The big question in My Boy is what kind of relationship Satoko and Mashuu will end up having. The cover is undoubtedly Satoko’s hand touching Mashuu’s hair, suggesting something inappropriate, and there are several moments where she reaches out to him. But any type of illegal relationship is still far away…
…Well, sort of.
Satoko and Mashuu continue their secret soccer lessons, and once again she acts as his escort/guardian and takes him someplace else. Plus, he goes to her apartment once again, and Satoko comes to Mashuu’s house when his little brother is missing. From our perspective, Satoko is a well-meaning woman, but even she is aware that the whole situation could lead to major problems. Her boss, Shiikawa, and Mashuu’s classmate, Nao, start to take notice of the unusual pair, and Shiikawa tells Satoko quite bluntly that he’d be horrified if he had a kid that was getting attached to a stranger who was laying out money for him. In fact, he goes even further and says Satoko is only doing all this to make herself feel better, a charge which infuriates her. Still, though, there’s no doubt that she’s accompanying a minor without parental permission, and I’m sure she could be charged with a crime despite pure intentions.
The beauty of My Boy is that pure intentions and impure thoughts are not mutually exclusive. Satoko tries to convince Mashuu to join another club even though it means less (if any) time for the two of them. But she also chooses not to call the school when Mashuu’s brother disappears because she’s afraid of explaining their relationship. Just explaining what happens in this volumes sounds pretty dull: they practice soccer, do homework, go to the pool, and she puts the strap he gave her on her phone. But there’s a lot going on behind the scenes, and even when we get to see their thoughts, there is still a lot to unbox. This may not be a case where characters are hiding their cards close to their chests but may be they don’t even know what cards they’re holding on to.
However, because of that, this volume can be summarized as simply, “The two get closer as Nao and Shiikawa observe.” Nao and Shiikawa meet their “rival” officially, but it’s just a brief hi-how-are-you. The manga teases a little more about Mashuu’s family, but Dad is relegated to a very brief appearance. This makes sense considering he is a rather uninvolved father (and terrible housekeeper), but I am also curious about Ryouichi, Mashuu’s younger brother. Is he as disheveled as Mashuu, and do other families have opinions on his home life? The author does a good job of showing the state of the siblings’ household and how it contrasts with Satoko’s plain and rather empty apartment.
Takano also does a wonderful job showing the expressions as Mashuu happily arranges to meet Satoko again or when she agonizes over the best path to take — all without making this fodder for shotacon enthusiasts. But who can resist a child getting excited over a Roomba or Dyson fan?
My Boy seems to be taking the slow route, which is good when you’re afraid a series like this may make children grow up too fast. Still, while I can relate to Satoko’s conundrum, I was hoping for something really surprising or a key development to match the high level of the first. The second volume falls a little short of that bar, but it’s still a fascinating read.