{"id":24805,"date":"2025-04-19T01:00:46","date_gmt":"2025-04-19T05:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/?p=24805"},"modified":"2025-07-01T10:25:51","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T14:25:51","slug":"manga-palace-of-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/manga-palace-of-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Mansion of Water"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"book-3590\" class=\"bdb-book-info\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/manga_mansionofwater.png?fit=250%2C396&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Mansion of Water\" class=\"alignright\"\/><strong>Title:<\/strong> Mansion of Water<br \/><strong>Author:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/author\/miho-obana\/\">Miho Obana<\/a><br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/series\/kodocha\/\">Kodocha #0<\/a><br \/><strong>First Published:<\/strong> <span content=\"1999-10-15\">October 15, 1999<\/span><br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/publisher\/shueisha\/\">Shueisha<\/a><br \/><strong>Pages:<\/strong> 176<br \/><strong>Genre:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/genre\/drama\/\">Drama<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/genre\/psychological\/\">Psychological<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/genre\/romance\/\">Romance<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/genre\/shojo\/\">Shojo<\/a><br \/><strong>Format:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/format\/web\/\">Web<\/a><br \/><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/source\/web\/\">Web<\/a><br \/><strong>Rating:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/book-database\/rating\/2\/\"><span class=\"bdb-font-awesome-star-wrap\"><i class=\"fas fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"fas fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"far fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"far fa-star\"><\/i><i class=\"far fa-star\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/6437224\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/addtogoodreads.png?ssl=1\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\"\/><\/a><br \/><br \/><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong> <p>A boy whose parents died in a car crash suddenly remembers that he had an older brother once who went missing years ago. In an effort to find his only remaining relative, he goes out on a trip to find him, only to find himself at a mysterious mansion where a ghost of his brother's girlfriend haunts them.<\/p>\n<strong>Get the Book:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4jyQ50G\" target=\"_blank\">Amazon<\/a>\r\n<hr \/><\/div>\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n\t\t\t{\n\t\t\t\t\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Review\",\n\t\t\t\t\"datePublished\": \"2025-04-19T05:00:46+00:00\",\n\t\t\t\t\"description\": \"Mansion of Water\",\n\t\t\t\t\"publisher\": {\n\t\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"name\": \"Radical Dreamer\"\t\t\t\t},\n\t\t\t\t\"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/pastelgoth.net\\\/blog\\\/manga-palace-of-water\\\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\"itemReviewed\": {\n\t\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Book\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"name\": \"Mansion of Water\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"author\": [\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"name\": \"Miho Obana\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"sameAs\": \"https:\\\/\\\/pastelgoth.net\\\/blog\\\/book-database\\\/author\\\/miho-obana\\\/\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t],\n\t\t\t\t\t\"isbn\": \"\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"numberOfPages\": 176,\n\t\t\t\t\t\"publisher\": {\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"name\": \"Shueisha\"\t\t\t\t\t},\n\t\t\t\t\t\"image\": \"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/pastelgoth.net\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/manga_mansionofwater.png?fit=250%2C396&ssl=1\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"datePublished\": \"1999-10-15T00:00:00+00:00\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"sameAs\": \"https:\\\/\\\/www.goodreads.com\\\/book\\\/show\\\/6437224\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"genre\": \"Drama\"\t\t\t\t},\n\t\t\t\t\"author\": {\n\t\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"name\": \"Jamie\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"sameAs\": \"https:\\\/\\\/pastelgoth.net\\\/blog\\\/\"\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t, \"reviewRating\": {\n\t\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Rating\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\"ratingValue\": 2,\n\t\t\t\t\t\"bestRating\": 5\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<h2>Review<\/h2>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/manga_mansionofwater-page.png?resize=300%2C474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"474\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-24812\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/manga_mansionofwater-page.png?w=300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/manga_mansionofwater-page.png?resize=190%2C300&amp;ssl=1 190w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>One of my favorite story arcs in <strong>Kodocha<\/strong> was the on-location shoot for Sana\u2019s first film, <strong>Mansion of Water<\/strong>. It is during an arc where Sana grapples with her personal relationships and realizes feelings she didn\u2019t know existed. Brief snippets of the film are included in the story for different parts of the shoot, and for years I had always wondered what the movie would have been like! The premise sounded really interesting, and the bits of story that are shown showed the usually cheerful Sana taking on a more somber, chilling role.<\/p>\n<p>This is an ever-present desire whenever I read about a film or story that is contained within a story, I become invested in the characters and plot, and I wonder what it\u2019d be like as a standalone. I was excited to find out that Miho Obana had written a sone-shot about the movie, finally my curiosity would be sated! Unfortunately, I realized that at times it is perhaps better to leave things up to the imagination.<\/p>\n<p>The story follows a young man who searches for his missing brother, and it leads him to a mysterious mansion in the middle of the woods. He encounters a ghostly young girl that is both pretty but possessive. I wanted so much to know the backstory of this girl, and what happened to the main character\u2019s brother. The explanation was\u2026 Not good, in fact, it was really weird. The story is not that scary at all, even though there is at least one disturbing and bloody scene. I feel that this can be attributed to the fact that Obana is a shojo writer known for her rom-com\u2019s, so the attempt at a spooky story was a bit weak.<\/p>\n<p>I did not understand the need for the plants sub-plot in what could have been a chilling story about a ghost. As should be expected from a story that takes place in the background of another story, <strong>Mansion of Water<\/strong> was pretty sparse and not well developed. It was immersive enough that I could view Sana and Naozumi as different people and forgot that these are characters from <strong>Kodocha<\/strong>. I also really liked the mini-chapter at the end, which included a teenage Sana and Akito watching the film.<\/p>\n<p>It makes me wonder if I should have skipped this one if only so I could continue to wonder about the possibilities for this fictional film. I would only recommend this one-shot for existing fans of <strong>Kodocha<\/strong> if only to sate the curiosity that I\u2019m sure other readers felt as well while reading the original series.<\/p>\n<h2>Quote<\/h2>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Shall we <em>let him in<\/em>&#8230;?&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<h2>Content Warnings<\/h2>\n<span class=\"ubb-spoiler\"><a class=\"ubb-view-spoil\">View Spoiler &raquo;<\/a><span style=\"display: none;\" class=\"ubb-thespoil\">Abuse, Death, Mild Sexual Content, Violence <a class=\"ubb-hide-spoil\" style=\"cursor: hand; cursor: pointer;\">&laquo; Hide Spoiler<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<h2>About the Author<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ubb-about-author\">\n<h3>About Miho Obana<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/author_mihoobana.png?fit=200%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignleft ubb-about-author-photo\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/author_mihoobana.png?w=200&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/author_mihoobana.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/author_mihoobana.png?resize=75%2C75&amp;ssl=1 75w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Miho Obana is a sh\u014djo manga artist born in Tokyo, Japan. Her best-known work was Kodomo no Omocha, also known as Kodocha, which was published in Ribon magazine and won the Kodansha Manga Award for sh\u014djo in 1998. Other works include Partner, Andante, and Honey Bitter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ubb-author-links\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.m-obana.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Website<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/ameblo.jp\/bar-obana\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Blog<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/author\/show\/87205.Miho_Obana\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Goodreads<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/43OFPwD\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Review One of my favorite story arcs in Kodocha was the on-location shoot for Sana\u2019s first film, Mansion of Water. It is during an arc where Sana grapples with her&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24810,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[13],"tags":[2141],"book-author":[1613],"book-illustrator":[],"book-series":[5052],"book-publisher":[],"book-genre":[],"book-source":[],"book-format":[],"class_list":["post-24805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-manga-review","tag-one-shot","book-author-miho-obana","book-series-kodocha"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/manga_mansionofwater-header.png?fit=1080%2C540&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24805"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24815,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24805\/revisions\/24815"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24805"},{"taxonomy":"book-author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book-author?post=24805"},{"taxonomy":"book-illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book-illustrator?post=24805"},{"taxonomy":"book-series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book-series?post=24805"},{"taxonomy":"book-publisher","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book-publisher?post=24805"},{"taxonomy":"book-genre","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book-genre?post=24805"},{"taxonomy":"book-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book-source?post=24805"},{"taxonomy":"book-format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastelgoth.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book-format?post=24805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}