We could really see how Yatora struggle his way to entering art school, when he was a person completely obvious to art before. We see his insecurities, his (over?) confidence, his ideals, beliefs, family, financial, and social situation... he was really fleshed out. He was a regular person living his regular life, just like us, and it makes him so endearing and makes readers want to support him.

I love how the other characters are also interesting and relatable. They all really struggle differently. The author is doing a really great job in balancing the side characters' growth and struggles, while also not forgetting that the main character is still here.

I should also mention the art is really good and the author uses panels amazingly. We could see a lot of instances where a panel can portray self-discovery, loneliness, struggle, relationships... all kinds of it. I just can't get enough.

People might think this manga is TOO relatable and could be boring, but I personally think (especially if you're an adult) you can genuinely root for the characters here. You don't have to be an art student too!

I've read another manga based on art school exp it's different from what I expected since it takes place during the final HS year vs actual college days. I like how the art stands out and each character has a different art style/design to stand out from one another. The MC starts off as a boy who is uninterested in like which I can relate to as an HS student in the past and slowly he joins the art club.

There are many moments where the reader can see how much he is struggling w/art and how he copes with being an avg artist in a class where there are amazing artists. It's much more believable than having the MC be an art prodigy from day 1. It does follow a similar shonen formula of leveling up his skills but I liked how the art teacher focused on how his improvement is from his self-dedication vs skill.

3/11/21: I'm losing interest after MC enrolled into the art college and I feel like there are just too many scenes where characters are going on about: what is art REALLY? and it's just starting to drag too much. I say first few vol were the best part and then it started to slow down to a snail's pace.

... Last updated on March 11th, 2021, 12:00pm

I have no idea how this manga reads to someone who has never taken art classes, but as someone who did (for fun) and as someone who's pursuing another artistic medium (writing), this series really resonates with me.

It's a series about fine art, and not in the usual bombastic, exciting "genius" way or the "tortured artist" dramatic renditions, but in the painstaking way that young artists, who are trying to turn their artistic leanings into a future, actually have to work. It's meticulous in its depiction of "art as a learned skill" rather than "art as a talent", which I really appreciate (though it certainly doesn't skirt from the reality that some people just start out more ahead than others). And it's jam-packed with super great advice to aspiring artists about actual, tangible ways to improve on art. (Practice!)

The characters are also all genuine and real people. Especially the protagonist, who starts the series with little to no knowledge of art but grows to love it, even in spite of all its pitfalls. (Oof, that feeling he got when he started to plateau with his improvements--relatable to anyone who's ever had to learn a skill.) He's "ordinary" (in relation to art) but in a good way.