This graphic novel gives an insight into a year of the lives of a Spanish couple that decides to live in Japan for a year through a collection of drawn short stories. Julia Cejas has illustrated small and big struggles that one mag encounter when they're trying to adapt in a foreign country and different culture.
The stories that spoke to me the most were the ones where the Illustrator used humour to relay some of the communication challenges.

**Hanami** by Julia Cejas is a delightful and endearing graphic memoir that captures the joys and trials of a creative millennial couple embarking on a transformative year in Japan. Through a series of charming vignettes, Julia, a comic artist, and Marc, a video game composer, document their adventures with a blend of humor, warmth, and insightful cultural commentary.

The book begins with the couple's decision to leave behind their familiar lives and relocate to Japan after Marc loses his job. Their journey is driven by a shared desire for adventure and the flexibility of their relatively unencumbered lives. What follows is a series of short, episodic tales that highlight the highs and lows of their new life, from navigating the intricacies of Japanese toilets to learning about local fire patrols.

Julia's artwork in *Hanami* is a visual treat, rich with influences from iconic mangaka such as Akira Toriyama and Rumiko Takahashi. The illustrations are not only a nod to these beloved artists but also a testament to Julia’s skill in capturing the essence of their experiences. The playful and expressive art style complements the light-hearted yet poignant narrative, making the book a feast for both manga enthusiasts and casual readers alike.

The memoir excels in its heartfelt portrayal of cultural immersion. Julia and Marc approach their new surroundings with a blend of curiosity and trepidation, and their reactions—whether to the wonders of Japanese cuisine or the challenges of adapting to local customs—are portrayed with honesty and humor. Their stories of adapting to life in a tiny apartment, interacting with locals, and experiencing the beauty and quirks of Japan offer readers a relatable and engaging perspective on the expatriate experience.

One of the book's strengths is its ability to balance humor with genuine reflection. The couple’s misadventures and cultural faux pas are recounted with a light-hearted touch, while also providing deeper insights into their personal growth and relationship. The journey is not just about exploring a new country but also about discovering more about themselves and each other.

**Hanami** is a refreshing and heartwarming read that celebrates the spirit of adventure and the beauty of cultural exchange. It is a testament to the ways in which travel can enrich our lives and deepen our understanding of the world. For anyone interested in manga, Japanese culture, or simply a good-natured travelogue, this graphic memoir offers a delightful and memorable experience. Julia and Marc's year in Japan, with all its ups and downs, serves as a reminder of the transformative power of stepping outside one’s comfort zone and embracing the unknown.

Publishing date: 06.08.2024
Thank you to Netgalley and Humanoids Inc for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

The book as a meal: I am shoving a slice of bread in my mouth while running to my bus stop
The book left me: Appreciating the simple trash collection system in my own country (don't worry, we are recycle things too)
Negatives:
Wish some of the "stories" lasted a little longer or that they didn't end so abruptly
Sometimes the text was a little hard to read
The art could be a little confusing or hard to process

Positives:
Pretty color scheme and cohesive art
Relatable situations

Features:
An insight into what it is like to live in Japan, a little bit of culture-shock and how to deal with it (not in a self-help way), relatable situations, not a one-lane story but more of a collection of stories, slice of life storytelling

Why did I choose this one?
My graphic novel era is back again from my teenage years, so I want to dive into as many genres as possible. This one is not marked as an autobiography but I would put that tag on it. The almost monochrome color scheme caught my eyes while browsing the books, so I was interested in the art too.

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Pick-up-able. The stories are short and quick to read, so this was a one-day read for me. I didn't swallow the book whole, but split it up into chunks for my day

What was the vibe and mood?
Although the seasons clearly changed throughout the book, I was in a spring mood the entire time. Probably because of the pinks in the art. I also felt like a student again, which was bittersweet.
This is a chill collection of stories that has lots of relatable situations a lot of people have found themselves in. Cue the awkward social ones ... I think this also gives a more realistic view of living in Japan as foreigners and not just the "dream" that so many people have.

Final ranking and star rating?
C tier, 3 stars. Nothing really wrong with it. I enjoyed myself reading it, but I didn't connect with the stories and situations as much as I would like. The art also confused me at times and the text could be a little hard to read, which stalled my reading. Some stories were not long enough (although I understand that isn't really possible if it is based off real life), or they ended a little abruptly. Just nitpicks really ...
I think this book is more aimed at poeple who have migrated to Japan or wish to do so in the future. I am neither of those. A miss for me, but a success for the target audience I believe

This was a beautiful way to tell a story about life in Japan.

Having taken a similar "why not just go live in Japan" adventure, it brought back alot of memories for me. The simple colours of the art style tell the story well, and the imagery made me feel very nostalgic, I particularly enjoyed the discussions of the complexity of everyday life, like the trauma of trying to figure out the garbage process. It brought back very vivid memories.

3.75 stars
🌕🌕🌕🌖

🎯 Target Audience
- Folks who are curious what it’s like to live in Japan as foreigners
- If you want to know small nice things about Japan, this book is for you

🧠 My thoughts
The graphic novel portrayed very well both the beauty and the struggles of the couple during the time they were in Japan. I liked the humour and the simplicity of the storytelling. The story especially touched me because it’s pretty relatable.

However, the artwork was pretty confusing. It was hard to read and it made the story incohesive for me.

Thanks NetGalley, Humanoids Inc publisher, and the authors for a great advance copy of the book in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed this graphic novel. It tells the story of Marc and Julia as they travel to japan, navigating their day to day. I will say, the book itself took me a while to get into, but the art was beautiful and I enjoyed getting to see their story.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy!

Hanami tells the (true-ish) story of Julia and Marc, a young couple who moves to Japan.
I found it interesting to read about the culture shock they experience at their new place and how they dealt with it.
The art style - especially the colour scheme - of the novel was lovely.
Overall I really enjoyed this book.

This autobiographic novel talks about Julia's travel to Japan. The artstyle is a bit sketchy, the colors are nice. It was a very ok comic.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this eBook.

Hanami is a graphic novel about a couple who move to Japan temporarily and all the various cultural and linguistic barriers that they deal with. While the art style was refreshing, there were a few places where the story ended a little too early for my liking.

This was a series of comics, each addressing a topic from daily life while the author lived in Japan.

The art was pretty sometimes and I didn't like it sometimes. But one thing that sets it apart from other mangas/ comics is that the characters have distinct features, so you'll have no problem recognising and differentiating them.

I loved that the book tells us so much about life in Japan! I'm learning Japanese as it is one of the requirements to be able to take part in the 'work in Japan' program at college, but my college's language classes doesn't focus much on the cultural aspects - so this was a fun and informative read.

The stories are personal, but very relatable - especially the one where you don't know if you are saying the right thing in a foreign language - so you're sweating buckets while speaking and the bajillion rules of politeness Japan has lol.

This graphic novel is about a Spanish couple in their mid-30s living in Japan for a little while when they were at a crossroad in their lives.

This is not the first time that I have read a graphic novel where westerners recount their experiences travelling or living in Japan. So, unfortunately, there were a lot of things that I found to be pretty similar to other graphic novels in the same vein.

Like other similar books, this one is not one continuous story but a collection of snippets of interesting things that they experienced while in Japan. This could sometimes make my reading journey feel a little jagged.
The illustration is not bad but can sometimes make me feel a little lost as to what was happening due to the lack of words and expressions. I’m not sure if this is a style I’m just not familiar with because I think this is the first time I read anything by a Spaniard illustrator.

What I did love about the novel however, was the little precious moments between her and her husband, especially when they were talking about their worries regarding work. Those were so relatable and vulnerable that I wish I could have more. There were also some happenings that were somewhat funny because she actually put to paper what we might all feel but don’t normally talk about. For example, how fleeting Sakura was thus gone be the Hanami memories almost as soon as the last petal fall to the ground.

I’d still recommend this book, but for people who people who either have not read a similar book, those who like to read something similar or people who are struggling to find their ways in their 30s.

Sure to be a hit with those who've lived in Japan or are considering it but anybody can read Hanami and have a good time. It was a fantastic slice of life jam packed with humourous anecdotes, who knew that taking out bins could be so complex? The art style really complemented the subject and was a delight to view.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this advanced copy

This ended up not being the book for me, while it is very pretty and an easy read to follow. I have trouble following graphic novels that are set up in a slice of life storytelling way. With little pieces of a life here and there but not a connected way through or plain message to follow. I loved seeing Julia and Marc talk throughout the story but it just felt jumbled to me.

I have known various people in my life where, let’s just say their enthusiasm for an idea exceeds their preparation for the reality of it. I’ve suffered the consequences of this (when it’s a parent), tried to mitigate the damage (when it’s a sibling), or offered consolation in the aftermath (when it’s a friend). This triggered some very stressful memories that I don’t care to ever revisit. In lovely comic form, but still. (Very lovely comic form!)

I really enjoyed getting another glimpse into life in Japan. Some of the stories were so accurate I was laughing to myself.
I think that the only thing I found a bit troubling is that the illustrations sometimes confused me.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this free ARC!

this was a lovely read, an extremely sweet venture into japanese culture, and whilst being an enjoyable story in itself, i also feel like i've learnt a lot from it.

going into hanami, i was practically clueless on most of japan, and getting to know more about the country and it's culture was so interesting, a long with such beautiful art and a nice storyline between the two main characters, they had their own unique experiences whilst also respecting and learning about the country they were moving two, with a drastic change from living in spain.

it felt personal which benefit the story a lot, with the added plus of a cosy, informal feeling too. had a very nice time reading x

(I received this book from the editor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review) undife
Hanami is not only a deeply emotional journey into living in Japan as a foreigner, but also a diary of what needs to be done to achieve one’s dream.
I really enjoyed Julia Cejas’ journey, the way in which everything is described and the reader themselves can feel part of what she and her partner and feeling. The art is wonderful as well, very delicate. I specially enjoyed the panels showing what she sees from her window, something that can at first feel very superficial, but that anyone who has lived abroad understands: once the outside changes, something inside stirs as well.
To sum up, an amazing reading for an otherworldly journey.
And what is going on with the garbage system in Japan? It feels so well thought, but a true nightmare for newbies!

Hanami is a set of mostly autobiographical stories (translated from Spanish!) from a woman who moved to Japan with her husband after both of them are jobless, ad their experiences during the duration of their visas in language school and general life living as normal people.

I enjoyed the linework, the simple colors, and the loving art of their daily live and their small adventures, whether it's a day trip to Nikko or just life in the neighborhood! But I 1000% cannot relate to just, 'well, I have savings before I lost my job so let's just move to Japan and I'll try writing video game music for the first time and you'll be an artist and we'll just get by on an education visa as long as we take four hours of language class and--". Like I know some people do this but it's completely unfathomable to me! Also that they just chose Japan (I'm assuming because they like video games and anime/manga considering the artist-writer lists a bunch of manga inspirations in the back) for fandom reasons (valid) but without doing like any research into what life is like there-- as one is Celiac and the other started off vegan.

I did also really like the story about the garbage separation as honestly the garbage separation is one of my favorite things about Japan (but maybe that's just because I've only been a tourist who's stayed for no longer than about two weeks at a time). and how many just, real life, basic life stories there were!

Thank you to NetGalley and Humanoid for the eARC in exchange for review!

It's a series of comics, though they're a bit longer than the standard slice of life ones I've seen that are just 4 or 5 panels. These are full pages of color and images, complex background, expressions, details, and so on. Each one addresses a specific topic (like sorting garbage) or memorable moment (like struggling to ask for directions).

I really liked the art, as it had plenty of detail without being overwhelming. The limited colors were enough to differentiate what was going on in each scene, but also allowed me to focus on what was happening without getting overwhelmed in color and movement on the page. I got familiar with it quickly and had no issues identifying people and locations that reoccurred.
The stories themselves were a mix of entertaining and informative. It feels intimate, as though these were comics she made for herself while there as a sort of memory journal. For the most part, they are not super emotional and focus primarily on the things occurring over how she feels about things. There is emotion included though, as with the stress of communicating, the fear of running out of money, the triumph of getting something correct, and so on. Still, I think they were not the primary focus of it all.

As a slice of life and cultural memoir, this was a sweet addition to the collection. I did learn a few things about Japan -- pretty sure the flu-season one would prevent me from ever living there -- and enjoyed seeing their reactions to it. This was especially true since they are originally from Spain, so their perceptions and opinions were not always coming from a base "normal" that would match my own. I had multiple directions of learning as I saw what they were used to as well as what they found in Japan!

Overall I was happy to read this one and felt a loose goodwill towards them. The art felt gentle and effective, and carried the stories and sentiments nicely.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this graphic novel

Reading this toke me a while to get into but the story behind it is one to relate to in a way, matters came up when they travelled to Japan about dietary requirements, culture , way of people and places and also hobbies and relationship stuff and it was interesting to see going though the motions of all these from their propesctive.