Pita-Ten

Kotarou Higuchi is a young boy facing numerous challenges. His mother passed away when he was young, and his father is frequently absent due to work, leaving Kotarou to manage their apartment alone. On top of that, he struggles academically, needing to study hard just to achieve average grades. However, one day, a mysterious girl claiming to be an angel moves in next door and refuses to leave him alone.

At first glance, "Pita Ten" seems to follow a very typical plot for a shounen series involving magical girls. But this series stands out as an exception. While it starts off conventionally, it evolves into a more serious narrative that explores the roles people play in our lives, how death impacts us, and the essence of human nature. What initially appear to be simple character quirks are revealed to stem from past traumas, and characters that might seem like mere jokes in other stories turn out to have surprising depth.

The art by Koge Donbo is almost instantly remarkable. The character designs are undeniably cute, even if not entirely original. Throughout the series, the art remains consistently wonderful, whether drawn simply for humorous effect or with more detail. While Koge Donbo's style may not be perfect or mature, it perfectly complements the story and gives the series its unique character.

The characterization is another strong point of the series. Initially, the characters may seem bland and stereotypical, but there is much more to them than meets the eye. Even Misha, the quirky and off-beat heroine, has a backstory that explains her characteristics and actions throughout the story. The series deconstructs popular tropes, making the characters far less flat than they initially appeared. Furthermore, the character development is excellent, as they grow both physically and symbolically, truly learning and moving towards the future—a major theme of the story.

On a personal note, "Pita Ten" was the first manga I truly immersed myself in, buying all the volumes. Over the years, I've sold most of my other manga collections, but "Pita Ten" remains on my bookshelf. Often, I randomly read a few chapters, and occasionally, I'll read the entire series in one sitting. It's the only series I do this with because I enjoy it so much. "Pita Ten" begins as a light-hearted manga with elements of romance, drama, and comedy, but as the story progresses, it reveals deeper layers until everything is shown to be completely different from initial impressions. The first few volumes offer laughs and budding romance, which are fun to read. Beyond that, the story takes a turn for the better, with supernatural and dramatic elements becoming more prominent, enhancing the overall narrative.

Overall, "Pita Ten" is the perfect antidote to the typical boy-meets-magical-girl plot. The series takes this familiar situation and elevates it, drawing you into unexpected heights. With a lovable cast, captivating art, and a story that transcends its initial simplicity, "Pita Ten" is a hidden gem in a genre often overlooked. Don't overlook this one; give it a chance and uncover the secrets of the angel who moved in next door.

Pro: Koge-Donbo's art is exceptionally charming and visually appealing.

Con: The plot is overly long-winded and pseudo-intellectual. The characters are irritating, expected to evoke sympathy despite their foundations being built on perplexing angst and tragedies that masquerade as meaningful character development, ultimately leaving the narrative weak and disjointed.

Result: After reading this, I am hesitant to pick up any more of Koge-Donbo's works for fear of wasting my time and feeling disappointed again. This is unfortunate because I have fallen in love with her drawing style.

Let me just start off by saying: DO NOT WATCH THE ANIME.
Compared to the manga, the anime is complete garbage. (My apologies if you have already seen the Pita-ten anime and are scouting out reviews to see if the manga is worthwhile.)
The manga is much darker and more in-depth than the anime.

Pita-ten is the first, and by far the best, manga I have ever read. And this is coming from a lifetime lover of CLAMP's mangas.
Koge Donbo – I salute you.

Another thing to remember: Yes, this is a pretty common shoujo storyline. A boy befriends a magical being, blah, blah, blah... skip to happy ending. Pita-ten is not like that.

Story: 8
Kotarou Higuchi is a calm sixth grader who lives in an apartment with his ever-absent father. His life is considerably normal until one day he gets a new neighbor who has an unhealthy obsession with him. This neighbor is Misha, and as it turns out, she is a dysfunctional angel whose mission in life is to make Kotarou happy.
As Misha and Kotarou's friendship grows (or inevitable love, in Misha's eyes), Kotarou learns that his past is shrouded in more mystery than he believed was possible.

Art: 9
Koge Donbo's style is unbelievably adorable, but she has a way of making her characters very emotional when the time calls for it. Of course, Pita-Ten is not without its comedy moments, and the art makes it ten times better.

Characters: 8
Again, the manga goes more in-depth into the main characters than the anime. You may be surprised to find that Shia (another mysterious resident who moves in with Misha) has a darker personality than you remembered. The characters in Pita-Ten are all memorable and all play a part in Misha's unexpected interruption into their lives.

Enjoyment: 9
I never found myself doubting where the story was going through all eight volumes. Sure, things get a little bit stranger near the end, but in a way that isn't unrelated to what was happening earlier on.
I can honestly say I laughed at some parts, I cried at some parts, and I was generally glad I had spent the time to read it when I was done.

Overall:
Pita-Ten is a story about love, the mistakes we make, friendship, death, and the hard choices that come our way.
Trust me when I say you won't regret reading this wonderful, sometimes heart-wrenching story.
Thanks for reading.