Quick Post--Art and Young Love

YES MIDTERMS FINALLY OVER! (until the next set of midterms in about 3 weeks...then finals...) Anyways, I wrote this quick post in the midst of my studying and I know I said I would complete my other posts before a new one but I'm eager to get a few other quick posts up that I wrote so one at a time I guess (I'm planning on making these posts be in place of the weekly sunday posts that I originally organized when I first started the blog a few months ago)

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Every year, I find myself rereading this one manga at least once. The first time I encountered it was when it was first being scanlated actually. I fell in love with it instantly. It was just so beautiful~ art and youthful love. Wonderfully dream-like is it not? It's not childlike at all either, it's passionate and full of devotion. I wouldn't say it's my favorite but it's a really great reread and it's one of those stories that I think anyone would like to experience at least once if they had infinite lives to fall in love for the first time. The manga I'm speaking of is titled 24 Colors - Hatsukoi no Palette by Chiba Kozue.

Trust me, first chapter and you'll just be sucked in by the beauty and dream-like comforting mood of the story. The moment the two cross paths on the school grounds, the wonderful on-campus quiet and isolated art studio/club room that are lined with large windows that let in the brilliant glow of the sun, and the place where the red flower blooms. Oh I'm just so moved by how romantic and perfectly in place everything is in this manga even in the first chapter!!

I think that Chiba Kozue (the mangaka) tried to stir up the magic of this manga again by setting a similar tone to another art and love story but that one is more childish to me or at least, it lacks the first impression charisma that this manga has. It's not as surreal and beautifully perfect as this story but it works for a very shoujo like story in a art school setting. The combination of art and young love still creates some good magic here and there (not as consistent as 24 colors). But if you're interested, it's titled Crayon Days - Daikirai na Aitsu 

I hope anyone who reads it or who has read it will share the same opinions =)

Edit: There is one iffy part in this manga that was unnecessary in my opinion but I just push it out of my mind because it's just something that doesn't fit in this idyllic love story.