Neighborhood Story Vol. 02

Neighborhood Story Vol. 02. 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.

As Mikako and her friends work hard to get their club up and running, Mikako notices Tsutomu has gotten close to their new member, Ayumi, and begins to grow jealous. Still unsure of what to do about her feelings, Mikako decides to track down her estranged father. Will this long-overdue reunion lead to a breakthrough for Mikako, or is nothing she can do extreme enough to force her to unbottle her emotions?

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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