Morita has disappeared, leaving his friends bereft and confused. Hagu and Takemoto turn to their art, while Mayama and Ayu cling to their unrequited loves. When his coworker begins to romance Ayu, Mayama can't help interfering. But what does he care, when he's nursing a flame for a woman he hasn't seen in a year?
Chica Umino (Jap: 羽海野チカ) is a Japanese mangaka. Her real name is not disclosed, "Umino Chica" is a pen name.
She began work as a product designer and illustrator. Umino has a unique drawing style, listing Studio Ghibli amongst her influences, and her characters are remarkably well-developed.
Her most famous series to date is Hachimitsu to Clover (English name: Honey and Clover), a 'slice of life' manga series which debuted in 2000 in Shueisha's manga magazine, CUTiEcomic. The series won the Kodansha Manga Award in 2003 and was nominated for the Tezuka Culture Prize and an award from the Japan Media Arts Festival. It was also adapted into an animated television series in 2005, a live-action movie in 2006 and two individual live-action TV series in 2008.
Her ongoing recent series is Sangatsu no Lion (English name: March comes in like a lion), which began serialization in 2007. The series won several important prizes including: the Manga Taisho prize and Kodansha Manga Prize (general audience) in 2011, the Tezuka Osamushi Cultural Prize in 2014, and the Bunkacho Media Geijutsusai Manga bumon in 2021.
Umino has also provided the illustration for the 2009 anime series Eden of the East by Kenji Kamiyama, as well as 'Tobira o Akete' and the Glass Heart series, including 'Boukensha-tachi', 'Netsu no Shiro' and 'Love Way'.
Pining after and/or stalking someone won't make them love you.
I hadn't figured that out when I was their age, either, so maybe that's part of why it's so frustrating to watch Mayama and Yamada persist in their (I'm assuming) long-standing and pointless crushes. I'm not saying Tomino would be a great match for Yamada, either, though....
The fourth volume in the series, this book focused on Mayama and his complicated, convoluted relationship with two women - Rika San and Ayu Chan (Yamada). He's confused, others are confused, and I may feel like knocking some sense into him but you can't do that with matters of the heart.
Meanwhile, Morita Senpai is still in L.A. and Hagu Chan - still tiny, still struggling - is working on her masterpieces with the driven passion she puts into her art as she channels (so says the manga) the spirit of all the great artists who have gone before her.
And the food! How about some chocolate curry with slimy bright yellow mushrooms??? Mmmm, soups on! Come and get it! (The new guys - they don't get it.) The Shrine festival looked fun. Dressing up in kimonos and going to see fireworks - that looked like fun. I guess I'm in a carnival mood, now.
So lots of stuff going on and I'm really starting to get into this manga. . . .
It's mostly all about Yamada who likes Mayama who likes Rika. Seriously, how many triangles can this story tell?
Anyway, it seems like Mayama's acting like the "older brother", as his prof would call it, to Yamada. I got a little confused too as he's still messing around with Rika. So is this Mayama realizing a few things? But then he's once again in touched with Rika.
It makes me wonder though. What exactly did Mayama like about Rika? All I see in her is vulnerability (and maybe talent). But maybe that's it, there are men who like women who are so fragile-looking because they find them so much easier to fall in love with. It's just weird that he doesn't see Yamada's vulnerability too. I mean, is Morita the only character here who supports Yamada's feelings for Mayama? And now that he's not around, I see nobody in the gang who's as supportive.
This was a dramatic volume. Haha, I have no idea how I endured it.
I’m not a drama lover. This manga series is very meaningful. It’s not princess like fairy tale drama. Definitely not for young people.
You will only understand the deep meaning to every words once you experienced them. This series is grown up and some young viewers will find it boring.
The Highlights Characters: Emotionally rich, complex and believable. Romance: Beautifully painted with a brush of authenticity. Animation: Soft and visually pleasing. Ending: Unsatisfactory but complete nonetheless. [http://www.nihonreview.com/anime/hone...]
So many of the series' best themes are in evidence here, especially the gap between the geniuses and the hardworkers. Takemoto's reflections on Hagu's response to his question about Morita are heartbreaking; they're also surprising, because that's not the way another mangaka would have told that story. And let's not forget the warm depiction of office life at Fujiwara Design. There's a lot here, especially about Nomiya, that never made it into the anime and are thus entirely new to me. And of course, at the end, we get the doubling of Nomiya and Yamada's drive with Mayama and Rika's drive. I love this story so much.
Side note: It's a shame that the translation continues to be a bit too slangy in parts. (Seriously: "Oh my gawd"?)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I wanted to like this series, since it seems to be pretty popular, but I just...didn't. It's cute, but I wish it would decide if it wants to be a cute college slice of life thing or if it wants to be wacky crack, because I don't like the combination of the two. Also, the story is not keeping my interest for this many volumes. I had really meant to try and read the full series since it's only ten volumes, but I tried to read volume five and I was just bored and finally thought, Why am I forcing myself to read this just so I can say I read the whole thing? So I gave up on it.
Must admit, while the writing and art are as wonderful as ever, I feel like this volume dragged at some parts. Now that could very well be just my vibe. I've had a very annoying "reading slump" that has lasted most of the summer...so yeah most of my reading enjoyment has suffered because of this. **Also there was a conversation where sexual assault is basically treated like a joke or maybe forcing yourself on someone would help them figure out if they like you or not.** It felt really random, made me uncomfortable, and the thoughts expressed in the conversation just didn't seem like something the characters would believe or act upon at any other point in the series...
I will say that I really connected with Mayama's and Yamada's emotional growth in this volume. They both felt like they have matured a lot. I am also really glad that Umino mentions that Hagu's mentor Shu can be emotionally manipulative. Sadly, it was a quick scene, but I hope the truth of that is focused on in other volumes.
A little too much Mayama in this volume for me. He is the cover boy so it was to be expected, but I'm just not a Mayama fan. Yet Volume 4 gives more insight into the growing struggle that Takemoto is facing and I also like the further glimpses into the Fujiwara working circle. Chapter 24 is also super cute with Ayu and Hagu goodness when they are getting their kimonos. I really like the Ayu and Hagu friendship so it is always nice to see when those two are together.
Volume 4 continued the interwoven stories of this group of college friends and their acquaintances and co-workers. I liked the art, very much in the manga style but with expressive details. I also like the realistic depiction of the typical emotions of young people maturing into adulthood. I consider this a more a coming of age series than a typical romance - relationships are much the focus of these characters but there isn't that laser focus on a romantic story arc. Four stars.
Morita szobája egy egész technika bázis,mindenki jó nagyot néz, mert még sosem jártak ott. Takemoto észre veszi mennyire is hasonlít Hagu és Morita egymásra,hogy mennyire elszántan és kitartóan dolgoznak a műveiken. Akárcsak a másik kedvenc mangámban a Nanában,itt is nagy hangsülyt fektetnek a Hamabi fesztiválra és a tüzijátékra,ami oylan jó:) olyan szép jelenetek szoktak kibontakozni. És végre végre végre itt a kedvenc szereplőm,az egész mangában:))) Nomiya <3 mayama munkatársai közé tartozik Miwakoval és Yamazakival együtt. Rajtuk oylan jókat lehet röhögni:DDD Nomiya az a tipikus nemtörrődöm pasi,elsőre,de ha jobban megismerjük meglátjuk mekkora szíve van. Találkozása Yamadával egyből felbolygatja a kedélyeket…főleg mayamáét,aki ugyan visszautasítja Ayut,de úgy óvná őt Nomiyától…Nomiya annak ellenére,hogy látja Ayumi mennyire szereti Mayamát, megpróbál a lány közelbe férrkőzni. Ezen tulajdonsága az egyik amiért annyira imádom. Ki akarja ragadni Yamadát,ebből a bteljesülhetetlen szerelemből,és kezdetnek el is viszi magával Tateshinába enni…kicsit messze mondjuk…:DDD Ayu pedig végigbőgi az egész utat,ő már csak ilyen. Mayama is mozgósítja magát és magával ragadja Rikát az éjszakába.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The series was very bittersweet, and perhaps if you don't want a lingering unfinished romance set during college years, among artists, it's probably not for you. But I really enjoyed the soul-searching of a young architect who finds solace in temple restoration, and a petite sculptor who wants nothing more than to paint gigantic landscapes and flowers instead. There are others, and they all have their own journeys. It's slice-of-life, and there are some meandering romances, but I don't think any of them is ever really resolved. There's also a fairly bizarre parody of Peter Jackson/George Lucas that transported the series into Sci-Fi territory just to give a breath of air... I think.
Pages: 1,970 (Roughly 200 pages per volume) Year: March 4, 2008 to June 1, 2010 (original run: June 2000 – July 28, 2006) Publisher: Viz Media (original publisher in Japan: Shueisha)
Read: 31 December 2016 to 1 January 2017 Stars: 4.5 (adored it)
With Morita gone, Hagu and Takemoto are left inspired but otherwise in an emotional limbo and choose to focus on their work. Meanwhile Ayu and Mayama hold closely to their unrequited loves but, when one of Mayama's co-workers, Nomiya, begins romancing Ayu why does Mayama feel the need to keep her locked away from him, when he's already trying to light a never lit flame with another woman?
I don't know if it's the emotional state I am in right now that has left me more open-minded or simply that this manga has taken a giant leap in portraying the characters' emotions. Whatever the case this manga has helped me make a few resolutions and I truly appreciate that.
The Ayu->Mayama corner of the Ayu-Mayama-Rika love triangle is probably my favorite in the entire series. It seemed like the Mayama-Rika leg was explored more in this volume, however. I have a hard time empathizing with Mayama's desire to support/help Rika.
Unexpectedly, Morita leaves for America with no notice. Everyone notices that Hagu has developed feelings for Morita. Mayama wants to work for Rika again, but she's wrapping things up at Haruna Design.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Super story and character development. The art is lovely as well. a group of college students become friends and the story follows their individual progression as artists, friends, and at times, lovers.
It's starting to feel like 'somebody figure out who they want to be with already!' And now Mayama is turning real stalker-esque. Still wondering where this is going.