Story: 9/10
The premise is a simple one, and it’s right in the title: this manga is about raising an autistic child. We follow Sachiko and Masato as they learn how to become better parents to their son, Hikaru.
They struggle to reconcile their fantasies of parenthood with the realities. They realize that their primary goal as parents shouldn’t necessarily be to raise a doctor or lawyer, but instead to raise a happy and healthy young man. They discover that, with patience and love, Hikaru is capable of many great things—but they also come to understand that, even if he isn’t able to do everything that society seems important, he is still their wonderful son.
The manga doesn’t sugarcoat the difficulties that the parents, and Hikaru, go through. Hikaru is often overstimulated and has meltdowns—early on, the parents, unaware of his feelings, cause them or make them worse. He struggles to communicate, and this frustrates both him and his parents. When Hikaru is young, his parents often express regret that he was born or have the urge to disengage with him. It’s difficult to read something like this, but the parents do grow and change, becoming much more compassionate and caring people, who are dedicated to giving their son the opportunities he needs to thrive.
The first chapters, especially, can be challenging to get through, but as the parents learn more and become more involved with Hikaru, we get to watch as they guide Hikaru’s growth into a young man. As life goes on—Kanon, the couples’ daughter, is born, schools change, and new families are introduced—we watch along with his parents as Hikaru grows up.
It’s such a shame that the author died before finishing the series, because I genuinely wanted to see what would happen to the characters next.
Art: 10/10
The art is lovely. It’s consistently well-drawn and look beautiful. Hikaru (and, later, Kanon) slowly grow up before the reader’s eyes, and it’s fantastic to see.
Character: 9/10
I genuinely disliked—at times, even hated—Sachiko and Masato, but over time, I came to like them as characters. At the start of the series, Sachiko is an overwhelmed young mother with little patience for and almost no understanding of Hikaru and his needs. Masato is cold and avoids his family in whatever ways he can, and seems to have no interest in his son, nor the desire to develop one. Pretty early on in the series, though, they start to develop into more patient and caring people, and continue to improve as parents throughout. Even though he is nonverbal, Hikaru’s personality and interests are apparent, and though Kanon is young, her personality develops through the series as well.
The characters grow in a very believable, realistic way. It is a pleasure to see their progress unfold.
Enjoyment: 10/10
This manga can be hard to read at times, particularly at the start. The parents behave in ways that are sometimes appalling, but they grow over time into supportive and nurturing parents. Watching each character mature is incredibly enjoyable.
The pacing is excellent. We get to see each stage of Hikaru’s life as he ages, and the author never lingers on one age for too long.
I do want to mention that, as an educational tool, it’s not perfect—but I also don’t think this was the author’s intention. The manga doesn’t perfectly explore the complexities of the autism spectrum or portray all points on that spectrum, nor does it go into the ethics of different therapies or coping skills, or their effectiveness. It shows its age when certain terms are used. It can be educational in some ways, but it certainly can’t replace educational texts or the knowledge you gain from talking to actual autistic people about their lives. But, this manga isn’t supposed to be the end-all, be-all guide to autism. It’s a story of Hikaru and his parents, and it’s a very good one.
Overall: 9/10
This is a great slice-of-life manga that I would recommend to any fan of the genre. It’s a mature, well-done series with excellent character development and writing. While it can get dark, it is ultimately hopeful. If it had been completed, it would most likely have been a masterpiece.
