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.

surprisingly 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 might stuck up) who many guys in school don't like because she's smart, beautiful, and rich. But none of the guys in school like her because she's <i>too much.</i> I don't know, y'all might be <b>too little</b>.

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.