This was an interesting look into a period of Julia and Marc's life. We see Julia and Marc uproot their life to start fresh, get familiar with the culture, experience bidets, learn in school, and figure out the trash system. I enjoyed being able to explore Japan through Cejas's illustrations and experiences. I definitely relate to the uncertainties of adulthood and the urge to try something new with a partner. Overall, this was an insightful read and I liked seeing Julia's documentation of their time in Japan.

I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel. I love the choice of art style and colour; it is a different art style than what I normally see. I really enjoyed the style of the story overall too, though I wished that some passages were longer. The novel felt like mini episodes, rather than one continuous tale. I found this a very charming read.

I really appreciated this graphic novel memoir about a Spanish couple that moves to Japan. Julia is a struggling comic book artist and her husband, Marc, is an engineer turned video game creator. The two creatives leave behind all that they know to set out on a new adventure in Japan. "Hanami" is the series of short comics and/or vignettes that depict Julia and Marcs lives in Japan. Their struggles were very slice of life, a bit humorous, and relatable. The art style was also very approachable. Though this style is not inherently my favorite, I didn't mind it in this story. I particularly liked the dynamic established between Marc and Julia, this made it very enjoyable to read.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel, which illustrates the experience of a couple when they moved to Japan. A cartoonist for her, an aspiring video game music composer for him, their Japanese adventure immediately reveals itself to be full of cultural differences, linguistic difficulties and adaptation to a society different from that of their native Valencia.
Many of the short chapters are full of funny or absurd moments, others decidedly heavier on an emotional level, with a continuous swing of emotions that involve the reader in a tender and at times poignant ‘slice-of-life’.

A graphic novel memoir about two Spanish creatives moving to Japan for a few months. The art is pretty and accessible and the story is interesting, told in vignettes rather than in a linear fashion. Cejas has the ability to portray the stress of adulthood in quite a visceral way. The element of Hanami that I enjoyed the most were those somewhat random tidbits about a country that you can only really discover if you live there.
This was very well made and felt extremely satisfying, but I found myself not really connecting with the characters and the story as much as I wanted to.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

★★★★ // Struggling comic artist Julia and her civil-engineer-turned-video-game-composer husband Marc leave their familiar life in Spain behind for a change of scenery in Japan. 'Hanami' is a series of short comics that depict moments of their new lives in Japan, from learning Japanese and about the garbage system, to discovering the country's high-tech toilets (this segment had me CACKLING!)

I thought that this memoir of sorts was a great introductory guide to Japanese culture, as it truly showed the pair navigating the culture shock that they experienced and showed what it was like to really live in the country, not just travelling there. As an animanga and Japan lover myself, I sometimes catch myself romanticizing the country more than I should, so I appreciate how Cejas stripped the rose-coloured lenses and shared about the difficult reality that she and Marc experienced during their year there.

Some parts that really stood out to me (other than the toilet bit):

- Taking artistic inspiration from famous mangakas, including one of my favourites, Candy Candy (Yumiko Igarashi) from the Czech-Japanese Soap Opera chapter. Cejas includes a list of all her inspiration at the end of the novel.

- The following quotes:

"Your version of common sense, it's maybe not the same as hers. Or his. If we only followed rules that played to our own common sense, then we'd probably not respect a lot of rules..."

"I can always communicate by drawing."

I really liked the first quote, because respect and being community-focused is such a huge part of Japanese culture that highly differs from the more individualistic Western view. As for the second one, I was thinking this exact same thing as I came across parts of the graphic novel that had no text, yet conveyed the situation and sentiments perfectly.

The (very) few dislikes:
- Wasn't a huge fan of the art style, but that's a highly personal preference
- Wish some of the comics were longer - sometimes they felt cut short and because of this, were slightly confusing (especially closer to the beginning of the novel)

I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel, and would love to read more of something similar but for a different country!

I unfortunately DNF'd this book. The premise seemed right up my alley, but I just didn't vibe with the art-style. This might have been my fault for not paying attention to the cover art, but I also think the cover art is slightly different from the actual art-style in the book. It also seemed like a lot of dialogue crammed in the dialogue bubbles or just not paced out. I would say of what I did read, I would give it 3 stars. Maybe I'll try again in the future.

4.5 Stars

Following an economic crisis, Julia and Mark decide to use their savings to move to Japan on a visa. They find a small apartment and enroll in a Japanese school to learn the language and become acclimated to Japanese culture. This graphic memoir focuses on their experience in Japan, their relationship, and their growth as individuals.

I initially picked up this book, since I hadn't read a graphic novel in months and wanted to read something different. I was so glad I picked up this book, I enjoyed it! The art style in this book is amazing and the simple color palette made it more appealing to my eyes.

Each mini-story was enjoyable and opened my eyes to Japanese culture, and their practices in a simplified and entertaining way. I enjoyed "The Garbage Drama", since it educated the readers about garbage practices in Japan and included a mini background of how they changed or why they do it a certain way.

Although we got lessons and explanations about Japanese culture, I also enjoyed the elements in each story about the author and her partner, and their journey before, during, and after staying in Japan. The portrayal of their relationship was transparent and didn't just include the good memories they experienced. Ultimately, I enjoyed how the story came together to the present time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Humanoids Inc. for the eArc!

I appreciate the opportunity to read an e-ARC of this work via NetGalley and Humanoids Inc. Hanami is a memoir about an interval in Cejas’ life when she and her partner, between jobs, move to Japan from Spain. The narrative follows the couple as they experience the culture shock of trash sorting, the intricacies of learning Japanese, and the troubles of a drastic change in diet. Cejas’ art style really is exacerbated by the color palette she limited herself to. This color palette coupled with the vignettes of learning and trying something new, seemed as precious as the practice of “Hanami” itself. A majority of this narrative felt like an allegory for the relationship that is planted and sustained by two people as well as one a person grows within themself. Despite this, there were many moments I felt would have benefitted from being more introspective. For example, when Marc tells Julia to not rely on him as much for communication in Japan, Julia wasn’t as affected by that comment internally. Then, the next scene is her trying to communicate on her own.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC and amazing book!

Hanami is a charming and relatable slice-of-life comic that beautifully captures the highs and lows of Julia and Marc’s adventure in Japan. The artwork is delightful, similar art to anime and manga drawing cherry blooms, and the use of panels for humor and timing is outstanding. Julia’s honest, humorous storytelling makes their experiences, from culture affecting their daily lives. I agree and recommend this book to anyone who enjoys autobiographical comics, travel adventures, or manga-inspired art. It’s a heartwarming exploration of life, love, and discovery in a foreign land not to mention, the struggles they might face

This graphic novel is about a Spanish couple in their mid-30s living in Japan for a year or so. It is not one continuous full story but a collection of snippets of interesting things that they experienced while in the country. The art style is very unique and i enjoyed it a lot however as the chapters are random situations i felt a little lost as to what was happening .

The way the author portraits the relationship with her partner is really cute. Their moments felt funny, silly and lovely.

I'm not 30 but could relate with the struggles they faced. Also it was interesting seeing how foreigners have to adapt in cities like Tokyo.

The book is divided in a series of mini comics instead of one big long comic which I think is ultimately for the best, because this book is totally slice of life as there's nothing ACTUALLY interesting going on in their lives while they live in Japan. But that's not the point of the book! The book is a document of the important or funny or sad or peculiar or shocking stuff the couple went through in Japan. No one actually cares about how another country separates their trash to recicle it, but it is certainly fun to see the culture shock of someone from a vastly different culture when encountering the peculiarities of living in a new country, which I think it's what the book is really about.

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

HANAMI: You, Me, & 200 Sq Ft in Japan by Julia Cejas is a slice-of-life graphic novel about a young artistic couple who tries living in Japan for a few months. They go through the ups and downs of a new life including culture shock, a tiny apartment, and an intensive trash-collecting schedule. It was an interesting look for someone who'd like to visit Japan someday. The art style wasn’t my favorite, but I appreciated many of the different stories included in this book. Recommend for any interest of the Japanese culture or country.

It is easy for an autobiographical slice-of-life comic to go wrong. Make your story too specific and personal, it risks coming off as self-indulgent. Focusing on the mundane or unremarkable too closely, without mining drama or humor, you can end up with a boring slog. Hanami, by Spanish cartoonist Julia Cejas and published by Humanoids, avoids both of these pitfalls, making for a comforting, funny, and optimistic perspective on travel, finding home away from home, and struggling through the growing pains of living with a partner cooped up in a small space.

In Hanami, Julia Cejas recounts her six months living in Tokyo with her husband Marc. Flush with cash through a grant and a severance package from her husband’s civil engineering job, the couple decides to fulfill a lifelong dream to live in Japan, the home of their various inspirations in gaming, comics, and music. Throughout Hanami, Cejas recounts those six tightly-budgeted months with honesty, humor, and nostalgia.

Julia Cejas’s work in this comic is so enjoyable because it celebrates the joy of discovery and exploration without being precious or overly romantic about it. Culture clash is fodder for self-deprecating humor, and the small victories surrounding the ins and outs of everyday life in a foreign country (such as taking out the trash) are celebrated like the dramatic climax of a manga story. The artist’s comic timing and ability to construct a page are outstanding. The way she uses small panels to set up a gag and half a page for the punchline lets us as readers build anticipation through the rapid-fire setup and then bask in the sprawling dramatic moment. She constructs these absurdly inconsequential moments like a superhero artist would construct their big wham-bam fight scenes. The visuals are filled with homage and pastiche to Cejas’s influences, including Junji Ito and Hayao Miyazaki. The book avoids romanticizing the cultural differences, instead focusing on the couple’s personal foibles and joys.

Hanami is not broken down into chapters or even constructed with much of a narrative. Rather, it comprises various vignettes of Julia and Marc’s brief time in Tokyo. No scene is particularly long, and most scenes flow one into the next without much fanfare. It allows each moment to read like a standalone comic strip. As she jumps from one day to the next, you can almost feel the author trying to capture the memories as they blur together into an indistinguishable mass. The fleeting nature of time and memory is made tangible.


The art by Cejas is gorgeous. The softness of her lines and brushstrokes make the figures and the city of Tokyo inviting and approachable. The limited colors—mostly black, white, and gray tones accented with splashes of red throughout evoke the manga that inspires her. The presence of the red helps small, important details to pop off the page and by limiting the detailing to the colors of the Japanese flag, the artist embraces the nation that welcomed her for a brief time. Just as importantly, the varying shades of red–often nearly pink– evoke Japan’s iconic cherry blossoms. The book’s title is derived from the Japanese tradition of enjoying the brief blooming season of those cherry blossoms. The Hanami-mania, like the foliage mania that bears down on New England states in the US, is the subject of just one of the book’s vignettes. But the spirit of Hanami permeates the entire project. Hanami is a celebration of the fleeting beauty of the blossom season. In her Hanami, Julia Cejas revels in the fleeting beauty of her experience in Tokyo, inviting readers to join her in that joy of discovery and inspiration. It’s a touching reflection on treasuring brief, unremarkable moments in life and filling each with beauty and meaning.

This was so fun! I love that this is based on the author/illustrator's real life! I have always wanted to visit Japan, so safe to say I was living vicariously through this graphic novel!

I DNFed (did not finish) this one. Maybe it just wasn’t for me. I typically love graphic novels, but this one just wasn’t hooking me, and I didn’t feel connected to the characters. Maybe another time.

3,5/5 ⭐️

First of all, I’d like to thank both the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this arc.

I was instantly drawn to this title, I haven’t read many graphic novels, tho I have quite an extensive knowledge on manga and books related to Japan.
I myself have lived in Japan so this book just called my name, and I knew I had to pick it up,

We follow the lives of Julia and Marc, a Spanish couple, who decided to relocate to Japan. We follow their journey as they get used to their new lives, from their first experience at the local supermarket - yup, vegetables can be that pricey -, to their day-to-day worries.

I must admit I had a hard time following the story as it’s more a collection of snippets of their lives, and sometimes I felt a bit disoriented as I struggled to figure out when a story ended and another was beginning.

I’d still recommend this book, the drawing style was new and different to me and it could be a quick read for anyone who relates to the possible struggles us young adult face in our daily lives.

Beautiful well drawn snippets of the author and her partners life in Japan. It was a delight to learn about their ups and downs when moving to Japan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Humanoids Inc. for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel. This was an informative yet intriguing comic about an older couple living in Japan. The art style is jarring but it is accessible to people wanting to learn about what the best ways to accomplish living in Japan on a budget. Because of these points, I have to give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I completely delightful look at a foreigner experience in Japan! I loved reading about Julia and Marc's experience in their tiny apartment in Japan. I loved the parts that were set in the school with them learning Japanese! The art style of this book is also wonderful. It's a funny slice of life graphic novel that I recommend checking out!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an e arc in exchange for an honest review!