I read it because I am a big fan of the author's other series called "Horimiya". This was incredibly disappointing in many ways so let's talk about it.

art - 8: Probably the only thing I enjoyed a lot in this manga. I really enjoy this style because of its sweet feeling. The character design was good. Obviously, it was not exceptional due to the fact that the series was extremely short.

characters - 3: What happened here? Horimiya had some of the best-written characters and now we get a 16-year old husband obsessed, no special personality trait, childish wife? And then we add a slightly pedophilic husband with supernatural abilities? Maybe the character arcs would have been better if the series went on further. It definitely seemed as if it was planned to go on because of many factors like the mask and the unfinished storyline.


(SPOILERS)

story - 3: Now what was this? The plot is basically about a 16-year old child that gets married to a 37-year-old man, because of family connections. I am aware that this is historical and this definitely happened in the past, however, these kinds of relationships should not be romanticized. While you could say: "But it is not sexual" It is clear that the only reason that Shin has not made a move on Koyuki is because her father asked him not to until she's 20. I would have ranked the story higher if it was his personal choice, but that this is the only thing holding him back (and not even fully) makes me extremely uncomfortable. I would consider Koyuki to be worse, but she is a literal child. She lives in an age where marriage and being a good wife is essential and so her character is therefore justified. It is sad to see her only mission being a good wife, but obviously, it is a personal choice. She is young, so many things she says should not be paid that much attention to. Shin however always sees her in a different light. He cares for her and often mentions that she is cute. Which is weird. I am generally tired of Mangas/Animes creating (often female) characters that act child-like and look child-like and then putting them into relationships with huge age gaps or saying that they are older than they look. This manga luckily did not sexualize such a relationship but still romanticized it. Psychologically looking at that kind of relationship cannot be healthy.

All in all, I was incredibly disappointed. I kept reading because I hoped for some kind of explanation or justification of their relationship. Maybe he's younger than he says, maybe they are not going to end up together. But nothing of that kind happened.

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What do you get when you take a plot about an arranged marriage between a 16 year-old girl and a 37 year-old man in Feudal Japan, and throw in some supernatural elements, as well as strict rules of engagement? You get 'Ne Ne Ne', a story that somehow manages to make these elements come together in an endearing, natural way. Nothing about the age difference seems forced despite the concept sounding problematic; it's handled in a light-hearted, innocent way, as both mains are very pure. It's a short pilot, but 'Ne Ne Ne' is worth the read as it's in the process of being adapted into a full series. Give it a chance if you're a fan of historical fiction and/or age differences.

TLDR:

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

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