At times harrowing and hard to read, "Takopi" goes very hard on its themes of misguided aid leading to a worse outcome. The art adds to this which its whimsical characters and dark shading.

Thank you to Viz and NetGalley for an advance copy.

I brought out some tissues when I saw the cover, and had a feeling my jaw was going to drop as I read the story. I was recommended this manga by a friend and was glad to have finally read it since it did touch on heavy themes. I found myself wanting to protect everyone as Takopi slowly learns and understands the complexity of human feelings. Overall, while confused at a couple parts, I enjoyed this manga and recommend it (just keep trigger warnings in mind).

Originally posted on Goodreads:

2.5 rounded up.

"The destination was not worth the journey."

Too unexpectedly dark at times for my liking, ending was much too rushed to really resonate with me. I see other folks saying that this is ultimately a happy story with a great message, but I can't honestly see the cause/effect of Takopi's big decision at the end leading to where it did.

Elaborated for NetGalley:

This one is too dark for me to recommend to most of my target patron base. It isn't that it's bad - it's just a little rushed - it is that there isn't enough light to balance all this darkness out. I thoroughly enjoyed the art and concept, but having multiple suicides in a book that's ultimately about communication and friendship is a really hard sell.

This was SO DARK. At some points, I felt so bad. It felt very hopeless and frustrating. So I guess the author did a very good job! However, it's just not my preferences to read something so depressing. But the punches were punching and the story was good!
The reason I don't give the best rating is simply because it got really confusing at the end and it wrapped up in a way too "happy" ending.. I just had a hard time to accept that ending after everything that had happened...

Taizan5 had a concept and they committed to it. They took a cute character (Takopi) and placed them in bleak no-win scenarios alongside three children who technically shouldn't be dealing with these problems, but their world and the adults in their lives sure make it that way. It's a downer, but in this instance it shows you that even with a nifty plot device, things don't always work out. If that's not your kind of read, go read something else. If you like to read tragedies (for whatever reason) this is for you.

This book asks, what would happen if a friendly alien like Doraemon, who is sent to spread happiness across the universe finds out that the local children's problems can't be fixed just with cute gadgets? How is the innocent little one to fix the various types of neglect, bullying and isolation these children are going through? There's also a murder, but don't worry about it! To this book's credit, the answers aren't simple. This book gets heavy quickly, but even then, there is hope that these kids will be okay one day. Dear children, I'm sorry all your parents suck.

Thank you NetGalley and VIZ Media for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Takopi's Original Sin by Taizan5 is an engrossing read that explores the dark depths of humanity under the guise of a cheery slice-of-life comic. It's a dark and sometimes depressing read, but its one I hope opens up space for other creators to share a wider variety of stories in the comic space.

This is a bit on the darker side. The concept of spreading happiness is important and is the goal of an alien being. Yet, attempts to intervene go sideways. Main characters have a lot of trauma that is mostly hinted at. Illustrations are chaotic that add to the tone of the story.

I had previously reviewed this series when it was on Manga Plus:

https://nantejapan.com/otaku-picks-you-should-read-pi-takopis-original-sin-taizan-5/

It is a fantastic work, but quite dark.

This is even darker and heavier than I'd anticipated, for some reason, so it was a challenge to get through at points. The ending is fairly uplifting/positive compared to huge bouts of the rest, though.