I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
This does not affect in any way my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.
This does not affect in any way my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.
Series: Those Snow White Notes #1 Published by Kodansha Comics on May 30, 2021
Demographic: Shōnen
Genres: School Life, Slice of Life
Source: NetGalley
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When Setsu's grandfather died, so did Setsu's "sound"—his unique creative spark. Grieving, he goes to Tokyo to find himself . . . but manages to become totally, literally lost on his first day. Only a chance meeting with Yuna—aka Yuka, the hostess—saves him from being robbed. At first glance their lives seem totally different, but they're both striving for their dreams—hers, of being an actress, and his, of developing his talent with the shamisen—and it could just be that life in the raucous, unfeeling urban sprawl of Tokyo could just be what binds their fates together . . .
In this manga, readers are dragged into the life of a sixteen years old striving for his dreams, and soon find that his goal isn’t something a modern generation would expect . . .
Setsu Sawamura plays the shamisen, a three-stringed traditional Japanese instrument. Probably not so common these days, but sure fascinating. And if the info we get about this instrument during the read satisfies our curiosity, Setsu sparks it some more. He may still not know much about the outside world, but he definitely knows his stuff when it comes to the shamisen. His determination to find the right inspiration to play—and do it well—is admirable. Too bad for the fast pace—events seem to happen in a blink of an eye—but kudos to that good dose of humour in the panels that always provide a nice entertainment. Not to mention the enrapturing melody we imagine coming from the shamisen. I wish I could hear those notes!
An interesting beginning of a journey any of us understand the struggle of, no matter the age. After all, we all try to achieve our own dreams . . . Cheers to that!
About Silvia
Through her creativity and blogging, Silvia has met people from different industries and collaborated with them on various projects over the years. Her strong passion for reading and her fascination for different cultures and languages have led her to develop a keen interest in the East-Asian continent. Off to see her? Follow the colourful book road . . . ♡
This sounds interesting! I am definitely curious about the shamisen.
It really is interesting, and I loved the info given here.
Stories involving instruments are so fascinating!!
I couldn’t agree more, Stephanie!
This story sounds very unique, it’s not every day you run across a boy who’s dream is to play the shamisen:-) Thanks for sharing!
Right? That alone makes this story unique 🙂
I am curious about the shamisen. It is the first I am hearing about it.
This manga offers the right opportunity to know more about it 😉
Finding your dreams in Tokyo, a chance meeting that saves the day, and music? This sounds awesome. I’m loving learning about Tokyo lately as well through the walking videos I’ve been watching lol, so I’ve been in tokyo mode lately. Sounds great. 🙂
I know, right? I’m actually in ‘Japan mode’ all the time! I’m not just fascinated by the Japanese culture, but I’m also studying the language and I love it <3
That is so cool! I’m fascinated by the culture as well, and I love seeing all the shrines that are interspersed throughout the city or in the country. How are you finding the language? I think that’s so cool you’re studying it… 🙂
The shrines are truly charming, indeed! As for the language, it’s hard—for instance, they have three alphabets—but really beautiful. I’m enrolled at the Japan Foundation where I do online courses and get certificates. So far I’m doing well, and I can honestly tell you it also feels rewarding ?
This sounds so charming – and hell yes, cheers to achieving your dreams!
Cheers!! ?