Ako to Bambi
Ako and Bambi

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The Wikipedia article for "hidden gem" needs only 3 words: Ako, to, and Bambi.
I just cannot for the life of me understand how a literal diamond series from a famous author can be this criminally unknown.

What's not to like about this manga?
The characters, so loveable, so realistic, yet out of this world at the same time.
The romance is subtle, yet so heartwarming.
There is an entertainig and also mysterious story that constantly keps me engaged, despite the story literally being a slice of lfe manga.
How the heck does HERO-sensei manage to do it?!

But what I think is the best about this manga is its ... atmosphere, ita vibe or mood or whatever else you call it. It has this warm, cozy feling, while also being somewhat ethereal? Or is it its haunting and somewhat lonely feeling? Strangely, the word I find describing this story the best is a color: sepia.

Speaking of colors, lets talk about the art. It's very cute and somewhat rough. It's simple enough to impart the ghostly feeling, and the cozy feeling well, but detailed enough to supplement the story perfectly. It also has extremely minimalistic coloring - the pale dark blues and its retro red/oranges suit the ghostly vibe PERFECTLY. So well in fact, that I can literally envision these colors in my head based solely on the mood all while reading the chapter on my black and white Kindle.

I beg you, please read this. You won't regret it.

A manga by HERO, legendary creator of Horimiya - with less than 1000 readers? What? How is that even possible? Must be one of his older works, I think. Mustn't be that great; maybe he wrote it before he got into the swing of things with manga. One of his earlier works, lacking perhaps in some quality. Boy, I could not have been more wrong. This shit is comfort food in anime form. A banger that CANNOT be laid to rest [until 1AM comes around and I get too sleepy to read any more.]

An ONGOING, beautifully crafted and illustrated manga series by - I am ... now realizing - my single favorite creator. Ako to Bambi is, quite simply, the masterful skill of HERO manifesting itself once again in another incredibly chilled out, heart warming, and humorous little tale. And I hope that one day, this review (which is only the SECOND for the entry) will be one of many, as more and more and more people come to realise how great of a manga this is.

For those who can’t be bothered to read further (very understandable, but I’ll explain these scores below):
Characters: 10/10
Art style: 8/10
Story: 8/10
This is my first ever review, please proceed with caution, it may not be what is expected/usual, but I’m trying it for the first time!

I trust you've read the synopsis [I hope you did anyway - because I wrote it!] but I feel I should address it again. A paranormal mystery involving a horror writer who finds a spirit lingering in his new apartment. And...*checks notes*. Wait, that's it? Yep. Fucking simple. Simple, but very well executed. The plot is tight, witty when it needs to be, somewhat serious, emotional and deep when it needs to be, and overall a tale you feel obliged to follow to the end. The supernatural stuff is sooooometimes done a little heavy handedly, however it NEVER takes away from your enjoyment, and those few flaws are so tiny they’re barely worth mentioning - but since you’re reading I feel obliged to say they do exist. No manga/work is perfect after all.

But how can something SO simple be SO entertaining? How can a tale so…I hesitate to say basic, be so entertaining? Because HERO is a genius of character creation, arcs, and interactions.

The characters are funny, likable [or unlikable if they're made to be so, for such is life!], imperfect like all humans, prettily illustrated, and fundamentally relatable. Kojika ["Bambi"] is quiet, funny when he wants, and just a massive chiller. Yamashiro's reserved, uncertain of herself; but her counterpart Ako is loud, sometimes confusing, cute, endearing and cares deeply for Bambi - just as Yamashiro cares for him, but finds more difficult to express do to her unconfident nature. The rest of the ensemble are the same - intricately written and drawn/designed characters, with such distinct personalities. Irifune's somewhat cold cynical exterior hiding her curious and caring nature; Editor-san's mysterious and dark demeanor overshadowing a funny, hardworking, and brilliant friend. And I could just go ON about every character like this.

For me the best part about Horimiya was how real all the characters felt - their mannerisms, their speech, their interactions with others, their emotions - all of it was so grounded and real [excluding of course the very occasional manga/anime-esque embellishment to emphasize these emotions]. And even for a manga series about a LITERAL spirit HERO manages to maintain that exact same vibe.

And when I say this manga is comfort food in anime form I mean it. This manga makes me wish I was just an author chilling with my editor in a dingy, cramped apartment and friends who come around once in a while to check in on me/care for me. This manga is unapologetically wholesome, focussing first and foremost on the characters and their relations, and it portrays those relationships fucking beautifully. A friendship, a feud, a romance, everything is done precisely, gorgeously, and - most importantly - in a relatable and realistic manner.

Because HOW ELSE will we feel the emotions the characters are feeling? How else will we feel for the characters at all? How else would we care about characters in a tale where - in a weird way - nothing HUGE happens often. How else will we feel for characters who just EXIST in a slice of life manga, doing their thing, interacting with the other characters.

Because they are beautiful. Because they feel real. And because they are written extraordinarily, illustrated adorably, in the most heartwarming and careful manner. Because this isn’t just a ghost tale or just a high school slice of life - it’s a tale about cherishing the little moments in life. A tale of cherishing people, memories, and time….

Read Ako and Bambi. Snuggle up warm, get your favorite drink out, get the lighting right in your room. And just lose yourself. I promise you, you'll soon become just as much of an insomniac as Kojika as you try to finish this manga.

I do not consider myself someone who seeks out niche, little known pieces of fiction to feel like a hipster lording over their "different"-ness over others. I am generally a mainstream kinda person, especially when it comes to reading manga. However when I heard that Hero sensei, the author of one of my favorite romcoms of all time, Horimiya had started a new series- I felt compelled to check it out. And to that end, I am oh so glad I did.

Ako to Bambi is like the hot chocolate you drink as you peer out of the window on a rainy day, contemplating the warmth ... you feel. It's the loneliness of being alone in that room but being happy with that regardless. It's like a fleeting touch of a loved one- gentle and warm. Our story starts off in a fashion that is both utterly mundane and utterly fantastical. A spirit girl meets a lonely writer in a supposedly haunted apartment? It feels like quite the wish fulfilment trip. But of course, it's anything but. Our story in fact is one about self discovery, one about self contemplation and one about just... being around people, enjoying life and finding comfort in the little things in life. And perhaps, sharing that same joy with someone else.

It's weird to see less than a few hundred people reading such an utterly compelling work of fiction but I can't say I am too surprised. Well maybe just a bit, maybe in a few years, this review will end up being the very first one on this page. And I couldn't be happier for it. But until then- go read Ako to Bambi. Cherish the little moments in life before they slip away. ;)