Review: ‘Neighborhood Story’ Vol. 3 Proves That Girlhood is Always Worth Bringing to the Page

Words and Art: Ai Yazawa Publisher: Viz (Shojo Beat) Translation: Andria McKnight Touch-Up Art & Lettering: Michelle Phang Design: Shawn Carrico Editor: Karla Clark I finally got around to reading the first volume of Ai Yazawa’s Neighborhood Story, finally released with an English language translation late last year. At 312 pages, I remember reading it in one sitting on a train home after a fun night out and wanting more of a coming-of-age tale from the creator of Nana! The first volume of the series introduces us to Mikako Koda: a super cute, super creative, and super energetic teenager who loves fashion and one day wants to make it big as a fashion designer. She lives a pretty colorful life with a mom who is a Shojo mangaka, and Mikako attends Yazawa Arts Academy, a prestigious art school that she attends that celebrates the arts.  The second volume of Neighborhood Story explores the beginning of Mikako and Tsutomu ‘s relationship as childhood friends (and next door neighbors) coming to an understanding about their feelings for each other. The two help create a community of friends and creatives that blossoms–and has quite a bunch of drama following them as well. Our protagonist Mikako also is included in a happy ongoing developing connection with her previously absent father, who left due to her parents divorcing. She is happy to have their little family together again, involved in each other’s lives.

This third volume of Neighborhood Story opens at Ya…