ぽんこつポン子

PONKOTSU PONKO

MANGA

STATUS
COMPLETE
VOLUMES
10
RELEASE
May 24, 2021
CHAPTERS
79

DESCRIPTION

The near future, in a quiet seaside town. Yoshioka, who had recently lost his wife, just wants to spend the rest of his days in peace. However, Yoshioka's children, worried about their father's health, sent a housekeeping robot to help him. Yoshioka's quiet life is about to change.

(Source: Manba, translated)

Note: Nominated for the Tsugimanga 2020 Award in the Manga Category.

CAST

Ponko
Genji Yoshioka
Yuuna
Ponko 2nd
Akane
Taro
Chiaki Yoshioka
Brian
Boss
Chairman
Ganta
Kiyoshi
Sango Nagai
Machiko
Junior

CHAPTERS

REVIEWS

GGShang
89/100
A heartwarming story of a clumsy maid and a grouchy old man
Useless Ponko tells the story of an old housekeeping robot sent to help an elderly man after the passing of his wife. She's earnest about her work, but her clumsiness in everything she does earns her the name Ponko, which is a shortening for the term "useless junk". Each chapter is spent exploring something new that Ponko tries to help in around the house or in town, leading to a very slice of life feel.

Alright, so now with all that basic stuff about the story over with, it's time to talk about the good parts. Useless Ponko is a series that I really enjoy for a few reasons, with the biggest ones being the tone and the themes being explored. The tone the manga sets reflects really reflects the mood of the town and its people: it's slow and calming. There is no rush to get anywhere or do anything in this town filled with the elderly and young children. Yet to this town Ponko comes, bringing in her clumsiness, infusing new life and excitement to the townsfolk. We see them enjoying Obon festivals and having fun at gateball games all thanks to Ponko. There is a feeling of revitalization and refreshment that the reader gets to experience too. The story also has a comedic tone because of Ponko's antics, causing trouble for the old man at every step. This is a great juxtaposition for the feelings of the old man. He is stuck within the past, choosing to relive memories rather than making new ones, which lends a somber type of feeling whenever we see it. No longer will he be able to listen to his kids running around at home, use all the things they had while growing up or talk to his wife at home. While this type of depressing mood is present, we are never truly allowed to stay there with Ponko around.

And that is a great segue into the themes of this manga. There are two major themes to look at, with the first being that even though you think the happy times are behind you, there is still more ahead. This is shown so thoroughly as memories slip seamlessly into reality throughout the manga, with Ponko showing up in the places his wife once was. All of the things that he was too stubborn to do when he was younger he now tries with Ponko egging him on. Instead of dwelling in the past, he uses it to make new memories. And on the topic of Ponko and his wife, Ponko is the perfect embodiment of his wife's love for him. Never once are we straight out told in the manga that the old man loved his wife, but you would be blind not to recognize it from the first chapter. This is a great example of something this manga does really well: showing and not telling. We're never really told anything straight up, but we are given enough evidence through interactions and thoughts to understand themes and how characters are feeling naturally. We are never explicitly told that the wife loves the old man, but her thoughtfulness in hiring Ponko for him was the greatest act of love she could have done at her passing. Ponko fills the role she had while she was alive and is able to push the old man into experiencing so much more that life has to offer.
The other major theme is what makes us human. With Ponko being a robot, it's easy for us to say that she isn't human. We are reminded time and time again of how different she is, yet we are shown time and time again that she is capable of far more than we expect. She learns the joys of raising life, the fun of exploring festivals, the joy of being accepted. She understands the feelings of disappointment and not measuring up, but through it all she perseveres. Seeing the old man begin to realize that is heartwarming because it means that he is finally changing to accept his new way of life.

Honestly, Useless Ponko is just really cute, funny and heartwarming, with tinges of sadness here and there, but never staying for long. It's the opposite feel of Life with my Brother's Wife, another underrated story. Useless Ponko is a great, short read who really want to experience a 'show don't tell' manga with a comfy feel.
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Dayne64
85/100
A wholesome story with lingering melancholy about a grumpy old man and his robot maid, which is late wife gave to him.
This is a really good manga. I cannot put it into words, but it just makes you think about life, makes you feel something. It's overall a really wholesome manga, but melancholy is creeping up in the background, and I honestly feel scared something will go wrong. Maybe I make it sound uncomfortable, but its a really cool manga, that just somehow encapulates life. I really wish I could articulate, because I don't give the manga justice, but yeah it just really cute and has wholesome moments, but still makes me feel melancholic somehow, and just puts life in a sort of perspective.

Since I'm not good at writing reviews and I have to write more, I'm gonna write a little bit of fill in with some more spoilers.
Since Yoshioka's wife died he has just been a stubborn, grumpy old man, not caring much about anything. He just complains and doesn't want to do anything. We see little glimps of his past here and there, it's obvious he has lived his entire life in the village he resides in, and has a lot of memories bound to the place. Ponko comes into the picture, even though he doesn't want her, he is nice enough to let her stay, since if he doesn't, she will be scrapped. He never says this, but it's obvious he cares at least a little about ponko, because when she was supposed to go back home and get scrapped, he didn't say anything, instead allowing her to stay and "live", I will go back to what I mean by that later. But for now it's important to understand Yoshioka's character growth and why Ponko is so important. The two characters dynamic helps them both grow; in the past, Yoshioka didn't want to go to the local festival, despite his wife and his children going every yeah, because it was a "waste of time and just loud" or something like that. This year, however, Ponko really wants to go and he goes with her to show her what it's like, while he hides the fact by saying it's just to help out. You realize slowly overtime Ponko is much more than a machine, she feels sad, excited, and happy. As the story progresses we get more and more glimpses into Ponko's consciousness, and Yoshioka's past and character growth into a less stubborn and grumpy person, and we see more of his kindness.

I really really really recommend you atleast give it a try!! Character growth is done super well in this manga, and you can't help but love every single character. I audibly laugh in basically every chapter, while still being engaged in the story and on the verge of crying. Each chapter is better than the last, and I can't wait to read more. The manga is quite frequently updated too, as far as I know anyway. Basically, this manga has it all, it may be unknown and I personally didn't expect much from it, but you gotta give it a go.
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GoldenPrism15
100/100
The future never gets here. The past never comes back. The present is all we ever have.
For as long as I can remember, I've been thinking about time travel. More specifically, about going back to the past; redoing mistakes, reliving good times, all that kind of stuff. I think this is a relatively common fantasy for many. To relive those memories we hold so dear, to erase those that we dislike.
One of the best periods of my life, which I often look back on, was a trip that me and a friend took back in 2019. It was so much fun, partly because I was hanging out with him most of that time. He was, and still is, my best friend. We've always had the same sense of humor, the same preferences in media, and as we grew up and changed, we've never stopped being so similar to the other.

Recently, as I fantasized about re-living that trip for the millionth time, I realized something.
I've changed. I've changed so much. I've lived through so many things in the time since that trip, that I'm no longer the same person. Neither is he.
If I went back to that moment of my life, would it truly be the same? With a person who doesn't remember the things I've done with him these last five years? Someone who's sense of humor is not the same as mine anymore? Someone who hasn't even played the videogames that are nowadays his favorites? Someone who hasn't yet acquired his taste in robot maids?

What makes us who we are? Ponkotsu Ponko says, and I'm inclined to agree, that it's our memories. Those memories are so treasurable because they've shaped the person that we are now. I wouldn't be the same person that I am right now if I had done anything even slightly different.
Every chapter in Ponkotsu Ponko can be labeled 'slice of life', because that's all they really are. They tell small stories of what the titular Ponko goes through during her daily life in this small town. Some people come, some of them stay and others go away. Sometimes it's about how a bunch of eggs hatched into chickens, sometimes it's about relatives coming over to visit, sometimes it's about falling in love with someone, and sometimes it's about cleaning your house and finding old pictures of your loved ones.
Every chapter is slice of life, sure, but it's not just funny chapters, which many other manga would limit themselves to. They are also relaxing. They are moving. They are intriguing sometimes and they are beautiful when they want to be. That's also what life is like.

There's things I've done wrong in my life. Every choice I've made has been irreversible, and I've come to terms with it. Because right now, I am happy, and I would not be here if I had done even a single thing differently. Every memory I have, and even the ones I no longer have, have led me to the moment, place, and person that I am today.

Each chapter is truly touching, in part because it gives just a vague glimpse into someone else's life. The events of Ponkotsu Ponko are not much different than hearing your parents talk about their younger years, and listening to some of the most bizarre things that you have ever imagined.
Don't let yourself be fooled. It might take place in a near future, with robot maids and flying vehicles, but Ponkotsu Ponko is about the past. It's about the cherished memories we have, and about how it shapes our present selves. It's about the experiences that exist entirely in our brains, and which we try to pass onto others, even if they may not have true value.

As it happens, I didn't find out about Ponkotsu Ponko on my own.
It was recommended to me by someone. I give you three guesses who.
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