Manga Review: Bambi & Dhole by Okaue Ai
- Book Junk Hammy
- Sep 22, 2019
- 3 min read
"If we can be let go of easily, why bother giving birth to us in the first place?"
"I am looking for a place where I can be myself."
Wow, this manga is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Don’t let the synopsis fool you. If you think this manga is another one of those fluffy, light-hearted romance Shoujo manga, you’re wrong. It’s far more deeper and it invoke emotions in you. There’s a deep message about life, finding oneself as one matures into adulthood and the importance of happiness in life. The romance element is well portrayed as well, as it focuses on what true love means. I’m glad I picked this manga up as I could relate to the main character’s issues (because her background is similar to mine. Not entirely, but similar).
The manga reminded me of the Japanese concept, “Honne 本音 and Tatemae 建前”. Honne means the true feelings of the person, whereas Tatemae refers to the façade the person displays in public. It’s a widely discussed topic around the world, but we won’t be touching this topic here 😊
Without further ado, here’s the synopsis of the story:
Yukimi is her real name, but everyone calls her Bambi. She is the student discipline committee member who locks students out of school if they’re a minute late, but sneaks cigarette breaks on the roof. Lone Wolf (Dhole, Asiatic wild dog) transfer student, Tetsu Nagasawa hops the fence after she locks it and breaks her cigarette in half when he finds her on the roof, but he’s a super nice guy to a mother and a baby on the train. Bambi already has a boyfriend, but will the lone wolf steal her heart?
The Plot:
The story follows our protagonist, Yukimi Tobe a.k.a Bambi, a high school student who believes that putting on a “good face” is convenient not only for her, but for others around her, without realising that she has closed off her heart and true feelings from everyone around her, including her family, close friends and boyfriend. One day, she meets a guy who is the same age as her, Tetsu Nagasawa, a transfer student from Osaka. He caught her sneaking cigarette break on the school’s rooftop and stops her. Little did we know, he is actually a single father who is raising a three-year-old son with his grandmother. He has his share of problems as well and his fated encounter with Yukimi and vice versa will teach each other the meaning of life and hardships, and what it means to love and finding happiness. The love Yukimi had for Tetsu made me cry! The same goes to Tetsu’s love for his son, Raichi. T_T
The Characters:
Yukimi Tobe and Tetsu Nagasawa are both brilliant characters. It’s rare to find realistic characters in Shoujo manga, but you have them in Bambi and Dhole. At the beginning, Yukimi is portrayed as the perfect character because she tries her best to put a good façade in front of the people around her, careful not to reveal her true feelings. Tetsu struggles with his own issues as well. Being a single father at a young age is not easy at all. And he puts his son, Raichi as the centre of his life, neglecting his own happiness and even refusing to find his own happiness. You need to read this manga to find out how they overcome their struggles :D
And we have our side characters as well. Yukimi’s close friends, Akari and Kana. They are both the epitome of the definition of ‘true friends’. As we all know, nowadays, it’s not easy to find true good friends. Akari and Kana are both caring towards Yukimi, especially Akari. It’s without a doubt, Akari values friendship more than anything. I would love to have a friend like Akari!
Bambi and Dhole, on the whole, is a good and amazing read. It’s been a while since I stumbled across a meaningful Shoujo manga (not saying most Shoujo manga are not meaningful, but there are some which teaches you about life). I have to admit that this manga taught me that while we need to appreciate the things in life, we need to value our own happiness and others’ happiness. When you are happy and content, you’ll be able to move on in life.
As the quote by Goldie Hawn says, “The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are, and not who people think you are.”
Final Rating: 5/5
Genres: Shoujo, Slice of Life, Romance, Drama
Details of the book can be found on:
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