There are certain shojo manga series that feel special, and Neighborhood Story by Ai Yazawa is one of them. Now, due to Viz Media picking up the series about 28 years after its original run, everyone can finally get a chance to see and appreciate that.
If someone already read or watched Paradise Kiss, some of Neighborhood Story should feel familiar. It follows Mikako, the older sister of that series’ supporting character Miwako. She’s a young woman attending Yazawa Art Academy to pursue her fashion and designer dreams alongside her childhood friend Tsutomu Yamaguchi and other friends. Like manga shojo manga, it’s a love story. However, it’s also a coming-of-age tale that could even be considered to have some slice of life elements, since we’re seeing Mikako come into her own as an individual and decide what she wants from life, while also seeing fun interactions with her and her friends. It’s the balance of all topics that already starts to make it feel a bit different.
A big part of noting why Neighborhood Story is so worth reading and what makes it a notable Ai Yazawa manga is blatantly obvious just by looking at it. This is a gorgeous series. All of the characters are incredibly fashionable and wear distinct styles. Mikako is always wearing incredible outfits that are “of her own creation.” There’s this sense of diversity, and everyone is celebrated. From Risa to Mikako to P-chan. It doesn’t look like all of the other shojo manga out there, which is a big deal and something that continued with other series from the mangaka like Paradise Kiss and Nana.
The other part is how Neighborhood Story handles different issues, even in the first volume of the manga. Mariko is one example. She has a certain reputation at school, both for her appearance and due to her past relationships. Some of the main cast even initially only refer to her as Body-ko, objectifying her. However, as Tsutomu gets closer to her, she becomes part of the main character’s friend group, and we learn more about her story, we see these incredible depths. In the span of a few chapters in the manga, Ai Yazawa offers backstory and exposition to explain Mariko’s behaviors and attitude, shows her kind true nature, and highlights significant character development you don’t expect from a shojo manga.
Later, a similar situation comes up with Risa. We learn more about her home life and what she does outside of Yazawa Academy. For those who haven’t read the past Ai Yazawa manga series, this will come as quite a surprise. (As a sequel to Neighborhood Story, many characters and people related to them also appear in that shojo manga series.) Again, it’s a topic that happens in everyday life, but we often don’t see come up in this form of media. Especially in a series that originally ran in the mid 1990s. But it’s handled very tactfully, in a matter of fact and ordinary manner. More attention is called to Mikako realizing how her relationship with Risa is and growing as a person because of what she did and didn’t know and how she handled it than the actual situation itself. It’s a very mature and reasonable approach, with no negativity or drama surrounding Risa herself.
Honestly, I feel like Neighborhood Story is a shojo manga that should be lauded, and we should be celebrating the fact that this Ai Yazawa series finally appeared outside Japan officially. It’s a story that should have been told worldwide long ago. Especially after seeing how well-received Paradise Kiss and Nana were. It’s another legendary tale, one with incredible style and story beats, and I feel it was revolutionary for its time. People who give it a chance won’t regret it.
Volume 1 of Neighborhood Story is available now via Viz Media, and there’s no release date yet for the second volume of the shojo manga. There is a special edition cover variant at Kinokuniya stores.
