So, a Hybrid Child is basically a doll/android thingie that is made to look like a young human. If you care for it and love it and stuff, it'll grow into an adult human. (I am not making this up.) This book is a collection of short stories, two of which revolve around a Hybrid Child and his owner, and the last is about the creator of Hybrid Children and how he came to build these things.

One oddity of this manga is that although you can't really tell until partway into the second story, this manga appears to be set in Japan in the early 1900s (I THINK. It's clearly not modern-day Japan, there are still clans and stuff about, but we also see people in Western-style clothes, so I'm thinking early 1900s. Hey DMP, how about a cultural note in there somewhere?)

The fact that an android capable of speech and comprehending love enough to grow based on receiving it would never have been possible in 1900s Japan (if EVER) does not, in any way shape or form, prevent this book from using that as its premise. So if you want something futuristic or sci-fi, don't pick up this book.



Frankly, while the stories with the Hybrid Children are cute and fluffy, it's the final story-- about how their creator Kuroda came to create them --that really sucked me in. It's very much a tragic romance kinda thing, but it's not entirely unrealistic either. It's got just the right balance of occasional humor/silliness to lighten the mood in spite of how sad the story is. (The other two stories lack that a little after the first few pages.)

So this is one of those manga where you really have to set aside the fact that the premise makes no sense. The stories are cute, the last story can hit you pretty hard if you're not expecting it. Erm, the last main story, that is-- there's actually an omake chapter that's just cute involving the characters from the last story.

But the art and dialogue are good, and the stories are pretty solid-- no problems telling who is saying what or when or anything like that in this book. But if you're looking for some real romance, you'll only want the last story, so you might want to look for a better deal.

Mangaka: Nakamura Shungiku
Censorship: N/A
Warnings: One shouta-ish moment (before they "grow up," the dolls DO look like young boys, and one vaguely steamy thing almost happens while one doll is still youthful.) Oh, and nonsensical time periods.
Disclosure: We got a free copy of this from DMP.