Hadashi no Tenshi – Nonomiya Ito

One day, shoemaker Turner meets a mysterious young man, Benny, who calls himself an “ex-angel”. Worried about Benny going barefoot, Turner decided to make shoes for him. Moreover, because the production will take several months, Benny decides to live in Turner’s house.

Barefoot Angel is a gentle, slow-burn love story between a young shoemaker and the exiled angel he stumbled upon at the park.

Benny was exiled for breaking heaven’s rules. With his wings burned off, he was sent to earth to live as a human. Now Benny has always been fascinated with humans. Even while feeling vaguely melancholy about his old life, he eagerly embraced his new life and was even very gung-ho about traveling all over the world.

Turner, a caretaker by heart, wanted to make Benny’s dream happen. So he set about creating the perfect shoes for him. While working on them, he teaches Benny how humans live and love.

This is a pretty manga with artwork that perfectly captures the pure, wholesome vibe of the story. I love the softness and fragility of Turner and Benny’s dynamics. I loved how they cherished each other. Even with the more explicit scenes, there’s still a gentle, soothing mood present. It made them feel precious rather than erotic.

However, I found the flow of the story disjointed. There were a couple of chapters that started with a preview of a future event. This is perhaps to tease the reader. Then, it jumps back to the present. The execution was wonky. They don’t add anything to the chapter. They just made things confusing.

I was also not a fan of the separation near the ending. It made Benny’s dream come true, but I felt sad for Turner. But no worries, this has a happy ending.

I say, read this manga for the pretty boys and the wonderful mood.

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