- With the Light
Infobox animanga/Header
name = With the Light
caption =
ja_name = 光とともに…-自閉症児を抱えて-
ja_name_trans = Hikari to Tomoni... ~Jiheishouji Wo Kakaete~
genre =Drama Infobox animanga/Manga
title =
author =Keiko Tobe
publisher = flagicon|JapanAkita Shoten
flagicon|United StatesYen Press
demographic =Josei
magazine = flagicon|JapanFor Mrs.
first = 2000
last = ongoing
volumes = 13nihongo|"With the Light ~Raising an Autistic Child~"|光とともに…-自閉症児を抱えて-|"Hikari to Tomoni... ~Jiheishouji Wo Kakaete~" is a
josei manga byKeiko Tobe . It is published byAkita Shoten in "For Mrs. " and has been collected in thirteentankobon volumes as of June 2008. The series is licensed in English inNorth America byYen Press , with two volumes (each collecting 2 tankobon volumes) published as of March 2008.cite web | url=http://yenpress.us/?page_id=129 | title=WITH THE LIGHT: Raising an Autistic Child by Keiko Tobe | publisher=Yen Press | accessdate=2008-03-24] It depicts the struggles of a young mother, Sachiko Azuma, and her autistic son Hikaru in modern Japan.The series received an Excellence Prize for manga at the 2004
Japan Media Arts Festival .cite web | url=http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/english/festival/2004/manga/000448/index.php | title=2004 Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Division Excellence Prize HIKARI TO TOMONI. | publisher=Japan Media Arts Plaza | accessdate=2008-03-24] It was also adapted as a television drama, airing on NTV fromApril 14 ,2004 toJune 23 ,2004 , which won several awards at Japan's 41st Television Drama Academy Awards, including "Best Drama."Characters
Azuma Family
;Sachiko Azuma:The primary character in the series and Hikaru's mother. In the beginning of the series, she finds herself battling the difficulties of raising an autistic child along with the indifference of her husband and society blaming her for her son's condition.
;Masato Azuma:Sachiko's husband and Hikaru's father. Masato's high level position in the company he worked for provided a good income for his family but took a toll on his health, and he collapsed from overwork in the first volume of the series. However, this event prompted him to rethink his priorities and he settled instead on trying to become a better father to Hikaru.
;Hikaru Azuma:Sachiko and Masato's firstborn: an autistic little boy. He is known to hate things like the noise made by crying babies, the sound of chanting, and having his ears pulled, and he enjoys "airplane rides," building blocks, and naming trains. Later in his childhood, he shows some unique talents including cooking and mixing colors.
;Kanon Azuma:Sachiko and Masaton's second child, a little girl who is born towards the end of the first volume (second volume of the Japanese version). She does not have autism like her brother. According to Sachiko, "To each the other is someone who is in the way." Despite this, she hopes that her two children will grow to care for and teach one another.
Teachers
;Aoki-sensei:The special education teacher at Shichgatsu Cho Elementary; a clever and optimistic instructor who transferred from a school for the disabled because he disagreed with the way the school was run. In the four years he spends with Hikaru, he helps him to grow.
;Wakabayashi-sensei:The teacher for the 'buddy system' class at Shichigatsu Cho Elementary, who works closely with Aoki to benefit the students.
;Gunji-sensei:Described as having once been a 'passionate teacher', Gunji becomes the new special education teacher after Aoki. Through trial and error, she eventually regains her passion for teaching children.
Others
;Miyu Honda:Miyu enters the story in the second volume of '
With the Light ' (third of the tankobon). She is autistic like Hikaru but is underdeveloped due to neglect from her preschool.;Moe Nakajima:Hikaru's childhood friend who cared for him in preschool. Moe is very good with children and hopes to become a preschool teacher someday.
;Daisuke Ishida:Ishida was an upperclassman of Hikaru's and his partner in tending to the school vegetable garden. He enjoyed the time he spent with Hikaru because he was an only child who had always wanted a little brother.
;'Oki-kun':Oki originally made fun of Hikaru because he was jealous of Hikaru's loving family but when one day he sees Hikaru wander onto a bus by himself, he goes after him out of worry that he can't explain.
References
External links
* [http://yenpress.us/?page_id=129 Official Yen Press website]
*
* [http://www.ntv.co.jp/hikari/ Official site for the live-action drama]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.