Blue Period is a coming-of-age story with the main character, Yatora Yaguchi, being a second year and needing to consider his choices for college. It starts that he’s trying hard to boost his grades in non-creative studies as he thinks this will help him most, he actually naps in art most of the time.

But, one early morning, something clicks in him and makes him want to start drawing. When he draws with his feelings it makes others in his class, including his adorably supportive teacher, give him praise which only further encourages him to do art. That sets into motion the main story of this manga where he’s trying his hardest to become better and even wants to apply for art school.

It’s a heartfelt story with times when he’s clearly comparing himself to others far too much, but of course Yamaguchi puts in a lot of the art Yaguchi creates and so we see his improvements over a period of just 6 months. The biggest thing that I personally enjoyed is how much I could relate to his internal struggles, and the struggles that he gained from others around him putting down art. There’s even one scene where he’s discussing his choice for art school with another teacher who basically asks him why he’s messing around. I only wish I’d been able to read this at an age when I was deciding on things because, well the main message is right. Even if you choose a “safe” option you’re not guaranteed to make a career from it so why shouldn’t we follow what we enjoy most?

Basically, I think this would be fantastic for someone struggling to decide on an arts course or not for college/university. But it also makes for a great and heartfelt read if that’s not you.

“WRITING OFF THE THING YOU LOVE LIKE IT’S JUST A HOBBY…? SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING ONLY GROWN-UPS WOULD DO, DON’T YOU THINK?”

In terms of supporting characters, Yaguchi’s best friends all come across as fairly bad influences with the amount of time they stay out watching sports and smoking, but when it comes to important things like supporting his art they’re the first to. I guess it’s just more that they’re a group of teens wanting to have fun, which is pretty nice to see on the whole.

One very intriguing character is that of Yuka, who is referred to as a cross-dresser. The pronouns Yuka goes by are both he and she with it not actually being stated which they prefer, but I really like the way that this character was included. Just one quick mention of cross-dressing and then the rest of the time they were just, them. It didn’t matter enough to other characters which is how it should be.

Regarding artwork itself, you can tell that the mangaka has put a lot of care into it. They’ve been careful to put in shadows where necessary to make the scenes more emotional and with the main subject being art there’s a lot of beautiful mini pieces of art within.

Above all else, the manga made me want to see what happened with Yaguchi, and I’ll definitely be picking up the next installment for it! Going to be looking for a physical copy this weekend also.

I liked the premise for this one from the start, but the actual story itself blew me away in the best way, in part because I could really feel for Yatora that moment he found his ‘passion’ because I have felt that way about writing before.

In the beginning, it took a little to warm to Yatora, because he was kind of disconnected from everything happening around him, drifting through life, doing well but with no real passion for anything, and then he found art, and he really came alive, both to me as the reader and in his world and that was fantastic to see. The power in this manga is that he goes from someone who was almost effortlessly doing well, to one who had found the thing he wanted to do best in and having to work in it, and I truly appreciated how it was a journey and a struggle, with failings as well as successes, and that he had to work for his passion. That felt so real and made it so easy to emphasize with his efforts, and it made for an inspiring story, especially for anyone currently caught in a dip or rut, or who is testing out a new passion. The drive and feeling are there, and I feel that there is a lot to be taken from Yatora’s story, and this is only the first volume!

Fittingly for a manga about art, the artwork in this book is beautiful in and of itself and is paired with real artwork contributed by other artists, again adding that extra layer of realism and lifting the manga to the next level. It also never superseded the story itself, the two working perfectly hand in hand, alongside the characters to create a rich, well-balanced manga.

Aside from Yatora who really grew on me as a character, there was a fantastic cast of characters, all of whom were unique and distinct in their own ways. I absolutely loved the art teacher, who was incredibly supportive which makes all the difference when embracing a passion like this

There were a few places where the information about art and techniques felt a little heavy-handed, but it was by far outweighed by the beautiful art style, story and overall message of the manga. And for anyone wanting to dip their toe into art, this manga is informative and motivational in its own way.

This is a slower-paced, slice of life manga, but it was incredibly poignant, and I found myself enjoying it even more than I had expected. I will certainly be on the lookout for the rest of the series, and would certainly recommend to anyone who enjoys that kind of manga or who is looking for that little bit of inspiration.

I really enjoyed this manga. It follows Yatora, a popular guy who gets good grades and is perfect at school. But he has no passions or any hobbies to fill out his days. He seems to go through days robotically, doing the same actions over and over with no regard for his future. The school is starting to send out career forms and now Yatora has to decide what he wants to do for the rest of his life, but there's nothing that he's passionate about. When there's an assignment in his art class, Yatora surprises everyone by enjoying and excelling at the assignment. Is art going to be his passion? Will he make it into a career?

Overall, this was a really great first volume of this manga. I'm excited to see where the story goes and how the characters grow.

Yatora is a high school student in his second year with superb grades. He’s moderately popular even with his pierced ears and circle of friends that often get labeled as delinquents. Sure, he stays out to all hours of the night and morning, but he manages to pull off some of the best grades and keep his parents off his back. Putting in the time to study, knowing the correct answers to the teachers when asked questions in his classes, and saying all the right things to his friends when they’re out and about is easy. Effortless, really. He even likens it to grinding to level up in a video game. This is his life. It is all…dull. predictable. But, it is his life.

Wandering into the art club’s room to retrieve his forgotten cigarettes allows him to stumble upon a painting that stops him dead in his tracks, awakening him and setting him on a path that starts off with more upsets than triumphs. Yatora realizes that he wants to try being authentic to himself as he’s just been using all the cheat codes to make everyone else happy and keep up the status quo. Painting quickly becomes a passion to the boy who did not have one before and sets out to pursue it.

Even the name of the manga is a bit on the nose but when considering that it is a reference to Pablo Picasso’s Blue Period. The opening pages have our protagonist pondering about Picasso and just why he’s so important to the art world. My best interpretation after reading the first volume is that our boy gets only just a taste of the yearning, of the drive to want to recreate what he sees and feels onto a piece of paper, on a canvas. There’s a sort of agony that is present in each chapter with his self-reflection on talent and art and ability. There are no life hacks for this. There is no easy out. Empty praise that he’s heard all his life means nothing when he feels that the other students in the art club are miles away in front of him in regards to ability and what they want to do in the future. There’s a sort of immediacy that is woven into the narrative.

On the artwork side, there are scenes that stand out and make the world stop–the best illustrative example is when Yatora walks into the art club’s room. He’s frozen in place and the painting seems to wink at him. The pages of Yatora attempting to express that special blue of the early morning light of the city when he’s returning home in the wee hours after goofing around with friends is another favorite scene. The more I read, the more I realized that there’s more depth to him. The combination of the overall manga artwork that includes the recreation of so many different pieces like drawn still life pieces and brochures with art is stunning and beautiful, collaborative pieces of work by so many different people as noted in the special thanks sections. (You can see who inked the backgrounds, who worked on Yatora’s early art pieces, etc.)

Tsubasa Yamaguchi’s 2020 Manga Taisho Grand Prize Winning manga is a work about youth and wanting to challenge yourself. This manga is about defining and redefining who you are when you’re finally starting to figure out what drives you and what your true passion may be. I was instantly thrown back to my later high school days of wondering if my parents could afford art school and if I could make it as a creative with the career paths I originally chose for myself way back when as a teenager.

Navigating what ambition, honesty, and passion look like, this first volume of Blue Period will immerse you, delight you, and cut your heartstrings every time you want to cheer for our Yatora. It’s a thrilling ride for him to start to uncover what stirs his soul as it is also one that constantly reminds him of where he’s at…the bottom of the totem pole, he’s still new. Fresh. Wet behind the ears. He has some level of discipline and dedication–but he still has to work on the fundamentals, he still has to buy his own art supplies. He still has to work at it. He still has to exhaust himself and hold up in his room wondering if he can do it.Blue Period is a fascinating story about a young man exploring a new world and wanting more and not being satisfied with the level he’s at. I’d gather that this manga sits in the shounen or seinen genre. And while it is very educational, it can be a bit of information overload, especially towards the end. This is a really strong first issue and I can’t wait to read more!

Thank you to Netgalley and Kondashi for the copy of the book! All opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars

Wow! This manga took me totally by surprise and completely blew me away. I enjoy art and I'm currently trying to get back into it consistently for the first time since my junior year of high school. I'm learning, failing, beating myself up, and building myself up. All of this is contained in this volume, all of it feels so familiar and god does it make me want to work even harder.

Yaguchi, works hard because it's what is needed to get by. He lives day by day, doing what is required, and what he feels is a recipe for general success. Then he finds a moment in his art class that gives him a new perspective and a new focus, he finds passion which is something he's been lacking for so long. I love his drive and the fact that it's all kind of new to him, so we are given a look at art basics and concepts in a semi-detailed way. It's broken down and explained, and makes the entire concept approachable. I just love that there are moments of actual art education happening, which admittedly might not be for everyone. I also love the interactions between Yaguchi and his peers, the comradery and even the secret need to push yourself to get better so you 'feel' like you earned your place near them.

I'm so excited to see what the series brings to the table in volume two, and how Yaguchi progresses in both his artistic ventures but also in his outlook on the world around him.

As someone who has read upwards of 50 volumes of manga this year, I did find this one took me a bit longer to power through than the others. I have a BA, and the arts have always been so important to me, so reading about Yatora's journey and passion was wonderful. I'm not overly familiar with artist techniques, so the sheer amount of information presented in this volume was a bit to take in. I'm not sure yet if I want to continue this series, but I'm definitely open to reading more of it in the future.

Blue Period is such an inspiring manga!

Yatora is a 2nd year in high school who excels in a lot of areas but doesn’t have any passion for anything in particular. After helping out with the Art Club and some sudden inspiration from an art class assignment, he’s found he really loves art and wants to pursue it.

Blue Period explores what it means to be good at something and how much work you have to put into it to improve. The explanations of art terms are sometimes a lot but the overall story makes up for it. The lessons Yatora learns about passion and talent vs hard work can be applied to any skill, not just art. I admire the main characters dedication and I’m really rooting for him!

The art teacher character is so supportive and kind, I really wish I had an art teacher like her! There is also the character, Ryuji, who is a boy but dresses like a girl. Everyone is so supportive of them and I’m interested to see how they develop as a character and as a potential rival to Yatora!

I really recommend this to anyone who Is struggling with being “good enough” or working towards getting better at something. I was certainly inspired and want to read more!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Tsubasa Yamaguchi for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This ended up being a lot to read, for a manga, as it goes into details about different art techniques, so it took longer than most manga for me to read. The message about art and what it can convey is very powerful. I liked the way the protagonist got very into a painting which ultimately became his driving force to pursue art as a possible career.

Overall, enjoyable, and on the fence about whether or not I may continue. Definitely a book for those into art.

A good story about finding your passion in life and sticking with it. I love how Yatora stumbled into art and already has so much support from those around him. The author also made a good point on how it takes hard work when trying to excel in anything artistic.

There are lots of techniques mentioned throughout the manga that artist use in their work. While these techniques could be useful to some I felt like at times it hinder the flow of the story. Despite that I still really enjoyed the story and will be continuing this series.

Blue Period Vol. 1 is the start to a new series revolving around art and the drive to create your own path in life. The series was written by Tsubasa Yamaguchi, and translated by T. Ghirlanda.

Art can change a life. That is a lesson Yatora is about to learn. Once upon a time, he was the perfect student. But he felt no brightness in his life. No drive, no motivation. Until one day, he sat down and completed an art assignment.

That was the day that everything changed. From that moment onward, Yatora's goal has been to improve. To get good enough to be accepted into the only public art school he can afford, so that he can make art his life.

Blue Period Vol. 1 is brilliant and shockingly inspiring. If you're finding yourself in a rut, and in need of something to motivate you to dive back into your artwork, then I cannot suggest Blue Period enough.

Yatora's story starts out kind of eye-rollish, but I believe that is with intention. He's not an easy to like character, because he has no motivation. That all changes once he actually starts to apply to himself, and learn about the art all around him.

On that note, there are lots of art facts to be found within this graphic novel. It won't be anything new to an art or art history student (or fan, for that matter), but there's absolutely nothing wrong with that fact.

It could even be a fun way of dipping one's toes into the art world. Or the beginning of something new – much like what happened to Yatora. It was truly inspiring, to see him fall so deeply in love with something that he had previously overlooked.

There are plenty of secondary characters to flesh out the story, with the implication that it will become larger with time. I'm very much looking forward to seeing how Yatora's journey continues, as well as those that are trying to go along the same path.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and Kodansha Comics in exchange for an honest review.

This review is being published before the release date (October 13th, 2020)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Underage drinking and side remarks directed at a side character who crossdresses


“Here are a few tips to ensure a smooth relationship: Tell people what they want to hear. Don’t focus on yourself, make sure they are having fun in the conversation. At least that the only way I know how to communicate.”

I can’t believe how much I loved this manga and I still can’t believe I didn’t know about this series sooner! This might be a new favorite manga series I need to invest in because this story line, these characters, oh be still my fluttering soul. Going into this book, not realizing how centered around art it was, and then being blown away by so much within these pages was truly an experience. And I just really enjoyed this manga so much, with my whole heart!

Our story follows second year student, Yatora Yaguchi, who’s always gone with the flow and making sure to be practical, to stay on the path his family expects of him. He’s spent most of his time pleasing those around him, never really talking about his passions or interests because to choose those would cause trouble for those around him, or so he believes. When one day he returns to the art room, he comes across a painting that stirs something within his soul and shortly after, his thoughts begin to be consumed by art.

I really loved Yatora as our main character. Yatora’s character is such a breath of fresh air especially in the manga world. Yatora is classified or labeled as a “delinquent”, but despite the bleached hair and the terrible smoking habit, Yatora is actually an honors student and has really high marks on their grade card. And like any coming of age story, we see a light shined upon some of the inner thoughts almost every high schooler has, thoughts such as passion vs. money, hobby vs. career, follow expectations vs. make your own path, peer pressure, parents support and disappointment, etc… We see a lot of that inner monologue with Yatora and I think many readers will be able to connect with a lot of those thoughts. There’s a moment where Yatora receives praise for a class assignment and how it touched him, how good it felt, and I truly believe that scene alone will resonate with so many readers.

“And those who are true to themselves make truly great art. Because art is a language without words.”

I think the progression of the story is the biggest factor that impacted my reading of this manga. The progression of this book is very much geared towards providing information about art and the various art school in Japan. Setting that aside, I couldn’t help becoming swept up in all the hard work, the dedication, and the way Yatora’s skills were developing. Even meeting the side characters and learning about their own skills was really enjoyable. I’ve never been an artist, but this book reminded me of how much I love to draw and sketch. However, I do think some readers will feel bogged down with the amount of information that’s scattered throughout this book.

I do want to say that there were a few minor things that caused me to reread the passages to make sure I was reading them correctly. Yatora’s friends are really disrespectful and there were times where it caught me off guard or it would throw off the entire vibe of a scene. There were also one or two moments where side remarks were made towards the side character Yuka, who cross dresses. For most readers, I think this will get overlooked or no one will talk about it. However, when I caught it and then noticed it was never challenged, it didn’t quite sit right with me. And that might be my own reaction especially due to cross dressing in the past myself, but it was hard to tell what the intentions were with those remarks and hopefully in future issues this will be challenged more.

“Liking something and saying so is scary.”

Overall, I had a pleasant experience and as I said, this might be a new series I’ll end up investing in. I’m eager to see how things will play out, I’m dying to know if Yatora will tell his parents, and most importantly, I want to see more of the side characters in the art club. There’s just a really soothing and enjoyable mood when all the art club students are together. Plus, the teacher is a a true gem and she’s one of those teachers who really cares for her students. If you’re looking for a new manga series to fall in love with, I definitely recommend give this series a chance. I think many readers will enjoy the progression of this manga and be eager to find out what will happen next!


The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Blue Period is a manga about art but it's also about following your passion even if it is difficult and even it isn't the conventional path. It honestly made me want to cry because I wish I studied art after high school. There is a surprising amount of technical information and advice about art which was overwhelming at times but also really useful. If you like drawing I think it would be really nice to read. I found it very useful haha.

I like the characters, even the minor characters had a lot of heart and depth to them. I was irked a bit by how one of the main supporting characters Yuka-chan was drawn. They had exaggerated features (like long legs) and seemed a bit sexualized. They were revealed to be a boy(?) in the omake which confused me more than anything but retrospectively it makes sense since they were shown to wear a mix of the boys and girls' uniforms.

Overall, Blue Period is filled with gorgeous art and a lot of love. I highly recommend it. It's not very exciting, but it's a sweet, moving and sometimes poignant slice of life manga about art and following your passion.

The same as Weathering with You, I'm not completely sold until I see the finished product that I can't see when reading a galley copy that's not fully in color (if in color) or fully finished. Plus I think I've been spoiled with Hoopla in reading graphic novels in general because there's no way to better read some of the narrative or speech bubbles on any digital device making it difficult to delve deep.

Otherwise, I'm a fan of what this series is doing in sharing the need to find one's passion, whatever it might be and that creativity gives life to other things.

About a high school student who enters into the world of art, Blue Period is quite relatable in terms of artists struggle, and also is sort of an informative guide to beginners in art. Yatora is a hard-working student who can achieve good results if he puts his mind to it, and also has a delinquent image because of the group he hangs out with, as well as because of his appearance. According to him, getting good grades and social achievements feel like just filling up a quota, and he doesn't really feel like he has any true interests - until he comes across a painting in the art club's room that makes him feel so much that he decides to take his art class' assignment seriously for once. Painting Shibuya at near-dawn in its blue tinted glory gets him praise, and for the first time he feels elated for achieving something. He is, however, also very practical minded and doesn't think pursuing a career in arts would be all that lucrative, but his art teacher encourages him to do it nevertheless, because he has the drive to make it possible.

Yatora's goal is to enter the public university for arts in Tokyo, because it is the only elite one that will fit for him and his budget. His journey begins as he joins the art club, and works hard at improving his skills. His senpai, Mori (the one who painted the aforementioned painting) is the one he looks up to, as he sees her as a sort of benchmark. They also have an interesting conversation about talent and hardwork. Another club member, Yuka (gender-non-conforming, uses he/him), also becomes sort of his friend, and helps him out with supplies shopping, and the two of them also go for winter prep courses together, where they meet a genius. Yatora's journey is not straight-forward, nor is he given shounen-protag-level-skills - he is alternately elated by his progress but also frustrated by his skills, which makes for a relatable story. His home situation is also not what I expected - he hasn't told his parents yet that he is going to pursue art but they have already found out and are silently supporting him.

The author's idea to use different artists for the various 'works' made by the characters is also a great choice, because it shows the different skills and perspectives of each. I also love the character design, overall, and the way his imagination is presented when he visualizes Shibuya. I am so here for Yatora's journey, and I also interested in Yuka's and Mori's stories!

Blue Period interested me a lot, since it's about art and also seinen, which is kind of rare. Thus I had high hopes for this to be something else and the manga delivered. Yatora looks like a delinquent, but is actually good at school and has friends, but something is lacking. It feels like he is just fulfilling his life instead of living it. He stumbles upon an oil painting that captures his eye and somehow ends up doing art and actually enjoys it as opposed to everything else in his life. Thus begins his journey into art, the styles and teachings in order to apply to an art school. The first part is quite packed and moves the story far, which is nice. The story is realistic and mostly I enjoyed Yatora's pondering and notions, which make this rich and deep. The "this is how you art" approach bothered me slightly though, since it's so obvious and too much like teaching the reader like a child. I also paint and whatnot, so there was nothing new to me, which is why this approach felt superimposed in this case.

The line art looks nice and the panels are quite stuffed, but overall the manga looks good and works what comes to the theme. We actually see the characters making art, which is great. The little details are the best part as well as the angle of view that differs. Blue Period is quite solid and real in many ways. It's great to have manga about art, since there aren't too many series about it considering that manga in itself is art too.

i really liked the style in this. i'm not someone who reads tons of manga, and i really liked the tradicional format of it even reading it in e-form. i think this is good no only for manga readers/art enthusiasts, but also for people who are interested in learning about different art styles, since this has a very nice and accesible educational feeling.

Blue Period

Huge thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The cover is really pretty and I like the colors a lot. The art is also great throughout the manga. As this is about artists we see a lot of different art pieces, not just just manga style ones. I love that every picture is credited and at the end of the book the artists who drew the character’s art pieces are mentioned for their contributions.

Content warnings
slight fanservice, a side character who is crossdressing gets a bit dissed

Our story starts with Yatora, a high schooler who is out at night drinking with his friends at a sports bar. At first sight he is quickly branded as a delinquent by other students, he has bleached hair and piercings. Despite this he also has very good grades and puts a lot of work into both his studies and into his social life. While his mom nags him to study and not play too much, his dad tells him the opposite to loosen up a bit and have fun. He seems most things in his life as transactional, if you study a lot you will get a good job, if you put the effort in with people you will have friends. While he claims his life is perfect this way there isn’t really anything he is passionate about. That is until one day where he gets inspired to draw by their teacher at the elective art class, a class most kids take for an easy grade. When his piece turns out great and he receives a few compliments, he realizes he never felt this understood in his entire life. He shortly joins the school art club and as most kids there are headed for art school he wonders whether art school is something that fits into his future, after all isn’t it harder to make a living as an artist?

The book contains a lot of the fears people who draw face, you don’t have to be a professional artist to find these relatable. The fear and want behind wanting to pursue an art career and being afraid that you will never make it, that there will be always someone better than you.

I admit at first I didn’t really like Yatora, he had a rather cynical worldview. But as he let himself draw for just the fun of it and opened up, I came to like him. The teacher and the club members at the art school are really likable as well. I also rooted for Mori-senpai to get into the uni of her choice.

If there was one thing I didn’t like is the slight fanservice female characters got a few times, awkward close up panels of their butts or thighs. It wasn’t s lot and it was rather lowkey but I also think it is unnecessary. There is also a character who has a male name but dresses as female, wears a long hair and with their friends uses a female nickname. Now my problem is that it was never properly said if this character is trans, or crossdressing for fun. It is just treated as a weird hobby or quirk. And the main character insists on calling them by their birth name and sometimes disses them for wearing female clothes. I wish this wasn’t just a funny quirk or what have you and the protagonist respected them a bit more.

Overall this was a fun manga, I recommend it to anyone who ever studied art or likes to draw. We also get a lot of informational snippets about different art techniques and the process of how applying to an art school in Japan works.

As you can see, I classified this manga as educational. This is because, in my opinion, it teaches you about the basics of art (drawing and painting) through the story. I found that really interesting and I learnt some things thanks to it. My main problem with this manga is that it focuses too much on art and not at all on the characters. We know from the summary that Yatora is considered a delinquent as well as a popular guy in his high school but we never follow him through his day for example, just a little bit at the beginning. It is also the case for all the other characters, we only see them in art class and don’t know anything about their background. In other words, there is a lack of development for the characters. Apart from this, I found the drawings really pretty, totally my style and I enjoyed it a lot. It was really nice to look at it. Moreover, the plot is promising. Yatora is following is passion and is doing everything he can to succeed. I think it’s an important mindset and that’s why I would recommend it to teenagers; to make them believe in their dreams.
3.5/5

What a pleasant surprise! It's been so long since I've read a manga that this gave me so many feels!

Blue Period #1 is a manga that tells the story about Yatora Yaguchi who is a popular guy in school's 2nd year but struggles with the meaning of life, his professional future, his family's desires and his new love for art.

Yamaguchi's work is really amazing, not only the art and drawing style which is GORGEOUS but how she deals with self-discovery in a simple but meaningful way. Multiple times I could relate with the main character's thoughts or feelings and I consider it a very important step to make a powerful conection with the story and characters in general.

Also I enjoyed when Yamaguchi's explained a little bit about art concepts because in my case I don't know anything about it. It was sort of an educational experience. Maybe sometimes there were too much but it still felt good.
Another thing that put me off was how soon Yatora discovered his love for art. I think it would have been more interesting to see him struggle a little bit more with his feelings..

Overall it was a nice experience and I really can see this becoming a new favourite in near future! Totally recomend it if you are looking for a light read!

🌟4.5🌟
I want to gush so much about this one, I wouldn't know where to start.

I read it was about art and I immediately picked it up. I’m no artist but have always had a strong adoration for all things related to it. The world is made worth living by- Musicians, Writers & Artists. It’s a fact. I don’t make rules.

The story is about a second-year high school student Yatora Yaguchi who is a delinquent but studies hard for ranks so that he can get into good college. He soon realizes how he’s burning out trying to please everyone else around him and just then--art enters his life.
Now, would he keep art as a hobby and stay focused on his goal of a prestigious college and good life or make a risqué decision of changing his career goals when there are only 600 days to entrance test?

Let’s start with the plot. I absolutely loved it! The way story progresses is captivating and entertaining. There’s humor, banter and enough momentum along with heavy chaos to keep you reading.

I liked Yatora immediately because I related to his character. So much.

“Here are a few tips to ensure a smooth relationship: Tell people what they want to hear. Don’t focus on yourself, make sure they are having fun in the conversation. At least that the only way I know how to communicate.”

He goes from this to the one who slowly learns to express and expose himself through art. The character development of Yatora is heartwarming. Even side characters have so much personality and story to them and the little character notes at the end are just perfect enough to excite the readers, I’ll patiently wait for the next volume! Before I forget- Kudos to the artist for an effort to draw characters in a groundbreaking way- (read: not all girls petite and small with some chubby chicks thrown in for variety and Yuka-chan, a trans girl!)

It lays out quite a few heavy matters in a light that’re always somewhere on a student’s mind. Just to name a few—pressure to select a suitable future path, Passion vs Money?, Hobby vs Career?, BUT I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO YET!, parent’s support and peer pressure, jealousy and self-doubts.

This manga is not to be missed, especially if you are an artist or an art student. It packs so much of interesting information ranging from use of complimentary colors to famous Japanese art universities and their admission criteria and sketching perspectives to ways to dilute oil paints.

Towards the middle it does get a bit heavy with all this info that can irk few readers.

It made me realize why I’d started drawing all those years ago and now I want to rekindle my love with it again.💖

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!