The seven children of the wealthy Shiunji family are the talk of their town. Numbering five girls and two boys, with two sets of twins in 
the middle, they are unmistakable when they go out. All the Shiunji siblings are good-looking and gifted, with the majority of them being talented scholar athletes. The girls all have their own fan clubs and students from other schools travel out of their way to watch them from afar.
All of this is an annoyance to Arata, the oldest of the two Shiunji boys. While many boys are jealous of him for being surrounded by such grace and beauty, the reality of living with five girls your own age is a far cry from the sister fetish stories other boys obsess over. His older sisters bully him. His younger sisters tease him. And worst of all is his twin, Ouka. Given that, and his fears of introducing his crush into the mix, it is no wonder the 16-year-old Arata has never had a girlfriend, despite being the most eligible young man at their school.
That changes on the night of the youngest Shiunji sibling, quiet Kotono, turning 15. It is then that their father confesses to a secret that he kept hidden from his children all their lives. Namely, that all of them are adopted and that apart from the younger set of twins, Minami and Sion, none of them are blood relatives.
This changes nothing for Arata, who is determined to protect the girls as a big brother should. Unfortunately, the girls he thinks of as his sisters all start showing signs that they might be viewing him in a different light. Even Ouka!
In the afterword of The Shiunji Family Children Vol. 1, creator Reiji Miyajima says they were inspired to write a story about sibling relationships because they had no chance to do so in their earlier series, Rent-A-Girlfriend. Because Siblings can be your best friends and your worst enemies. It is a fascinating dichotomy which they wanted to explore.
Your enjoyment of The Shiunji Family Children will likely depend upon how much you enjoy that dichotomy and harem manga. Because make no mistake, that is what The Shiunji Family Children is, despite Arata’s frequent protests that his life is NOT a light novel. Even as his youngest sister hugs him while naked, his second oldest sister mounts him in her bed clothes, his second youngest sister calls him sempai, and his older sister jokes about having a date with him.
Reiji Miyajima’s artwork remains excellent, however, with each of the siblings having a distinctive appearance. They also have unique personalities, moving beyond the usual stereotypes of “smart science girl” and “sporty tomboy” as the first issue goes on. This helps distinguish the book from other harem manga that are only concerned with the sexy bits.
On that note, Yen Press has rated The Shiunji Family Children as OT for Older Teens, 16 and up. I consider that a fair assessment. There is full nudity from the side of the 15-year-old Kotono and a lot of discussion of sexual content. There is no actual sex, however, but given the subject matter this book is rightly aimed at older audiences who can appreciate the emotional issues involved. Amazingly, these issues are treated seriously even as most of the comedy is born of Arata’s discomfort with the conflicting feelings that he and his sisters are dealing with.
The Shiunji Family Children, Vol. 1
By Reiji Miyajima
Yen Press, 2023
ISBN: 9781975371418
Company Age Rating: OT
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Creator Representation: Japanese,
Character Representation: Japanese,
