This is a really good manga. I cannot put it into words but it just makes you think about life makes you feel something. Its overall a really wholesome manga but melancholy is creeping up in the background and I honestly feel scared something will go wrong. Maybe I make it sound uncomfortable but its a really cool manga that just somehow encapulates life. I really wish I could articulate because I dont give the manga justice but yeah it just really cute and has wholesome moments but still makes me feel melancholic somehow and just puts life in a sort of perspective. Since Im not good at writing reviews and I have to write more Im gonna write a little bit of fill in with some more spoilers. Since Yoshiokas wife died he has just been a stubborn grumpy old man not caring much about anything. He just complains and doesnt want to do anything. We see little glimps of his past here and there its obvious he has lived his entire life in the village he resides in and has a lot of memories bound to the place. Ponko comes into the picture even though he doesnt want her he is nice enough to let her stay since if he doesnt she will be scrapped. He never says this but its obvious he cares at least a little about ponko because when she was supposed to go back home and get scrapped he didnt say anything instead allowing her to stay and live I will go back to what I mean by that later. But for now its important to understand Yoshiokas character growth and why Ponko is so important. The two characters dynamic helps them both grow in the past Yoshioka didnt want to go to the local festival despite his wife and his children going every yeah because it was a waste of time and just loud or something like that. This year however Ponko really wants to go and he goes with her to show her what its like while he hides the fact by saying its just to help out. You realize slowly overtime Ponko is much more than a machine she feels sad excited and happy. As the story progresses we get more and more glimpses into Ponkos consciousness and Yoshiokas past and character growth into a less stubborn and grumpy person and we see more of his kindness. I really really really recommend you atleast give it a try Character growth is done super well in this manga and you cant help but love every single character. I audibly laugh in basically every chapter while still being engaged in the story and on the verge of crying. Each chapter is better than the last and I cant wait to read more. The manga is quite frequently updated too as far as I know anyway. Basically this manga has it all it may be unknown and I personally didnt expect much from it but you gotta give it a go.