We here at oprainfall don’t just love video games: we’re big fans of anime, manga, and light novels, too. So in celebration of the medium, we’re here to give you our thoughts on what we’ve been watching and reading each week as we enjoy them. Old, new – anything goes.

Manga and LNs:

My Dog Becomes a Human (or, Ponta Becomes a Human)

Earlier this week, I made the grave mistake of reading the fan-translated chapters of My Dog Becomes a Human. Lured by striking details and a limited, yet intense color palette, I soon found myself reading what I can only describe as an aesthetically baited ongoing car crash. You know, when you see a car wreck, you can’t help but look, either drawn by the wreck itself or by the flashing lights of police, fire, and ambulance vehicles. Imagine that, but for every chapter, wanting to see the new wreck, how bad it is, and how many flashing lights showed up and what new circumstances arose this time.

As one could guess, My Dog Becomes a Human is about how all of the dogs in a city have somehow become humans, yet act exactly the same as they did. Owners must now contend with their newly humanized pets, with all of their unique eccentricities. Also, all of the dogs are depicted as incredibly handsome, beautiful, or cute, blatantly drawing humor from the terribly uncomfortable tones of physical attraction between actual human owners and their once dogs.

Most chapters focus on the everyday lives of a husky, Ponta, and his schoolgirl owner. As a husky, Ponta’s personality is like a switch; cool and calm one moment, a complete goofball nutcase the next. And his owner suffers Ponta’s emotional whims, all the while trying to rein him in without getting a swoon-induced bloody nose.

Funny? Yes. Entertaining? Sure. Uncomfortable? Undoubtedly, as female owners swoon for their male dogs/not dogs, but totally still dogs. And yet, then there are chapters like chapter 11, which explores the loss of a loved one and how caring for an adopted canine can bring much needed companionship and love in an otherwise bleak and bitter existence.

So yeah, I’ll keep making the mistake of reading for now, looking forward to the next wreck. – Drew D.

Fan-translations can be found on Mangadex

What anime are you watching? What manga and light novels are you reading? Let us know in the comments!

You can read previous Week in Anime & Manga entries here!