Disclaimer: I am new to manga. I read my first manga last year, and have only been reading comics in general since 2016, so take that into consideration when decided whether to give any weight to this review or not. I've only read two other books of manga: Vinland Saga, Omnibus Vol. 1 and Ranma 1/2. I loved Vinland Saga but did care much for Ranma. So, obviously, I don't have much experience when it comes to reading manga or understanding the culture behind it.

That being said, I detested this one and am so grateful that (a) I bought it from my local used bookstore so I didn't pay full price and (b) I only bought the first one and don't have to buy the rest. I found it difficult to figure out which character was speaking based on where the speech bubbles were located. I also found the two main male characters to be absolute jerks, one of whom is completely reprehensible. Suguri is unbelievably naive, and her parents are rotten, too. I found the attitude towards "pure bred" dogs versus mixed breeds to be appalling, too, but I suspect some of that is cultural. As a dog lover who has only ever adopted mixed breeds from shelters, I found the pet store backdrop and focus on pure bred, pet shop dogs as the only good dogs, to be challenging, at best. ( )

This charming manga series is all about a young teenage and her dog that goes to live in the city and through a series of events ends up working at a dog store and living with the owner. The drawings in this manga are very well done! The dogs look very realistic and adorable, wither they are dressed up or just in their every day fur.

The information that this manga teaches about dogs is also fair accurate. I have a dog and several of the lessons I have learn about dogs is mentioned in the manga. All the lessons and rules are included in the story in such a way that even dog beginners can understand. It’s very informative in that sense and that’s good for kids that read the book and don’t know anything about dogs and want to learn. It also has great information on pure breed dogs! This is a perfect manga for dog lovers.

There are some parts of the book that are slightly off, the main character often holds out her hand to caught dog poo before it can fall on the floor. Not something I would ever want to encourage. There is also a bit of underwear flashing in the manga, Im not sure why since it appears that the manga was created for girls and not boys but I could be wrong. As long as your ok with that and the occasional poo touch hand events then the book will be an interesting read. ( )

Inubaka: Crazy for Dogs is probably the most charming comic about dog poo that you'll ever read.

When country girl Suguri moves to the big city with her mutt Lupin, she ends working in a pet shop after Lupin accidentally mates with the owner's breeding dog. Sheltered Suguri may be clueless about the real world, but she turns out to have a knack at dealing with dogs, and she's not afraid of dealing with their poo.

Creator Yukiya Sakuragi has a knack for creating likable characters and she draws fantastic dogs. I'm not really a dog person (though we had one when I was growing up), but even I was enchanted by the loving presentation of canines in Inubaka.

There's nothing really new in the basic plot of Inubaka, but it's done well and the dog angle really works. If you like dogs and/or good solid episodic manga, give Inubaka a shot.

Rating: 3.5 (of 5) ( )