It’s been years since I’ve read manga. Any manga. But I saw this one and knew I had to give it a shot. The title and the cover were enough to interest me.

When I was in Japan, my husband won me a plushie of a fox wearing a tanuki eye mask and I bought a blind box with the two animals as a small figurine. I don’t know how limited the pairing was, but I suspect that the fox is the main mascot of a store called Loft and the tanuki is just temporary. They’re incredibly cute together, so when I saw this manga, I knew it was for me.

Without even reading the summary I dived in. It didn’t surprise me it was about gods and bakemono. I like the Japanese folklore so even that was right up my ally. The mentor-apprentice relationship the fox and the tanuki have is incredibly cute too. There’s a lot of room for both characters to grow.

The side characters, another fox and two wolves, are adorable. I honestly love the stereotype characters and the world the author created. I don’t mind that their personalities are predictable because it’s the interaction between the characters and the situations they’re in that make the story.

I’m really looking forward to reading more of this series. Highly recommended if you’re interested in Japanese folklore and like cute art.

One of my favorite characters was; of course, Manpachi! He is the most adorable cub ever; I want to wrap him up and hug him. Lol, what I enjoyed so much in the story was the relationship evolution between Senzou and Manipachi. The witty banter amongst the two added a light comedic air to the overall arch of the narrative. The artwork depicting the tail of the once-great spirited fox was truly exquisite. If you are unfamiliar with Japanese Fantasies and are new to reading the genre; it may be hard at first to understand all the mythical creatures and the history behind them. Overall, I am very intrigued to see where the story continues in future volumes of the series.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this manga in exchange for an honest review!

A big villain being released from his 300 year old sleep, only to be told he has to raise a Tanuki to become a servant of the Gods. Safe to say he is not pleased. But there's no way out, so here they go!

This was my first ever manga (and didn't even realize it wasn't just a regular graphic novel), and I didn't expect the entire novel to be in black and white. This is not a bad thing, it was just a bit of a shock to the system, and I had some trouble understanding some panels, especially at the start, meaning it took me some time to get into the story.

I had read a review before about how to read this, and I was glad for it, as it would have been incredibly confusing otherwise. The final page/back of the book helpfully says how to read it, which is great if you read it physically. Electronically you don't see that until after you've finished it, so a huge thanks to that reviewer, and a head's up to anyone: this is read front to back, but the pages themselves are manga style.

Once I got into the art style and the story, I really really enjoyed it! As mentioned, some panels were really confusing to me, as I couldn't distinguish what was happening. That, and the order of reading not being mentioned before the story (it could have been added as a note for the ARC), is the only reason this isn't a 5 star read. Because the story! The feelings! And the bits of info about the Japanese mythology this takes from was great for people like me who had only ever heard of kitsune!

Little Tanuki, Manpachi, was just adorable, and I will protect him forever; even though he doesn't really need my protecting. I'll give him love instead. And food. The Fox, Senzou, is a bit of an asshole ("a bit"), but in this first volume he is already showing character growth, and I find him absolutely gorgeous. He's frustrating at times, but I already have major soft spot for him.

Koyuki was the sweetest, though I'm a bit bothered by the fact that the only female character is there to feed them only. Mikumo is a grouch and Tachibana is the best, and them as a duo is Amazing and I love them. I ship them. Not even gonna lie, their dynamic is the best.

I cannot wait for volume two, and hope to be able to get my hands on it, because this ended on a cliffhanger and I need to know how it'll continue!

This is about an evil fox spirit named Senzo who is unsealed by the Sun God to redeem himself. However he doesn’t expect his mission to be raising a tanuki. He names the small animal Manpachi and it is adorable to see them together. Senzo must train Manpachi to become a servant of the Gods. I loved the art work and the story. It face a Maleficient feel to it when it comes to a nortorious being having to raise a small child.

This was an incredibly adorable, heart warming manga that reminded me of the good old times when everything I cared about was Inuyasha.

I got an arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. And I enjoyed myself to the fullest reading this manga! It has sweet characters, an interesting beginning to a story and the strongest ever Inuyasha vibes - a god is waken up from his sleep and has to go on a quest while wearing a necklace that will hurt him if he is not doing as he's told. He has to take care of a young little demon that has to learn and one day become the servent of the gods. Now of course this is only the first volume and so we couldn't see much of a character development yet, but I'm sure this will turn out to be a sweet redemption arc for the main character. It felt like honey for my soul to go into this magical world.
Also I thought the explanations of different creatures was a nice extra at the beginning of each chapter.
Recommending this to everyone who loves Japanese myths, magical creatures and yes, INUYASHA!

So I love Tanukis, when I heard about this title I had to try it out. The art is adorable and the tiny baby tanuki is just beyond cute. The story in itself sees very familiar elements. A naughty animal spirit, the fox, get’s locked away by a goddess for causing mischief and is then given a second chance. His powers are blunted and to regain them he must help the tanuki grow up into a fine animal spirit. The little tanuki has been rejected by his animal parents for having powers and sapience and is all alone in the world. Great read for younger manga and animal story lovers.

The Fox & the Little Tanuki is a precious middle grade-appropriate manga, which the English-language market desperately needs more of. That said, this is also a manga title that I enjoyed as an adult and think would be a fun addition to any manga collection.

This was my first Manga. I loved the cute illustrations but the story was just okay for me! Still enjoyable enough.

A charmingly-illustrated animal fable based on Japanese folklore, Tagawa's manga is an endearing story for older children.
Senzou, a Fox Spirit, has been imprisoned by the Sun Goddess for bad behaviour for the last three hundred years. Finally, he is free! But there are consequences: Senzou must raise a tanuki cub to be an assistant to the gods. To ensure he's doing his job, the Sun Goddess has outfitted Senzou with a magical bead necklace punishes Senzou when his conviction to help the tanuki wavers.
If you love seeing characters with tough exteriors soften by way of naive and loving younger characters, you'll love The Fox & the Little Tanuki. The plot-line is light and perfect for younger readers, but may be too light for older children and adults looking for a meatier story. If nothing else, the book is worth a read for the art alone.
Each chapter gives a brief introduction to the animal spirits of Japanese folklore; accessible for children without getting too bogged down in details, but just enough information to pique readers' interest.
Be careful!: This manga ends in a cliff-hanger and might leave you itching for the next volume!
4/5 stars.

This was really fun! I'm a sucker for grumpy, reluctant dads of unintentionally adopted children. If someone said they liked both cute manga and The Mandalorian, I'd recommend this. Since this is the first volume, it sets up the world and the story. If you are unfamiliar with Japanese mythology, then you'll appreciate the notes about the different bakemono, explaining their roles and powers without disrupting the story. It was a good start and I'd like to read the next volume and see where it goes.

The Fox and the Little Tanuki, Volume 1 by Mi Tagawa, 159 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL
Tokyopop, 2020. $13.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Senzou, a powerful bakemono, has been locked away for 300 years. He plans to continue in his ways after being released, but Senzou didn’t know that he would have to train a new tanuki. His troubles and penitence are just beginning.
Full of cool Japanese mythology, the start Senzou’s story was interesting to read. It’s a simple story about doing good to right the wrongs done and learning to be better from the inspiration of an innocent kid. Being the first volume, the ending is a cliffhanger, and the story is not compelling enough that I feel I need the sequel, but I would read it if it was conveniently available.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I love the illustrations in this manga, and Senzou and Manpachi's interactions are really adorable. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I had been younger, however, because the plot leaves a bit to be desired. Still, I enjoyed my time with The Fox and the Little Tanuki and recommend it for those who want a quick, light read.

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

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The Fox & Little Tanuki, by Mi Tagawa
★★★☆☆
175 Pages


When I picked this one up, I saw it was a Tokyo Pop production and assumed it was a manga. However, there was no warning when I opened it to begin reading back-to-front, as with most Japanese manga's, so I thought I'd been mistaken and it was a regular comic. Then it took me two pages to realise it *was* a Japanese manga, just in a way I wasn't used to – it wasn't read back-to-front, but the panels were arranged in the same order as most other manga's. It would have been nice to get some clarification on that before I began reading, because it wasn't immediately clear what order the panels were meant to be read in.

Then came the story...while the illustrator has some serious talent, and the artwork was beautiful, there were serious issues with the plot. The story didn't always make sense, or flow, so that you could follow one page to the next or even one panel to the next sometimes. There were a lot of instances where things happened and there was no explanation of *what* had happened or how, until about 2 pages later, or not at all. There was one point where Manpachi “transformed” and we see the result in Senzou transforming instead, but we never actually got to clearly see or understand what that transformation was because it was so confusingly written. The world building, to explain this world of Japanese mythology needed much more work, and the random pages to explain one creatures' place in the mythology weren't enough to help figure things out. In fact, I ended up skipping them because they gave little weight to the story at all.

Then the story ended abruptly right in the middle of a scene. It's one thing to end on a cliffhanger, but it felt like someone had ripped out the last few pages and left 15 pages of adverts in its place.

For me, it's an interesting story, with really beautiful artwork, but the plotting and writing let it down. (I also had an issue with my app crashing every 40 pages, which I can't explain.) It might be better for younger kids, with its strong moral and family-centred plot, but it would still need some work to make it much less confusing.

At first I thought this may be a lighthearted read, but upon further inspection it has a bit more depth to it. Still, the illustrations are cute and the story is engaging! I was captivated enough that I was somewhat surprised when the book ended. (I wanted to read more!) I'm looking forward to reading the next volume.

Advanced reader copy provided by the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to be honest and say that I requested this manga solely on the front cover. It looked so cute with the fox and the wolf. I had no idea if I would be a part of the target audience, or even if I was going to like it, it was just the characters on the cover which made me want to read the manga.

I would say that this manga is targeted towards children/young teens. I was reading this book and I felt like it lacked things which I usually enjoyed in reading mangas. I felt like the story line was quite simplistic. I think if I was a lot younger, I probably would have enjoyed the plot of the manga more. I am intrigued about the ending of this volume so I may continue on with the series, but I think due to my huge reading list, I may never get around to continuing with this series.

I did really enjoy looking at the artwork. Not only was the artwork what drew me into the book, but I really liked seeing all the cute animals on the page!

Overall, I thought this book was okay. I definitely think that this is not targeted to me as a reader and it is impacting my view of the book. If I was a lot younger, I think I would appreciate the story more. I don't regret reading this book, and I would recommend it to a younger audience.

The Fox and the Little Tanuki is actually really good and I'm surprised, since I'm not into animal series. Of course this isn't fully an animal series, since it's about animal gods and spirits, but still. Senzou is a fox spirit who was nasty and thus the Sun Goddess sealed him away for 300 years and only now lets him back. But there's a catch, he has to behave and take care of a tanuki cub and teach it to become a proper servant of gods. The pearls around Senzou's neck make sure he plays it nice. I liked the teacher and pupil side of the story and how Senzou is against it all, but slowly melts into it. The tanuki is kind of dumb and cute, even annoying, but still heartwarming. The pace s great and overall the flow of the manga is perfect making the characters multifaceted.

The art looks stunningly beautiful and detailed. I especially loved the info pages with the details about bakemonos and how they look. The culture historical approach is the best part and how the past intervenes with the modern times. The core of growth, acceptance and extended family is nice and well done, which makes this manga deep and rich. Somehow I would've loved if this was slightly darker though, but you cannot have it all, haha.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Diamond Book Distributors/Tokyopop for sending me an e-galley of this manga in exchange for an honest review!

Senzou was an arrogant and powerful fox spirit, he used his powers for destruction and was imprisoned by the sun goddess for 300 years. Now, awakened after that time and considerably weakened, as penance for his past he must take care of a small tanuki, a bakemono or a creature with the ability to transform named Manpachi. As part of his redemption, Senzou must protect Manpachi and help him on tasks as he learns to be a servant of the goods.

This was the cutest manga I have ever read. The art is beautiful and the lore is pretty great. The characters are really cute and sweet, especially Manpachi who has had a pretty rough life in the mundane world up til now. Senzou is just a big softy. He acts like he doesn't care about Manpachi, but seriously. How could you not?

It really reminds me of those internet comics, Pixel and Brutus where the tiny kitten is protected by this gruff German Shepard. It's a lot like that, but with a mythological element and the German Shepard is a dangerous fox spirit and the kitten is the cutest little tanuki.

I'm so glad I read this, it really improved my night.

<i>arc provided by the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

I really really enjoyed this manga. Everything about it was just fun to read, the characters were intriguing and adorable and the mythology mixed in with the creatures were so interesting to learn about.

I didn’t know what this was about going in but I’m kinda glad I went into it blind, getting to learn about this seemingly villainous character having to protect and raise and teach this little cinnamon roll baby character was so much fun and it’s one of my favourite tropes. The plot was always interesting, everything flowed nicely, the art style was great, just everything about this I loved!

Overall, I loved this and definitely want more asap!!

4.5/5 ⭐️