Kokoro no Program

Kokoro no Program review Language read: Thai (official translation, licensed by Luckpim Publishing; original Japanese publisher: Shueisha) "If the person I love the most in the world reciprocates the same feelings as mine...that would be enough." - Kyu Overview: Kokoro no Program is a sci-fi shounen romance manga featuring three main characters: (1) Kyu: the protagonist, (2) Ai: Kyu's childhood friend who secretly harbors feelings for him, and (3) Ichiko: an android girl who joined Kyu's family to help with housework and to study human emotions. The manga follows these three from their elementary school days all the way up to senior high as they navigate their way throughthe years amidst their growing feelings for one another. Review: Kokoro no Program isn't aiming to shatter the genre's conventions—it's a simple love triangle between Kyu, Ai, and Ichiko. Despite its mundaneness, I love how it is executed. The manga does an excellent job of portraying the complexities and anxieties associated with young love. Coupled with the fact that the story takes place across multiple years of adolescence, it feels gratifying to see how the characters slowly come to terms with their feelings and follow their hearts. Since the story also involves a human-like android, there's some exploration of themes relating to human–android relationships (e.g., 'Can a robot develop romantic feelings?'). However, don't expect it to be a super thoughtful commentary on the likes of Eve no Jikan or Ghost in the Shell. Quite frankly, I'm glad the manga doesn't go too deep on that route as it's not the main focus of the story. The characters of Kokoro no Program are relatively plain compared to other shounen romance titles. Nevertheless, it's this simplicity that makes them feel quite believable. The characters really act like their age (especially the earlier chapters set in primary school). Furthermore, I also enjoy how each main lead's character traits (Kyu's clumsiness and insensitivity when it comes to romance, Ai's unrequited love for Kyu, and Ichiko's robotic mind comprehending human emotions) all culminate together and form this engaging dynamic between the trio. Regarding the side characters, they are not really too memorable with the exception of Neo, another android besides Ichiko. When it comes to the art department, I really dig it. I've previously read Nakamura's one-shot title, Hana wa Shinitagaru, and find the art to be pleasing. With Kokoro no Program, it's even better. The background art feels neatly detailed and even evokes a sense of nostalgia (my favorites are the two-page wide shot in Chapters 6 and 25). I also like the overall line art for the characters in terms of its flexibility. For slice-of-life scenes, the art expresses the cuteness of the character designs. Meanwhile, for the more dramatic scenes, it also nicely captures the character's emotions (especially the facial expressions) which help make these scenes feel more powerful. If there's one major criticism I have with the manga, it's that it just feels too short. Usually, I have no qualms with shorter manga series but I do with this one. The last volume's (volume 4) pacing feels noticeably rushed compared to the first three and it results in a clumsier plot development. There were also quite a few interesting subplots and side characters that, due to the series' short length, unfortunately went underexplored. In my opinion, if the manga were to be given one or two more volumes, it could've remedied most of these issues—and it would make the climax and the ending chapters of the manga feel even more impactful. Conclusion: Overall, I am satisfied with what Kokoro no Program has to offer. It doesn't provide the most profound of commentaries on the human–android relationship or the most dramatic of storylines—nor does it have to. At its core, Kokoro no Program is an exploration of young love with all of the joys and sorrows that comes with it...mixed with a bit of a sci-fi flair. It's a coming-of-age work that is imbued with a sense of warmth and sadness, whether through its story, its characters, or its art. It's not perfect by any means and I don't expect many to like it, but it's definitely a shounen romance manga that I will remember for a long while. Score: 8.0–8.3/10.