I thoroughly fell in love with the heroine of this manga. I think I'll be comparing other characters to Mao for a long time. Despite my love for shoujo manga, I often find myself frustrated with the main characters, mostly because I worry about the messages that younger girls might get from them. Mao doesn't fit into any of the typical shoujo archetypes, though. She has a difficult past, but she's neither perpetually gloomy nor defiantly (and obnoxiously) cheerful. She's emotionally clumsy, but not a complete spaz or oblivious to the feelings of others. She's inexperienced at life, but not helpless. She cherishes the people around her, but she doesn't rely on them to save her in every chapter. And, most importantly, she has her priorities in order. The thing I love most about her is that she never lets her romantic interests take precedence over family. It's incredibly refreshing and, with her past, makes for a very believable character.

Okay, taking the spotlight off of Mao for a moment, the overarching themes for Taiyou no Ie are the ways in which people form relationships and cope with loss. This isn't anything new or groundbreaking, but it is the first time in a long time that I've seen such a realistic portrayal of such a wide array of imperfect characters. Not just in manga, but in any medium. It's really easy to fall back on the "dark and brooding and can't open up to anyone" trope when you're talking about hardships, but it's clear that Taamo really pushed to make sure every character had their own unique thoughts and feelings that were completely true to them.

The only minor complaint I had while reading was in regard to the art. Overall it's very beautiful, but there were a few times when it was hard to decipher facial expressions because of an oddly placed reflection in the eye or a mouth shape that was just a little off. Tricked my eyes a little bit, but maybe that's just me. I loved Mao's eyes, though. And Mao's facial expressions. And Mao. Did I mention that Mao is my favorite?

>Story------------------9

>Art---------------------8

>Characters-----------10

>Enjoyment-----------9

>Overall----------------9

**SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT!!**

Another thing that really bothered me--and is the reason that I'm rating the story as a 9 instead of 10--is that Hiro basically proposes to Mao at the end. From what I understand, large age gaps aren't as taboo in Japan, so I can overlook that... ish. But no matter how you look at it, it was a really irresponsible thing to do. For some reason, despite his obvious desire for a family, I had a hard time believing that Hiro would actually say that to a high school student before they'd really tried being a couple, especially since he knows what she's been through since her parents' divorce.