“Aspiring picture-book writer moves into quirky Tokyo apartment managed by a cousin with split personalities.”
Mahoraba
まほらば
Would You Love or Hate This?
AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
Synopsis
Aspiring picture-book writer moves into quirky Tokyo apartment managed by a cousin with split personalities.
Shiratori Ryushi wants to become a picture book writer, and he moves to an apartment, Narutaki-So, in order to go to an art school in Tokyo. Narutaki-so is an old Japanese style one-story house which doesn’t fit in urban scenery. It is owned by the cousin of his mother, and the manager of the apartment is Aoba Kozue. She is his second cousin, and they met with each other when they were children although he doesn’t remember her much. She is in the second grader of a high school attached to Aoba Junior Collage. There are five people living in Narutaki-So. First, Chanohata Kotomi is living in the room #1. She is a best friend of Kozue. Then, the resident of the room #3 is Momono Megumi. She is a kind of person who goes her own way. In the room #5, Kurosaki Sayoko and her daughter Asami are living. Asami is in the first grade of a junior high. Finally, in the room #6, Haibara Yukio is living with his puppet, “Johnny”. They are all characteristic and eccentric persons. However, in fact, the most eccentric person is Kozue. She has a secret; when she is shocked at something, she changes her personality. Not knowing this, Shiratori moves to Narutaki-So to realize his dream. What kind of a new life will be waiting for him? (Source: MU)
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 3 sampled reviews
What 3 readers settled on.
Strong agreement
σ 0.82 · scores cluster tight
—
Not enough recommend signal yet
↑ 1.00
Running avg · Aug 2008 → Oct 2012
- 8 “This is a very great story that the anime does not convey. People should definitely read the manga to get more emphasis on emotional parts of the story line. The character development is great and...”
- 9 “When I found this mahoraba, I only interested by the multiple personality theme, at first. But as I read it more, I realized that this is certainly not just that. And likes it very much in the end....”
- 10 “The problem with comedies is that it can sometimes be difficult to convey more serious or dramatic situations without betraying the series. In a way, a rigid balance is usually established, wherein...”
Read Order & Related
A self-contained story.
No sequels, spin-offs or alternate tellings — Mahoraba begins and ends here.
Cast
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A Manga Publication
- Format 62 × 12 ch × vol
- Total read 8h 16m approx
- Published Jul 2001 – Jul 2006
- Source Manga media type
- Ref. BS-M0694 catalog