兄の嫁と暮らしています.

LIVING WITH MY BROTHER'S WIFE

MANGA

STATUS
COMPLETE
VOLUMES
16
RELEASE
January 17, 2025
CHAPTERS
161

DESCRIPTION

Kishibe Shino, a high school student. 17 years old. Her parents died, and then six months ago, so did her older brother, her only remaining blood relative. Now she lives with her “brother’s wife,” Nozomi-san. “We might not be blood related, but we’re family.” The story they write is a bit clumsy but full of something inexplicable. Slowly but surely, they happily grow together through their sensitive daily life.

(Source: MANGA UP!)

CAST

Shino Kishibe
Nozomi Kishibe
Koizumi
Ritsuko Hiura
Minato
Rina Koizumi
Akiko
Shoutarou Hiura
Metoki
Maroboshi
Fuji
Taishi Kishibe
Colonel

CHAPTERS

RELATED TO LIVING WITH MY BROTHER'S WIFE

Cover Art for A Mangaka's Weirdly Wonderful Workplace

ANIME ComedyA Mangaka's Weirdly Wonderful Workplace

REVIEWS

presence
92/100
saying goodbye is never easy
It's been an honor to follow Ani no Yome to Kurashiteimasu throughout its ten year serialization. That's ten years since the death of a character named Taishi Kishibe was written into existence, ten years since his sister Shino and his wife Nozomi began their process of grieving his untimely death. And still, ten years seems too short a time to process the grief that these two experienced.

"But what is grief, if not love persevering?"

Kuzushiro writes Ani no Yome like a slice-of-life manga, one where the gimmick is simply that the protagonist lives together with her late older brother's wife. The whole narrative is practically told in the first chapter, where Kuzushiro establishes the comedic basis in just 20 pages. And the story unfolds exactly how you'd expect, with the two characters being placed in classic slice-of-life shenanigans, playing the straight man/funny man duo, and dealing with the completely normal challenges of the absolutely ordinary everyday. Yet in some of these interactions, mentions of a third family member naturally creep into conversation, as if he's about to burst into frame in the next second. Taishi is a subversion of Chekhov's gun, one that was fired long before the beginning of the story. The smoking bullet hole that remains is ignored at first, but occasionally someone points it out, and it begins smoking again. Shino and Nozomi experience waves of grief throughout the manga, continually wrestling with the realization that "feeling normal" feels out of reach, but still having to deal with the natural ebb and flow of reality.

At a loss for how to feel and act, both characters become attached to others' expectations of themselves. Nozomi clings to her role as the reliable/helpful teacher and wife, while Shino retreats into her shell as the outwardly friendly but emotionally closed-off student and sister. But both characters continue to find themselves in situations where they're faced with the reality that they desperately want to escape through their relationship with another, and eventually Shino and Nozomi realize that they cannot move forward together if they are both clinging to the idea of the other.

It's in the little moments between these two characters that I am reminded that life is a constant effort. Sometimes, it's difficult to stand on your own—it's much easier to lean on someone who seems strong and unyielding. But if you continue to sit around, life has a funny way of moving forward and leaving you behind.

The first and last chapter of this manga almost feel like they were drawn by different artists. Kuzushiro's art and writing have improved tremendously since the first volume, and it's quite fitting that the two protagonists of her story have also grown tremendously throughout the full run. Ani no Yome tells a heart-wrenching story about the challenges of those who are left behind, for as easy it is to imagine death, it is much harder to keep on living. The mundane everyday offers no escapes from reminders of Taishi's death, but Shino and Nozomi find solace in the relationships that they hold dear.

One thing I would like to briefly touch on is the Yuri tag for this manga. There is no explicit romance between Nozomi and Shino. I'm not sure if this needs to be classified as a spoiler, but if that's what you're looking for, it won't be found here.

Ani no Yome to Kurashiteimasu. is a manga that will always have a special place in my heart because I feel as though it mirrors my own growth throughout this past decade. It is far from perfect, but it's this sort of imperfection that makes it feel like a true reflection of real life. In a way, I don't feel upset that it's over, but rather appreciative of the feelings that I experienced while reading this work. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this manga to everyone, but I greatly value it as a part of my personal journey.

I wish the author nothing but success in their future endeavors.
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