Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Summary:
Yohei "Kuma" Sakuma is drained. His full-time job has always been as a manga editor, which means he's always got a fuller-than-full workload. In truth, he may not have realized how burned out he was feeling – if not for the news of his magazine's closure.
It felt like a breath of fresh air. Until Kuma was informed that he had a new job lined up within the company so he could continue his editorial work. That... wasn't the news he needed to hear, and it made him realize something. He needed a change.
Review:
What a refreshing change of pace! That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside Vol. 1 may be a very (VERY) long title, but it was a delight to read! This series is perfect for anyone looking for something different or casual. Likewise, if you enjoy farming, this might be fun to check out.
Basically, I feel we can all empathize with the core of the plot (at least at one point in our lives, right?). Kuma is burned out and needs a change. For him, that change happens to be quitting his job and running away to the countryside (hey, we've all had that dream...right?).
His journey is oddly endearing, especially as he learns the basics of rice farming. Having never farmed rice, I can't comment on the accuracy of what he was taught, but I enjoyed reading about it!
Highlights:
Manga
Slice-of-life-ish
Casual Read
Farming
Will I continue the series? Probably!
Thanks to Kodansha Comics and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Yohei "Kuma" Sakuma is drained. His full-time job has always been as a manga editor, which means he's always got a fuller-than-full workload. In truth, he may not have realized how burned out he was feeling – if not for the news of his magazine's closure.
It felt like a breath of fresh air. Until Kuma was informed that he had a new job lined up within the company so he could continue his editorial work. That... wasn't the news he needed to hear, and it made him realize something. He needed a change.
Review:
What a refreshing change of pace! That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside Vol. 1 may be a very (VERY) long title, but it was a delight to read! This series is perfect for anyone looking for something different or casual. Likewise, if you enjoy farming, this might be fun to check out.
Basically, I feel we can all empathize with the core of the plot (at least at one point in our lives, right?). Kuma is burned out and needs a change. For him, that change happens to be quitting his job and running away to the countryside (hey, we've all had that dream...right?).
His journey is oddly endearing, especially as he learns the basics of rice farming. Having never farmed rice, I can't comment on the accuracy of what he was taught, but I enjoyed reading about it!
Highlights:
Manga
Slice-of-life-ish
Casual Read
Farming
Will I continue the series? Probably!
Thanks to Kodansha Comics and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
ARC provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
One thing to know is that this is very much a slice of life manga. It’s cozy, introspective and heartwarming.
The main plot revolve around the struggle of a city guy who is burned out and want to quit everything and go live in the countryside. His inner struggle and hesitation are completely relatable as I believe plenty of us have already dreamed of doing the same thing!
I found the beginning harder to get into. There was a bit of a back and forth in the storyline that was confusing at first, but the story settled after the second chapter.
The story itself got better with each chapter. It felt has if it gradually found its tone. Which is a light cozy read, with a dash of humour combined with a few informations on countryside life. In the end it convinced me to want the read the next one.
One thing that really bothered me at first and made me think I would not like this story was the main character relationship with his wife. She isn’t really present in the beginning and he doesn’t talk to her about life changing decisions, but it get quickly resolved.
There were a few frames/dialogues
that completely flew over my head (they might be cultural references). Since they didn’t impact my understanding of the story it didn’t change much, just puzzled me.
As other have mentioned there is a small incoherence in the first or second chapter in which the protagonist mention living in an apartment although we see him living in a house by the end of the volume. It’s slightly confusing, but not a catastrophe One thing to know is that this is very much a slice of life manga. It’s cozy, introspective and heartwarming.
One thing to know is that this is very much a slice of life manga. It’s cozy, introspective and heartwarming.
The main plot revolve around the struggle of a city guy who is burned out and want to quit everything and go live in the countryside. His inner struggle and hesitation are completely relatable as I believe plenty of us have already dreamed of doing the same thing!
I found the beginning harder to get into. There was a bit of a back and forth in the storyline that was confusing at first, but the story settled after the second chapter.
The story itself got better with each chapter. It felt has if it gradually found its tone. Which is a light cozy read, with a dash of humour combined with a few informations on countryside life. In the end it convinced me to want the read the next one.
One thing that really bothered me at first and made me think I would not like this story was the main character relationship with his wife. She isn’t really present in the beginning and he doesn’t talk to her about life changing decisions, but it get quickly resolved.
There were a few frames/dialogues
that completely flew over my head (they might be cultural references). Since they didn’t impact my understanding of the story it didn’t change much, just puzzled me.
As other have mentioned there is a small incoherence in the first or second chapter in which the protagonist mention living in an apartment although we see him living in a house by the end of the volume. It’s slightly confusing, but not a catastrophe One thing to know is that this is very much a slice of life manga. It’s cozy, introspective and heartwarming.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Characters: Yohei “Kuma” Sakuma, Miyu
Plot: Yohei Sakuma’s life changes when the magazine he works for suddenly closes down. Jarred by the sudden change he starts to explore other options outside his life as a manga editor. When he discovers his passion for rice farming it’s like a whole other world opens up to him. He and his wife Miyu begin their adventure of living in the countryside and level up their life skills.
Thoughts: This book was particularly close to my heart because I know the refreshing rewards of country life. This book is fun and charming and the art style is fantastic. I especially appreciate the little animals in the sidebars that make little comments about our two main characters. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series when they come out. (Hopefully the editor of this manga doesn’t run off to the rice fields too! I know I’d be tempted!)
Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Plot: Yohei Sakuma’s life changes when the magazine he works for suddenly closes down. Jarred by the sudden change he starts to explore other options outside his life as a manga editor. When he discovers his passion for rice farming it’s like a whole other world opens up to him. He and his wife Miyu begin their adventure of living in the countryside and level up their life skills.
Thoughts: This book was particularly close to my heart because I know the refreshing rewards of country life. This book is fun and charming and the art style is fantastic. I especially appreciate the little animals in the sidebars that make little comments about our two main characters. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series when they come out. (Hopefully the editor of this manga doesn’t run off to the rice fields too! I know I’d be tempted!)
Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Yohei Sakuma spent 13 years working as a manga editor, until the company closed. The news of the closure revealed the cracks in his spirit after working so hard for so little reward, so Kuma looks for alternatives. Attracted to the idea of growing his own food in the country, he finds a place two hours from Tokyo where he can rent a rice paddy, and to him, it feels like living in a whole other world. He eventually persuades his wife Miyu (a professional cosplayer) to move to the country with him, and she joins him on his quest.
This delightful new manga offers both a slice of life and a tongue-in-cheek isekai adventure. Kuma plays up the isekai angle as he pitches his story to another editor (the story moves between present and his move to the country three years prior), and even Miyu looks at him as a hero tackling new quests. But beyond that sort of fantasy take on the story, it also echoes the urge of many young people (and some older ones too!) to leave the unending work and chaos of city life to find simple joys in the countryside. It's both fun and funny, sweet and a little sly, and I loved it -- I need volume 2! 4 stars.
Thank you, Kodansha Comics and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.
This delightful new manga offers both a slice of life and a tongue-in-cheek isekai adventure. Kuma plays up the isekai angle as he pitches his story to another editor (the story moves between present and his move to the country three years prior), and even Miyu looks at him as a hero tackling new quests. But beyond that sort of fantasy take on the story, it also echoes the urge of many young people (and some older ones too!) to leave the unending work and chaos of city life to find simple joys in the countryside. It's both fun and funny, sweet and a little sly, and I loved it -- I need volume 2! 4 stars.
Thank you, Kodansha Comics and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
This book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This was a quick and relaxing read. The art was nice and pleasant to look at.
The author does bring to our attention what is like to work in the manga editing sector, and how working in an environment that is constantly demanding more and more from you can affect you and the people around you. It is a commentary on our fast-paced life, over-swamped by work and the immense stress and issues that come with it. Not having time for anything else but worry about your job and bills.
Personally, I did relate to the story quite a lot. I used to work myself to the bone and although I miss my old job I am also glad I have the tranquility and the time for family and friends and myself.
We often forget how important quality time with ourselves and our loved ones is. It is time we never get back and once it is gone is gone.
Overall I did enjoy the read, it made me reflect, and I too like our main character Kuma would like to go to the countryside and just live unbothered by the everchanging world with its technologies and whatnot. Peaceful and content like our great-grandparents and grandparents had before us.
I only wished the author touched more on the emotional and psychological aspects as it was not very explicit and you had to draw your own conclusions, which is not a bad thing per se, however, it would have been better to have that perspective of the writer as more people would be able to relate and reflect upon these matters.
I do recommend it!
This was a quick and relaxing read. The art was nice and pleasant to look at.
The author does bring to our attention what is like to work in the manga editing sector, and how working in an environment that is constantly demanding more and more from you can affect you and the people around you. It is a commentary on our fast-paced life, over-swamped by work and the immense stress and issues that come with it. Not having time for anything else but worry about your job and bills.
Personally, I did relate to the story quite a lot. I used to work myself to the bone and although I miss my old job I am also glad I have the tranquility and the time for family and friends and myself.
We often forget how important quality time with ourselves and our loved ones is. It is time we never get back and once it is gone is gone.
Overall I did enjoy the read, it made me reflect, and I too like our main character Kuma would like to go to the countryside and just live unbothered by the everchanging world with its technologies and whatnot. Peaceful and content like our great-grandparents and grandparents had before us.
I only wished the author touched more on the emotional and psychological aspects as it was not very explicit and you had to draw your own conclusions, which is not a bad thing per se, however, it would have been better to have that perspective of the writer as more people would be able to relate and reflect upon these matters.
I do recommend it!
adventurous
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
"People might laugh at me for saying this, but in that moment, it looked as if my husband was a hero from another world, protecting his princess."
That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside, volume 1 by Kumagae, is, as stated, a manga editor who, after the company he's working under changes, re-evaluates his job career and instead moves to the countryside to pursue a new dream of being a part time rice farmer while trying to figure out what he wants to do in his life.
Right from the start, our main character Youhei Sakuma provides insight into his struggles and dissatisfaction with an office job, alongside the struggles of facing this alone as well as with your romantic partner. As the manga continues, Kuma learns first hand what his new dream consists of, and the manga showcases these situations with real world knowledge in the field of rice paddies, rice growth, and statistics from agricultural surveys. We're given an intimate view as the reader of what Kuma is experiencing and how he is feeling in each moment, from plainer feelings and observations to more philosophical.
The manga dives a touch deeper into philosophy through the common trope of isekai-- starting over in a new world, in this case, leaving the real world behind for the daydreamy world of farming in the countryside, which has become an ever-popular fantasy for working-class individuals in the present day.
For being so early in the series, it already handles real-world struggles relatable to many adult readers of the seinen genre regarding job loss, job change, and approaching a new, tough situation when you have no clue how to take that first step forward. With it being based around the author's first hand experiences in his own life, the details both feel lived in, personally engaging, and empathetic. With a positive and emotional beginning to their new lives at the end of the first volume, That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside is a cozy, yet personally relatable manga focusing on interpersonal adult relationships and lifestyle choices perfect for fans of Silver Spoon and similar titles with a focus on relationships and slice of life.
Special thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha for the early review copy for this work.
That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside, volume 1 by Kumagae, is, as stated, a manga editor who, after the company he's working under changes, re-evaluates his job career and instead moves to the countryside to pursue a new dream of being a part time rice farmer while trying to figure out what he wants to do in his life.
Right from the start, our main character Youhei Sakuma provides insight into his struggles and dissatisfaction with an office job, alongside the struggles of facing this alone as well as with your romantic partner. As the manga continues, Kuma learns first hand what his new dream consists of, and the manga showcases these situations with real world knowledge in the field of rice paddies, rice growth, and statistics from agricultural surveys. We're given an intimate view as the reader of what Kuma is experiencing and how he is feeling in each moment, from plainer feelings and observations to more philosophical.
The manga dives a touch deeper into philosophy through the common trope of isekai-- starting over in a new world, in this case, leaving the real world behind for the daydreamy world of farming in the countryside, which has become an ever-popular fantasy for working-class individuals in the present day.
For being so early in the series, it already handles real-world struggles relatable to many adult readers of the seinen genre regarding job loss, job change, and approaching a new, tough situation when you have no clue how to take that first step forward. With it being based around the author's first hand experiences in his own life, the details both feel lived in, personally engaging, and empathetic. With a positive and emotional beginning to their new lives at the end of the first volume, That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside is a cozy, yet personally relatable manga focusing on interpersonal adult relationships and lifestyle choices perfect for fans of Silver Spoon and similar titles with a focus on relationships and slice of life.
Special thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha for the early review copy for this work.
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
relaxing
Ugh this is like the IDEAL huh... quitting a job you burn out of to go farm rice in the country in a cheaply rented house... reading this made me wish I had a similar opportunity for my own life even though I like my job and my company is not shutting down! Jeez.
From the title I thought it was isekai, but it's a self-aware style "okay but rural life IS almost like another world," while being pretty realistic it's not just an easy jump from A to B. I liked it! It was cute and chill! ALSO It was so nice to see a manga with a married couple and not like 'single guy doing x' or 'teenagers doing y' I feel like despite reading a bunch of manga there are very few I've read with married folks working together and communicating.
Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for this honest review!
From the title I thought it was isekai, but it's a self-aware style "okay but rural life IS almost like another world," while being pretty realistic it's not just an easy jump from A to B. I liked it! It was cute and chill! ALSO It was so nice to see a manga with a married couple and not like 'single guy doing x' or 'teenagers doing y' I feel like despite reading a bunch of manga there are very few I've read with married folks working together and communicating.
Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for this honest review!
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
tl;dr
A pleasant read about the joy of growing things and finding balance in your life.
Thoughts
The title and some of the narrative riff on the fact that living in the countryside is practically "another world" compared to busy city life. But the longer I read, the more I wonder if the city is the strange alternate reality instead. Yohei Sakuma is an exhausted manga editor, doing his job one day at a time simply because he must. When his division is shut down, he realizes he'd rather be anywhere but here, and takes up rice farming as a hobby just to get a change of pace. And it's here that he finds the joy of growing things. The narrative makes sure to point out that this isn't a romanticized "escape to the country life" story (there's a Starbucks just down the road, after all), but more about finding balance. Yohei and the reader are introduced to the concept of "half farmer/half x," someone who grows enough food for themselves, and spends the rest of their time pursing a career based on their own interests. It's a message that probably resonates with everyone, but seems especially sharp in the high-pressure world of manga publishing. The story meanders through these thoughts at an easy pace, and I found myself cheering for Yohei and his excellent wife (she cosplays and I love her), but also examining the balance in my own life. I can't wait to read more!
Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for the advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
A pleasant read about the joy of growing things and finding balance in your life.
Thoughts
The title and some of the narrative riff on the fact that living in the countryside is practically "another world" compared to busy city life. But the longer I read, the more I wonder if the city is the strange alternate reality instead. Yohei Sakuma is an exhausted manga editor, doing his job one day at a time simply because he must. When his division is shut down, he realizes he'd rather be anywhere but here, and takes up rice farming as a hobby just to get a change of pace. And it's here that he finds the joy of growing things. The narrative makes sure to point out that this isn't a romanticized "escape to the country life" story (there's a Starbucks just down the road, after all), but more about finding balance. Yohei and the reader are introduced to the concept of "half farmer/half x," someone who grows enough food for themselves, and spends the rest of their time pursing a career based on their own interests. It's a message that probably resonates with everyone, but seems especially sharp in the high-pressure world of manga publishing. The story meanders through these thoughts at an easy pace, and I found myself cheering for Yohei and his excellent wife (she cosplays and I love her), but also examining the balance in my own life. I can't wait to read more!
Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for the advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.