Daddy’s Little Girl: Someday You’ll Grow Up (いつか 君たち も 大人 に なる)

Itsuka Kimitachi mo Otona ni Naru (いつか 君たち も 大人 に なる) or Someday You’ll Grow Up (2012)

By: Fujio Ai

Itsuka Kimitachi mo Otona ni Naru (いつか 君たち も 大人 に なる) which translates to Someday You’ll Grow Up by Fujio Ai is a cute, amusing short shoujo manga series. Kizaki Souhei is an overprotective father and a teacher at his daughter’s high school. One day, during lunchtime, Souhei witnesses his daughter, Kizaki Itoho eating lunch with a boy, Minase Ryuuichi, and discovers that they are going out. Souhei is suspicious of Minase Ryuuichi’s intentions. His concern increases when he learns that Minase is a player.

This shoujo manga shows the complexity of a father-daughter relationship. I believe every father has this hope that their daughters remain young and innocent, a “daddy’s little girl” forever. Sadly, it isn’t so. Every girl grows up (hopefully into a sophisticated, independent woman). I mean my dad had that dream, but now I am of legal age and can make my own choices.

Anyways, Souhei and Itoho’s relationship is pretty interesting. First of all, Itoho is raised in a single-parent household; yet rather than the father taking care of his child, Itoho is taking care of her dad. For example, she does all the household chores and she makes meals for Souhei. (That’s a perfect daughter right there!) Furthermore, Kizaki Souhei is raising Itoho by himself, so he doesn’t fully understand the mind of a teenage girl because he doesn’t have any experience in that field. However, he does understand the dangers of high school boys; in fact, Itoho’s boyfriend, Minase is exactly like Souhei when he was a high school student. Kizaki Souhei struggles with maintaining a trusting relationship with his daughter. He wants to protect Itoho from Casanova-type boys, but he also does not want his overprotective nature to put a strain in their relationship.

I enjoyed the mirror image characterization of Kizaki Souhei and Minase Ryuuichi. Aside from similar physical appearances, both men are intelligent, athletic, and popular with the ladies. It is understandable why Souhei does not want his daughter to date someone like himself. However, Itoho’s relationship with Minase follows the belief that girls tend to date boys who are similar to their fathers. (Now put this into a real life scenario, if you are a guy and have a daughter, would you want her to date someone just like you. If the answer is yes, then you don’t have anything to worry about. Yet if you say no, then you might want to consider being more of gentleman than a jerk.)  Yet even though he is an adult, Kizaki Souhei acts like a child; for instance, he taunts Minase Ryuuichi and spies on his daughter while she is on a date. Souhei’s immaturity is entertaining to read which is one of the reasons why I like this manga.

However, I wish that the series was longer instead of a couple of chapters. I could see some potential, developing plot lines such as more playful arguments between Kizaki Souhei and Minase Ryuuichi or a possible new romantic relationship for Kizaki Souhei.

4.5/5