https://blacknerdproblems.com/hirayasumi-vol-3-why-slice-of-life-is-worth-reading-in-manga/

Words and Art: Keigo Shinzo

Publisher: Viz

Translation: Jan Mitsuko Cash

Touch-Up Art & Lettering: Elena Diaz

Design: Jimmy Presler

Editor: Holly Fisher

As I mentioned in my review of the second volume of Hirayasumi, I love every volume of this series that I can get my hands on, and this second volume reinforced why the slice of life genre is king. There is a need for stories that flourish in this genre, and Keigo Shinzo’s pen does incredible work bringing up the mundane and extraordinary of everyday life. Reading along to see these, 29-year-old, carefree Hiroto Ikuta, his cousin Natsumi, Hiroto’s best friend, Hideki and Yomogi, the bustling real estate agent, in their quest for purpose and finding or maintaining that place of home, that place of comfort and belonging is happily one I vow to continue reading.

In the opening chapter, Natsumi stars as the main character who hurriedly runs off to meet the editor for the publishing company who wants to meet her and talk about her manga. Hilariously, she gets lost almost instantly and thankfully finds the building and the person she’s meant to find. Personally, I loved seeing Natsumi first when opening up this volume as her character development as a young adult putting effort into growing up, taking accountability, and doing her best to enjoy the college experience has been marvelous to read. We learn in the last volume, the manga that she had been secretly working on, won an award and the eyeballs of an revered editor in the manga space. Things are finally looking up for her and her artistic expression is finally growing wings and showing her that everything was not for naught.

With Hirayasumi, Keigo Shinzo creates these really well thought out parallels between Hiroto and Natsumi that blend in so well with the story. After Nat recounts the grand story of meeting the manga editor to her older cousin, she exclaims that she’s going all in and will try her best. With her words, Hiroto has a flashback to when he first came to the city and had started his acting career–he found that same youthful energy. He thinks back on feeling on top of the world even though he was struggling and first setting out as a young adult–the world and all its opportunities looked endless. The cousins, their paralleling experiences separated by time, bring the first chapter of this latest volume to a close with Hiroto with loneliness creeping for him while the nostalgic faze fades for him.

When Yomogi, the overworked real estate agent returns to the pages of the manga–I knew that I was in for a treat. Ever since she first arrived on the page in Hirayasumi, I have loved seeing her butt heads with other characters because of her headstrong personality, especially Hiroto. She is someone who could really benefit from a slower pace of life and enjoying the little things that lovable Hiroto and crew have going on. A new client at the real estate agency who appears super standoffish gives her a run for her money as she works hard on trying to please. This ends up as some of my favorite set of pages in the volume as a surprise romance starts blossoming, and there are a lot of laughs to be had following along the interactions of these two total opposites.

I really like that new and blossoming connections were the main theme of this second volume of Hirayasumi. The chapters detailing the upcoming festival at Natsumi and her dear (and only) friend Akari’s college campus also play into this volume. Look, the festivals covered in the manga are always the best parts of the glue that binds the rest of the story together. Natsumi just barely makes it to a required project critique (her manga making efforts taking up too much of her time and time management skills, unfortunately) thanks to an eccentric but popular upperclassman. This revelation of showing progress in college and making connections brings even more much needed growth to this struggling yet so precious Natsumi which ripples throughout the next chapter. Seeing the supporting cast grow bigger with each volume adds to that overarching message that Hirayasumi continues to bring back every time: enjoy life as it comes and take pride in who you are and what you bring.

My all-time favorite pages in the third volume of Hirayasumi would have to be the chapter with a surprise cameo by a well missed character, bringing us back to the past via a flashback from Hiroto. The reintroduction to Granny was a surprise and an emotional lift back to Hiroto’s narrative in all the best ways. The pages from her point of view upon waking feature split panels helping readers see just how all alone and lonely she was, living and shopping by herself. The page where Hiroto finds her at the store and instantly brightens her day, despite her sour attitude and grumbling, made me fall back in love with their initial story of found family meeting each other at the right time. The artwork in these pages really pull the readers back to the premise of the series and the one responsible for the catalyst of Hiroto having this house in the first place.

Seeing Granny’s expressions and her body language transform her into a happier (but still grumpy) person with her not-grandson are worth their weight in gold. Seeing the older of the two commit to trying something new and the younger of the two work to meet people where they are at, visually make Keigo Shinzo’s efforts another must read. So when that flashback ends on Hiroto’s end and we find him texting his younger cousin Natsumi on making sure to enjoy herself and try new things, it feels full circle and right back in that Hirayasumi energy that the mangaka has created and nearly perfected.

I know that in my review of the first volume, I came to the conclusion that Hirayasumi is a story about family and being able to come home to a home when life’s got you down. I love every volume that has cemented this and newer smaller lessons. For example, in my review of the second volume, I found that the manga was choosing to remind us why happier memories of the past can fuel us for the days to come and remind us why such relationships are important.

I’m sure that the core message in this third volume of Hirayasumi, includes why being courageous and putting ourselves out there is ideal for personal growth. From characters choosing to trust themselves to trying something different to being more honest and not running away from wanting to change themselves, their routines or how others perceive them, this volume was another wholesome banger to read and have in my library. I’ll reread to sate myself until the next volume comes out as rereading the volumes in this series is never a chore and always a treat from the realms of manga.

Hirayasumi Volume 3 is published through Viz and can be found where comics and manga are sold.

Thanks to Netgalley and Viz for allowing me to have a review copy!

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The post ‘Hirayasumi Vol 3’ Re-enforces Why Slice of Life is Worth Reading in Manga appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.