MANGA REVIEW | "Hirayasumi" - Volume Four
There’s nothing more relaxing than the Christmas holiday season. Wait, that’s not right. What’s the opposite of “relaxing”? Oh right: FRUSTRATING!!!! Even in the comfy pages of Hirayasumi, there’s no example from the plights of the holidays, as evident by its fourth volume.
Japan treats Christmas differently, due to the lack of Jesus stuff and whatnot. The holidays are meant for friends to come over and party. Natsumi at first just brings in Akari, but when Yamada pops up, she urges him to bring him into the fold. Of course, with Yamada being the laid-back guy that he is, that means he’s bringing his own clique to the festivities. At first, Natsumi just goes with the flow, until Reina asks to see her manga.
From there, the worries hit the art student. What if this cool person thinks her work sucks? Will she be laughed out of town? How can she legally change her name if things go south super fast?! But no, it’s once again a situation where a book is judged by its cover, as Reina herself is a manga artist hopeful! So even if the party started out stressful, Natsumi finds herself a new friend during what should be the most wonderful time of the year.
Natsumi’s desire to create manga continues when she and Hiro visit their hometown. Having to break the news to her parents gives her plenty to worry about, which is why she needs to enjoy the winter snow with all her heart before she musters up the courage. But even after their approval, it’s still an uphill battle for her to succeed. That becomes very apparent in a sit-down with her editor, who breaks down everything Natsumi is doing wrong with her storytelling. It’s a harsh bit of news, but the manga writer hopeful needs to hear this stuff if she hopes to succeed.
Some of you may be asking, “Where’s Hiro?” Although he does have a presence in these Natsumi-focused chapters of Hirayasumi, he doesn’t take center stage until the second half of the fourth volume. A flashback to the old woman pops up in his head when he visits her grave, and it showcases two important moments in his life. However, it’s when the water heater breaks that we see something come out of Hiro for the first time: aggravation!
Even with Yomogi showing up to deal with the issue, the thought of spending a ton of money to get a new water heater makes Hiro boil up. He has a running fit, one that Yomogi gladly joins him in (she’s got her own set of irks herself!). And for the first time, Hiro realizes that the slacker life won’t put food on the table or heat in the pipes. It’s a fine moment that shows Hiro being ready to take the first step into adult maturity…even though he kind of doesn’t want to.
Other characters take center stage in this volume. Yomogi opens this volume up with her own chapter dealing with the minimalist writer. It’s a cute scenario, as Yomogi deals with her own set of insecurities that revolve around her messy apartment and lifestyle. Akari gets sick, only for a friend to give her everything she needs to feel tons better in life. Even slacker Yamada gets his own day-in-the-life chapter that shows his hardworking side, one that I’m certain this manga has hinted at before the reveal.
Once again, Hirayasumi offers a comfy read in its fourth volume. From Christmas panic to Hiro’s old friend, the stories here showcase a wealth of relatability and hilarity. A year has gone by since Hiro moved into Granny’s house, and he’s itching to keep her spirit happy by taking good care of it. Even if he has to take another job to keep the hot water coming, Hiro will toss aside his laid-back ways to make sure that home stands the tests of time!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
