Book Review: Sorako

Title: Sorako

Mangaka (Author/Artist): Takayuki Fujimura

Rating: ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ (4)

Yay! It’s been awhile since I've had a manga to review! This is a bit different from the mangas I normally read for review because before Sorako was licensed with an English language publisher, it began as a doujinshi. Simply put, doujinshi are independent books created and distributed by the managka at doujinshi conventions and other anime/manga fan events. Artists use this method as a way to share their hobby, create fan fiction, get noticed in the industry, and build their brand. Since doujinshi is often overlooked by Western readers (although this is not the case with BL readers), I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered Gen Manga Entertainment – a publishing company devoted to bringing independent manga to English readers.

Sorako is comprised of a series of one-shots, all of which feature young women who have left high school behind and have joined the adult world. While all of the stories have a slice of life flavor to them, the main characters give off an aimless feeling – they have vague goals, no goals, missed opportunities, and are uncertain about the future before them.

The title story is about a young woman named Sorako who is fresh out of high school and looking for a job. She dislikes her town and lacks enthusiasm toward anything – except her dog Toma. She seems content to just live her life day by day without putting too much effort into anything.

Probably my favorite story from the book is “A Boring Breakfast”. It’s about a young married woman who befriends a boy she meets at the library. She is dissatisfied with her mundane life and the separate lives she and her husband are leading. The boy is shy and self-conscious but manages to open up to this young woman. It’s a lovely platonic relationship between two awkward people who encourage each other to make changes in their lives.

You can’t talk about manga without saying something about the art. Well, Fujimura’s art is beautiful. The lines and panels are clean and simple. The backgrounds add to the atmosphere but don’t distract the eye. Because this is a doujinshi, some panels have a rough, almost pencil drawn look to them, which can sometimes be a little distracting but overall it adds to the slice of life vibe.

I really wish I could do half cups because I feel this is a solid 3.5 but I rounded up to a 4 for simplicity's sake. Ultimately what prevented me from giving this a solid 4 was the length of the stories. This is an issue I have with a lot of one shots. I feel like the main idea of each story would be clearer if there was another 2-3 pages between the climax and the end. Overall Sorako was a quick and enjoyable read. Fujimura is a very talented artist and promising storyteller and I hope to see more of their work in the future – independent and mainstream. 

**NetGalley provided me with an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

***Note: Japanese manga is read right to left***