Description
Two boys in their final year of middle school navigate the uncertain space between childhood and adulthood. Tanahashi Yusei is popular and excels at both academics and sports, yet he feels unfulfilled. He secretly admires a classmate named Nakagawa, an inconspicuous boy whom his friends barely seem to notice. Nakagawa possesses a quiet self-confidence, demonstrated when he volunteers to sing soprano with his unbroken voice despite the potential for mockery. Their connection deepens after they discover a shared love for a particular radio show, which becomes the catalyst for them to spend more time together. As their bond grows, Tanahashi begins to question his feelings, leading to a journey of self-acceptance where Nakagawa’s certainty about himself helps Tanahashi understand his own identity. The original Japanese title, Hensei, meaning voice change, reflects this period of personal transformation.
The narrative is structured as a collection of four interconnected stories. The central storyline follows Tanahashi and Nakagawa from their final year of middle school into high school, exploring the romance that develops between them and their plans for the future. A second story shifts perspective to Manami, a female classmate who has a crush on Tanahashi, and follows her journey toward accepting his rejection and finding her own path, potentially finding new friendship in the process. The collection concludes with a standalone supernatural tale about a college student who buys a vintage coat from a thrift shop, only to discover it contains the ghost of a woman from the 1930s who speaks in dated slang. This ghost helps the young woman realize that self-love must come before winning the affection of her crush, and the story reveals a poignant wartime backstory for the spectral figure. Across these stories, the artwork is simple and sketch-like, and the manga incorporates references to analog radio, vintage records, and thrifted clothing to create a warm, lived-in atmosphere.
The narrative is structured as a collection of four interconnected stories. The central storyline follows Tanahashi and Nakagawa from their final year of middle school into high school, exploring the romance that develops between them and their plans for the future. A second story shifts perspective to Manami, a female classmate who has a crush on Tanahashi, and follows her journey toward accepting his rejection and finding her own path, potentially finding new friendship in the process. The collection concludes with a standalone supernatural tale about a college student who buys a vintage coat from a thrift shop, only to discover it contains the ghost of a woman from the 1930s who speaks in dated slang. This ghost helps the young woman realize that self-love must come before winning the affection of her crush, and the story reveals a poignant wartime backstory for the spectral figure. Across these stories, the artwork is simple and sketch-like, and the manga incorporates references to analog radio, vintage records, and thrifted clothing to create a warm, lived-in atmosphere.
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Staff
- Story & ArtWaka Hayashi
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