I love Kaori Ozaki stories since The god lies so I was really intersted in this and was no dissapointed. This manga is such a delicacy at storytelling

I enjoyed this manga story. It is the continued from Vol. 1. Where Tsugu and Sora have run off together to Tokyo. And Asari decides to try to get closer to Yuushin. And Yuushin tries to deal with the lost of Sora that he like to bully a lot.

I stilled enjoyed the illustrations. There is a lot of different emotions that the teenage friends are still going through. This is the second in a series.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.

I was attracted to the Manga series by the beautiful covers. I had heard someone mentioned bullying but I didn't expect how heavy volume one was really gonna be.
Volume two has dark scenes but all much more light hearted ones with Tsuga and Sora working at a croquette's shop. It also looks like they're trying to set up a redemption arc with Yuushin.
And while I feel for him I don't know if I'd want him and the character to become friends again. I think I'd like all of the characters to be able to heal and find happiness but that doesn't mean they have to do it all together.

What it's about:

The Golden Sheep series by Kaori Ozaki is about a group of friends, with Tsugu being at the forefront of the group. Tsugu is a high schooler who has a passion for music, even playing the guitar and she is brought back to Tokyo by her mother where she sees her old group of friends again. Time has changed the group, both physically and mentally and we, the audience, see how so.

There are some heavy themes in this series including; bullying (both physical and verbal), suicide attempts, running away from home and divorced parents.

It such a nice series to read and I got the latter two as ARCs and bought the first one, all three I would gladly read again as the characters as so complex and interesting. I read them all in one go and thoroughly enjoyed them all.

Pros:
The art is cute
The relationships are so complex
The entire main cast feel important even though Tsugu is the one more in focus
Cons:
I feel like a few things could have been tied up a bit more but it is nothing that riles me or annoys me
Rating:

4⭐

Would I read it again:

Yes

Would I recommend it:

Yes

https://www.dannisbookreviews.com/post/golden-sheep-volume-1-2-and-3-bought-and-arcs-review

In this volume 2 we follow the adventures of the protagonists that were already seen in volume 1.
I can not tell you much about the plot and what happens in this volume, but to say that it is one of the most happy readings for me, to find this manga following the best of this year, in this manga they show us so much depth in each character , it is she we find children who face decision making and how difficult it is to make the right decision according to their point of view.
In itself, it was lighter, darker in many moments, but at the same time with sweet scenes between the protagonists, and more things that happened in this volume that shocked hahahaha, I hope that in the next I take everything that has happened.
Without further ado, this collection of volumes is worth a lot, they are beautiful with their editions, in addition to their history.
Give it a try that will not disappoint you.

Thanks for the advanced copy.

3.5/5
Really enjoyable. I’m so intrigued by Yuushin and why he’s become such a despicable character.

Thank you so much Netgalley for providing me a copy of this volume in exchange of an honest review.

I am so glad to have found this manga, it has so much depth in each one of the characters. It’s not just black and white, just several shades of gray. They all have their own doubts and issues, and have made questionable choices but I believe that deep inside they are just scared kids that don’t know how to cope with life.

This volume was definitely lighter than the previous one, it had dark moments but it also had sweet scenes between Tsugu and Sora, and perhaps a redemption arc for Yuushin, I can’t help to think that deep down he honestly cares for his friend and I hope they can mend their relationship in the future.

This was a quick read that I was able to finish in a short time and did enjoy it too. Unfortunately, because I had no idea about what happened in part 1 of the series, there were certain gaps. Nonetheless, I found myself invested in it. It has some tough real life issues like bullying and was a more realistic manga.

I've only read Volume 2 so I kinda had to fill myself in for what "could have happened" in the beginning but I still found it really enjoyable none the less. I really like Sora's character though Tsuga was also really good; I especially love the fact that she plays guitar. To be honest, Yuushin and Asari aren't my favorite characters but I think they just need to grow on me. All in all, it was a good read and I'm interested to see how they all develop considering this is a coming of age manga.

*I received this book free from Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

The Golden Sheep (Kin no Hitsuji) is a slice of life manga about a group of friends who were separated when one of them, Tsugu, moved out of town. Years later she came back to found out that people can change a lot in a few years. And not always for the good.

Since this is a slice of life manga, you won't see great fights, creatures or even a lot of action, this manga is something more realistic. But you'll get drama and well, sad situations going on. A lot of them, especially in the first volume. Bullying is a heavy aspect going on in the beginning of the manga, I wasn't expecting this at first it was heartbreaking. It's sad to see how their friendship became crooked and how life can make nice people act in a horrible way.

Sora was one of Tsugu's friends, both of them ran away to Tokyo to chase their dreams and also escape from being bullied by their own old friends.
In Volume 2, they start their adventure in Tokyo. The remaining 'friends', Asari and Yuushin, were also carrying on with their lives.
This was about growing, facing your fears and your mistakes.

I've never read the first book but this one was good. There were strong topics in this like bullying, feelings of failure etc. As individuals we go through these things in life one way or the other. It was nice to see it displayed because we need to bring these topics to the forefront to discuss ways to help with such things. I really enjoyed it. Good job to the author for putting this together.

This short manga series could easily be overlooked by the readers who would appreciate it.

The covers are unassuming. The round, cute, art style is misleading. And the synopsis' barely hint that this story is going to dive deeper than your typical high school life drama.

I think the only way a reader could expect this to be a darker, more complex, story would be to already be familiar with the work of this mangaka.

In the Golden Sheep our four main characters are teens stuck in a small town. They're old enough to want to take charge of their lives, but still in high school, dealing with the issues they've been dealt.

Though Tsugu and her guitar are on the cover, this wont be a story about music.

Instead, it's a story about the rifts that formed between a childhood friend group as they grew up and life got hard.

I highly recommend getting all 3 volumes and reading the whole series at once. It's best consumed as a complete story.

The opening pages of volume 1 quickly alert the reader that this story will deal with some dark topics. The first thing we see is a scene of attempted suicide.

Then we go back in time to see what led us to this point. We're in the POV of Tsugu as she comes back to her hometown from the city. We slowly realize her childhood friends are no longer the people from her memories.

A lot has changed.

Through Tsugu we get an incomplete picture of whats going on. Then we start to jump between characters to see what happens when she's not there. With the addition of some backstory, we can finally piece the whole puzzle together.

The truth is pretty heartbreaking. These characters are flawed, struggling with their feelings of hurt and regret.

You get the sense that each does mourn the friendship that was lost, but none of them knows what to do about it.

All the teen angst and poor decision making is there. Things go from bad to worst.

At the end of volume 1 I was not hopeful we'd get a happy ending to this series.

Volume 2 takes us to a new setting and divides up our main characters. I enjoyed this because after volume 1 I desperately wanted Sora and Tsugu to get away from Yuushin and Asari.

The characters still feel lost, but we're seeing evidence of their desire to change.

I feel like we saw satisfying repercussions for Yuushin in this volume. Which is necessary for his potential growth. How is he supposed to move forward with all that bitterness he holds onto?

My favorite scene of the whole series is in this volume: When we're shown how tall Sora is. It was a really clever and impactful way to show to the reader that the status quo has changed.

While hoping for a happy ending in volume 1 felt futile, by the end of volume 2 I could see the potential for that to change.

This third volume proves how well Kaori Ozaki did with the character arcs throughout the series. The changes we see are believable and you find yourself rooting for this group of friends after all.

Volume 3 opens with an update on Asari. It also fills in some missing backstory for her character.

I enjoyed watching Sora and Yuushin begrudgingly repair their friendship.

Tsugu was the catalyst for this change, but at this point it feels like she became a background character in the overall drama. While I expected this entire story to center on Tsugu this shift felt right.

I like its message about the importance of speaking up for yourself.

In the end these characters didn't necessarily choose the destructive paths they got stuck in, but they couldn't get out of them on their own either.

In Conclusion

This story is well worth your time.

Definitely read all three volumes of The Golden Sheep at once.

While its a very different plot than The Gods Lie, another of Kaori Ozaki's manga, I'm certain you'll enjoy this story if you enjoyed that one.

There are some similar themes. Most notably that The Golden Sheep and The Gods Lie both deal with strained parent / child relationships. The short story at the end of volume 3 of The Golden Sheep is a particularly sad one on this topic.


This was a NetGalley Review! I was able to read and review volumes 2 & 3 of this manga thanks to Kodansha Comics on NetGalley! Thanks!

Ah, man... the feels. I've read second volume of The Golden Sheep right after finishing the first one. That one made me cry like a baby. I didn't expect such a heavy topic and it hurted me physically to watch all the four MCs suffering like that.

Second volume is much more light-hearted, at least for Tsugu and Sora. They're both exploring their new lives in Tokyo, working at Tsugu's grandpa's croquette's shop. Not only do they have to get on their own feet, they also have to deal with their unsolved emotions back from home. I've especially loved parts with Sora, who is slowly opening up to Tsugu and their friendship evolves into something else. And then there's Yuushin - who wants to become a pro boxer. Yuushin, who bullied his childhood friend and almost drove him to suicide. I've never been a fan of his, and I didn't feel any pity towards him. Nope. Yuushin is just a brat.

I honestly have no expectations but I was surely pleasantly surprised. The Golden Sheep tells a story about drifting apart and trying to find a place in a world. It's very emotional, realistic and just... raw.

Tsugu and Sora runs away to Tokyo and lives with this Tsugu’s grandfather. While they live with the grandfather, he does make them both work at his croquette shop. The croquette shop has been closed for a very long time and people even though the grandfather had died alone. When it re-opens, the shop seems to be busy and created new business opportunities such as delivery service. Meanwhile back in their hometown school, rumor has it that the Tsugu and Sora eloped.
Even though this is only volume 2, it seems to me that the characters are well developed. From the grandpa to Tsugu to Yuushin and Sora. In this volume, we get to know Yuushin and his conflicted emotions and aggression. He’s trying to find himself but also wants to instill fear among his classmates or teacher. He thinks joining his old boxing club with his father’s financial help is the answer. Then Yuushin one day finds this cat that seems to give him a whole new purpose in life.
I hear that this is not going to be a long series so I look forward to reading volume 3. I look forward to seeing if there will be a love connection and how it will all end up. Some philosophical and thoughtful parts and enjoyed it overall. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review.

I actually enjoyed this vol more than the 1st one and it end with a cliffhanger I really hope they will come friends again , and I think the characters are so engaging ✨
🚨Trigger warring: bullying, suicide

Sora and Tsugu have become a valuable asset for the Croquette stand. They still have not returned to school or their homes. Yuushin decides that he is going to become a professional boxer and starts down the road to become one.

I have not read vol. 1 of this series but I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and see where they are going. This series has my attention and I am really excited to read vol. 3. I loved seeing their vulnerable sides during this volume.

The Golden Sheep is a story that many are going to find triggering. It's handled fairly tactfully, but I'm not sure it's right for my library's collection, where I have a hard time getting them to check out manga other than shojo series and titles from Shonen Jump.

When Tsugu and Sora reach the house where her father sent them too, they find a grumpy old man who declares Sora his estranged son, and ropes them into being employees in his croquette shop. Finding a home, and something to do makes them both happier than they were back in their town, and so, when the parentals tell them to come back, they decide to stay on in Tokyo. For Sora, particularly, he is recovering from his bullying and the depression from it, and he also finds this new life more fulfilling; he is also starting to fall for Tsugu, and they both do go on a cute non-date later on in the volume. Am I rooting for them? Sure! I also love the found family dynamics of Tsugu, Sora and the grandpa – while the latter orders them about like a boss, he cares for them like his kids, so its sweet.

Meanwhile, Asari is surprised that Tsugu ran away with Sora instead of Yuushin, and she tries to get close to the latter. Yuushin, still hurting and deprived of his favorite punching bag, tries to bully Asari, too, and finally he decides to just go pro in boxing to get out of this town. After months of training, his test is being held in Tokyo, and coincidentally he finds the croquette shop where Sora is now working, and goes to confront him. I will be honest – I haven’t warmed up to Yuushin at all, because he just hurts the world when he is hurting. Sure, he is a teen, but he almost drove Sora to suicide, so yeah, Sora doesn’t have to forgive him, and Tsugu involving Sora in helping Yuushin kind of didn’t sit right with me, especially since she has the context. Whether Yuushin is capable of not being a bully going forward, and atoning for the pain he caused, remains to be seen.

This second chapter was honestly so good yet draining! I definitely wasn't expecting THAT encounter between Asari and Yuushin. It had me feeling for her even though we spent most of the last manga resenting what she had become. Tsugu was so delightful in this volume. Her and her dad's relationship was also very well written and a real contrast to her usual family dynamics. It was so emotional to see Sora grow and overcome his hardships! Honestly that boy makes me soft. The grandpa character was also such great addition to the bunch! Overall another great volume in this amazing manga series!

Thank you to VIZ Media for the ARC.

Super disappointed I couldn’t open this to read it. I will look for it at the library. The cover looks super cute and the story sound really good.