Kodansha recently announced an anime adaptation of Ame to Kimi to for next year. And I thought it’s the perfect excuse to share a few thoughts about the original manga.

I stumbled upon Ame to Kimi to about two years ago, in September 2022, and immediately fell in love with its two main characters: a slightly melancholic writer and her lively pet raccoon, who understands human speech and communicates with her through a notebook. Since then, these two have been brightening my mood every now and then with their charming antics and heartwarming moments from their daily lives.

Some chapters feel a little bit dull to me, particularly those featuring other characters like parents, neighbors, a veterinarian, or random passersby. While these chapters are still fun and uplifting, they can feel slightly overloaded compared to the simpler, more intimate moments I prefer.
My favorite episodes are the ones where the raccoon and his mistress spend time alone, easing each other’s loneliness — just like that fateful rainy day when a lonely young writer accidentally stumbled upon an equally lonely homeless raccoon.

My only complaint is that new chapters come out quite rarely, about once a month.