**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside Vol. 1 by Kumagae was a slice of life mange volume about a middle aged editor who has to get transferred in his job and instead decides to quit his job and move to the countryside with his wife to grow rice. Most of the volume was information about working a rice paddy and the couple searching for a decent house to rent, which was fine. The art was great and the story was pretty interesting, but I don't know if I would care enough to continue.

Now I want to move to the Japanese countryside into an abandoned house and also farm rice! Seriously, though, I would love to read more in this series as it is quite delightful. It's an interesting mix as we still see some of the stresses of the MC's job while seeing the contrast with country living for them.

A really lovely and hopeful manga of a manga editor who becomes disillusioned with his life and career in the city and decides to take up rice farming in the countryside. Fun and lighthearted while dealing with the issue of overwork and burnout. I really felt this was a strong addition to slice of life literature - I would really like to continue this!

<i>I was provided with a complimentary copy of this manga volume by Kodansha via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily</i>.

the children yearn for the rice paddies

I love the balance between the realistic and hopeful tones of this manga. Reminded me a lot of Uncomfortably Happily, although that one was more depressing than this manga. How does it feel to live in the countryside after years of city life? This manga definitely showed that dilemma and how the human spirit is able to adapt to any situation with the right determination and courage to face the challenge.

Many thanks to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Un manga slice of life donde el protagonista deja su trabajo de oficina para perseguir un modelo de vida donde se pueda sustentar cultivando su propio arroz. Nos enseña bastantes cosas relativas al arroz y como es el proceso para llegar a tener el grano de arroz que comemos.

El hecho de dejar su trabajo y dedicarse full time a su hobby y hacer de este su sustento dice mucho de este protagonista. Es algo que personalmente solo podría soñar. Mi compañera de trabajo va a dejar el trabajo en nuestra empresa para perseguir su sueño de tener una tienda de ropa; algo que siempre ha querido perseguir. Sin duda es un paso importante, y se está dando cuenta que este paso comprende una serie de responsabilidades que no solo basta con querer hacer algo; tienes que ser realista.

En conclusión, me parece una historia bastante idealista pero estoy segura que en los próximos volúmenes del manga se verá un lado más realista y lleno de complicaciones para nuestro protagonista.

Summary:

Yohei "Kuma" Sakuma is drained. His full-time job has always been as a manga editor, which means he's always got a fuller-than-full workload. In truth, he may not have realized how burned out he was feeling – if not for the news of his magazine's closure.

It felt like a breath of fresh air. Until Kuma was informed that he had a new job lined up within the company so he could continue his editorial work. That... wasn't the news he needed to hear, and it made him realize something. He needed a change.

Review:

What a refreshing change of pace! That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside Vol. 1 may be a very (VERY) long title, but it was a delight to read! This series is perfect for anyone looking for something different or casual. Likewise, if you enjoy farming, this might be fun to check out.

Basically, I feel we can all empathize with the core of the plot (at least at one point in our lives, right?). Kuma is burned out and needs a change. For him, that change happens to be quitting his job and running away to the countryside (hey, we've all had that dream...right?).

His journey is oddly endearing, especially as he learns the basics of rice farming. Having never farmed rice, I can't comment on the accuracy of what he was taught, but I enjoyed reading about it!

Highlights:
Manga
Slice-of-life-ish
Casual Read
Farming

Will I continue the series? Probably!

Thanks to Kodansha Comics and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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The great thing about the title of this book is it tells you exactly what to expect, exactly what the central point of the plot is. The intent is a little bit more nuanced, looking at a different way of living and what we view as important. Lovely and pastoral.

That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside is a manga consisting of four books, so it's not that long. Its seems a suitable length. This first part introduces us Yohei “Kuma” Sakuma, who's a manga editor and whose magazine gets cancelled. He loses all interest in his job and wants to quit, but does not know what to do instead. Somehow he ends up growing rice on a paddy in the countryside for a hobby until he and his newlywed wife move there. This is surely slice of life, slow and showing the good and bad parts of living in the in countryside. The manga is very realistic so no wonder this is seinen. I do like the fact that economy and money issues are handled too, instead of just pure joy of peace and quiet.

The art works well with the story and looks realistic too. It's interesting to see Japanese countryside from an adult series point of view and not just teenagers living in the boonies. In a sense this manga works for anyone who wants to experience something real and experience the sense of "what if".

This was such a cosy, heart-warming and wholesome slice-of-life read. Perfect for a rainy day, paired with a cup of tea. It felt like getting a warm hug.

‘That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside Vol. 1’ with story and art by Kumagae is a manga about a young man who makes a look at an alternate life.

When the manga that Kuma edits has news of a shutdown, Kuma realizes he is tired of his job and life in the city. He finds himself growing rice in the country. His new wife, Miyu, is unaware and thinks Kuma is up to something else. Soon Kuma and Miyu are faced with changes that could change their lives for better or worse.

I liked this sweet story of changing the course of your life. I also learned a thing or two about weeding rice beds along the way.

This was amazing!
This is the book version of being wrapped up in a warm blanket on a cold winter day with some tasty tea.
The story follows a warn down man who is overwhelmed by his life in the city. He decides to take up farming and realizes it must be his true calling!
This was such a refreshing wholesome read. Cant wait for more!

This was really interesting, there were some points that felt slow and I liked the art style. But it was overall enjoyable.

I was expecting an isekai, but this is more of a slice of life kind of comic. It was a fun read with cute art. All about rice farming and trying to get away from the buzz of city life.

4 stars

Yohei Sakuma worked as manga editor at the Shonen Diehard for 13 long years, without ever having a hit manga. Tired of being moved from one department to another, he breaks down and quits to become a… rice farmer. All that while being newly wed and while his wife is herself barely making ends meet as a… cosplayer.

Needless to say, this manga is endearing, weird, funny and relaxing. I often think of leaving the big city for the quiet countryside, but I know all too well that countryside life isn’t as quiet and peaceful as my dream :) (It’s a TON of hard work, too!)

If you dream of changing jobs, this is a manga for you. But keep in mind this first volume doesn’t do much - just establish the characters and the setting. It’s OK, but I’d need more to hook me up. (remember, 2 stars = OK)

Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This didn't influence my opinion in any way.

A cute slice of life story that's exactly what it says on the tin! It's a fun read that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a quick escape from their nine-to-five.

This is good fun and I enjoyed reading it. The artwork is good and the manga is engaging.

Yohei “Kuma” Sakuma has had enough of Tokyo and when his company ends the manga series that he was editing, he decides to move to the country, plant rice and in so doing find himself.

His wife Miyu thinks this is a great idea and so they take that bold step and move. This is volume one of what looks like a great series. It has some interesting characters and a rather unique manga about someone who edits manga. In this volume we explore why and how Kuma moves away from Tokyo and this volume sets up the reader for the adventures to come which I am looking forward to.

Copy provided by publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

3 stars

Nice little slice of life kind of manga. Didn’t really care for how it began as it kept pulling me out of the story.

Burn-out is exactly zero fun. There are few truths more immutable than that, and that makes this manga feel incredibly relatable at times as Yohei Sakuma realizes that he doesn't have the energy or interest to continue being a manga editor and decides that maybe moving out to the countryside to farm rice is the way to go. Even if your burn-out isn't work-related, that desire to pick up and change your life is universal…and if you can't relate to that, the book goes a step further by framing Kuma's adventures as a sort of faux-isekai, a gimmick that works surprisingly well.

The base plot here is that Kuma and his professional cosplayer wife Miyu decide to leave Tokyo for the country, a process that turns out to be nothing like they anticipated. It has a light touch with the idea of expectations versus reality, deftly pointing out that sometimes a house is vacant (and therefore cheap) because it's a potential money pit and that not all landlords are created equal. The one house they think about renting that requires a fishing-fiend uncle to stay twice a month is an actual thing I've seen happen in summer communities where I live, and seeing it from the renters' side is pretty interesting. Then there's the realization that old houses are weird, neighbors can be strange even in rural areas, and, of course, the never-ending battle against weeds in the garden. It reminds me of a lighter version of the manhwa Uncomfortably Happily.

The references here are also spot-on. The whole isekai gag is particularly apt right now, and the fact that the manga is implied to have been published because Kuma was introduced to a publisher who has a serious fondness for the genre is a nice not-quite-tongue-in-cheek moment. But there's also a solid JoJo's Bizarre Adventure mention and a pitch-perfect Kindaichi joke when Miyu is trying to figure out what her husband isn't telling her, all of which help to spice up what would otherwise be a relatively rote slice-of-life story. (Remember, everyone, if you're contemplating a life-changing move, tell your partner!) This is a gentle, entertaining story about how sometimes you have to change things up, and if you liked Uncomfortably Happily or any other “city folk move to the sticks” story, this is a good read.

This was quite an interesting story about a manga editor, who finds a hobby and growing and keeping rice farms, and he keeps it a secret from his wife, and she starts to find out and she’s a Comic-con lover and cosplayer, and it’s about them finding each other and their hobbies and mashing them together while also finding a home and sharing this hobby that he had no house and I think it’s actually really cosy and beautiful and it’s about understanding and love and compassion, and I think this is actually pretty fun and they get all their friends in and it’s about how rewarding hobbies that involve nature can be. I also love this art style. The colouring of them was really cool and it wasn’t too filled with text that it took away from the story.

I’m so glad I made up my mind and trusted my instinct, because this read was awesome! If a manga makes you pick it up just by the title—and no other info whatsoever—you know it’s gonna be a good one.

I related a lot to Yohei—due to some personal experiences—and, the more I read his story, the more I understood his struggles and his desire to change his life, as it’s something I’m currently going through myself. I suppose another reason I sympathised with Yohei a lot is also because he is an adult, so I felt even closer to his character. He’s in his mid-thirties, newlywed, and unhappy with his life, so much that he’s considering leaving the bustling city for the quiet countryside. He’s really someone to admire, in my opinion.

One thing that made me happy was the array of great supporting characters right from the get-go. His wife Miyu, for starters… She’s a professional cosplayer and very supportive of her husband, how can you not adore her? It almost feels like those Studio Ghibli films where a city family moves to the countryside due to circumstances and all the people there are very welcoming, helpful, and supportive. I’m looking forward to seeing what other interesting characters this cool couple will come across next!

Definitely recommended, That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside will show you hope is not lost even if you’re going through a difficult time in your life, and that you should never give up finding what truly makes you happy.