This should have been longer.
See, I haven't read the original novel, and I'm pretty sure hardly anyone outside Japan has, so I can only base my review on what's in front of me (the manga, obviously). But even then I can't help but feel that quite a few important things were lost while trimming the story down to a short series of comic books.
By itself, the story is still pretty good. Sure, it might be an aesop, the kind that's easily seen through, but its themes, aptly summed up with "humanity and strength of will", are timeless and will always grab your attention, no matter
...
 Alternative TitlesJapanese: ちいさこべえ InformationType: Manga
Volumes: 4
Chapters: 44
Status: Finished
Published: Sep 3, 2012 to Feb 9, 2015
Demographic:
Seinen
Serialization:
Big Comic Spirits Statistics Ranked: #33112 2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #6547
Members: 2,996
Favorites: 33 Resources | Reviews
Filtered Results: 4 / 5
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Jan 3, 2021
An examination of times during and after grief, with the strength of will and humanity.
Adapting and reinterpreting a period novel of the same name, Minetaro Mochizuki has absolutely outdone himself. Although still taking influence from Hisashi Eguchi’s art and sporting that Wes Anderson brand of self-conscious quirkiness, the style presented in Tokyo Kaido has finally been fully realized to become Mochizuki’s own, succeeding in a nice balance of artistry and narrative. In the transition from text to comic medium, Chiisakobee takes full advantage of the format. There’s no shortage of good spreads and meticulous composition capturing snippets of time. It’s retrospective, taking its endearing characters ... 
Jan 5, 2021
I decided to read this manga by just looking at the cover and I was not disappointed. It easily stands out from other generic trash with It's style. Surely there are manga with better art but the way this manga frames things is just extraordinary.
The original story is apparently based on a book and it is quite short yet enjoyable. we get to see the story of the next heir of a carpentery. he struggles with life as he lost many things dear to him in a fire and he wants to rebuild his life. The whole story is extremely relatable and endearing. Overall this ... 
Dec 19, 2023
Chiisakobee by Mochizuki is an adaptation of an Edo era novel of the same name, but from what I can gather, Mochizuki has changed the primary conflict and a lot of the characters. The 1964 movie adaptation's synopsis, if it's the more faithful adaptation, suggests a plot revolving around a scrooge-type ML being shown the meaning of life by the FL and her dozen orphans she's taken under her wing. In Mochizuki's version, the focus is on persevering with dignity against what life throws at you despite feelings of inadequacy.
I have only read his earlier work Tokyo Kaido, but not his even earlier Dragon ... |
