Kakushigoto: My Dad's Secret Ambition Vol. 1

by Koji Kumeta

• ISBN13: 9781646593392
• Publish Date: 2020
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 184
• Language: English

Reviews

[Nessa Luna]

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not changed my opinion in any way.

I thought it was a nice and cute manga about a single father raising his daughter and trying to keep his career a secret from her. But I just felt like it was missing something, and honestly, I thought it was a bit... exaggerated? Yeah, I know manga and anime are often very exaggerated, but often with manga, I just don't notice/mind it too much... Also, it was kind of weird that the pages were done the western way (left to right) but the text still read the Japanese way (right to left) so that was a bit confusing at first. I kind of wished they'd kept it the original manga way.

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Kakushigoto: My Dad's Secret Ambition is the first volume in a slice of life manga series whose lead character is an artist / creator for a raunchy manga who is desperately trying to keep his young daughter from finding out what he does for a living. Due out 17th March 2020 from Kodansha Comics USA, it's 187 pages and will be available in ebook format.

This is a sweet manga with a single father bringing up an intelligent and curious daughter and trying to provide for her without her finding out that he writes a popular raunchy manga. Comedy ensues. This is a very lighthearted and sweetly funny situational comic which is well written and well drawn. The plot is simple but entertaining and doesn't feel 'same-y' with different complications coming up (like his new editor deciding on a breakfast meeting whilst wearing a questionable t-shirt featuring some of his work).

There are interludes with background info about manga and the publishing industry as well as famous innovators in the medium which I found very enlightening and interesting and which enhanced my enjoyment of this volume a lot. The language and art (despite the central plot line) are very clean and would be appropriate for most readers.

Very cute. I enjoyed it a lot. The page progression has been adjusted for western audiences, it reads from what westerners recognize as 'front' to 'back'. It should be noted, however, that the individual page layout follows the standard manga format and each half page reads in a circle from upper right to lower right, then the bottom half from right to lower left.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Four stars.