Manga Spotlight Aug'24

Manga recommendations - Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey, Princess Jellyfish, Love at Fourteen

Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey

This week's recommendation is Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey by Akiko Higashimura. It is her autobiography, about her journey of becoming a shoujo mangaka. A story of a clueless high school girl blindly following her passion for the arts, being an unmotivated arts college student, finding herself incapable of doing anything productive; subsequently it depicts her life as a young adult wrestling with an incredibly hectic routine as she tries to realise her childhood dream of becoming a successful mangaka. It's a harsh review on her numerous moments of immaturity, and a piece of subtle appreciation for all the family, friends, and peers who have supported her along the way. Most importantly, it's an absolutely incredible and moving homage to the hero of her life: that one stubborn, intimidating, rash, insensitive, but nevertheless most genuine and pure person she has ever known, one Hidaka-sensei by name. If you like stories like Blue Period or Bakuman, this is the manga for you.
Credits: Dkay (MAL, Anilist, Twitter)

Anilist, MAL, Wikipedia, Official English Edition

Princess Jellyfish

This week's recommendation is Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura. The story revolves around a group of otaku women living in the Amamizukan apartment complex in Tokyo. These women, who refer to themselves as the "Amars," have various obsessions, ranging from trains to traditional Japanese dolls. Here lives our main character Tsukimi Kurashita, a socially awkward girl with a love for all things jellyfish. She befriends a stylish and fashionable woman named Kuranosuke Koibuchi (who may not be who she claims to be). When the Amamizukan is threatened for demolition and redevelopment, Kuranosuke decides to help Tsukimi and the Amars. The group then navigate the complexities of life, love, and self-discovery all whilst trying to save their home.

This story combines comedy, drama, and romance, with a strong focus on character development. A beautiful shoujo manga, it explores themes of identity, societal expectations, and the importance of pursuing one's passions. It's quirky, warm, and most importantly allows you to believe that anyone and everyone can be a princess.
Thanks for the recommendation @~medha/ᐠ.ꞈ.ᐟ\!

Anilist, MAL, Wikipedia, Official English Edition

Love at Fourteen

This week's recommendation is Love at Fourteen by Fuuka Mizutani. Vibrant colors in the volume covers, art depicting the characters as their endearing, clumsy selves extremely well, and stills wordlessly conveying emotional scenes - Fuuka Mizutani's work captures the innocence of middle school romance beautifully. We follow Kazuki and Kanata, the "mature children" of their grade, who are seemingly infallible and reliable to a fault. However, beyond this facade are two spirited and very endearing fourteen year-olds clumsily living out their love with each other.

Love at Fourteen is a series about finding yourself outside what people say they think you are, and along the way, entrusting your heart to someone undertaking the same transformation as awkwardly as you are. Thanks for the recommendation @Kedar!

Anilist, MAL, Official English Edition

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