Takopii no Genzai
Takopi's Original Sin

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This is a manga with a pretty solid premise, and a lot of moments that are, in isolation, quite well-crafted, but overall kind of fails to develop its story interestingly or create any real weight in the story.

The biggest issue with this manga is the extremely heavy-handed short-term foreshadowing. Without fail, before some big event happens the mangaka will make sure to spend multiple pages beating you over the head with what's coming. As an example, there is one particular double-page spread in chapter 1, clearly written to be the biggest dramatic moment of the chapter (and could have been a great one) that is ... undermined by the fact that instead of a gut-wrenching moment of "whoa, of course this was going to happen, but also wow" it's more like "yeah yeah everyone knows what's going to happen so let's just get it over with and move on with the story". This happens constantly, and really prevents the story from carrying the intended emotional weight.

Artwise, it's pretty good overall - nothing super special, but it has distinctive character art that works pretty well for the intended tone. It kind of devolves as it goes on though, starting out pretty competent but becoming increasingly poor near the end of the manga.

Aside from that, the pacing is good at the beginning but becomes weaker as it goes on. The character writing is fine, but a little shallow - the characters have a tendency to lack anything more than their rough outlines. I could critique the dialogue - there is a strong tendency for child characters to speak like caricatures of worldly adults, almost to the point of parody - but it is also entirely possible that this is a translation artifact, so I will not judge the manga on this basis.

Despite my issues with it, I think the manga was a worthwhile read, because failing in interesting ways is far superior to just being generically dull. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on the mangaka, because they are really just a few problems away from being excellent - I am reminded of Yukimura, for whom I rated Planetes a 5/10 as well but loved Vinland Saga.

Takopii no Genzai had a really intriguing premise.It's a series that contains many problems that our society is facing constantly, such as domestic violence,bullying and kids being overpressured by their parents.There were many shocking scenes and fucked up situations.Unfortunately the ending felt kinda rushed ,I think the manga should have been a little longer like an extra volume or so. If it wasn't for that I would give it a solid 7 or even an 8 who knows.

The art is pretty good ,I really enjoy the author's unique artstyle and the widespreads were fantastic. I extremely liked how the eyes were drawn, it is said ... that eyes are the gate of a human's soul and the mangaka managed to indicate that well enough.

The characters were good ,due to the situations they lived in no one is hateable ,their actions can be understanded.

Overall, Takopii no Genzai is a really nice short dark manga, it would have been way better given a little more time ,but it is what it is .It can be read in less than a day and I recommend it

Another bullying and abusing manga that reveals the true nature of humans when they get pushed to the edge , the story at some point didn't make any sense but after few chapters we got it and honestly I've no clue why the author tried to complicate it like that , well his plot twist didn't impact me that much for like I said we didn't get what's going on however this manga gives me mixed feelings like I hated all characters and I felt bad for em at same time , I guess the story not recommended to everyone it's a bit dark so ... give it a chance when you feel you ready for it .

Takopii's Original Sin is a delightfully crude yet endearingly hopeful study on human empathy, and lack thereof. It cleverly blends whimsical, lighthearted fantastical elements typically seen in children manga with brutally mature themes and scenarios: it sometimes does feel like the most violent, darker elements are taken a little too far for the sake of shock value and spectacle, but for the most part the two halves manage to coexist harmoniously and complement each thanks to the story's emotional earnestness working as a strong connective tissue. The clashing of opposing themes also reflects the story's message: the clashing of people and their conflicts. Takopii's Original ... Sin isn't a story with the presumption of having the solution to all social conflicts and understands their complexity, but advocates the importance of human comunication and mutual understanding with raw, heartwarming emotion. It is a beautiful message that didn't hit nearly as hard as it could have due to a plot that, as much as it starts extremely strong with engaging twists, gets progressively more and more sloppy with a confusing pacing and plotlines resolved hastily as the author rushes towards the finale. A finale that, because of it, loses much of its weight Even so, Takopii's Original Sin remains a pretty good experience worth checking out, thanks to a plesantly peculiar mood, an overall good plot and a sincerely conveyed wholesome message at its core.

Tokopi’s Original Sin is a visually striking manga, with a unique art style that not only stands out but also perfectly complements the story’s unsettling tone. Beneath its surreal premise lies a surprisingly grounded and resonant message about trauma, family, and the human condition something many readers will find emotionally impactful. One of the manga’s greatest strengths is its use of Tokopi, the alien protagonist, as an observer. His outsider perspective adds depth by revealing the layered perspectives of the three main characters, exposing both the beauty and darkness within their family dynamic. When the manga gets graphic, it does so with flair the explicit ... depictions of violence and despair are executed with confidence and artistic skill, offering the kind of uncomfortable yet compelling experience that mirrors the early “misery porn” appeal of Shameless (US).

However, Tokopi’s biggest weakness lies in its brevity. At only 16 chapters, the story feels rushed, often leaning on cheap emotional shocks to keep momentum. This lack of narrative space undermines the manga’s more serious themes, resulting in moments that feel unearned or melodramatic. The rapid escalation of violence and tragedy while entertaining comes off as amateurish at times, especially when it skips over subtle character development. The story also struggles with foreshadowing; character flaws emerge suddenly and without buildup, such as the main character’s abrupt “switch up” which feels more like a twist than a natural progression. Perhaps most jarring is the portrayal of the 4th graders, whose absurdly calculated behavior (creating alibis, covering up serious incidents) breaks immersion and makes you question whether the author has ever interacted with, or even been, a child

Overall, Tokopi’s Original Sin is an intriguing and emotionally intense read, but it sacrifices depth for shock, and in doing so, undercuts the power of its own message.

It's like a lesser realized version of Goodnight Punpun. I do think Takopi's Original Sin has something going for it, especially in the beginning half. But I'm not a big fan of where it ended up going and the general idea that I was left with at the end of the story. It surely delivered a solid gut punch of a read (for the most part), but didn't leave me with much more. There were interesting ideas and concepts, and the main characters were all fascinating to a certain degree, but ultimately things felt unfinished and lacked a proper resolution. A resolution doesn't need ... to be happy, but justified within the framework of the fiction. I was just left confused and unsatisfied. I might read it again, but who knows.

I rated this a 7 but I think a 6.5/10 is more accurate. I liked the exploration of innocence and experience, naivete and trauma. I liked that each section had a clear stop and start point without it being too obvious so that jumping around from timeline to timeline didn't make the narrative too confusing or convoluted. It was also interesting watching the story explore the worst possible timeline, a middle ground, and the best possible timeline as well. It had a lot to say and I'm glad I read it.

If you're looking for something thought provoking, don't mind triggers like domestic violence, suicide, ... and bullying, then you might also enjoy this manga. This is why I marked this review mixed feelings since I think it deals with topics some people might not want to read. It was a very fast read, easily accomplished in about an hour give or take.

Actual review:
Convenient length and a good story for a rainy day that is easy to finish in one sitting. Cute and enjoyable art style that emulates more of that "scribbly sketch" feel, all the children are quite cute and the adults are kind of realistic like they are part of the harsher real world. Not for the very faint of heart or the potentially sensitive because there are disturbing themes- but no detailed gore visuals or horror or thriller, it's more just emotional turmoil and perhaps torture for empaths. Overall just a good story done nicely and gets you thinking about the human condition- ... might help you exercise your kindness muscle and reminds you that we never know what others are going through. I felt very touched by it and I'm glad the ending is bittersweet and doesn't leave you feeling too hopeless.



Yappery (some vague spoilers):
It gets a bit confusing to the end but it doesn't even matter because the impact is still more or less the same- by the end I don't even care so much about the little details anymore. It ended perfectly but I would've liked to see a spinoff here or there. Still drying my tears, such a heartfelt story with a lot of reflection that's even more poignant through the naive perspective of Takopi. The characters are somehow so relatable despite not having exactly relatable situations, I feel like the feelings the kids go through like feeling abandoned by parents, hopelessness, feeling like an imbecile compared to others close to you, and just the overarching theme of being victims of circumstance... it cuts deep no matter what you've been through. This all especially hits hard when Shizuka is yelling at Takopi like "tell me then, what was I supposed to do?" just irejhsfdkhjd you want to dislike someone but when you finally understand them you still disagree with them but you can't really blame them fully because what ^were^ they supposed to do? It's not like we would've been able to cope much better.