Wow! I feel a little more cultured reading this as I feel like I somewhat went on this journey with how detailed and welcoming the story was. Following these two characters as they choose to live abroad for financial reasons as adults is such a powerful show of how even as afults, we sometimes have no idea what we are doing. The bidet scene was masterful , and the paneling was so perfect at conveying the frantic situation! I loved the way they illustrate the stark difference between what we mean and what we actually say in a different language, and it was so relatable and hilarious to see it portrayed so clearly! There was obviously a lot of care that went into the storytelling and I very much enjoyed living the narrative whilst reading this. Thank you for sharing your story.

Thank you Julia Cejas, Humanoids Inc | Life Drawn, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you netgalley for the arc!

This graphic novel is a memoir of japan comic artist and her partner who was a video game composer. I enjoyed the story about their adventures in Japan. The illustration was very interesting and the story is hilarious. This book has many aspects of Japan cultural, I love all about Japan.

This was adorable. I loved the illustrations. I lived in Japan for a few years, so this was so nostalgic. Nothing beats Japanese snacks! This is a copy I want to own for sure.

Hanami was truly the book I needed to read. I had not read a slice of life graphic novel in a while and I really do enjoy reading those so much.

A young couple living together in Japan? Sounds so fun, right? Well, not really. Our tendency to romanticize life is so common that most often than not the real life experience definitely shakes you up. Reading about the author's life with their partner, squeezed up in a tiny apartment, and trying to work together in the same space was eye opening. Plus, the struggles to get around, learn a language, find food choices in a new country.

I definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy reading about life in general.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the story was really interesting, following the couple as they lived in Japan for half a year. It gave me a lot of info on life in Japan as well, which was fascinating. I wasn't a huge fan of the art style, but that didn't impede my enjoyment much.

This tightly focused autobiographical book tells the story of Julia Cejas and her husband Marc’s time spent living in Japan though vignettes of usually one or two, or at most seven pages. The pieces mostly emphasize the awkwardness of the young Spaniards in the strange world of Japan, a world not just visited but lived in (if rather briefly). However, the book is given a bit more weight and cohesion by the vignettes that tell the narrative of Julia and Marc both trying to navigate transition points in their careers, transition points that culminate in the creation of the book itself.

The shades-of-purple-and-pink color scheme can be sometimes lovely and sometime srepetitive, and Julia Cejas’ touch with faces and figures is sometimes beautifully expressive, sometimes dissonantly caricaturish. The paneling and composition of the page stand out as universal lucid and capable of conveying comedic absurdity or heartfelt emotion with equal weight (compare the vignette on pages 72-73 with the final page of the vignette on pages 101-105 to see this range).

The book is lovely in several ways and tells an ordinary story quite compellingly. It might (very debatably) be described as having a good deal of debut work roughness, but if so, it promises great things to come from Cejas in the future.

Hanami follows a couple, Julia & Marc, from Spain who decide to move to Japan after Marc loses his job. Their time in Japan is told through vignettes, lovingly showing their time in Japan and their experiences as foreigners living in Japan. The art style is muted, using mostly blues and reds so the experience is quick and calm. This book is a love letter to Japan from a foreigner and while a bit disjointed, it’s heart is true. I think those who are interested in Japan would enjoy this; however this is a very light overview of Julia and Marc's experience there so if someone has an in depth knowledge of Japan they may be underwhelmed. An enjoyable and quick read.

I picked this comic purely based on its interesting cover and it didn't disappoint. This graphic novel shows us an engaging story of foreigners in Japan and their experience living in this country. It was funny, it was heartwarming, it was cute. The art style was super interesting and beautiful as well.

Es un libro bastante particular que no lo terminé de entender, parece manga pero a la vez no. Me gusto pero hasta ahí, no me voló la cabeza

My favorite part of Julia Cejas's "Hanami" is the art work. I enjoy the loose style as it makes it seem more personal to the author/artist and less driven by what is in the more established graphic novel/comic art style. I also like that "Hanami" is a memoir of a person living in Tokyo for school and it is not afraid to show the fun and the foibles that the main character encounters. Some of the awkwardness is self-inflicted and some is getting used to living in a city/country that is new and different from one's home country. I was also delighted that the main character is from Spain as it provided an added layer of interest for me as someone who is from neither Japan nor Spain or Europe for that matter. So it was a refreshing point of view in many respects.

There were some transitions that were a little abrupt, but it was easy to get back into the narrative flow. I liked the paneling in that it was kept fairly straightforward and dialogue bubbles were easy to follow.

Overall, a solid 4 stars. Very much enjoyed.

This graphic novel dictates a couples move to Japan and their economic struggles. I adored the colour palette, and although the artwork was not my particular taste, i found that it worked well for this story. I enjoyed reading about the different culture, but unfortunately this book failed to hold my attention.

i don’t love short one shots like this and i think i would’ve thought it was more interesting if i didn’t watch trash taste and knew a lot of this already. also the art wasn’t my favorite. buttt it didn’t offend me so.

This was pretty good! A bit difficult to read at times, both because of the font that was used and the small size of the text, but it was doable. Would recommend it to other people!

I really enjoyed this book. It was beautifully illustrated and a wonderful telling of the author and her partner's journey in Japan.

I loved learning g about a different culture and how they deal with urban left and how the expats are treated when they come to start new lives there. A beautiful and insightful read.

This was a good story but couldn't connect with the characters.
The art style was good but I got a little bored after the start.

I think it was an okay book, it was decent and I don't really have a specific complaint about it. It just didn't do anything for me and kinda bored me. It felt like something was missing or was lacking in the way the story was being told?

Great cover & charming artwork throughout.

I really loved this story of a young married couple from Spain who decide to move to Japan until the money runs out when the economy takes a downturn. She's an artist & he's an engineer who also composes music. They spend a year preparing & studying the language so they're not completely out of their depth when they arrive & this comic follows them as they navigate their way through their time in Japan.
The color palate reminded me of cherry blossoms & just added to the overall vibe of the story.
I would definitely recommend this to people who read manga & people interested in Japan & have already sent one to a friend who works at her local library & is my go-to on these two areas.


Thanks to netgalley & Humanoids for a review copy of this title.

An artist and musician decide to save up and travel to Japan to live for a few months. This is their travelogue of that adventure.

Interesting at start but I could not stay in the story the whole way through. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the free eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.