Set in 1984, Hiroshima, ‘Yuunagi’ is a powerful manga packed with emotion—a boy finds a new passion in Ribbon Gymnastics Dancing. However, it is a sport that was (and still is) seen as ‘for girls’; meaning he will face many hardships trying to persue this new passion. Backdropping this story is a family life where the main characters mother has recently passed away, leaving his father harsher and colder than before; and his sister picking up the pieces. The dynamics between these three characters are very well established and I am excited to see them explored further into the story—already, the sister has surprised me withthe realistic and heartfelt writing of their relationship.
Another notable character is the Gymnastics Teacher, who wonderfully encourages our protagonist to follow his dreams despite knowing he will face some ridicule for them. I enjoy how she does not sugarcoat her feedback and thoughts, but still is a truly kind and motivating teacher. I see the character writing as the strongest part of the story, and as this is a very character driven tale it works immensely well!
Of course, another highlight is the gorgeous artstyle—you can see from the cover of the MAL page that Kurokawa is masterful at beautifully depicting motion and elegance in their characters.
The delicate artwork and storytelling combine with the raw emotions at play to bring this manga to life in a truly special way—definitely one to read!