I wish there's more... the only thing that puzzles me is why everyone keeps referring this as "Ginjika"
(probably because no one bothered to look up what it means?)

Gokiburi= cockroach

Gijinka = anthropomorphism

Ginjika....is a mispelling and doesn't mean a thing

... Last updated on January 14th, 2011, 6:33pm

To me, this manga is actually heartbreaking. Yes, it's true! The little cockroach is brilliantly drawn to look like a little girl. And she's a girl who wants to be friendly with humans AND has an unquenchable hopefulness about finding a friend among us. Meanwhile all the humans she meets ignore her or try to kill her. Somehow she always survives, but it is unbearable to watch such a cute and determined little creature be so mistreated over and over again. And to make it worse, WE the readers know that she has no actual possibility of realizing her dream.

I believe the mangaka must have read Kafka's "The Metamorphosis". This story builds upon that. There is a clear sense that both Kafka and this mangaka learned firsthand how it feels to be an outcast.

PS: As of 2017 there are MANY more chapters available than are listed here.

... Last updated on October 20th, 2017, 12:56pm

I was interested in this manga since the first time I read a post about it in Sankaku Complex. Undoubtedly the main characters are very cute and have a strong moe appeal, but the manga isn't limited only to attractive drawings, the story is funny but also is sad at the same time, I think it is more a drama than a comedy. If human like cockroaches may sound funny and odd, think about them as homeless children and then you will perceive the similarity the story have with the real world. Perhaps Rui Tamati didn't have The Metamorphosis by Kafka in mind, but the metaphor may be the same. I hope we can find more of his works in the future.

... Last updated on January 26th, 2011, 2:40pm

I know just how the mangaka feels. I moved to a part of the country that has giant cockroaches when I was 10. They were so cute! Like small animals. I used to try to convince my friends that cockroaches were not ordinary bugs, but of course when a child grows up being told that they are gross, the child believes that they are gross.

True story about another transplant to south Texas. She saw her first jumbo sized cockroach when she was an adult, and she assumed it was one of the armadillos she had heard about. Kept calling her husband complaing that there was an armadillo in the kitchen and he kept telling her "It's just a a cockroach."

If you like Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Match Girl" check this one out. Beware, however. The story is likely to be pretty tragic. But that is what makes it so fun.

PS I hope there will be merchandising!

... Last updated on January 13th, 2011, 2:03pm