Higashimura Akiko is best known for Kuragehime which received both an anime as well as more recently, a live action adaptation. The strength of Kakukaku Shikajika lies in its subtle emotionality, that tinge of regret running through the story that reaches a new intensity toward the end. But while events are presented in a matter-of-factly fashion looking back from a more comfortable place, there is still a very tangible sense of embarrassment – shame even – as one reflects the choices of a younger self. It is neither glossed over nor is it over-dramatized. I'm sure a few things were, but the point remains that Kakukaku Shikajika is not so much an inspirational story as it a truthful account of one woman's life as an artist. This is not to say that nothing was exaggerated for effect's sake. Taking the autobiographic approach, however, it tells a real story of detours, dead ends, and what makes someone slacken or persevere at different points in time. Kakukaku Shikajika shares Bakuman.'s premise in that it's about the making of a mangaka. lot of that ferocious competitive drive, the inspiring rivalries, the showdowns. But in the end, it's a story fueled by the love of shōnen manga, and as such comes with a doesn't shy away from the truth that luck is a critical determinant on the way to publication. After all, Ashirogi Muto make their big breakthrough while still in freaking high school.

But while the series is quite insightful as far as the actual creating process from character design to storyboard to inking is concerned, it doesn't feel all that more realistic than other Shōnen Jump titles. If you have read or watched Bakuman., you might have learned a thing or two about manga.

Shi no kakaku