Kodomo Otona

Teppei Fukushima is an author that I like a lot for his ability to portray the candid euphoria of youth in all its different aspects.

Kodomo Otona is a short work of his that manages to do just that, depicting small moments in the life of a grade schooler, and imbued with a great sense of nostalgia.
The common theme of these stories is highlighting issues of miscommunication, mainly in his family, and how at a young age, one can become affected by it and mimic toxic attitudes or change your personality depending on who you keep company with.
These scattered memories are also a way to tell a universal tale of regrets and lies, of small things that you don’t necessarily perceive as a child because of your naivety but come to realize only later.

Kodomo Otona is not necessarily a very complex work but its unique charm of bittersweet childhood makes it worth checking out.