Divorcing The Billionaire

tl;dr: A decent coming-of-age tale that descends into a poorly crafted social commentary.  

This manga tells the story of Kiichi, a particularly challenging boy navigating life. At just three years old, he's already one who rarely listens or gets along with others, often getting into fights or wandering off to unknown places. This proves difficult for his parents, yet despite the struggles, they strive to raise him as best they can. The early part of the manga is more from the perspective of his parents than Kiichi himself, making it feel more like a child-rearing narrative than a coming-of-age one. It's grittier than most in this genre, but it manages to resonate well enough, allowing readers to empathize with his parents and become invested in Kiichi's development.  

Things take a darker turn swiftly, though. Due to various circumstances, while still only three, Kiichi begins living in the slums. There, those claiming to care for him turn out to be terrible people, while those seeking solitude are comparatively good. This influences his already extreme personality, shaping him into someone who rejects others and desires isolation. This section is awkwardly written, leading to unclear character growth, which makes it frustrating to read, though the intent becomes evident eventually.  

The aforementioned sections make up roughly the first half of the manga, after which it fast-forwards to Kiichi as a middle school student. Still a loner and troublemaker, he frequently changes schools. This leads him to one where he becomes embroiled in a massive conspiracy, dominating the rest of the manga. Initially, this arc focuses on establishing Kiichi's personality and how he differs from others. However, as it progresses, it shifts from being a coming-of-age story to one using Kiichi merely as a tool for social commentary. Unfortunately, everything here is incredibly generic. The conspiracy Kiichi encounters is unoriginal, his resolution of it is predictable, and the commentary offered is overly familiar—essentially boiling down to "society is corrupt, so rebel."  

Generic elements aren't inherently bad, but without a unique premise, execution must be exceptional. This manga falls short. Its pacing is poor, jumping around erratically, eliminating any sense of mystery or suspense. Characters act unrealistically and inconsistently; Kiichi lacks a meaningful arc, instead functioning as a plot device to advance the author's agenda. The writing is subpar, relying on heavy-handed tactics like lengthy speeches or exposition to convey its points. By the end, it's hard to care about the events or the characters involved.  

The artwork is among the worst I've seen in a published manga. The overall quality is atrocious and feels lackluster. The style is unpleasant, rendering nearly everything visually unappealing. While beauty isn't necessary, it's possible to be gritty without being painful to look at.

We as individuals have grown accustomed to the societal ills. Kiichi offers insight into this, suggesting that to mend our society, we must revisit the idealistic perspectives of children.  

Kiichi narrates the story of a boy from his childhood through his teenage years and how his peculiar life affects him. We follow him from toddlerhood to middle school.  

Characters - 9.5  
This is a protagonist-centered narrative; the only truly significant character is Kiichi, who is crafted exceptionally well. He is realistically shaped by his experiences and vividly embodies the various stages of life, which I know is challenging to write, especially when portraying young children authentically to delve deeply into their characters. Nevertheless, the supporting cast is not poorly written, and some are quite compelling.  

Story - 10  
Every segment of the plot was captivating, and I couldn't put it down.  

Art - 10  
Many people may not appreciate this art style, but I beg to differ. After reading both this and The World is Mine, the author's artwork has become some of my favorites because it effectively conveys his message.  

Enjoyment - 10  
I found this manga incredibly enjoyable. Honestly, it was mesmerizing; I couldn't stop reading. I adored witnessing Kiichi's journey.  

Overall Rating - 9.9  
Hideki Arai is emerging as one of my favorite mangaka, and I am eagerly looking forward to reading Kiichi VS.

This manga is truly exceptional, but at the moment, there's no way for me to finish it unless I learn Japanese. The series itself is complete, with around 36 chapters already translated, leaving about 40 more still untranslated. I really wish someone would take up the task and finish translating it, as it's such a pity to leave it out of reach for fans who don't speak Japanese. I wouldn't suggest starting it right now unless you're okay with regretting not being able to see it through to the end.  

Please, for the love of all things good, someone finish this translation! It's the compelling story of a child's journey from early years into adulthood, facing some of the most traumatic experiences imaginable. The ultimate payoff is witnessing how he overcomes and grows.  

It's truly unfortunate that the original translator seems to have stopped working on it. What a waste of such potential.

This is top-tier fiction, one of the author's finer works. The author tackles one of the numerous issues in Japan and crafts a narrative aimed at reshaping its very framework. The protagonist, Kiichi, repulsed by the society he resides in, resolves to oppose everyone if it means doing what is just. I'm eagerly anticipating his journey in the sequel.

🤦‍♂️Apparently, I need to elaborate further as this isn't considered sufficient. Indeed, some readers might not appreciate the art style. As a child, the MC has ears that are disproportionately large. Granted, there are a few questionable scenes, though nothing deeply distressing; they primarily serve to advance the plot.

If someone were to tell you that one of the greatest protagonists of all time is a 3-year-old boy, would you believe them? I didn't, and that was until I read this manga and realized just how wrong I was.

Kiichi!! follows a boy named Kiichi, whom we accompany throughout his journey to understand the world and life. We see Kiichi grow from a 3-year-old kid who can't speak and only communicates by punching to a 10-year-old boy who has been living a very hard life since he was born and wants to end all suffering. In the sequel, he's 20, but I haven't read it yet.

We witness just how much Kiichi's life can change in a few minutes and how society will bring him down even as a kid. But Kiichi is a fighter and is tired of all the injustices that happen on a daily basis with nothing being done about them, and he will put an end to them. That's why people across the world respect Kiichi so much because, although he is a boy, Kiichi isn't afraid to say and fight for what he thinks is right while many adults prefer to live ignorant lives.

A beautiful manga with a powerful message that tells you to stand up and fight for what you think is right, even if the whole world is against you. This is a must-read for everyone.

Very well done manga that I thoroughly enjoyed. My few complaints would be about the pacing and its tendency to information overload the reader. It can feel quite slow at times, and you often encounter a page filled with text, which isn't always desirable. However, watching Kiichi's childhood develop so rapidly was truly impressive, and I'm certain the sequel, Kiichi VS, will be even better. Overall, I would highly recommend this manga to others. Kiichi is an outstanding protagonist with remarkable peaks and even his low points aren't too disappointing. A solid 4/5 for this one.

4/5  
84/100

ahaha yeah, i just finished all free chapters about it. I became a wonderer trying to find any gem in this world full of deception. How about you ?

Female mc tends to be a turnoff for most. Plus the official site has the novel available for free. The other observation imo is how stupid the mc seems in the beginning, even for a kid.