For example, in this volume's first story, the bond between a little boy and his doll leads to a happy (but bittersweet) conclusion. In another story, a rich man becomes obsessed with something called the Tiara of Melancholy. And in Kawahara's most satisfying story yet, a young girl uses her doll to communicate with heaven. In every one of these tales, love comes with a hefty and unexpected price tag. Be careful, dear readers. Every step you take will take you further from heaven. And the final question Is there a heaven?
(1) The first story about a sickly little boy and the little Doll who chose him as her company is really heart-warming and adorable. Although the uncertain ending makes this cute little story a bit sad, is the little boy really going to get healthier and live on? The author never gives us a clear answer.
(2) The second story about the 'Angel', a Doll and the children around them are finely written (makes you curious whether do they call down real angel by the end of the story). I can see the author's effort but the story itself isn't very memorable.
(4) The third story is a comedy about a family of three and how they try to look after a strange aquatic mini-Doll who they found by chance. It's a short and cute story.
(5) The last story of this volume (and the last story in this series) is pretty outstanding. Well..........of course the 'romance' between a hapless but good-nature young man and a rare, delicate Doll (whose name is 'Moonlight' or 'Moon Flower') would catch my interest...
Edited@12/06/2022: I'm re-reading this series because I'm writing a fanfic....
I liked this volume best out of all of them but honestly, this is something I’ll forget about so easily. It didn’t resonate with me. Maybe if the series was about one character/storyline (but then again that wouldn’t show how plant dolls affect so many lives in many ways) or if each volume focused on a story? Nevertheless, this series wasn’t for me and I probably wouldn’t reread it again.
My favorite manga of all time~ this series is a collection if short stories that also serve as morality plays~ I would recommend this series to anyone who likes light horror, fantastical realism, or beautiful artwork~ I've read this series countless times and they never get old ♡