September 28, 2024

This is a fictionalized biography of a girl named Aya who has complex medical needs, shown through the eyes of her mother. The first half is about her early years and health issues, and the second half, as the title indicates, is about her experience with school.

Although the pacing was a bit wonky at points (I spent half the manga wondering if AAC was not a thing in Japan in the 90s, only for it to be shown out of nowhere that Aya was taught sign language), and like many biographical stories it kind of just ends instead of having a typical story arc, I overall enjoyed the manga. It does lean a bit on the inspirational side, but it also shows the effects of the lack of available nursing care on families whose children need round-the-clock care. For instance, the mother is thrilled to have even 45 minutes to herself, and at one point she collapses from sleep deprivation (which is a big issue for parents of children who need a lot of care).

What shocked me the most was the part where the family faces a merry-go-round trying to enroll Aya in elementary school - mainstream schools are scared of her health issues, while schools for children with disabilities think she'd be better off a mainstream school - and the solution posed by the mainstream schools is for Aya's mother to come with her to school every day to take care of her needs. I have heard of the occasional kid whose family was forced to homeschool them temporarily because they were fighting with the school over certain care requirements, but where I am, a school would absolutely be required to take a child with Aya's issues, even if they rule only a nurse can perform certain procedures and have cut back on nursing care. I don't think a parent could even be asked to do what Aya's mother did. I do wonder how things have changed in Japan since the 90s; the afterword just mentions a lawsuit from another case that was still ongoing at the time of publication (2007).

There is full furigana. Due to the subject matter, there are a fair number of medical and anatomical terms, such as tracheostomy, but otherwise the dialogue is simple and everyday.

Gradings:13
1
favorite_border
Mizuki graded
on November 26, 2024
similar in difficulty to魔女が恋する5秒前L23
Mizuki graded
on November 6, 2024
Mizuki graded
on November 6, 2024
similar in difficulty toテーブルマナーの絵本L21
Mizuki graded
on September 28, 2024
easier than蝶のように vol.1L23
Mizuki graded
on September 28, 2024
Mizuki graded
on September 28, 2024
Mizuki graded
on September 28, 2024
easier than水の館L23
Mizuki graded
on September 28, 2024
similar in difficulty toアヒルのバレエL22
Mizuki graded
on September 28, 2024
Mizuki graded
on September 28, 2024
harder thanルックバックL21