This review does not contain spoilers but as usual I encourage you to go into this read blind After finihsing her work on Embraced by the Marine Blue Windhttps://anilist.co/manga/38781 her best received manga until then Ai Yazawa was looking to push her comics popularity to a bigger scale. So she turned to her older works to look for the missing element the key aspect that would elevate her stories. With the help of a couple of her peers in the industry she came to a finding that would shape her narrative from then on and become one of her defining characteristics: writing captivating female characters. Thus Midori Saejima was born. 820https://i.ur.com/yUYq5jp.jpeg ALL THATS RIGHT WITH IM NO ANGEL It is clear that Midoris personal growth as she treads through her last years of highschool is the main focus of the manga. This central point is laid against her and Akiras relationship as well as the secondary casts romantic turmoils with their paradiselike school life as a backdrop. The setting in which the coming of age drama develops is so bright and comforting that the dramatic moments seem inspiring rather than anxietyinducing. This paired with a cheerful yet delightfully nuanced cast makes for a totally heartwarming read. The back and forth of Midori and Akiras relationship makes their journey so endearing and keeps the reader wondering how the plots twists and turns will play out. Midori is shown in a neverending cycle of conviction and flailing of doubting and reassuring herself. What might seem repetitive and make the reader impatient also makes for a wonderfully satisfying sequence of tense emotional reflective and finally conclusive events where the reader gets to fully follow along Midoris internal processes. These moments are written almost in a personal diary manner and make for some utterly charming oneliners. Take the following as an example: Ahh Maybe I went wrong somewhere the way I fell in love. These pensive passages are one of Yazawas staples and it is interesting how theyve morphed throughout her career and adapted themselves to the several tones of her works. These quotes in Im no Angel serve as a way of characterizing Midori as a thoughtful sweet and caring girl whose immediate way of confronting situations can be selfish but ultimately cannot help herself from helping others achieve happiness. Contrastingly in Neighbourhood Story Miwakos musings paint her as passionate but childish as she struggles to admit her true feelings to herself. Later on in Paradise Kiss and NANA introspective moments become more of depth and poemlike. Even though Midori has an intense hold of the readers attention the rest of the cast remain essential to the storys atmosphere and make its main character shine even more brightly. For instance Takigawa has a more laidback approach to relationships both romantic and friendly and in the few moments where he is featured he blows a gust of fresh air into the dramaheavy story. Similarly Mamiya and Bunta are the most upfront and wholehearted of the cast and make for great friends of overthinker Midori. They often spark funny bits and help the manga achieve a sense of depth and cozyness that is not all that common in highschool romances. In fact it is pretty rare to see a story with these themes have such a large cast but keep focus on the main couple while having its supporting characters be so vital to the reading experience. This is one of the features that differentiates Im no Angel from other Ai Yazawa manga for instance NANA in which the supporting characters take active roles in shaping the plot and the lines between main secondary and tertiary characters are blurred. Because of this in Im no Angel both ensemble cast lovers and those who hunger after the main couple will find things to love. And where the reader takes away the most from whether it be the subplots Midoris selfreflection or a mix of both results in a different reading experience. The humour featured in Im No Angel seems quite out of the norm for shoujo manga. The gags are very visual and the humour is fastpaced which makes for an upbeat read. Yazawa pens some hilarious doodles and expressions while keeping the perfectly dainty and delicate nature of her art intact. Plenty of bits are referenced even be those a single panel or scribble later on in the chapter or book which never fails to get a smile out of you. Adding to the wonderful setting which Ai Yazawa builds for Im No Angel is its sublime illustration and design. Akiras biker getup gives the manga the perfect 90s sweethearts style from page one. Midoris attitude is portrayed in her constantly changing outfits each cuter than the last. The rest of the cast rock bouncy and flowy hairstyles stylish fits and adorable dresses. As in all her other works Yazawas fashionista self wonderfully shines through. But what is perhaps even more of a treat to the sight is the traditional illustration featured all across the manga. Yazawas apparent strokes and free movements give Im No Angels art a special touch that differentiaties it not only from her other works but also from her peers. The distinct media used throughout such as pencil watercolor marker and charcoal perfectly capture the mangas feeling. 820https://i.post.cc/TdBNxngH/419466.png do open this image in a new tab and zoom in to view the art in all its glory Moreover this makes for a great parallel between Midori and Yazawa herself and Maki and Masashi who all share a passion for drawing and art. All of Ai Yazawas most prominent manga have female leads and multiple side characters who make a living in the art field. This lets her portray the role that creativty plays in developing ones identity and how it shapes coming of age stories as well as the more practical aspects of pursuing a career in the arts. Even though this is not prominently featured in Im No Angel its still nicely tied in at the end of the story and represents this characteristic of Ai Yazawa that she would continue to highlight in her later works. At times it does seem as if some apsects of Im No Angel were sketches of what Yazawa would write later on. Subtle drama without it being unrealistic and endearingly flawed characters are all throughout her works but Midori and her storys developments can be found to be a tad predictable which diminishes the writings impact. However I firmly believe that this does not take away from Im No Angel being a perfectly warm unbelievably sweet and inspiring read. In the end I cannot ignore the fact that what Im taking with me after finishing this read is a cheerful yet quiet and sheltering atmosphere and the lively and reassuring presence that is Midori.