Volume 3 of Hirayasumi may just be my favorite one yet. The continuation of the sweetest slice of life brings a lot of new developments for Natsumi and Yomogi, while Hiroto seems to be at a standstill. I was excited to dive into this volume and see what it had in store for everyone.

Processing Highs and Lows

In volume 3 of Hirayasumi, we witness Natsumi on the path of her dreams. Her manga won an award, and now she gets to work with an acclaimed editor to get it published. Working with this editor turns out to be a wake-up call for Natsumi, as she isn't used to receiving the type of feedback he gives, especially feedback surrounding how to make improvements to her manga that will turn it into commercial success.

I loved seeing how this feedback challenged Natsumi. She didn't think about "commercial success" with her manga; she wanted to make art and share it. Instead of letting that deter her, she lets it motivate her to continue moving forward and work hard to make herself a success.

Another challenge we see Natsumi face is her trying to figure out if she is romantically interested in a classmate. Having romance on her mind, after seeing Hideki and his wife, Natsu was looking at a fellow student in a "well, maybe" kind of way. When Akira asks her if she likes him, Natsu says no, which ends up being the right thing to say because Akira likes him.

I mentioned previously that I wasn't sure if Natsu romantically liked Akira or just admired her, but this development didn't make me more certain of either thought! I did have a feeling that Natsu really was not interested in the classmate like that, especially because it seemed so random and she was more focused on what it would look like to be in a relationship versus be with him. But I was surprised that Akira liked him! I'm wishing them the best even though I still am lowkey shipping Akira and Natsumi.

Yomogi's Love Triangle

Yomogi continues to be my favorite character to follow in Hirayasumi. A lot of it is because we're probably close in age, and although her life is very different than mine, women get women. In this volume, her adventures continue to provide joy for me. She is so relatable, especially in her thoughts about her life, her image, and her potential love life.

By Yomogi's thoughts, we find her in a possible love triangle. She ends up meeting an author due to work and the two have some cute encounters following Yomogi assisting him in finding an apartment. We can see that the author is crushing on Yomogi, but it's hard to read how Yomogi feels about the author. We also see her thinking about Hiroto, especially when her friend mentions meeting unexpectedly and does not think it's "fate."

I would love to see Yomogi with Hiroto because I think it would be so cute. But I also love the idea of her dating this author and seeing where that goes! I like the idea of going with the flow, having fun getting to know someone, and seeing if something more can develop.

Hiroto's Reflections

This volume didn't focus on Hiroto in the driver's seat as much as the volumes before. But when it did, it provided more key insight into his personal struggles, especially surrounding his acting career.

In discussing Natsumi’s manga meeting, Hiro reflects on his acting meeting from a few years ago. While he didn’t go through with acting due to how competitive it is, he sees Natsu decide to let this industry fuel her. Part of me feels like, or maybe more so hopes, that he will make a return to acting. It’s clear he has the looks and potential. He just didn’t want to deal with the competitive nature of the industry. I wonder if seeing how Natsu is facing the same part of the manga industry head-on, will inspire him to do the same.

Where to Next

Every chapter of Hirayasumi puts me in such a good mood, that I end up reading the volume multiple times! Each character has such a unique storyline, that I find myself wanting more of everyone. I do hope we get more exposition on Hiroto in the next volume. I love him so much and find him so quirky and charming. Hiroto deserves some more action in the present and something to challenge his "easygoing" attitude.

Overall, as per usual, I will be counting down the days until volume 4 is available. Hirayasumi has been one of my favorite series this year and each volumes continues to add to its charm. I want to keep experiencing life with these three for as long as possible.

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Thank you to Netgalley and Viz for an advanced reviewer copy.

Published by Viz Media and available November 19, this is the thirst volume of the iyashikei series Hirayasumi that I've read and reviewed. And I continue to be charmed by the art and story of this unique series. Hiro is a great laid-back character who brings a chill, kind presence to everyone in his life, and Nat is a relatable nervous wreck trying to become a mangaka. I find it hard to review subsequent volumes in a series because to fully enjoy them the reader has to have read the previous books, so I'll just say this series as a whole will appeal to fans of slice-of-life stories-- ones that deal with day-to-day experiences and people looking for a relaxing, heartfelt read.

I did not think I'd be excited to read a slice of life manga featuring an ex-actor, art students, a real estate agent, new parents, and an author, but here we are. I finished volume 3 of Hirayasumi much faster than I thought I would and am already looking forward to the fourth volume. We learn a bit more about the author, who seems to be a weird addition to the cast, and I appreciate how there's a perfectly good depiction of what would drive one to live a minimalist lifestyle. Once again it's a perfectly good example of storytelling in manga that's wholesome enough to be read by multiple demographics.

In this third volume, Keigo Shizo continues to show many of the strengths of the series, such as his deft touch with both art (especially messy, crowded environments) and emotional subtlety in story structure, but this volume has introduced some new directions, including elements that I feel are weakening the series.

Two new subplots are introduced involving secondary characters and moving the plot away from the core of Hiroto and Natsumi. To avoid spoilers, I will only say that I thought both new subplots seemed more conventional and less in keeping with the spirit of the series so far. Relatedly, this volume seems to be concentrating on introducing new characters rather than deepening the established ones, with the possible exception of Yomogi, who we get to see an all new side of in her working environment.

Nothing has unmade this story yet, and it’s still quite good, but it is yet to be seen if it remains true to itself.

I can say with a lot of confidence that this series is definitely a comfort series for me.

In this current volume, colder months are creeping in as Natsumi navigates being a first time manga artist in a small publication, Hideki adjusts to being a new father, Yomogi helps a shy writer find a new apartment.

I absolutely love the slower pace of this manga and the fact that I'm reading this volume as my own season begrudgingly heads into fall. I cannot wait for the next volume!

I enjoyed this third volume, but it does feel like the story has slowed down a bit, which it wasn't particularly quick paced to begin with. I'm interested by the introduction of a possible love rival for one of our main characters, and in seeing our other main character trying to figure out what exacting liking someone is for her. I'm hoping for a possible queer storyline, whether it be sapphic or ace. I do love every time we get a flashback of Granny and hope to keep seeing memories of her in future volumes.