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.

I really enjoyed this cute graphic novel! I love all things Japan, and it was so fun to see a foreigner's perspective, as I'll be one myself when I visit Japan. It shows the troubles of transitionining from one way of life to another, its so fun and it reminds me that I must brush up on my Japanese. Definitely prepare myself for my visit. I really enjoyed their real life struggles, making the story more easy to resonate with.

hanami is a graphic novel about a couple that moves from spain to japan and their numerous adventures and struggles, shown through a series of short stories. we follow them as they navigate japanese culture while also seeing them grow as people and as a couple.

this novel was very cute and interesting. the art style really suited the comics and i loved the color palette used. however, i feel like you have to be in the mood for this type of short stories, otherwise you might get a bit bored.

thank you to Netgalley and Humanoids Inc | Life Drawn for the ARC!

Japan is a lovely country, in terms of tourism, sights, and its rich culture and history. It’s great to learn more about Japan from a non-local’s perspective. The content isn’t exactly new but it is presented in a very refreshing way. I love the raw honesty, nothing held back vibes of this book. Trigger warning to those sensitive to anxiety/depression content. While Julia has depicted their emotional journey really well, I sometimes find that the emotional energy can be a little intense. She talks about general life struggles and identity crisis, which is easily relatable. My favourite part of the book is the story where Julia studied some of the kanji words by visualising them as illustrated doggie characters/roles - please read the book to find out more; I’m explaining this rather badly. Overall, I’m happy to recommend this book.

Interesting art style and a unique story that resonated more than I thought it would. Slight warning for some depression/anxiety-havers like me, because the main couple have a bit of a mental spiral at one point, but it doesn't last too long. Just making a note of it so you don't go in thinking it's a perfectly idyllic depiction of foreigners living in Japan with no troubles whatsoever.

Review to come in September on my blog/other places.

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

I just LOVE books about people going to Japan, learning the language, travelling through the country/staying there for a while, so this graphic novel? I needed it in my life!

In this one we first meet Julia who during a fun party meets Marc and they start dating and then slowly the idea of going to Japan starts. We see them prepare, learn the language (or at least get a basic understanding of it), we see them get hyped and figure things out, and then it actually starts. They are going, and I was just so excited. We see them get to their apartment (which isn't big and boy I would definitely go crazy if I had another person with me at that point), discover foods and find out that no gluten/vegan isn't the easiest options, see them go to Japanese school to learn the language (which I adored to see, that they were really sticking in the effort to learn the language even if they weren't going to stay a long time), and then slowly they are getting used to what Japan is. Well, OK, not always, haha. We see that some things are just strange/weird, for instance one time Julia is entranced by the TV and the weird things that pass by, she is all sparkly eyed, haha.

I love seeing various cultural differences pop by + also about that whole trash/garbage plan that Japan has which has always confused me, haha. So many things that need to be sorted and put in the right spots, LORD I would go crazy.

But we also see the two grow. As a couple. As people. We see how Marc is really going and making a demo to send to Kojima (yes, that Kojima). His worries and his energy. We see that Julia has more problems with things in the country, especially in the way of communicating. She just doesn't dare to speak up. Worried she may say the wrong thing. Or that she won't find the words. I did agree with Marc, just try it. It is scary yes, but how else do you want to practice your skills? I loved that they were so good together, Marc and Julia, again, if I was cramped in that small space with barely any room to breathe or have silent moment, I would go crazy. And not just me, my hubby would as well. We both just need our spaces.

I loved seeing Japan through Marc and Julia's eyes. From hanami to manga/anime to safety drills to learning Japanese to food and gorgeous sites. It was a lot of fun and I am so happy I was able to read this book.

We also see that Julia has arthritis and how she tries to handle the pain + figure out a way to just go on without doing treatments (as they don't have a lot of money) until they are back in Spain. My heart broke for her that she had to make these decisions. Food or treatment. Treatment or food.

The art was also so fun. I love the limited colour palette of red/pink/blue.

All in all, I would highly recommend this one! This was just so good and I flew right through it.

I have always found autobiographical comics to be so refreshing. Reading Hanami was an enlightening and relatable experience - reminding me of how it felt to grow up artsy with a love of japan from early adulthood.

It touched on struggles from money to mental health to relationships without feeling preachy in any way. Cautionary, perhaps? I loved the way Hanami portrays culture shock and getting through it, what it's like to work for something even when it's hard.

As for the art - I really loved it. The perspective, the use of limited pallets to excentuate details... lovely. And the "view from my window" scenes were great.

Thanks for the ride!

As someone who also lived as an expat in Japan, there were so many moments here that perfectly reflected my own experience. Yes, garbage collection is like that. Yes, public toilets are amazing. This brought back so many memories.

There were points that I had a hard time following the logic of the stories told, or I want sure why a vignette was included. Otherwise, the art was charming and I enjoyed walking down memory lane with this graphic memoir.

A vivid look into a couple's life as they move to Japan. Their shared experiences with fun moments and struggles are told in these little chapters. Coupled with imagery that matches the story being told, this was an insightful look into the life of these travellers.

An adorable story of a couple documenting their experience living in Japan, I loved being able to follow along with them on their journey. Finding them relatable and funny while getting to learn about live in Japan including the complex recycling set up. The art style was very fitting for the comic, super cute. Overall this was a fun and laidback story well worth the read.

Julia and Marc decide to pool their savings and take advantage of their relative lack of ties to move from Valencia, Spain to Tokyo, Japan, aspiring to be a comic artist and video game musician respectively. In Hanami, Julia documents their experience taking language classes, living in a tiny apartment, and acclimating to Japan.

As an exchange student to Japan, I enjoyed this slice of life graphic novel. Julia depicts hers and Marc's daily life, learning how to navigate garbage, healthcare, food with dietary restrictions, and the joy of hanami. It's autobiographical in style, so expect personal storytelling.

Thank you to Humanoids Inc - Life Drawn for an ARC on NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This book is due to be published 8/6/24.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me this eArc to review.

I found this quite boring I won't lie. The book is full of little stories rather than it be one flowing story which can tend to take me out of what I'm reading as it can feel so choppy. The best part of this comic is the colours used in the art but otherwise the art is just fine and the story is boring. It was a chore to finish.

I've always wondered how it would feel like to live in a foreign country and Japan would definitely make it on the list. So reading this book gave me a glimpse of how it would feel to live abroad and the realness of every struggle that comes in the way. From mastering the language, budgeting and so much more. This book is fun and I had a great time reading it.

The art in Hanami is a bit like a surrealist dream because of the colors as well as the uniformity of the background people. It's an interesting perspective of a couple's experience in Japan. The part with the bidet was relatable and hilarious. Moving to a new country always has unexpected challenges. The dream sequences in more traditional style also add to the book.

Hanami, a beautifully illustrated graphic novel and quick peek into the lives of two expats from Spain, provides a heartwarming introduction to life in Japan. Seeing as this copy was additionally translated from Spanish -> English also means that there are quirks about the text and publication that I hope can be fixed in the copy. There isn't much of a plot-- it's basically just a day in the life adventures and snippets from Julia and Marc's lives in Japan. I thought it was cute, well-written and drawn, and made a lot of sense. The drawings and illustration were beautiful! The reason I gave it three stars is because the text is not super disability-friendly. The text used for writing is very thin and hard to read. Since I read a PDF of it/ePUB of it, it might be different with hard copy. That being said, I did enjoy this book, but it did not have a cohesive plotline, and more so was meandering with small "shorter" vignettes. I did like it, and the illustrations are beautiful, but I hope future works by this author and graphic designer will have more of a plot. Reminds me of Lucy Knisley's travel diaries, and I really enjoy those. Great work!

Short little memoir about a couple moving to Japan for a few months and learning the culture and how deciding how to live their lives in the future.
I will say, the black text on red background bubbles were rather hard for me to read, I feel like maybe white font with red may have been more eligible.

This was an ode to Japan and Japanese culture, and it was adorable! We meet Marc and Julia, who move from Spain to Japan, and embark on daily adventures while living in their tiny apartment. Shown through a series of short stories, we watch them navigate the complex trash system, experience the cherry blossoms and so much more, all while trying to get jobs, dealing with medical and financial worries, and the anxiety of moving to a new place out of the blue.

I found the art style to be very fitting for this graphic novel, and adored the color palette.
It was a cute, quirky novel that gives you a slice of life in Japan. Would highly recommend for someone who wants to learn a little about Japan or just enjoy a laid back comic.

I feel like you have to be in a specific mood for these types of comics. They’re a labor of love and the artist tends to be be sharing something very personal to them. You have to be in the right headspace to appreciate that. The art style for this was sweet and sketchy and fit this kind of comic. For some reason this art style really suits travel stories.