This manga wrecked me! This is a heartbreaking yet touching story about children who are taken care of in a group home as their parents are absent for various reasons. Yoru, a curious but timid girl, feels very dependent on fellow group home resident Tenjaku, who has defended her since a young age. Tenjaku is a talented high jumper and tries to work jobs to earn money to set up a life after her ages out of the group home a reality that Yoru finds terrifying. This manga is lovely and shows true friendship and love. It will hurt your heart but make you smile.

Sheltering Eaves is a josei manga about an interesting topic. The story is about foster care system and kids in it. Yoru was sent to a group home after her mom abused her and there she met Tenjaku, who's father abused him. They are high schoolers already and after a year they need to leave the system and move on their own. Yoru has feelings for Tenjaku, but at least now the boy seems to want freedom more than anything else. Yoru is annoying and it's painful to see how she wants to tie Tenjaku to herself. Tenjaku then is too chivalrous trying to save everyone and that too is annoying. The foster care system is the most interesting part, since I don't know enough about that in Japan. My husband has worked in one here in Finland so the comparison gives extra spice.

The art looks nice, light and fluffy. This is a great contradiction when you think bout the topic and it works amazingly well. Aruga takes heavy topics and creates something human from them. I do hope this will become something more than just a romance eventually. I actually wish there wouldn't be any romance at all or that Tenjaku wouldn't feel the same and Yoru would have to accept that and move on. I can wish, right?

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

“Sheltering Eaves” would be a good manga for someone wanting to read about children homes, foster care, and the lives of children who are abandoned. For me, I was not that into the storyline but I could see why someone would continue the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Rie Aruga for the opportunity to read this manga in exchange for an honest review.

After "Perfect World," I knew something new from Aruga would be a brilliantly told story with its own element of diversity. In this case, the story follows two foster children living in a group home due to their prior abuse or family situations. Yoru and Tenjaku meet at the tender age of ten in the children's home and there they remain as they work through their high school years.

They have developed their own familial bond, though I suspect there may be romance involved later in the story.

I appreciate the perspective of youth in the foster system in Japan, and noticing some similarities and differences between the way they operate compared to that of the U.S. The art is beautiful and the storytelling is truly masterful. This story feels like it will take on a serous approach as the narrative progresses. This manga is great for teen readers and also for educators to glimpse this perspective.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

this was my first series by mangaka rie aruga -- the art was beautiful and the story interesting; the first volume of sheltering eaves introduces yoru and tenjaku, as well as their backstories on how they came to live at the group home.

i'm definitely going to check out the rest of the series after that cliffhanger, as well as rie aruga's other series!

I personally was not a big fan of the story line and plot of this manga an its the first time I've not been interested in reading the follow up manga in a long time.

I liked this story and the art. I think it was a bit slow at the beginning but it's building up to be a good story.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

La storia è raccontata dal punto di vista di Yoru, una bambina obbligata a vivere in una casa famiglia a causa dei maltrattamenti inflittigli dalla madre.
Li crescerà e conoscerà Tenjaku con cui farà amicizia e stringerà un forte legame affettivo.
Quando ormai manca solo un anno al loro abbandono della casa famiglia, Yoru inizia a riflettere sul suo futuro e su cosa ne sarà di loro quando finiranno il liceo.

Devo dire che la storia risulta molto realistica e decisamente drammatica. Non c'è spazio per i sorrisi e il buonumore in questa storia. Sebbene la casa famiglia sia sicuramente il posto migliore per loro, non è giusto buttare nuovamente fuori nel mondo dei ragazzi che ancora non sanno chi sono o cosa vogliono, che non si sono ancora ripresi dal trauma della loro infanzia.
C'è tanta ansia e angoscia che traspare da queste pagine. E' una lettura seria e da non trattare con leggerezza.
Mi piacerebbe però sicuramente sapere cosa succederà ai due protagonisti.

Grazie Netgalley per avermi permesso di leggerlo in anteprima.

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The story is told from the point of view of Yoru, a little girl forced to live in a foster home because of the abuses inflicted on her by her mother.
There she will grow, and meet Tenjaku with whom she will become friends and form a strong emotional bond.
When there is only one year left until they leave the foster home, Yoru begins to reflect on her future and what will become of them when they finish high school.

I must say that the story is very realistic and decidedly dramatic. There is no room for smiles and good humor in this story. Although the foster home is certainly the best place for them, it is not right to throw out into the world again kids who still do not know who they are or what they want, who have not yet recovered from the trauma of their childhood.
There is so much anxiety and anguish that shines through in these pages. It is a serious read and not to be treated lightly.
However, I would certainly like to know what will happen to the two protagonists.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read it in preview.

Thank you for allowing me to read this manga in preview.

It is a story full of trigger warnings, you have to be ready. This story talks about abuse, depression and violence.

These kids live in a family home because their parents abandoned them, the first volume is really very strong and also very beautiful.

While I appreciate and respect a manga that tackles the sensitive issues of being an orphan in Japan, I also feel that the characters get lost in the process. The author clearly had a series of bullet points that she wanted to write into the store about the plight of orphans and the psychological, social, and legal challenges they face. But even in this first book the main characters are distant, hard to relate to, and involved in what feels more like a sad co-dependent situation rather than a love story.

Story: At a young age, both Yoru and Tenjaku were placed in an orphanage after abuse or abandonment by their parents. Tenjaku was physically and mentally abused by a deadbeat weak father while Yoru's mother's mental illness rendered her unable to care for a child. Both deal with the scars as they grow up together, distance themselves from their parents, and learn to find their own place in the world.

The plotting really could have used more uplifting moments instead of constant dreariness and betrayal. The reveals of the past are well telegraphed and almost pedantic by the time we get them at the end of this first volume. The only 'sunshine' is that both have to constantly save each other from everyone else - which gets wearying after time. The author has the subtlety of a bull in a china shop and the story feels overwritten and plodding as a result.

I wish the issues addressed would have been a small focus instead of the entire plot; I feel that the story would have been all the better for having great characters who bring to light that losing parents/having incapable parents or guardians is more of an small part rather than the single defining aspect of these protagonists' characters. Otherwise, it feels like the author is manipulating the reader to push her own (even good as it is) agenda. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

I'm a huge fan of Rie Aruga's previous manga series, Perfect World, and thus had high hopes for his newest series, Sheltering Eaves. I'm pleased to say that I absolutely loved the first volume and already feel such a connection between our two main characters, Yoru and Tenjaku. I really enjoyed how we got to see the origins of their friendship in the children's group home and then also a taste of their lives at sixteen-years-old; seeing the younger versions of the characters really gave me context and allowed me to connect on a deeper level. The representation of children's home facilities in Japan - as well as what the children go through before, during, and after their stay - was done tastefully and respectfully. I love how Rie Argua creates such diverse stories, and I cannot wait to dig into the rest of this series!

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Sheltering Eaves, Vol. 1 by Rie Aruga in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced by any third parties.

This manga was far from what I expected. It was advertised as a josei romance, but the romance is not really in the forefront of the story at all. I think this is partly why I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected. I wasn’t immediately hooked because I had certain expectations going into it. But once I understood the book's direction, I learned to appreciate it.

Sheltering Eaves is a raw and profoundly gut-wrenching story about trauma, abandonment, and found family. This manga offers an insightful exploration of the Japanese foster care system as well as relevant issues like child abuse and neglect. I really respect the author for handling these sensitive topics with so much care. The portrayal of trauma felt realistic and genuine, making it easy to empathize with the characters and their struggles. It is evident that a nuanced understanding of the complexities of mental health.

While I respect the manga's exploration of important topics, I believe the character development could be stronger. Yoru, the female lead, feels somewhat flat and lacking depth. The author tells rather than shows her personality. Her dependence on Tenjaku, the male lead, also undermines her individuality. I understand that this might be intentional for the sake of the story but I still would appreciate it if we get to know more about her. It was so hard to connect with her and understand her experiences. I found myself more invested in Tenjaku's story than Yoru's.

Anyways, despite these shortcomings, I still value the book's message and I am glad I read it. It opened my eyes to social issues in Japan and encouraged me to learn more about these topics. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me with an eARC of this manga in exchance for an honest review!!

The art ist pretty good, the topic is certainly interesting and yet somehow the story doesn't make me want to read on. I don't know exactly why, but the book just couldn't catch my attention.

Gosh this was such a cute book. I know it is a good manga when all I want to do is read the next one. I really like the FMC and MMC, and it covers a tough topic of children within the children home foster care system in Japan.

The artwork was striking and done so well, I was really impressed with how beautiful and expressive the artwork was.

Definite recommend.

e-ARC from NetGalley

I want more of this story!

There's something so appealing about soft romance in manga. We get so many toxic and abusive male leads who make our female protagonists' lives harder than they need to be, so this type of story is so refreshing.

This manga follows two individuals - Yoru & Tenjaku - as they grow up in a group home for abused children. From the day 10-year-old Yoru arrives, Tenjaku becomes her best friend and protector. Now, at 16, the pair know their time in the home is coming to a close, and they will soon be forced to make it on their own.

This is a coming of age story just as much as (if not more than) it is a romance. Tenjaku is working himself to the bone in preparation, while Yoru's biggest worry is being separated from the boy she secretly loves. While he is always there for her, he does not seem to feel the same need to stay by her side, and his feelings are ambiguous - is he protecting her like a lover or a brother? Even the reader can't be sure.

Everything about this worked for me. The drawing was gorgeous. The characters were lovable. The story is compelling. The anxiety and fear of the unknown is contagious. I haven't loved a manga this much since My Sweet Girl by Rumi Ichinohe! Can't wait for volume 2!

Really good first volume. The story it tells is a bit sad due to the main character being in a children's home, but it does it with heart. It pulls you in and gets you invested in what is going to happen to these kids as well as what happened in their pasts. I'm looking forward to future volumes.

Having read and loved this author's previous work Perfect World, I had high hopes and expectations for this book. I'm happy to say this did not disappoint! I really appreciated the obvious time and effort Perfect World put into it's subject matter, and even in this first volume I can see the same level of respect is given to the topics here. The cast is interesting, the story lines are short but impactful, and I'm interested to see where everything leads. While I didn't find it to be too emotionally difficult to read, it does deal with child neglect and abuse, so if these are things that trigger heavy emotions, I'd mention to be ready for it before moving forward with the series. I really loved this volume, and I'm looking forward to seeing the journey these two children take into adulthood.

This book covers what it's like to live in a children's home in Tokyo. Kids whose parents could not take care of them or were abusing them come and live in the children's home. We follow the two main charades as kids, then skip to them being in high school and about to have to go live on their own. We see how the two characters have different outlooks on this, one: how can they call this our new home and then kick us out when we turn 18 while the other one is getting part-time jobs to prepare himself for living out on his own. The story with these two is very interesting and even shows how the wolf views kids in their situation.

This was pretty good! Basically about orphans finding homes with each other, just being near each other, and creating a family. You have Yoru who loses her dad, and her mom becomes mentally unstable and she has to go to a group home. There she meets Tenjaku and they quickly become friends. You can tell they love each other, not sure if in love just yet, but they want to be there and project one another. We get a time skip around half way to them in High School trying to decide what they'll do once they turn 18. It's a nice slice of life look into that type of life. I was surprised it took itself so serious, very little humor, but at the same time it's what kind of makes it, well, it's own thing. So I enjoyed the sweetness to the relationship here between leads, and the growth of character in a different situation than most. I'll check out volume 2 for sure. A 3.5 out of 5.

Child abuse and neglect at its worst!

The main characters meet in a children’s home after getting abused and neglected by their respective parents.

Trigger warnings for SA, abuse and abandonment.

The artstyle and the art sequence is everything! Do not expect romance from this volume.

One evil adult character comes back in their lives. Can you just give me the second volume???!!!!


Thank you, Kodansha Comics, for the ARC.