#iyashikei

I love how detailed the whole sequence looked with the ducks' shadow flying overhead, her eyes reflecting the sunset and then focusing on her self proclaimed dog and the little girl they befriended.

Kon is a middle-school student bunking at a small apartment complex. Fellow tenants include a few students, a part-timer, and the landlady. This is a fantasy manga, but it takes place in a peaceful urban milieu; all of the characters are good-natured and sensible, and much of the drama is limited to easily resolved internal monologues native to worrisome young folk.

Kasane Himesaki, the landlady, is a rather peculiar sort of scholar. In a world where these so-called "bugs" throw things out of whack for days or weeks at a time, and reality warps in amusing (though not particularly deadly) ways, Kasane appears wholly immune to their effects. The fact that Kasane is an author and researcher of so many of these events is an even wilder thought to ponder. She's a kind woman, but she thrives on asking difficult questions, always hopes for the best for her tenants, and is true to her word. Kasane is the type of person who feels better about herself and the world when someone she cares for succeeds following an honest and earnest effort.

GOD BLESS THE MISTAKEN v1 is a chill urban fantasy book. One might remark on the overplayed hand of Kon as a middle-school student who is clearly more intelligent and dynamic than average, but the manga's cast is delightfully diverse. For example, Kousei is a part-timer who looks rough around the edges but genuinely cares for his friends, while Akira, a sleepy film student, often shies away from conversation but won't neglect a great opportunity to invite others to join him when he spots something cool or fun.

The manga tiptoes around, but doesn't entirely ignore, deeper or more emotional subplots. Readers don't know what happened to Kon's biological family. Readers don't know how or why Kasane is immune to the effects of the bugs. Readers may certainly have their own suspicions, but the genial style and easygoing narrative of GOD BLESS THE MISTAKEN v1 likely means one won't find out for a good long time.