As someone who plays an instrument and sings (and was once part of a band), I tend to get really excited when I see manga’s or anime’s that have characters that can do those things as well. Seeing the characters deal not only with improving their skills with their instrument of choice but also deal with the music industry and their personal life, takes me back to the time of when I was dealing with the same thing. Granted, I was not in my band for very long (who knew finding a drummer was so difficult) but the time I was in it, I have learned things--about myself and others--that I wouldn’t have otherwise.
This week, I wanted to share with you all some of the music-related manga’s that I love, not only for beautifully drawn pages but for the story that is told. I hope that these manga will transport you into another world and give you a glimpse into the life of a musician.
xx, Sai
1. Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad by Harold Sakuishi
Yukio "Koyuki" Tanaka wasted away his middle school days listening to Japanese pop music and apathetically trudging through life—until a casual run-in with the enigmatic guitarist Ryuusuke "Ray" Minami. Through this encounter, Koyuki realizes what he has been missing all this time as Ray introduces him to western rock music and jumpstarts his desire to play guitar.
Although various struggles plague his path to rock fame, Koyuki refuses to abandon the passion that gave his life purpose, balancing it together with school, work, and friends. Beck tells the story of the love and trial that accompanies pursuing a professional career in music as Koyuki and Ray work toward realizing the guitarist's dream of the ultimate band.
2. Nana by Ai Yazawa
Nana Komatsu is a young woman who's endured an unending string of boyfriend problems. Moving to Tokyo, she's hoping to take control of her life and put all those messy misadventures behind her. She's looking for love and she's hoping to find it in the big city.
Nana Osaki, on the other hand, is cool, confident and focused. She swaggers into town and proceeds to kick down the doors to Tokyo's underground punk scene. She's got a dream and won't give up until she becomes Japan's No. 1 rock'n'roll superstar.
This is the story of two 20-year-old women who share the same name. Even though they come from completely different backgrounds, they somehow meet and become best friends. The world of Nana is a world exploding with sex, music, fashion, gossip, and all-night parties.
3. Sakamichi no Apollon (Kids on the Slope) by Yuki Kodama
Constantly transferring schools since childhood, Kaoru Nishimi has always been seen as a social outcast when he transfers due to his intellectual nature and wealthy background. But after moving to Kyushu for his first year of high school, things begin to change when Kaoru befriends the class president Ritsuko Mukae and, unexpectedly, the notorious school delinquent Sentarou Kawabuchi. While Kaoru is an honors student, Sentarou is constantly getting into fights and skipping class. However, these two opposites find common ground in one thing—music.
One day, Kaoru is invited by Ritsuko to visit her family's record store, where he finds Sentarou in the basement showcasing his skill in jazz drumming. Kaoru, being a classical pianist, knows nothing about jazz. But inspired by the performance, he begins to open his mind to the genre alongside Sentarou. The duo begin to practice in after-school jazz sessions in the record store's basement. As he spends more time improving his skills in jazz, Kaoru finds a person whom he can truly call his friend, and comes to learn the joys of playing music. Sakamichi no Apollon follows their story of friendship and love brought together by jazz.
4. Your Lie in April by Naoshi Arakawa
At a very young age, Kousei Arima was strictly taught by his mother how to play the piano and meticulously follow the score, to the point where he dominated every competition he entered with ease. He earned the title of "Human Metronome" for performing almost perfectly. Every musician of his age looked up to him. However, after his mother suddenly dies, he became tone-deaf due to the shock and then disappeared, never to be seen onstage since.
Two years later, Kousei lives a monotonous life with his childhood friends Tsubaki Sawabe and Ryouta Watari supporting him. He continues to cling to music, although performing is still an impossibility for him. This is until his unexpected encounter with Kaori Miyazono, a violinist who performs freely without the dictations of a score. A story of friendship, love, music, and a single lie, Kousei's life begins to change and gain color as Kaori helps him to take up music again.
5. Given by Kizu Natsuki
The played chord made the rusty air and both our eardrums vibrate smoothly. From that moment... our music was born.
6. Anonymous Noise by Ryoko Fukuyama
When they were young, Nino Arisugawa and Momo Sakaki had promised that if they were ever separated, they would use their song to find each other again. However, Momo moved away without notice, leaving Nino with a constant urge to scream. For this reason, she begins wearing a mask.
During this time, while still missing her first love, Nino encounters Kanada "Yuzu" Yuzuriha, a boy her age who composes music and gives her the nickname "Alice." Nino falls in love with his music, while Yuzu falls in love with her. Every Wednesday they would meet at the beach—but one day, Yuzu also stops coming.
Six years later, Nino and Yuzu reunite in high school—unbeknownst to her, Momo has also entered the same school. Holding on to the childhood promise she made with him, Nino sings Yuzu's songs, hoping that her voice can still reach Momo. However, while she tirelessly tries to reach him, Yuzu continues to long for her, escalating a love triangle that has been built across years of separation.
7. Fuuka by Koji Seo
The story follows the life of Yuu Haruna, who recently moved into Tokyo with his sisters after their father is forced to transfer overseas on work.
On his way to buy dinner while looking at his Twitter account, a high school girl suddenly crashes into him. Thinking he was taking upskirt pictures of her, the girl takes Yuu's phone, breaks it, and slaps him before leaving Yuu lying on the ground. As it turns out, this girl—Fuuka Akitsuki—also goes to the school Yuu is transferring to.
Unlike most people, Fuuka doesn't own a cellphone; she even listens to music using a CD player. Eventually, these two become closer and decide to form a band with their friends and enter the professional world of music. With Fuuka around, what will now become of Yuu's new life in Tokyo?
Limited First Edition Includes Illustration Card of Previous Work
Volume 1 of Koji Seo's remote island romantic comedy ``Anoshima no Kaionso'', limited to the first edition, comes with an illustration card of the previous work
Read more: https://myanimethoughts.com/volume-1-koji-seo-remote-island-romantic-comedy-anoshima-no-kaionso-limited-first-edition-illustration-card
#Volume1 #KojiSeo #remoteisland #romanticcomedy #AnoshimanoKaionso #limitedfirstedition #illustrationcard
Volume 1 of Koji Seo's remote island romantic comedy ``Anoshima no Kaionso'', limited to the first edition, comes with an illustration card of the previous work
Goddess Café Terrace: il manga di Koji Seo ispirerà una serie animata
La commedia sentimentale dell’autore di Suzuka, A Town Where You Live e Fuka arriverà nel 2023.
Dopo “Suzuka”, “A Town Where You Live” e “Fuka”, un’altra opera firmata t Koji Seo si prepara a sbarcare in tv con un anime.
Per il 2023, infatti, è stata annunciata la trasmissione della serie animata basata su “Megami no Café Terrace” (Goddess Café Terrace).
Hayato Kasukabe, è appena stato ammesso all'Università di Tokyo al primo tentativo, ma quando riceve la notizia della morte della nonna, torna immediatamente a casa. È da tre anni che non vede la sua città natale e la caffetteria della famiglia e, con sua sorpresa, lì ora lavorano cinque ragazze, che a quanto pare la nonna considerava ormai di famiglia!
La commedia sentimentale è stata lanciata sulle pagine di Weekly Shonen Magazine l’anno scorso e, finora, Kodansha ha raccolto i capitoli del manga in 6 volumi, con il prossimo in uscita il 16 settembre.
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