I love it. It deserves so much more than five stars. Also, look at the cover!! Who can resist? It's going to be a series that I'm going to love every volume.
It has the best characters ever. I love their personality and the strength with which they face the problems presented to them.
Despite their doubts, they decide to go after what they want and strive for the dreams they suppressed.
The drawings are simply beautiful. It's all so good. I loved every moment. I read this so quickly, I'm sad it's already over.
I really need to read the next volume.

If you haven't figured it out yet, this was one of the best books I've ever read.
I loved this so, so much. Is so good.

Thank you Read Now!! I don’t really have much to say about this though because it was kind of boring to me. I like the commentary on imposter syndrome, staying true to yourself and making unlikely (more than) friends and the art style - especially around Jun - is gorgeous but other than that nothing really grabbed me.

3.5
This story has gorgeous art, but the pacing is all over the place. A former model dreams of being a makeup artist, and a tall plain girl dreams of being a model. By working as a team, they're both trying to achieve their dreams. However, the pacing is so jumpy it threw me off. The entire arc of them learning each other's dreams agreeing to work together, and trying to win at the AOI festival is over in a flash. It's less than the full chapter before it's complete. There were many sweet moments, and the art was beautiful, but the plot pacing is just so jank. I hope it evens out in the next volume.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Review to come on May 12th on blog/other places.

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

A gorgeous and delightful manga about a guy who used to be model but actually wants to become a make-up artist go for that path fully and a classmate who wants to try out modelling even though she is super shy and at times awkward. I loved that they both supported the other and that they were really eager to make this work out.

My favourite character was definitely Aia, our MC. It was really fun to read on how he got a chance to go for make-up and see him pursue it. I love seeing him gain more confidence as the story continues. See him discover that make-up is really were his passion lies. But also see his worries. See that he wonders if he shouldn't have done this earlier because competition is fierce and some of them have been at it for years. I just wanted to step in the story and tell him that yes he may be behind, but he has talent and skills and he will get very far as long as he keeps on practicing now. I love how he was able to really bring out someone's face and make it pop. And I love his stance on freckles. A lot of make-up artists try to hide them, but he didn't want that. Oh, and his motto to do make-up? LOVED IT!

Oh, I do have to say I thought these guys were in college/uni, not in high school. The way they act, they fact they get job offers and opportunities to go further with their talents.

I did like Jun, and I did like seeing her blossom and try out this new path of modelling, see her embrace her height. Oh, and see her accept her freckles more made me smile, I wasn't such a fan how she fumbled that important moment with Aia. I get it, she is shy. She is awkward. It is her first time (or well second given the competition/event at the beginning), but it just felt like she didn't even try. And that they had to accommodate to have her feel happy. I hope she realises that Aia made this happen and that if she wants to pursue modelling this won't be standard. Especially not for a newbie.

I also liked meeting other people in the industry. Like the rival at the magazine, who wasn't always likeable but I did like him in overall. Or the guy that Aia knows from when he was a model who is now a superfamous make-up artist.

The school event that started it all? I wish I could have been there for real. It looks like such a fun event full of fashion, make-up and more! 

The art was gorgeous and stunning. Some of the panels were just so worthy of being put in frames.

All in all, this was a gorgeous and stunning manga and I will be rooting for these two characters. I am definitely interested in reading more! If you like fashion and make-up this is the one for you.

What a great new addition to manga collections? I loved the focus on fashion, makeup, and self worth. As someone who is not part of that scene, I still found the story incredibly engaging. It had me hooked. I can't wait for the next volume.

This is a 3.5 star for me. I was excited for this series because the premise reminded me a bit of Beauty Pop. I’m still getting a feel for the characters, their personalities, and their motivations beyond their individual dreams. I want to better understand their choices and reactions, and I did find it interesting that they’re taking the time to point out how privileged Aia is despite his constant self-doubt and catastrophizing. I’m curious to see how their friendship, working relationship and the implied possible romance develops. It’s not one It’s definitely a more casual series though, it didn’t leave me feeling like I needed the next volume immediately.

Aia and Jun make an interesting duo, where one is a model and the other is a makeup artist. It was hopeful, inspiring, fun, and the art style was nice! I adore the cover, it's quite eye catching.

The story is more character driven as it focuses on their flaws and their journey to grow as the plot progresses. There are also a variety of characters with different appearances and backgrounds, which is great because the manga provides more representation of the people that are in the fashion and makeup industry.

I would add volume 2 to my tbr!

A sweet manga about two classmates who team up a a makeup artist and model. The premise is quite basic but well handled and you easily attach to both the main characters. The art style is very pleasant on the eyes and overall I definitely think this is something to pick up if you want a sweet & casual read.

The plot in this manga was interesting. The art is STUNNING!!! I just don't think it was for me and I might not continue.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The only thing I actually liked was the story idea and how Aia's hair looked like, but it wasn't enough for giving it at least 2 stars.

The drawings were good, but sometimes it didn't make sense like on page 58 with the glasses. There were dots all over, not sure if that was supposed to be the shadowing, but that's not how a sunglasses would look like. Also, sometimes 'cause of the eyebrows or other facial feature it made the character look fake or like they are forcefully do it, like when Jun smiled on page 30 and her eyebrows looked worried 'cause of the angle.

The reactions of the characters to certain things were odd or even cringe (page 15, Jun's reaction, why pulling hair?, page 30, why does Jun smile and also not a shy one, she is so shy, but there she wasn't, 48-49, why did she cry and why did Aia scream?, page 99+104 disrespectful and why out of the blue?)

Relationship between Aia and Jun was horrible! At first it seemed cute and stuff, also how he complimented her about the sunflower thing (which I also didn't get, since when is it bad to be called a sunflower? Why is she so insecure about it?). Anyhow, it turns out that Jun makes decisions for them both without talking to Aia about it, they were a team, but she ruined it (page 86) and later on even wondered why he distanced himself from her (page 101). Page 101 is actually about her behaviour after people applauded due to her amazing walk and transformation (page 73). That was disrespectful. I don't think anyone should call this 'cute' as this is actually sexual harassment. She didn't ask beforehand and he clearly reacted to it too, by thinking; What was that?, about a few pages after the incident. And she of course never apologised and was I think in his apartment afterwards as he asked why she is there (page 109). In addition, while she was there she tried to pierce herself earrings. The self-made piercing tool is NOT good and there were already many incidents about it and how it damaged the ear in some way. There is a reason why professionals originally do that.


End note/Final thoughts:

Thank you for the advanced reader copy of Bless Volume 1 by Yukino Sonoyama.

I didn't enjoy it, but I know others did so don't let yourself be discouraged if you read this review. This is only my opinion after all, everyone should make their own about this book.

Started the book: 28. April 2024
Finished the book: 28. April 2024
Wrote the review: 28. April 2024

Bless has a great premise. Two teens work together to achieve there dreams.

One a model, the other her makeup artist. Together they make the perfect team, but one thing stands in their way. Their own insecurities. Will it hinder, or motivate them to rise to the challenge.

The artwork is beautiful, and there are great moments here and there.

I felt the premise was great, but the execution fell flat. Everything felt one dimensional and surface level. Granted this is volume one of a series that leaves a lot of room for growth. However, my journey with these characters ends here. I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series. The dialogue in my opinion doesn’t translate well either. At times it felt very stilted.

Bless
Star rating somewhere between 3.5/4

For starters, it gave me Blue Period vibes. I’m unsure if I’ll read more of this series and if I do it won’t be one where I will be picking up the volume right when it releases. It wasn’t a bad plot or anything and the art was good, just not necessarily a favorite one I have read recently. Even so, I still enjoyed reading and will probably give it another volume to see if it's one I continue.

It was a typical mc unsure of their skills, they take a step to show off their skill, with a little push from someone, then work toward fulfilling their dream- with points where they doubt themselves. This series is all about accepting oneself, in both appearance and what one likes, and moving forward to accomplish one's dream

I am vain, whenever I see a manga dealing with looks or make-up, I am intrigued, and that is because I see its potential. I like to see characters gaining confidence, and a lot of the times it is their transformation that starts that. Plus, there might be a conversation about inner beauty and releasing your true self.

This volume was interesting because it is about two characters that come together to participate in a runway contest, one as the make-up artist and the other as the model. But it is about their feelings and lifes rather than the technical aspects about it. What makes it interesting is that it is the boy who does the make-up. I liked how they got thrown together, but I would have liked to see more of their preparation for the festival, but it was quite a short aspect and it serves as a starting ground for the manga.

I think the story will tackle their new career aspirations, Aia as a make-up artist and Jun as a model, and that is also intriguing. On the synopsis it seemed like Jun got quite bullied because she has freckles on her face, but we did not see much of that, she was just a quiet classmate, but their pasts might be brought up in further issues.

To sum up, I think it is a good introduction and even if it did not focus as much on what I wanted it to, seeing them embrace those new oportunities and exploring those lifestyles will surely be fun as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Yukino Sonoyama for the opportunity to read this manga in exchange for an honest review.

Art: 4/5
Story: 4/5
Message: 5/5

Bless Volume 1 follows Aia, a would-be model who would rather be a makeup artist, and Jun, a tall girl with freckles who finds herself possibly becoming a model! As the two work together as makeup artist and model for a school art festival, they find that they can accomplish great feats as a team.

In a story about friendship, finding and appreciating oneself, and following one's dreams, this manga is an excellent model for teen readers. A great start to a wholesome story.

So I get that a lot of manga like to have a hook, something the main character is super passionate about to create interest and differentiate it from every other high school romance story out there.

But sometimes, (as with this one) too much time is spent on the obsession and not enough on the character development. In this case, the obsession is the only thing we know about the character. And since I don't even wear makeup, the hook didn’t "hook" me.

It might improve as a series given time to develop beyond the initial framework, but for right now, I am not particularly interested in continuing this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for granting me access to the ARC of ‘Bless 1' by Yukino Sonoyama in exchange for an honest review.

The plot summary for this manga is very cute and the artwork is absolutely beautiful, but the story feels like it's on ultra fast forward. There's no build up of the characters or full explanation of the fashion contest they are participating in. Aia and Jun's personal insecurities are introduced and almost immediately gotten over.

I wanted to like this because, again, the artwork is lovely, but I found it hard to really get into the story because it felt like two or three books worth of content crammed into one. I had assumed that the fashion contest would be the big moment at the end of the book, with Aia and Jun's friendship and trust building in each other as they worked towards the big reveal, their hard work finally shown off to their classmates and the judges, but it took place not even halfway through the book and immediately moved on.

First of all, thank you for the opportunity to read this.

Overall, the pacing of the story is quite fast but it was great for the first chapter to start with an “event” that immediately shows conflict and resolution. The main characters’ personalities are actually similar in some ways but it’s great the manga is able to show how they bring out the best in each other.

Reading this felt like a lot. The story felt like it was going at a 100 mph. I thought the end of the first volume would be the Aoi Con that was mentioned at the beginning (to be honest they barely explained what it was, or I just didn't get it), but no. That thing was over in like a chapter or 2, and then we quickly rush on to the next thing. The characters were messy and confusing too. Not like real people, but as in their personalities didn't make much sense to me. Jun especially didn't make sense. She went from scared with no confidence, to overly confident and over-the-top/ too much, and then back to no confidence as if the other thing never happened. There was a lot of "telling not showing" going on, with one character telling us that the other is "mysterious" or "full of a shining light" or such things and every time my first thought was "really?" because there was nothing at all to back this up for me as a reader. Jun also has a problem with slouching, but she stops doing it for one minute, never does it again, and then that issue is solved forever I guess. Honestly the story gave me whiplash, and that angry guy with the braces felt like Katsuki Bakugou in a different font.

When I decided to read this I thought it would be something completely different. I thought it would be two friends fighting against the ridiculous beauty standards that exist in the world, but it barely did anything like that at all. I do appreciate them saying that her freckles are not to be covered up because they make her who she is. I do feel that the idea for this manga has potential, but after reading this I honestly don't want to give the story another try, it made me too tired.

I absolutely adored this story so far! The author uses her voice to uplift notion that we should question what it really means to be beautiful on the inside and out, as well as the power of hard work and determination. Both Aia, a beautiful boy interested in makeup artistry, and Jun, a tall slender girl with a face covered in freckles, find themselves chasing towards their goals after competing in their school's fashion contest. Bless volume 1 by Yukino Sonoyama is a testament to diligence, perseverance, and finding the beauty in all things!

BLESS immediately reminded me of Paradise Kiss in terms of concept (teens working in the world of fashion), but is more akin to titles like BLUE PERIOD in execution. Both main characters open the story by feeling lost and out of place, but through their school's art show they're able to discover their passions that drive them into finding their true self. I think this new series is perfect not only for fans of make-up and high fashion, but also those who gravitate towards stories about chasing your dreams.