Mirai by Mamoru Hosoda was pretty cute, but didn't stay in my attention once I finished, and I don't even fully remember what I read.

Intermittently Charming

This is the novelization of an animated film, and basically follows a four year old's adjustment to the arrival of a new baby sister, and his larger family's adjustment as well. The boy has a series of magical adventures in the company of his now grown sister from the future.

The story is mild and predictable. I guess there are family dynamics lessons to be learned here, but they're pretty basic lessons. For me, while the tale had its charming moments, it was for the most part too bland and obvious to be particularly interesting.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

This is a very sweet little novel that left me wishing I'd not been an only child. It would make a delightful animated film.

Un romanzo fresco, che racconta con delicatezza e fantasia la difficoltà di un bambino a diventare fratellino maggiore.
Incantevole.

First up, I do want to thank Yen Press for allowing me to read this book, or at least try it. Yes, I tried, but sadly it didn't work. I stumbled upon the same problems I found while reading other Japanese to English novels (not just from Yen Press, but from other publishers as well). Namely the translation. It is so very stilted, not a way that I want to read. I have yet to find a novel translated from Japanese to English that feels more natural. More flowing. Less polite. I want to feel at home in a book, not like I am an intruder or a guest just here for a quick chat. Of course, maybe it is this way in Japanese as well, but no, as that would mean that I would have the same thing with manga, and I can read those just fine. So I guess it is just the translation.

Given the cover, and that I knew about the movie, I thought this was a manga-tie-in for it.

But again, thank you. I am really delighted that a big publisher like you has granted my request to read this book. <3 I am just sorry I couldn't like it.

A sweet story about a boy who deals with his feelings when his new baby sister arrives, as told by the mother. A cute family story and good for kids who have siblings. The story starts with birth of the first kid, a boy, who receives all the love until his little sister comes. He gets upset as everyone pays more attention to the newest and youngest member. Thank you for the copy.

Kun is a 4 years old boy that lost the only son title and he’s not happy. Love for her new sister didn’t emerge at the first sight. Through the story Kun faces several problems all related with his family and their love. He questions their love for him and the feeling of replacement is constant. But, with every problem comes a solution and from that we learn a lot how things are in life. Kun is not exception.
Why is this book interesting? Because the way Kun learns to understand the others in a very creative way. His imagination or not, is very useful to his personal growth. He sees the changes that come with a new family member, distinct in this family, and struggles for attention.
I liked seeing the father in this book. The responsibility he takes for his newborn daughter completely different from Kun shows maturity and comprehension for his wife. Nowadays it’s more normal to see the man taking care of the babe but still marks and surprises. And this book relates his learning in taking care of the baby and the house, something the character never did. The roles change, the father is at home and the wife is the one working outside.
I found this story cute and interesting about what can be a modern family in Japan. I wanted to see more of Kun and Mirai interaction and their growth together.

*thank you to Netgalley and Yen Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.

When I got into this story, right away I thought, "This would make an excellent Studio Ghibli film". It had that same wonderful and lovely feel to it. I don't really know what I had expected but it was far more enjoyable than I had thought I'd find it. While this was aimed for Adults, I feel that it's better suited for teenage audience. Adults will certainly enjoy it, but it reads as if its made for a younger audience. I have to add that it was the cover that drew me in and grabbed my attention. It's just beautiful. Simple, yet beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of Mirai.

I was captivated by the sweet cover photo and the interesting recap of the novel's premise. I can relate to Kun's predicament except in a slightly different way; I was eager to have a sibling except I asked my parents for a brother, not a baby sister. Imagine my disappointment.

Due to the tender photo, I assume (incorrectly) that Mirai was a graphic novel, which I think would have worked better, especially in terms of its fantasy elements.

When Kun's baby sister, Mirai, is born, he is frustrated and irritated that the new addition to his family has caused his parents and relatives to overlook his presence and needs.

But, through a series of fantastical, ethereal scenes, Kun meets Mirai's future self, his grandfather as a young man, his parents when they were young, to discover where he came from, who he is, and how being a big brother is not just a challenge, it is a special position to hold.

Mirai is not just a short novel about siblings; it is also about how children transform a marriage and wives and husbands into mothers and fathers, only children into brothers and sisters, and how each child adds their own individuality and personality to an evolving and growing unit that is a family.

Kun is not the only who has to adapt to his new sister; his mother has rejoined the workforce and his father is adapting to his new role as house husband, and the shift in traditional roles has him blindsided.

Mirai is a non-traditional look into sibling and family roles; its also about family and how our personal connections with our parents and loved ones, especially our siblings, help us to evolve, grow and become something better than we could have imagined.

I know I am a better person for having a sibling, perhaps more so when the brother I wished for was a sister instead.

This book is a series of dream-like adventures of a young boy who is struggling to accept the changes in his family set off by the arrival of his little sister. It has been lovely to watch the main character’s development towards finally finding his place within his family. It is, however, not just about the young boy’s journey but his parents’ journey, too.

They say that when a child is born, a mother is born, too. But that’s not all—in a way we can say that a father is born, grandparents are born, and a big brother or big sister is born, too. Indeed it’s a major event with momentous impact to all of the members of the family.

Knowing how to raise and discipline my son is one of my biggest concerns at the moment. I am thankful to this story for giving me the insight I needed. It reminded me a lot of the time when we were just starting our small family. It seems like there are always equal parts of joy and worry.

One of my main takeaways is that we shouldn’t forget the children we once were to be able to understand our young ones. In addition, the story also reminded me that we are products of our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and all their stories and experiences are always a part of us. Family history are memories we should all cherish and learn from, and enriched with stories of our own we have yet to make.

I usually enjoy books or movies with whimsical or fantastical plots and in this regard, Mirai certainly delivered. The book is from the perspective of a young boy named Kun and how the entire dynamic shifts when his younger sister, Mirai is born. Kun starts misbehaving and running away outside, and it's on one such adventure that he meets a girl who seems oddly familiar, it's his little sister, grown up and from the future!

I'm a huge fan of Studio Ghibli films, and this was very reminiscent of a Ghibli story, from the young protagonist to the magical elements involving time travel as well as the animals and other things within the story.

It was a cute story and I enjoyed reading it, although I did find it slightly odd that this is marked as general fiction for adults as I think it's slightly more geared towards a Teen or Y/A audience. The dialogue and writing in general reads a bit more like a screenplay in my opinion, as it's not heavily descriptive and I feel like it would work better in animated form. 

Overall, Mirai was a sweet story with a good moral theme, however I think I would enjoy watching the film version more than reading the book so I probably wouldn't pick this up again.

Mirai is a story about a 4 year old boy named Kun, who suddenly gets a sister and his whole world is turned upside down. It's about how family Dynamics change when a new family member is born and about a stay at home Dad, who finds himself now more involved in the life of his children and faced with the day to day tasks of taking care of his family.
It was a short and cute read. If you like Japanese novels and are a Studio Ghibli fan, this book could be for you.