Kodomo wa Wakatte Agenai

Kodomo wa Wakatte Agenai is an oddly charming story that is part coming-of-age, part mystery, part drama, and part romance. How it brings up all these things into a single plotline is very impressive. Usually, storytelling attempts like these fail miserably as there is a struggle in finding a balance between several elements of the story especially if it’s given only a short duration. Focus on one aspect and the rest gets underdeveloped inevitably. Try to simultaneously develop all of them and they will clash on each other depending on how you pace the whole thing. What this manga succeeds in dodging this problem isthat it takes advantage of the laid-back approach of slice-of-life in which it can control the story’s direction without losing any momentum. The art for the most part is good albeit it can be lacking in terms of the details of the characters which are drawn in a chibi-like manner. The scenery it draws out is amazing, which kind of reminds me of the works of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou’s mangaka Ashinano Hitoshi, minimalistic yet impactful. The paneling is splendid as well. Despite how most panels are occupied with speech bubbles due to how the manga is dialogue driven, the transitioning is pretty easy to follow. It has occasional references that might be alienating, but nevertheless it's part of what makes it charming. Speaking of being dialogue driven, it also contributes to the reason why the manga succeeds in bringing a well-structured story. It does exposition very well thus giving more time for development to happen. The plot intertwines all the events that results in a very good payoff. The search for Minami’s real dad ended up being as a very beautiful coming-of-age story that gets its strength on sentimentality yet never losing sight on being part of a bigger picture in the overall story. The romance progression on Moji and Minami also didn’t feel forced and entirely dramatic. Everything is neatly tied up, leaving a sense of fulfillment. Overall, it’s a work that deserves more attention. It kind of saddens me that this is such an obscure piece of work which is why it compels me to write this review. If you like coming-of-age stories with a well-delivered twist, then I suggest you this hidden gem.