The time has come for us to spotlight the work of one our favorite mangaka: Akiko Higashimura! In the first part of our read through her works, we discuss her painfully relatable memoirs and also some ridiculously sassy bar snack foods. We share our queerpinions on:

Tokyo Tarareba Girls Vol. 1-9

Humanizing portrayals of doomed relationships

Attitudes toward marriage, friendships, and balancing the two

Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey Vol. 1-5

Artistic endeavors, work ethics, and the pressure to practice every single day

You can find all our episodes on Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Apple Podcasts!

Spoiler and content warning: We’re a fairly NSFW-podcast that uses reclaimed homophobic slurs. Our discussion this week includes spoilers for the entirety of both Blank Canvas and Tokyo Tarareba Girls. Content-wise, these manga touch on death, grief, aging, and societal expectations for women and relationships. We also briefly mention the recent sexual assault charges made against Act-Age writer Tatsuya Matsuki.