‘Hirayasumi Vol 3’ Re-enforces Why Slice of Life is Worth Reading in Manga

Words and Art: Keigo Shinzo Publisher: Viz Translation: Jan Mitsuko Cash Touch-Up Art & Lettering: Elena Diaz Design: Jimmy Presler Editor: Holly Fisher As I mentioned in my review of the second volume of Hirayasumi, I love every volume of this series that I can get my hands on, and this second volume reinforced why the slice of life genre is king. There is a need for stories that flourish in this genre, and Keigo Shinzo’s pen does incredible work bringing up the mundane and extraordinary of everyday life. Reading along to see these, 29-year-old, carefree Hiroto Ikuta, his cousin Natsumi, Hiroto’s best friend, Hideki and Yomogi, the bustling real estate agent, in their quest for purpose and finding or maintaining that place of home, that place of comfort and belonging is happily one I vow to continue reading.

In the opening chapter, Natsumi stars as the main character who hurriedly runs off to meet the editor for the publishing company who wants to meet her and talk about her manga. Hilariously, she gets lost almost instantly and thankfully finds the building and the person she’s meant to find. Personally, I loved seeing Natsumi first when opening up this volume as her character development as a young adult putting effort into growing up, taking accountability, and doing her best to enjoy the college experience has been marvelous to read. We learn in the last volume, the manga that she had been secretly working on, won an award and the eyeballs of an revered editor in th…