Useless Ponko tells the story of an old housekeeping robot sent to help an elderly man after the passing of his wife. Shes earnest about her work but her clumsiness in everything she does earns her the name Ponko which is a shortening for the term useless junk. Each chapter is spent exploring something new that Ponko tries to help in around the house or in town leading to a very slice of life feel. Alright so now with all that basic stuff about the story over with its time to talk about the good parts. Useless Ponko is a series that I really enjoy for a few reasons with the biggest ones being the tone and the themes being explored. The tone the manga sets reflects really reflects the mood of the town and its people: its slow and calming. There is no rush to get anywhere or do anything in this town filled with the elderly and young children. Yet to this town Ponko comes bringing in her clumsiness infusing new life and excitement to the townsfolk. We see them enjoying Obon festivals and having fun at gateball games all thanks to Ponko. There is a feeling of revitalization and refreshment that the reader gets to experience too. The story also has a comedic tone because of Ponkos antics causing trouble for the old man at every step. This is a great juxtaposition for the feelings of the old man. He is stuck within the past choosing to relive memories rather than making new ones which lends a somber type of feeling whenever we see it. No longer will he be able to listen to his kids running around at home use all the things they had while growing up or talk to his wife at home. While this type of depressing mood is present we are never truly allowed to stay there with Ponko around. And that is a great segue into the themes of this manga. There are two major themes to look at with the first being that even though you think the happy times are behind you there is still more ahead. This is shown so thoroughly as memories slip seamlessly into reality throughout the manga with Ponko showing up in the places his wife once was. All of the things that he was too stubborn to do when he was younger he now tries with Ponko egging him on. Instead of dwelling in the past he uses it to make new memories. And on the topic of Ponko and his wife Ponko is the perfect embodiment of his wifes love for him. Never once are we straight out told in the manga that the old man loved his wife but you would be blind not to recognize it from the first chapter. This is a great example of something this manga does really well: showing and not telling. Were never really told anything straight up but we are given enough evidence through interactions and thoughts to understand themes and how characters are feeling naturally. We are never explicitly told that the wife loves the old man but her thoughtfulness in hiring Ponko for him was the greatest act of love she could have done at her passing. Ponko fills the role she had while she was alive and is able to push the old man into experiencing so much more that life has to offer. The other major theme is what makes us human. With Ponko being a robot its easy for us to say that she isnt human. We are reminded time and time again of how different she is yet we are shown time and time again that she is capable of far more than we expect. She learns the joys of raising life the fun of exploring festivals the joy of being accepted. She understands the feelings of disappointment and not measuring up but through it all she perseveres. Seeing the old man begin to realize that is heartwarming because it means that he is finally changing to accept his new way of life. Honestly Useless Ponko is just really cute funny and heartwarming with tinges of sadness here and there but never staying for long. Its the opposite feel of Life with my Brothers Wife another underrated story. Useless Ponko is a great short read who really want to experience a show dont tell manga with a comfy feel.