Thank you to Netgalley and The Publisher for giving me this eARC to review.

This was an alright manga premise but I expected a lot more- it was a slog to read even with the beautiful artwork. I did not like Yuki taking photos of Akari in the bath and while she was naked because that is a huge breach of boundaries. I wish they developed more of the photography- gone through the sequences of how film photos are developed and everything but I am bias as I am a photographer. It felt like it was only created for the male gaze.

It's not an author I've read from before but I dis really like this volume and will continue to read some more when they become available. Interesting artwork and unique storyline.

Summary:

We all know how it is in high school, the struggle to find a group of friends you connect with. In her third year, Akari doesn't really stand out in her school. She's okay with that, mostly.

But then she bumps into Yuki Sendo, and her world changes. Yuki is standoffish and obsessed with her camera, but the more Akari gets to know her, the more she finds the hidden dept of Yuki. There's just something about her...

Review:

On the surface, She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons, Vol. 1 is a really sweet series about two teenage girls finding each other and slowly coming to terms with their feelings for one another. As such, there are a lot of light and fluffy moments sprinkled throughout, along with a couple of heavier moments that border on fan service.

Overall, I would say that this is a pretty worthwhile read. It gets a bit annoying when Yuki keeps taking photos without permission – especially when Akari doesn't call her out on it. There's one scene in particular that I think should have resulted in a conversation about boundaries, but hey, this is fiction, right?

The secondary plots provided some surprisingly additional drama and depth. These subplots may help carry the story even further in the long run. Only time will tell!

Highlights:
Sapphic Romance
Seinen Yuri Romance
Romance
Photography obsessed lead

Trigger Warnings:
Photographs without consent
Family drama

I thought this was a gently told, slow developing, friends to lovers story. The artwork is great and conveys the emotions of the characters. I was surprised that this is just volume one, because there isn’t much content to develop into a subsequent volume but maybe I will be surprised. There is an emerging live triangle here which might provide some interesting twists and turns.

All in all I thought this was a great start for a gently romantic story. Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I really liked the bio for this manga and I started reading but when I went back the document expired and I couldn't access it anymore I couldn't read the whole book so I cant give an accurate review but from what I read it was a good manga overall.

She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons follows Akari, a third-year student who has spent her entire time at high-school sticking to status quo, whose world changes when she meets Yuki Sendo, an eccentric photographer who awakens new feelings within her, but gets pulled into a love triangle because of it. I was really hoping for more of the love triangle, I feel like even for volume 1 it ended before it really caught my interest. It overall turned out to not be very memorable for me, but if you love slow-paced coming of ages and simple art styles, you might enjoy this,

i liked the premise but despite the mangaka being a woman the f/f romance here seemed tailored for a male audience which is a pity and a lesbian made me feel uncomfortable...

I reviewed this book for Booklist- please see my review there for further details. https://www.booklistonline.com/issues-login

She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons is an interesting and very realistic school drama. Akari is your basic highschooler until she notices Yuki, a short haired girl, who always has a camera and hardly ever smiles. Akari falls for the girl really fast, but it would seem Yuki is interested in her childhood friend Rintaro, who's interested in Akari actually. The setting is juicy as we cannot trust Akari, since she simply doesn't know enough. I especially enjoyed getting inside Akari's head as she ponders her feelings and how she tries to understand the situations. Yuki is wonderfully out of place and hard to grasp and Rintaro easy and outgoing. Who really likes who is a good question. Also, setting this around photography is great especially since it's one with darkrooms and actual film.

The art looks delicate and cute, but the atmosphere is quite heavy and suffocating, which is really great. Somehow I have the feeling that Yuki isn't how she seems to be. The series is five books long, which seems great as in there must be something interesting for the future. Tsukiko is good at picturing high school feelings and how those are fleeting and severe at the same time. Everything is the end of the world, always. Who will get who in the end?

I am an avid reader of yuri manga and was expecting the same, but I did not get it. I do not like the main character, she plays games with the male character and says/does one thing but then we see inside she is narrating how much she hates him. I don't understand her at all, and she treats her "love interest" the same way. Maybe it's because I am a lesbian who has been toyed with by straight girls who decided to "try" being bisexual, as if it's a choice, but I HATED this story. The only character I somewhat liked was her male friend, but I' can see that they will eventually make him out into an entitled incel just to get the readers to become unsympathetic to him and get rid of him later on. Very unpleasant read. Sorry to be harsh, but I've never had such a bad reaction to a manga before and I've read a lot of messed-up, disappointing manga in my time. The "surprise reveal" at the end just sealed the deal I will not be buying this.

The only positive I see is the art, and that's about it. What a slog.

context/trigger warnings: bullying, consent issues (hand holding, pictures) homophobia, sex

The art was interesting. Not usually what I look for, but it worked well for this. The story is imperfect yet interesting.

It takes a long time for some folks to find their place in the world. To be expected to figure all this out before graduating high school, well that’s an even bigger challenge! Hence why a character like Akari — one of the main focuses of Tsukiko’s She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons — comes off as someone very relatable. She’s entering her final year of high school, and has zero idea of what her future holds. And then, she enters!

Fellow classmate Yuki tends to keep to herself, which makes Akari all the more curious. After following her outside, Yuki surprises Akari with a massive camera, which she quickly takes a picture with. This leads Yuki to invite Akari to the photo room, where Akari’s eyes open to a new world she’s never thought of. Despite rejecting her invite to join the photo club, Akari finds herself hanging with Yuki more, with the two newfound friends slowly becoming more than just that.

To add to the roller coaster that is her life, Akari then finds herself in the sights of baseball player Rintaro. The lovestruck boy begins writing letters to Akari (since she’s too poor to own a smartphone), leading the girl to feel more confused about the situation. Does he have a crush on her? What does Akari really think of Rintaro? These thoughts and feelings leave Akari in a mess, one that often cleans itself up when she’s by Yuki’s side.

While their friendship goes beyond the lens of a camera, Yuki’s hobby becomes the backbone of She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons. Every picture she takes — be it of Akari or of her surroundings — becomes a vital part of who she is. Having Akari now interested in her passion also helps her to open up more, to the point of which they transcend towards a romantic pathway. However, this manga doesn’t simply go the way of the yuri and stay there.

Akari’s conflicting thoughts on Rintaro also cause some confusion within herself. It’s not that she dislikes her classmate; it’s more of that she’s unsure of what to make of his advances. From a game of catch to even giving the boy a buzz cut before the summer season, Akari starts to get a better understanding of who Rintaro is. And the more she learns, the more conflicting her feelings become (especially with the way Rintaro and Yuki are linked).

With that being said, She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons is at its strongest when Akari and Yuki are side-by-side. We see Akari blossom into something that she could maybe be proud of, all thanks to the way Yuki brings it out of her. From Yuki visiting Akari’s house to a wild impromptu photo shoot in the bath, the two find themselves bonding and falling for each other in ways that are beautiful, surprising, and — in a couple cases — even humorously. The way these two characters bond is what makes Tsukiko’s manga a delight to read, even when it’s still not sure how Akari will fully evolve.

Speaking of Tsukiko, their art style here can be breathtaking at times. Whether it’s capturing a rainbow in the sky or the face of Yuki during a run, the visual aspect of this manga is a lovely feast for the eyes. Although it has its generic shojo-ish moments, the scenes involving Akari and Yuki bring out a terrific level of beauty.

She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons is a slow burn at first, but it paces itself much better once the narrative comes into focus. The bonding between Akari and Yuki is endearing, even if it’s not quite sure yet if Tsukiko wants to make them a couple. However, it’s seeing Akari struggle with what she wants for her future that makes this one that’s relatable to anyone dealing with the crossroads of life. But even if you know your purpose in life, She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons will no doubt leave an impression that is nearly picture perfect.

I adored the first volume of the series. There are very few mangas that highlight the almost exclusive joy and uncertainty that comes with falling in love for the first time. Overall this was a strong first volume and I've recommended it to all my acquaintances who read GL

CW: Mentions of homophobia, bullying and classism.

Thank you to the publisher's and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this work. All opinions are my own.

Decent manga with an interesting concept... Great artwork but story felt bland in some places and there is one scene that will make you go whoa.

If you like contemporary manga full of a budding friendship but also filled with sapphic longing and angst, this is the story for you!

We follow our main character who is pretty outgoing and seemingly has a lot of friends but she’s constantly drawn to the quiet girl in her class. The two end up forming a friendship but our main character realizes that her feelings just might be more than platonic!

I did have a few issues with this with the nude shots considering these are minors so do be aware of that before going in! I also just was not into the boy having a crush on her and always being around, it just felt like that didn’t add anything to the story.

Other than that though, this was a solid beginning to what seems to be a fun manga series!

3/5⭐️

This is a basic romance with a familiar triangle storyline where one character is obviously not going to be the choice. This is cute and it looks like it's going to be short so it's worth a read.

Part photography story part coming of age narrative, it reads more like a YA novel over a how to with photography and that YA vibe is one of its strong points. The characters have a lot of potential to have interesting dynamics with one another, though, I hope there is no love web down the line. Honestly two potential girlfriends and the guy too oblivious to notice one of them isn't actually into him, has enough drama potential already.

Review goes live on-site on September 6th, 2022 at 15:00 ET.

A beautiful introduction to an LGBTQ+ story that has potential to be great.

Creative Staff
Story: Tsukiko
Art: Tsukiko
Translation/Adaptation: Nate Derr
Lettering: Salud Campos Blasco

What They Say
Akari is a third-year student who has spent her high school career sticking to the straight and narrow...but her attention is caught by Yuki Sendo, the short-haired, standoffish girl in her class who seems to buck the trend. Akari can't seem to stop seeking Yuki out, and her feelings rapidly develop into something more than girlish friendship. But Yuki seems to have eyes only for her childhood friend, Rintaro Kagawa...who himself seems to have feelings for Akari. It's a mess...and one that threatens to grow even messier as Akari navigates between what she wants and what's expected of her...

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Akari does everything she can to remain well-liked: she is outgoing, she participates in all of the popular trends, and she does not step outside of boundary norms. It all works out well for her and allows her to live as relatively stress-free as possible. But there is one girl in the class that fascinates her—Yuki—precisely because she does not follow any of the norms and does not seem bothered at all by the fact that she is considered an outsider. Yuki’s refusal to engage with anybody else in the class keeps drawing Akari’s attention purely because her attitude is the complete opposite of what Akari goes out of her way to portray. When Akari follows her at lunch one day out of curiosity, Yuki takes a photograph of her without any warning or conversation, leading Akari to be even more fascinated. As Akari attempts to get to know Yuki better and find out why she is the way she is, Akari finds herself quickly drawn to the mysterious girl, developing feelings that previously she would not have considered possible, and begins to think about a life where perhaps following the norms does not have to be, well, normal.

I got a real Bloom Into You vibe in terms of the relationship that is developing between Akari and Yuki. Akari is the normal girl just trying to fit in and find her place in life (Yuu Koito), while Yuki is the girl with an air of mystery who seems to have everything figured out and is able to pass through the world with an unshakable air of confidence (Touko Nanami), and there is something about that air of confidence that draws Akari to her, leading Akari into situations and experiences that she previously would never have considered.

However, like Touko, Yuki’s carefree attitude appears to mask a deeper pain, one that is easier to repress than to face head-on. When Akari visits Yuki at her home, she finds that Yuki mostly lives alone, as her parents are never around, a direct contrast to the cramped and noisy quarters Akari inhabits (and Yuki finds fascinating). Then the most popular boy in class, Rintaro, begins to show some interest in Akari, we also learn that he has history with Yuki as well, and that history—while not fully explored—suggests at the very least a loneliness that drives Yuki’s reticent personality. Akari is drawn to Yuki because she recognizes a need within herself to let go of the social stresses she continues to cling to and desires to be as open as Yuki, but she also recognizes the vulnerability Yuki is hiding with that same openness and wants to understand both it and her better.

In Summary
The first volume of She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons is a good introduction to the series. We have a good introduction to the main cast, and it has done a good job of setting up not only the impending relationship between Akari and Yuki, but also introducing the promise of further complications with their individual friendships with Rintaro as well as how the rest of the class views the two of them. It is still early days, but the promise for a quality series shines through. I am looking forward to seeing where this series goes. Highly recommended.

Content Grade: A
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: N/A (digital review copy)
Text/Translation Grade: A

Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Kodansha
Release Date: August 16, 2022
MSRP: $10.99

She, Her Camera And Her Seasons was a quick and easy read. Not much substance but it was a cute story. Would recommend

Rating: 4.13 leaves out of 5
Characters: 4.5/5
Cover: 2.5/5
Story: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre: Seinen/Yuri/Romance
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yes!

First want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review. Wow... I didn't think I would like this manga as much as I did! I stayed up all night reading it. It is nice to have a nice Yuri story. There were some things that kinda raised an eyebrow for some iffy stuff happening but it was fine. I was so immersed into the story that when I got to the end I was so sad. I need more! I need to know where they end up going. Honestly I loved this manga.