Comics / Manga

Guru Guru Pon Chan

By Julie Gray
September 21, 2006 - 04:57

Guru Guru Pon Chan Volume 5 Cover

 

 

Guru Guru Pon Chan is first and foremost, a love story. If you are new to this manga, you will no doubt be a little intrigued to discover that the main character is a dog that can actually turn into a human! At first, this may seem rather strange because there are all sorts of plot twists that could emerge from this (and do!). Having said that, this manga is written in such a way that conveys humour when it’s required but doesn’t overlook the fact that there are some important messages in the manga that teenagers should take note of.

Ponta is the main character in this manga. Ponta the dog has the ability to turn into a human by kissing what is called the ‘Guru Guru Bone’ which is a small bone shaped necklace she wears around her neck. Whenever she does this, she transforms from a dog into a human girl. The complications of this are far and wide. First of all, there’s the boy she just happens to be in love with, Mirai. Mirai knows Ponta’s secret and therefore has come to accept that Ponta can change from a dog into a human.

Guru Guru Pon Chan Volume 5 begins just after Mirai has decided that he loves Ponta, regardless of whether she is in dog or human form. Now, this is a pretty big deal to Ponta who probably thought the man of her dreams wouldn’t want her because she is really a dog. Well, Mirai has decided that he loves Ponta no matter what. Of course, just as things start to look up for Ponta, enter the jealous ex-girlfriend, Hana. She doesn’t know about Ponta’s secret but she is doing all she can to keep poor Mirai and Ponta apart. And last but not least, there is Go. Go is one of Ponta’s ‘friends’ who also happens to have a secret crush on Ponta and therefore rates Mirai as public enemy number one. Go doesn’t know about Ponta’s secret either - confused? There's so much going on in this manga, it's not too difficult to lose your way.

Throughout the manga, strange things occur such as Ponta’s experience of being ‘in heat’, which is entertaining and delightfully written and should be easily translated into something teenagers can all relate to when they fall in love for the first time. Although the topic moves from teenage lust to having babies, the seriousness of the issues are slightly over-shadowed by the humorous way in which the characters are portrayed.

The artwork in the manga is nicely drawn, but nothing really jumps out and grabs you. All in all, it is the story that ultimately gives life to this manga, and it is written with finesse and style which we really enjoyed. The characters are interesting and interact well throughout the manga although the love story between Ponta and Mirai was perhaps a little over-exaggerated in parts.

Overall, this story has a strange angle but it’s definitely interesting and perhaps a little freaky in some places which is part of the attraction of reading this manga. We will be looking forward to further volumes of Guru Guru Pon Chan. If you're keen to see what the series is all about, here is the link to Guru Guru Pon Chan over at Del Rey's website.

 

Art Work: 7/10

Story: 8/10

Overall Rating: 8/10

 

Email the author: Julie@comicbookbin.com

 

 

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12