Kamisama ga Uso wo Tsuku.
The Gods Lie.

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

"God Lies" easily ranks amongst my favourite short series. Overall, the story was reminiscent of the movie "Stand by me". Life goes on even if the world is painted bright blue from afar and cynical and more than a little screwed up on on closer inspection, even for grader schoolers. The two main characters Natsuru and Rio seem to fill the adult role better than their own parents. The outcome of the story is deeply satisfying to see and because of it's length/timespan in the manga, it is perhaps more poignant than "Immortal Rain".

Nothing is farfetched in "God Lies" and it portrays a realistic albeit ... highly cynical "life experience" for its protagonists with clean, beautiful panels and good dialogue. I would say that this piece is a lot more polished than her previous works (though it's all good so check out her stuff!!) and therefore highly recommended!

Sometimes the cover really doesn't convey the story in a book and sometimes short things can really have a long story to tell, this is really one of those occasions. When I first started this manga I thought it will be short and sweet (or was hoping) romantic story, but now I can gladly say it was so much more. I am really amazed at how much the writer really was able to convey in just 5 chapters. While there is a bit unrealistic nature in some aspects of the slice of life it is without a doubt a unique manga and definitely one of ... the best of 2013 with its completeness. Now a days in the age of shameless fan-service & seinen's only really being good when they have lots of action and really not new stuff to look forward to this was a breath of fresh air indeed.

"Kamisama ga Uso wo Tsuko" or "God lies" is a story of a boy and girl, story of their families, but also story of so much more. The writer really did try to pack a lot of punch in this short story, with every issue the plot seemingly got more complicated with more background and details of these two, and eventually one summer of their life ends and a vision of their future emerges. This manga tries hard to convey some of the harsh reality's of modern life, tries to sympathize with a lot of the problems children face and also cruelties of the society. It tries to convey the struggles to survive in a dysfunctional family, the burden when you are forced to grow up too fast, children facing the truth of mortality of humans and also the will to still carry on despite all the obstacles.

Nanao meats Rio at a sudden turn of events, then gets to spend a few days with her and her little brother (who is very loveable by the way). This story is about how Nanao gets to share the joys with them, how he tries to help them overcome their difficulties, how he falls in love and how all this brings to light some parts of his own life that he was running away from. Rio on the other hand really experiences compassion after a long time from Nanao; she tries desperately to raise her brother and deal with the difficult situation of leaving on their own, and as Nanao comes into her life with a helping hand she really sees some hope after a long while; the betrayal and abandonment that she has faced so much in her so short life gets out of focus for her for the first time, and she falls in love too. These is a story of their love, their past, their sadness and finally their struggle for a better future.
As a whole this manga might not be the best short Seinen out there or may pale in comparision to some of the classic slice of life seinens but this definitely is one of the must read mangas of 2013. It would have gotten 8 from me on any other time but due to it releasing this year I am gonna give it a 8.5. I really look forward to reading more mangas by this author.

Overall Score -
8.5 out of 10.

Before you get turned off by the title "God Tells Lies," there is no sacrilegious connotations or references within the work. You will fully understand, towards the end of your reading, why the mangaka chose to title his work as such. The title is a perfect fit.

Every detail of this story is perfect… the height of the heroine in elementary school, the white, crippled kitten named Tofu abandoned by the bridge, the flowers along the street and the flower on the girl’s hair, the death of a beetle, how the grandfather falls with the money for his endearing grandchildren in his hands, the trusting younger ... brother, the name Rio (life’s meaning), and the title (God lies)... All these small elements come together into one coherent work, "God tells lies."

To expand upon one of these details, the tall stature of Rio (the heroine) symbolizes here apparent strength. She is tall. She seems strong and independent. Yet, in actuality, she is just a girl in elementary school. She wants to be loved and nurtured for. Her height. It’s just perfect.

Within just 2 chapters, I fell in love with the characters in the story. Rio has made the most significant and lasting impact as a character for me in the shortest time. She is not gorgeous, yet she is breathtaking. She is plain, yet she is beautiful. We can easily relate to the narrator’s clear dialogue and understand why he is so attracted to such a girl. Rio makes herself endearing to the narrator and to the reader.

The story unfolds in a calm manner, and the art matches its style. One thing, however, that I would like to complain about is how the story ends. It seemed a bit abrupt. Maybe that was because I wanted to see more of how Rio and the narrator fared afterwards. The characters are THAT good!

I highly recommend this manga for everyone, regardless of age or gender. I don't give 9's and 10's very often; in fact, I've only given it to 3 other mangas at the time I am writing this review. So consider reading "God Tells Lies."

In a market full of shounen cliches and harems galore, it's nice to see a gem like this get unearthed. It may have a little dirt on it, but once you clean the dirt off it shines all the same.

There are plenty of things that seem rather farfetched in this manga, and it is best to keep your suspension of disbelief high. Even so, the story is fairly simple with a... different sort of twist. Nothing in the story department will blow your mind, though you may contract a case of the feels.

The characters are also pretty simple, yet at the same time seem ... much more realistic than a lot of characters in other things. Some of the romance seems a little mature considering they're elementary school kids, and the main character and his mom have an... odd relationship. Still, the characters felt endearing because of how ordinary they were.

Going three for three, the art was, again, pretty simple. There was nothing fancy, but it worked considering how simple most of the manga actually was. The simple art felt like it fit the story and characters, and I don't believe that exquisite top form artwork was needed here.

If you like dramas or romances, this is a short read that shouldn't leave you disappointed. It isn't the greatest drama ever, but it is endearing and even compelling if you keep a slightly open mind.

Once in a while, there is that anime or manga that reminds me why I fell in love with both mediums in the first place. And after nearly 15 years and hundreds upon hundreds of titles, it's happening increasingly less frequently.

"God Lies" is more than the sum of it's parts. The art is pretty simple. The characters are endearing, but nothing special. And the story - minus a macabre twist - is quite straight forward. But when it ends, you can't help feeling you wish there was more; and not because the story is lacking, or the ending botched.

It just strikes a chord you'd ... almost forgotten you have. It also does so without giving sermons or putting up airs. Now if that isn't art, what is?

P.S:
I was about to go on an epic rant about how this manga builds up a marvellous "fabula", and traps us within it by not giving away much of it. And how it amplifies this effect by constructing a classic linear narrative without resolving the ending, thus making us explore the said fabula even more in our own imagination. But that would have been against the very nature of this little gem. It would have been akin to explaining a joke. It would squeeze all the fun out of it.

Go read this; and bask in its serene minimal unpretentiousness.

P.P.S:
In a narrative based work of art ( Novels, Movies, Series, etc) the "fabula" is the world in which the story is happening. the "sujet" is the part of that world the artist is showing us. For example, in Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring, the fabula is the middle earth, and the sujet is the adventures of the fellowship while trying to take the ring to Mordor. Both terms are of Russian origins, and are used primarily in film analysis; but apply to most other narrative based works of art also.

Without a doubt the most touching and beautiful manga I have ever had the pleasure to read.

It's such a gloriously simple premise - A poor young girl lives day to day looking after her little brother on next to nothing, due to absent parents. She's befriended by a young boy, her classmate, and a big fan of football/soccer.

The sheer realism is what makes it for me. It's extremely believable and grabbed me from the go. It's the most I've ever felt for a character, the little girl's struggles... god damn. Despite being so very tragic and making a genuinely say "fuck no..." at some ... points, it maintained a positive vibe and gave an extremely satisfying ending.

I cried for the first time in years. And I wasn't even sure if I was sad. It was so damn beautiful.

the gods lie. (神様がうそをつく。) is a single-volume, seinen, drama, romance manga that takes place during summer vacation and follows an eleven-year-old boy named Natsuru Nanao. Then he encounters a girl named Rio Suzumura who is the tallest girl in his class. Through chance encounters, they begin spending their summer together until one day Natsuru learns about Rio’s dark secret, altering the shape of their bond forever.

As I sat down to read this manga, I was somewhat aware of the fact that it was going to be sad and emotional. What I did not expect, was to be utterly floored by the depth of the narrative ... and its subtle exploration of various themes. This isn’t your typical novel where all the major themes are going to be laid out before you in an easy to consume format. This is distinctly a graphic novel; something that brilliantly utilises the artistic aspect of a manga to tell a story that is wholly character-driven. It’s not so much about the events or the tragedies that are explored here as much as it is about the solitary individuals that are affected and moulded by the experiences they are forced to undergo.

When the gods lie. begins, it feels like a soft, slice-of-life tale. We have a kid who is lonely and through a simple action alienates himself from his classmates, which then leads him to find companionship in an unlikely person. Yet, the more that we get to know about Natsuru and Rio, the more prevalent it becomes that the slice-of-life take is increasingly abnormal.

Natsuru resides in a single-parent household with his mum who is light novel author. Rio lives with her younger brother in an environment where her single-parent is mostly absent due to their occupation. They bond over the losses and the loneliness that they both share. I found their dialogue about one another’s personal history to be haunting. It created a small vortex in my gut that kept sucking away any semblance of happiness I felt by them discovering comfort in one another. There is just some facet about the gods lie. that triggers instincts in your brain to be on guard for the despair that is to come. Because of all these responses that I was undergoing, Natsuru and Rio started to feel precious to me; I wanted to protect them and to keep them safe.

The loneliness that Natsuru feels comes from being abandoned by one of his parents at a young age thanks to cancer. For Rio, it’s having both parents walk-out on her of their own volition. Parent A does it on a whim and Parent B does it for work. Abandonment in any form can create emotional feelings of inadequacy. It prevents us from building relationships out of fear of the people with whom we formulate those bonds with of walking out on us, or it makes us constantly question if there is something about us that pushes others away.

The same thing can be said when you’re dealing with loss and grief. Death is another form of abandonment. As a kid, it’s far more difficult to grasp it as this out-of-control or inevitable force of living; it’s not about them dying, but the fact that they’re gone. Most kids don’t recognise that these things just happen. Sometimes far sooner than not. At least with death there is no residual hope of the people returning that lingers behind to constantly taunt you or tease you.

The breath-taking artwork is what tells these kids’ stories. You can see the depth of their feelings eclipsed in a tear-soaked stare, or amid the fine lines around a half-forced smile. The mangaka uses expert placement and varying levels of shading to showcase the realm of grief, anxiety, fear, or plain and simple frustration, and occasionally even joy and warmth. The narrative is in the details. It’s actually a fundamental part of Japanese literature—the part that I’m such a humongous aficionado for—and being able to see it incorporated in a graphic novel was astounding to me. the gods lie. isn’t a manga that you can merely read to get the full-picture or the full bulk of the thematic power from. It’s one you have to take in visually and experience via its artistry.

The story in its entirety is not a happy one. It’s an exquisitely gut-punching, bittersweet telling of what happens when kids are forced to grow up too damn quickly. It’s a force of a nature that really puts into perspective the impact of tragedy and abandonment, and how those two things can influence the way those individuals will grow up. the gods lie. places before us the tremendous strength that a sole person’s kindness can make on those of us that are so terribly lost, broken, and defeated. Contrary to many reviews I’ve read, I don’t see it as “tragedy porn” or anything of the like. For me personally, it was graphic novel encapsulation of Japanese literature at its finest; one that uses the tools of penetratingly stunning drawings, simple dialogue, and sublimely subtle use of details to depict that not all moments of youth are light-hearted. Sometimes the essence of youth means learning the harsh reality of responsibility and the gratification of truth that resides within the most basic of lies.

If you enjoy Japanese works that are akin to Yōko Ogawa (The Housekeeper and the Professor), Julie Otsuka (When the Emperor was Divine), or Shuichi Yoshida (Parade), then I recommend that you read the gods lie. If you enjoy manga that are understated yet strongly evocative, then I believe you may enjoy this as well.

For a first try, I really enjoyed reading manga. (I've tried others many years ago, but I've never finished them.) Ok, this is a short one, but it's a beginning.
It's a love story with some social background. Although the story is not long, I think the characters are well-developed. It is not pretentious. The whole story takes place in a couple of months - a little more than the summer vacation. Where I live, there isn't anything like Summer vacation, so I don't know if it's, in fact, a whole summer.
The relationship between Nanao and Rio feels so real. It's so pure ... and innocent as it should be. After all, they are kids (many shows don't seem to understand that). However, we have the harsh reality smashing them on the other side, preventing them from dreaming a little bit. Seeing Rio and her brother - and after Nanao- facing problems over their capabilities is sad. The author remembers us all the time they are only children, we can see that on Rio's thoughts, deciding what to buy or not, or Nanao's worries when leaving home and, of course, in all that her younger brother does. The art style is good. I think it fits the plot; it's delicate, simple, beautiful.
The other characters don't have much room, so I don't have much to talk about them, but I think it was a choice. "The God Lies" is such a short story, so focusing on the main characters and doing them well was a wise decision, much better than developing all of them and making an ordinary story. So, I loved this story. I Recommend it!

While I haven't completed many manga, this is one of my favorites. This is a wonderful story of love, loss, and family.

The story centers around Natsuru and Rio, neither of whom have particularly strong families. Natsuru's dad passed away when he was young, and Rio lives alone with her younger brother, Yuuta. In the first chapter, we see Natsuru playing soccer, a sport he loves. Sadly, his old coach is in the hospital with cancer, and he's been presented with a new coach who, sadly, isn't very nice. Through happenstance he happens to meet Rio, and this is the beginning of something beautiful.

The art ... itself is rather good, but it was nothing astounding. I found the characters and the backgrounds pleasing to look at, and the art is very good, but it's not the best I've seen. I will say there's a unique style to it, though.

While the plot itself isn't incredibly special (though, two young children forming a bond over their lack of families isn't often shown in media), the characters really made it. Even in these five short chapters, we see Natsuru fall in and out of love, and they both grow. Natsuru ultimately grows into a strong boy who seeks to protect Rio from being found out. It's the kind of thing that if executed poorly could have been incredibly cheesy, but instead we're presented with a story of falling in love and forming new familial ties. These two children are incredibly important to each other, not because they like each other, but because they want to be there for each other. Both of these characters are presented as incredibly kind and loving, which makes the reader empathize for them even more.

I will say (without spoiling it) that things don't really work out favorably, and this may move you to tears. But really, you can read the manga in only a bit more time than it took to read this review. You should do that. I give this a strong 9/10.

The more manga I read the more I realize I'm falling in love with these subtle real-world romance stories. The Gods Lie is a diamond in the rough, I feel, when you consider all of the shounen manga that's wildly available nowadays.

Though this is a one-shot, the character development is deep. In a way I identified with Natsuo, which helped me dig deeper into the story. He is a kid that feels like he needs to do things for himself, while also struggling with the feelings of wanting to have fun and do things a kid wants to do. Rio, on the other hand, ... exhibits strong personality traits and shows independence, all while struggling with the feelings of wanting to be cared and nurtured for.

The two characters bond over a deep, yet sad circumstance and within the first couple of chapters it's easy to get emotionally attached to them. As the story develops you can easily empathize with Natsuo as he becomes attached to both Rio and her younger brother. You almost forget that the main characters are kids, simply because they pick up the adult roles in their lives better than their parents ever did.

It surprised me how fluidly the story progressed, even up to a bomb drop midway through. It built up pretty well and had me on the edge of my seat as events transpired.

I wholeheartedly recommend The Gods Lie to anyone that's a fan of light romance or real-life situation stories. If I had one complaint it would be that I feel the ending was a bit open-ended. By the time I got to the end of the manga I was so attached to the characters that I feel like the ending was like abruptly shutting a door on someone who is trying to tell you something. Still, I think this is something every manga fan should have on their shelf.

I was watching a youtube video about this guy's "underground" (?) manga recommendations, a.k.a manga that he liked and that not many people know about or at least not many people talk about. When he introduced The Gods Lie and told us about the basic plot, I thought: meh, this is not for me.

But then he said there was a "plot twist" and I, like the plot twist addict that I am, immediately decided to read it. He didn't give any spoilers for the said plot twist, but based on the title I had kind of an idea of what it would be like.

Aaannnnddd... nope. ... It was nothing I was expecting. It's not a "bad" story, per say, it's just definitely NOT for me. The main genre is drama (i'm not a fan of drama) and the "plot twist" was 1) predictable and 2) uhm... simple? like, it wasn't anything "out of this world", it was just the only thing that could've happened given the latest events of the story.

If you're into drama involving kids, you'll probably be into it. Me, I was just not that impressed.

For this short story, I will keep my review short.

Story - 7
Art - 8
Character - 8
Enjoyment - 8
Overall - 7.75 (8)


The Gods Lie is probably one of the most pleasant stories I've come across. It is the essence of short and sweet. I literally read this in a few hours on one night and my reading speed is god awful. I went in blind without reading the synopsis and forgetting the first few pages that I read some time ago. But after completing the story, I have thought wow. For something so small, it does really well as a standalone.
...
The story starts out as something rather normal, new transfer student Natsuru Nanao makes a bad impression with the girls but smoothly fits into the school atmosphere, honestly, nothing new to bring to the table there but it is a start that does fine by itself. The story does take its time getting into the real plot that awaits. But after the encounter with mysteriously unfitting girl Rio Suzumura. A wholesome and somewhat strange story plays out.

After a few wholesome events, the story takes a really weird plot twist for the sake of storytelling, I found myself asking: "how would this make sense", "why would you do that", "isn't the correct action obvious?" But then after finishing the story, and doing some thought through the story, it all came together. All the characters match up to the story's storytelling, the characters are actually true to what life they have been given. It wasn't just characters here, do this at this moment in time, then do that over here, it was all a weirded-out way of presenting characters and their attributes. The characters had qualities in the past that weren't obvious at the beginning of the story, then when it was necessary, the characters reverted back to how their old life was like, kinda like having amnesia then going back to how you once were. All in all, the characters are true to their word and whilst the story is kinda awkward with shifts in atmosphere, it was still a good story nonetheless.

The art reminded me of Studio Ghibli's characters, it is pretty much the same style only the actual physical surroundings didn't have as much detail as the characters themselves. There wasn't really any attempt to try to make astounding scenery which kinda made the art fall flat, only reaching a certain limit and going no higher than that.

I like wholesome stuff, whilst the part before the ending wasn't too wholesome, the story is very heartwarming. Even the awkward part of the story felt interesting, it even made me want to read more since I kinda missed the building relationships that took place. All in all, very enjoyable.



If you do have a night or 1-2 hours to spare then I would recommend you check out The Gods Lie, for someone like myself who kinda just reads something and move on, this made want to re-read the story. It's time-convenient and it's good, how much manga like this exist? I wouldn't know. So don't waste your chance on this story.

In many ways, this is a story about the end of childhood.

The manga primarily took place over the course of a summer holiday, when a pair of sixth-graders connected. The boy, a soccer kid raised by single mother, had become disillusioned after his favorite coach is hospitalized with cancer. The girl, an unusual kid conspicuously taller than her classmates, carried with her an unimaginable burden. Yes, there’s eventually the development of that first love, but don’t be mistaken: this is heavy stuff, more nuanced and wistful than what seems to be your standard puppy love scenario. There’s melancholia frequently etched on the pages of ... this manga, as the kids transitioned from innocent life into a cold world full of harsh truths.

Kaori Ozaki paced her story very well within a single volume, and I don’t think it should be any longer or shorter than it is. Her art isn’t really detailed or especially distinct, but still carried significant impact mainly through effective close-ups and powerful visual moments. What’s also important to note is how, despite the eventual subject matter (also a very real issue in society), she didn’t make this just to sadden or depress you. Kamisama ga Uso wo Tsuku may not be a fluffy fairy tale, but it does have joyous and warm moments, as well as depiction of that indescribably wonderful feeling when you start experiencing what it’s like to deeply care for someone. In the end, the closing note is sweet and gentle, emphasizing the hope for a better tomorrow.

Recommended for its atypical bittersweet romance and for bringing up the important fact that there’s only few things sadder than children forced to mature a long way before they’re supposed to.

I'm dissapointed that much that I think I'm going to cry.
This manga... was absolutly amazing...truly amazing, the story, the character, everything... But It was to short, if it was more detailed and longer with more development in the story and character it would be easily an 11/10.

I can't say really nothing more about the story, just read the synopsis or I will spoiler too much since the manga is so short.


I promise you will not regreat reading this 5 chapters, you will regret the fact that is so short, that's for sure.

The story is so sad, but also so heartwarming, the mentality of characters suit ... perfectly their age (the exeption is Yuuta, that clearly has some problems, but actually I enjoyed even is particular psyche).

I bought this manga a few months ago blindly, and it sat on my ever-growing TBR list until this past weekend. I had the pleasure to sit and read this book to its completion and experience the emotional rollercoaster of Natsuru Nanao’s summer vacation along with him. There comes a point when a moment or a person upturns life as you knew it. Lies that are so small to tell, but have immense consequences, or secrets that were never meant to be secrets at all with the burden of carrying them. While that seems heavy, for sixth graders Natsuru and Suzumura it becomes their reality.

The ... first half of the gods lie. gives you the character insight you need to see that these are indeed sixth-graders acting their age with all their oddities in place, like Natsuru groping his mother, to understanding the reason behind his reason of not going to soccer camp despite his love for the game. It’s what happens after the decision that really weighs in on the story.

It’s important to mention here that most of the issues with these children came from the adults in their lives telling the lies to satisfy or bring down a child. Towards the end of the book, Natsuru recalls something his father told him before he dies and says “sometimes the gods lie”, and as Justin from The OASG so eloquently put “The consequences of lies is explicit in a lot of things. One reason is because we think of ourselves first and foremost.”
For more of my review: https://religiouslynerdy.com/2021/10/06/the-gods-lie-review/

"The Gods Lie" - an outstanding masterpiece that perfectly depicts the bond between two teenagers in a way that not many people understand... A bond that not even adults understand and the way they take care of each other...
It's a story of the premature maturity of teens and the problems they go through...
A story about love and trust and how this love evolves. It also depicts family problems and the wicked ways society works.
I really like this manga because also depicts the school life of the teens and how human bonds really work throwing away all superficial values and focusing on the core values like ... love and trust. It also depicts loss and how people manage to get through it.

All this adds up to an amazing manga that is 100% worth reading, and I can confidently say that this is one of the best short-story I've ever read.

=Spoiler free review=

I came across this manga in a discord server I was in, where I saw someone recommending it and labeling it as "the best drama manga I've ever read".
I decided not to read it online and I bought the only volume and read it under an hour. This is my first ever manga review.

"Kamisama ga Uso wo Tsuku." is a deep story which is very well put together and with distinctive characters who each have their own personalities and weird tics.
The story introduces to you the main character as a 11 year old boy called Natsuru Nanao who's living with his mom. ... He's the ace of his soccer team and has a hard time talking to girls. He takes an interest in his female classmate Rio and eventually asks her to stay with a cat he found abbandoned on the streets.
(This short text summarizes about 1/3 of the whole plot)

I liked the story, it was relatively deep and interesting. You are actually introduced to a big variety of characters taking into account the fact that this is only 5 chapters long. I found the art actually the least appealing parameter although it was not bad. In my opinion this manga had content and potencial for having more chapters, the story feels a little bit rushed even though you can barely notice it.
You meet characters that don't change shit in the outcome of the story and you meet others that although seem small plotwise, are actually important for the development of other characters.

Then after analysing my own thoughts, I couldn't think of any other score to give this manga but 8. It's to the point I can't give more than 8 because I just don't see those magnificent strengths that would increase my score. And I can't go any lower because it's an amazing story with such great characters.

Story- 9
Art- 7
Character- 10
Enjoyment- 8

It was a good experience reading this manga, although I was expecting more after having a glimpse at some reviews. I'll probably give it another shot in a near future just to confirm everything I thought about my first impression of the manga, but for now The Gods lied but I didn't.

WOW!

This is an underappreciated one shot.

I really like the artwork, it's a nicely drawn manga, and I think it would look very good if turned into a movie. I want to see this animated so bad!

I really enjoyed the story.
As you see the kids on the cover are holding hands, but this isn't a romance story. There is romance, but it's not the main focus of the story. It just gets glossed over.

The most interesting aspect of this story is the main girl Rio and her private life.
... She lives alone with her younger brother who she's the only care giver for.

It's just the two of them living alone. There are no parents or any adult living with them.

It's just these two kids with the big sister taking all of the responsibility of the house hold.
Taking care of her brother, budgeting their money, and doing all the chores as well as the grocery shopping.

Our main character comes into her life and tries to be there for her.
He never asks about her personal life as he knows its none of his business.

He understands that things are bad for them by looking at where they live and the conditions they are living in, but he doesn't asks Rio about her personal life

He doesn't pry, but he tries his best to be there for her by helping her around the house and helping her figure out what she needs.

As the story continues things start to unveil as to why these two kids are living alone and the reasons why they are struggling so much.

And it's pretty heartbreaking.

Overall the story is amazing and I highly recommend this manga!

Firstly, I found this manga at the corner of the shelf, the place where nobody looks because the series they came to buy (popular shounen) usually lie in the middle of my local comic books store, lying in insignificance like a treasure chest. I've never heard this manga before but the name and the introduction on the back cover intrigued me. I decided to give it a shot and the rest is a story of love at the first sight. Now, The Gods Lie is one of my favourite manga.

The story is really heartwarming and characters fit in the context. You can find something from ... your own self in every character (SPOILERS: except that scum who dares to call himself Rio's and Yuuta's father). They really feel real. The visuals also fit in the context since it's the story of 6th graders; not so much seinen-esque but acceptable. Emotions are nicely reflected that you feel something warm and bright in your heart, just as -I think- the author intended.

The only downside of the series that it's relatively short. It could be longer. The structure of the story allows it but somehow it's only 5 chapters. What a shame...

All in all, this beautiful thing is a 5-chapter blast of warm feelings and a must-read if you like the works of Miyazaki and Shinkai like me.

This manga is a beautiful story about friendship and even a bit of happiness during difficult circumstances. Yes, there are gloomy situations and feelings in this one too, like being abandoned, a dear person dying etc, but the main characters handle it surprisingly well, maybe because they are just children.

The art work is great in the way it delivers the feelings and the atmosphere. The only thing I could complain about is that Rio and her brother Yuuta is a bit too similar, so you have to watch the hair cut really carefully in some circumstances to know who is who.

Overall, I do place this ... among the best mangas I have read. I would give it a full 10 if it was not for some minor details, like the strange relation Natsuru got to his mother and also how both Natsuru and Rio acts like both would be older than 11.