Is PPPPPP Worth Reading? Review & Where to Read
Quick Answer
If you want a shonen underdog sports-manga structure applied to competitive piano, with real emotional stakes and a clever way of visualizing music, this is worth a look, even though it wraps up more abruptly than it should.
Quick Verdict
“This finds a genuinely clever way to make piano performance work as shonen spectacle, even when the ending can't quite match that ambition.”
Best for: Readers who want an underdog sports-manga structure applied to competitive piano, with real family-drama stakes behind the performances.
Not for: Readers who want a fully satisfying, unrushed conclusion rather than one that wraps up abruptly.
- Type
- Manga
- Genres
- Drama, Slice of Life
- Status
- Completed
- This review
- Minor Spoilers
- Author
- Mapollo 3-gou
- Publisher
- Shueisha
- Platform
- MANGA Plus
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Format | Manga (shōnen), 70 chapters, 8 volumes |
| Run | 2021–2023 · completed |
| Community score | AniList 6.6 · MangaUpdates 6.3 |
| Where to read | MANGA Plus — official |
Overview
Lucky Otogami looks like an ordinary middle schooler, but he's secretly the seventh of his famous pianist father's septuplets — the only one born without the family's musical genius. After his parents separate, Lucky ends up living with an abusive relative while his mother falls into a coma with only a year left to live. Determined to perform for her before she dies, he throws himself into piano despite having no apparent talent, eventually discovering a strange ability that lets music manifest as visible 'melody' visions.
What it does well
The series' best idea is solving a problem most music manga just work around: how do you make performance feel like a spectacle in a silent medium? Letting music manifest as a literal visual effect gives PPPPPP's piano competitions real shonen-battle energy, something most competitive-music stories can't manage. That's backed by genuine emotional stakes — Lucky's mother's terminal illness gives his 'secretly talented underdog' arc real urgency rather than treating his growth as a simple skill-up montage, and the large sibling cast provides built-in rivalry and variety without needing to constantly introduce new characters.
Where it falls short
The series was evidently cut shorter than planned, and it shows: reviewers have specifically called the ending abrupt and unresolved, which undercuts the emotional investment the family-drama setup builds. Reception overall has been solidly middling rather than a breakout success, and the story leans hard on familiar shonen tragedy beats — an abusive guardian, a dying parent, an absent father — that can feel like a lot of overlapping trauma even within an otherwise fresh premise.
Verdict
PPPPPP takes a genuinely clever approach to making piano performance work as shonen spectacle, anchored by real emotional stakes in Lucky's race against his mother's illness. The abrupt ending keeps it from being a complete success, but if you want a music-manga underdog story with teeth, it's worth the relatively short time investment.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- The 'melody as visible manifestation' device solves the classic problem of depicting music in a silent medium, giving piano performances real shonen-battle energy.
- The dying-mother deadline gives Lucky's underdog arc genuine emotional urgency beyond a typical 'get good at the hobby' structure.
- Seven siblings provide a large, distinct cast for rivalry and variety without constantly introducing new characters.
- Officially available in English simulpub via MANGA Plus and digital volumes via VIZ, making it easy and legal to read.
Weaknesses
- The series was cut short, and the ending reads as abrupt and unresolved rather than a planned conclusion.
- Reception has been middling, never quite breaking out despite the strong central hook.
- Leans heavily on familiar shonen tragedy tropes (abusive guardian, dying parent, absent father) that can feel overused even within a fresh premise.
Similar Titles
A piano-prodigy coming-of-age manga with a similarly mystical take on musical talent and class-divide family drama.
A music-centered shonen drama blending trauma, mentorship, and terminal illness in a comparable emotional register.
A classical-music-school manga with ensemble rivalry and performance arcs for a 'music school underdog' comp without the supernatural gimmick.
Where to Read Officially
| Platform | Format | Pricing | Region notes | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MANGA Plus | Digital chapters | Print & digital volumes | Free + Paid | Region availability varies | Open |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PPPPPP finished?
Yes, it's complete at 8 volumes and about 70 chapters, though the ending has been described by reviewers as abrupt rather than a fully planned conclusion.
How long is PPPPPP?
It runs 8 volumes and roughly 70 chapters, a manageable length for a complete shonen drama.
Is PPPPPP a romance manga?
No, it's centered on family drama, sibling rivalry, and competitive piano rather than a romance subplot.
Where can I read PPPPPP in English?
MANGA Plus hosts official chapters for free, and VIZ Media has published digital volumes under the Shonen Jump imprint.
