, and brings you back to a simpler time. And it shows that sometimes, that's enough.