The Gods Lie.

Before you get turned off by the title "God Tells Lies," there is no sacrilegious connotations or references within the work. You will fully understand, towards the end of your reading, why the mangaka chose to title his work as such. The title is a perfect fit. Every detail of this story is perfect… the height of the heroine in elementary school, the white, crippled kitten named Tofu abandoned by the bridge, the flowers along the street and the flower on the girl’s hair, the death of a beetle, how the grandfather falls with the money for his endearing grandchildren in his hands, the trusting youngerbrother, the name Rio (life’s meaning), and the title (God lies)... All these small elements come together into one coherent work, "God tells lies." To expand upon one of these details, the tall stature of Rio (the heroine) symbolizes here apparent strength. She is tall. She seems strong and independent. Yet, in actuality, she is just a girl in elementary school. She wants to be loved and nurtured for. Her height. It’s just perfect. Within just 2 chapters, I fell in love with the characters in the story. Rio has made the most significant and lasting impact as a character for me in the shortest time. She is not gorgeous, yet she is breathtaking. She is plain, yet she is beautiful. We can easily relate to the narrator’s clear dialogue and understand why he is so attracted to such a girl. Rio makes herself endearing to the narrator and to the reader. The story unfolds in a calm manner, and the art matches its style. One thing, however, that I would like to complain about is how the story ends. It seemed a bit abrupt. Maybe that was because I wanted to see more of how Rio and the narrator fared afterwards. The characters are THAT good! I highly recommend this manga for everyone, regardless of age or gender. I don't give 9's and 10's very often; in fact, I've only given it to 3 other mangas at the time I am writing this review. So consider reading "God Tells Lies."

In a market full of shounen cliches and harems galore, it's nice to see a gem like this get unearthed. It may have a little dirt on it, but once you clean the dirt off it shines all the same. There are plenty of things that seem rather farfetched in this manga, and it is best to keep your suspension of disbelief high. Even so, the story is fairly simple with a... different sort of twist. Nothing in the story department will blow your mind, though you may contract a case of the feels. The characters are also pretty simple, yet at the same time seemmuch more realistic than a lot of characters in other things. Some of the romance seems a little mature considering they're elementary school kids, and the main character and his mom have an... odd relationship. Still, the characters felt endearing because of how ordinary they were. Going three for three, the art was, again, pretty simple. There was nothing fancy, but it worked considering how simple most of the manga actually was. The simple art felt like it fit the story and characters, and I don't believe that exquisite top form artwork was needed here. If you like dramas or romances, this is a short read that shouldn't leave you disappointed. It isn't the greatest drama ever, but it is endearing and even compelling if you keep a slightly open mind.

Without a doubt the most touching and beautiful manga I have ever had the pleasure to read. It's such a gloriously simple premise - A poor young girl lives day to day looking after her little brother on next to nothing, due to absent parents. She's befriended by a young boy, her classmate, and a big fan of football/soccer. The sheer realism is what makes it for me. It's extremely believable and grabbed me from the go. It's the most I've ever felt for a character, the little girl's struggles... god damn. Despite being so very tragic and making a genuinely say "fuck no..." at somepoints, it maintained a positive vibe and gave an extremely satisfying ending. I cried for the first time in years. And I wasn't even sure if I was sad. It was so damn beautiful.