Spanning 9 chapters, it’s no wonder such a beautiful manga such as Itsuya-San could be overlooked. Nonetheless, I can’t believe that no one has written a review for this series yet. Don’t let the series length or deceptively simple summary fool you – what we have here is a deeply introspective piece that will warm your heart and leave you yearning for more.
Yumeka Sumomo is exceedingly talented at creating pungent shorts that quickly cement themselves in your heart. I’m dumbfounded as to how such a short series could be filled to the brim with so many insightful moments. All the characters are uniquely and properly fleshed out, with their motivations, trials, and desires being fully apparent. The manga’s strengths lies in that there are no purposeless characters or moments. This is a breadth of fresh air in a genre that’s saturated with so many overused clichés and tropes.
The narrative in Itsuya-San is accompanied with some of the most beautiful art that I’ve personally seen in manga. Yumeka Sumomo uses a whimsical style that’s reminiscent of studio ghibli or vintage anime. While mostly inked, the pages where she displays her use of watercolors are a treat to the eyes. Her framing and panel layouts are also well-done, allowing emotions to linger for an appropriate amount of time.
All together, Itsuya-San is a pleasantly bittersweet short series that will undoubtedly give your heart-strings a tug, so if you’re not doing anything at this moment, I suggest you give this series a try.
