I think every tech person should read this manga!

Recently, on one of the late-summer nights, I was looking for something to do and found out about this manga, Hirayasumi. Nowadays, especially during the era of AI, the tech landscape has shifted drastically. It went from being one of the most stable and high-earning careers to an unstable one due to AI taking over jobs, an influx of tech applicants, and the layoffs at big companies. I was feeling down and wanted something relaxing to read, and this was a gem.

This manga covers a wide range of life topics, such as happiness, burnout, desperation, jealousy, and many other themes.

To summarize this manga in a few sentences, it is about a 29-year-old guy named Hiroto and his 18-year-old cousin Natsumi, who both moved to Tokyo to improve their lives. Hiroto was an actor in Tokyo and appeared in a few well-known movies, but quit because of burnout and overwork in the acting job. After he quit, he stayed in Tokyo and looked after a grandma there, but when she passed away, he inherited her house. He now works at a fishing job. Natsumi, on the other hand, moved to Tokyo to pursue an art major at a university and moved in with Hiroto.

In the first few chapters, we look through their daily life together, the ups and downs of their different personalities. Natsumi is very childish and moody at first, but slowly becomes kind and uplifting. When reading this, the two give off very sibling energy, sometimes arguing about random stuff, and whenever they feel sad, the other lifts the other person and motivates them to do better.

Then after a few chapters, more characters are introduced, and we get to see them struggle through...

• Burnout and Rejections. Through romances, being a manga author, and a toxic workplace
• Self care: Not being too hard on yourself, and everything is going to be alright
• Friendship: Having friends you can count on and have fun with
• Hardships Moving away, having a family, finding yourself, and purpose in life.

Here are some of the manga panels that stuck with me!

(Hiroto walking with Natsumi and telling her there is not point in worrying)

(Natsumi and Hiroto walking home during the night after she went to a party and got totally wasted)

(Natsumi first day of the uni semester and she wasn't able to make any friends..)

Overall, this manga is a good read for anyone who wants good feels and a slice-of-life with lots of real-life situations. When reading, a lot of the topics it covered are really relatable, and I find myself in them, such as finding friends, figuring out what I want to do in the future, and dealing with arguments and people.

Hirayasumi is a wonderful read, and I'm glad I found this manga :)