Dogs and Punching Bags by Kaori Ozaki

TL;DR: An engaging story about finding your place and community, even in the darkest parts of your life.
Source: NetGalley, thank so much to the publisher!

Plot: Nichiko returns to her home island, a tiny place, to find herself. There she meets Chimaki and their stories blends.
Characters: I really enjoyed these characters, especially Nichiko. She was refreshing in her pushback against societal norms but also her steadiness.
Setting: The island setting is an easy one to pull off, but I still really enjoyed it’s small cast and scenery.
Art/Layout: Absolutely love art. I really enjoyed this, it was sparse but had a lot of grace. A lovely style.

Thoughts:

Dogs and Punching Bags follows Nichiko who returns to her small home island, a common tourist spot, after having a rough patch in the big city. She’s leaving behind a broken relationship, and at 34 she’s pushing the boundaries of what Japanese culture finds acceptable for a single woman. She meets Chimaki there, a young man in his early twenties who works at the connivence story but has his own dark history and story. The two of them hit it off as friends and we follow their relationship as their lives start to meld.

I really enjoyed this! The tone in this was unexpected but one I gobbled up. There was tension and there was some intense emotional reactions, especially with Chimaki’s story. But the island setting and the almost cozy vibe made this such a hopeful and overall happy manga. I was happy while reading this and the ending left me smiling. My only complaint about this was that Chimaki seemed a bit infantilized – and I’m not sure if that was intentional as his story really seems to look at the idea that’s he stuck in a place and way because of what happened to him as a young boy.

Besides that this was lovely. The art is graceful and really adds to the setting and feel and ultimately there is a Happily Ever After, so this could be considered a true romance. I especially loved Nichiko who pushed back several times against people commenting on her age and single status. An absolutely lovely read, one I recommend.