I like the insight into life and work as an aspiring mangaka. Love is at the heart of this story in the unlikely friendship between Takagi and Moritaka, and the desire to live out a difficult dream and to be with a beautiful girl. My favorite part of this volume was how much Moritaka admired his uncle, and his family's response to his dream. surpsiingly they were very receptive.

Y'know, I knew the anime-animation industry was predatory with terrible wages and poor work-life balance, but I had no idea mangakas with hit series could be scrounging for money. Could you imagine if the creator of DBZ or Sailor Moon was broke??? Are they? Don't answer.

While I think this premise could be interesting, one character, in particular, is so overly bland. Azuki feels like this dangling carrot or prize for Moritaka to achieve. She's again bland, but maybe the manga might surprise me and develop her further. Hopefully...

In the same vein, there's this tangible, sexist tone that hits you full-blown. Azuki is "smart" because she knows better than to aspire to be anything more than someone's wife. Nothing's wrong with being a wife or a kept woman and finding someone who loves you, but the way it's phrased feels so condescending. It's like someone telling you to go to bed vs. you making the decision.

Somehow, I don't think the manga was trying to lampshade Takagi's ignorance either or point out the irony. Also, why do y'all hate ambitious women? There's a character (who very well might be stuck up) who is smart, beautiful, and rich. But none of the guys in school like her because she's too much. I don't know, y'all might be too little.

Anyway, might read volume two later, but it's not high on my priority list. As an artist and someone who desires to create her own graphic novel or long-form comic, I always enjoy seeing others' creative processes. ( )

***read via manga app***
Volume 1 is chapter 1 till chapter 7

***Before reading***
Let's see what all of the hoopla is about. I don't really expect to like it...

***After reading***
Nope not my thing. Also the weird misogyny took me out of the story. What makes it worse is that it feels really appropriate for the time, place, and mind set for a 14 year boy in which this took place. It sure explains some of the more tropey things I've seen in manga. ( )

Interesting start to the series, though the way the leads talk about female characters is kind of crappy. ( )

Started off slow but got better near the end. Chose 'em as my free ebooks for Shonen Jump Alpha promotion. ( )

Great!