Guru Guru Pon-Chan

(Volume 9)
by
Satomi Ikezawa

Del Rey, July 2007, 186 pp.
ISBN: 978-0-345-48146-7

Genre: Comics
Subgenre: Manga
Reviewed: 12/16/2007

Reviewed by: Conan Tigard

Book Cover

Manga Page

Synopsis

Ponta is a young, yellow Labrador that can turn into a girl, Pon, when she licks the Guru Guru Bone she wears around her neck. Since it was revealed that Ponta's body was that of a roken, and old dog, Mirai fears the worst for his girlfriend.

Ponta does not understand what death is and still wants to keep turning into her human form. Ji, the inventor of the Guru Guru Bone, asks Mirai to hide the bone so Ponta cannot turn into Pon, which he hope will stop the rapid aging process, or even reverse it.

Even though Mirai buries it at the beach, Ponta is able to find the bone. She admits to Mirai that she cannot live without loving him in her human form. Mirai thought what he had done was best for Pon, but he also comes to realize that he love Pon and needs her too. They return to the firefly river when they make love under the stars and watch the fireflies. When Mirai awakes in the morning, he finds that his world will never be the same again.

Guru Guru Pon-Chan: Volume 9 is a manga book written and drawn by Satomi Ikezawa. It is the last book in the Guru Guru Pon-Chan series. This collection of four chapters was translated Doug Varenas, Adapted by Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir and was Lettered and Touched Up by Steve Palmer. This book contains the following chapters:

Baby Guru Guru Pon-Chan: Lovesickness

Chapter 34: Roken Ponta?

Chapter 35: My Feelings

Chapter 36: I Love You

Final Chapter: Ponta's Mirai

There is also some information About the Author, A Word from the Author, Translation Notes, and Honorifics Explained. The book reads from right to left and back to front, just like a book from Japan. This manga book is intended for readers ages 16 and up.

I rated this series as an 8 out of 10.

Review

So Ponta appears to be dying because her body is that of an old dog. Her family is worried about her and try to stop the aging process by hiding the Guru Guru Bone. But even that won't stop Pon from being with the man she loves.

As usual, the artwork by Satomi Ikezawa is good, but there really isn't much dialog in this book at all. It is a very quick read.

There are a lot of emotions flying around as Mirai finally admits to Pon that he loves her and they make love out in nature. I'm not sure that the rating should be 16+ on this since it shows them having sex. I should think that this one should be rated Mature 18+. So, this series started out as a fun 13+ rating and should have gone to an 18+ rating.

The first stories were happy and funny while the last few books were more serious and drama-filled. That is quite the change for a series of nine books. And the ending on this book killed me. I was absolutely fine with what happened at the end of Chapter 36, but then we end up having a Disney ending, and that really threw me. The adaptation to English was awkward and needs some polishing.

Overall, Guru Guru Pon-Chan: Volume 9 was a good book, but with a few changes, it could have been a great book, or even an excellent book.

I rated this book a 7 out of 10.

I rated this series as an 8 out of 10.