Neighborhood Story Vol. 01

Neighborhood Story Vol. 01. Mikako aims to take the world of fashion by storm but stumbles when love comes into season in this coming-of-age tale from the creator of Nana!

Welcome to Happy Berry! No, this isn’t a fruit stand, but the label dreamed up by aspiring fashion designer Mikako Koda. In her quest to make a name for herself in the fashion world, Mikako enters Yazawa Arts Academy, a prestigious art school, alongside her strictly platonic childhood friend Tsutomu. But there’s one problem—Tsutomu’s uncanny resemblance to a rock star skyrockets him to popularity and leads him to date the prettiest girl in school. Now Mikako can’t help but wonder if what she feels is jealousy.

Peppy and creative teenager Mikako wants nothing more than to make it as a fashion designer. But when she enters art school alongside her lifelong friend Tsutomu, she finds herself distracted by his sudden popularity and subsequent love life. Despite her feelings, Mikako forms a club with Tsutomu and her friends to sell their creations at a local flea market. While the group is out scouting the flea market, however, discord arises between members in the group and what begins as an exciting day quickly turns sour.

Biographical Notes:

Ai Yazawa is the creator of many popular manga titles, including Nana, one of the best-selling shojo series of all time. Nana won the Shogakukan Manga Award in the shojo category in 2003, and a live-action movie adaptation was released in 2006.

American readers were introduced to Yazawa’s stylish and sexy storytelling in 2002 when her title Paradise Kiss was translated into English. Some of her other works include Tenshi Nanka Janai (I’m No Angel) and Last Quarter, which had a live-action movie adaptation that released in 2004.

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