Kamisama ga Uso wo Tsuku - 2

For a short series, there sure is a lot going on in this manga.

There seems to be a dichotomy between the depiction of adults and children in Kamisama, but it isn't a sharp division either. There are people like Natsuru's new coach, who cares nothing for what irresponsible things he says to his charges, or parents like Suzumura's, who either outright abandon them of leave them to fend for themselves while they work, but there are also people like Natsuru's mom, who means well but doesn't have the time or leeway to really notice that something's bothering her son. In a broad sense they're all disappointing figures, however, especially for a young child who feels put aside or otherwise wronged by these adults. That growing sense of discontent and discomfort, and his inability to confide to anyone what his problem is, is what leads Natsuru to lie to his mother and skip out on camp. It's really the sort of thing most kids would try to do under this sort of pressure, and it's no less realistic that Natsuru feels horribly guilty about it all in the first place.

When Suzumura invites him to stay over for the duration of the camp, Natsuru agrees too quickly without really stopping to think about the implications. Children they may be, but Natsuru and Suzumura are already nearing puberty, and there's definitely some undercurrent tension in their actions once they realize this. Of course those sentiments are only second to the general sense of unease that pervades Suzumura and her brother's situation; their father, a fisherman, has left them alone for the sake of his job, but they're not allowed to tell anyone or Welfare will take them away. It's not a nice story, and it's not a fantasy either; neglect is an all too common reality, but children rarely wish to be taken from their familiar settings even if they've been abandoned. There seems to be something else too, though Natsuru is of yet unaware of it; for one thing, he picks up that the garden smells odd, and a noise in the night terrifies the usually mature Suzumura to tears. Knowing Ozaki, I'd say we're only just scratching the surface of this melancholy little tale.