KY's Reads

Jaja Uma Grooming UP! Review (Rating: 5/5) Overview Jaja Uma Grooming★UP! is a Japanese manga series by Masami Yuuki, serialized in Weekly Big Comic Spirits (Shogakukan) from 1994 to 2000. The series is complete in 26 volumes and is set on a horse breeding farm, offering a coming-of-age story with a unique rural backdrop. Reference: Wikipedia (English) Synopsis The story begins with Shunpei, a city-born student preparing for university entrance exams. By chance, he ends up living at the Watarai Farm in Hokkaidō, a breeding farm for racehorses. There he meets Hibiki Watarai, the daughter of the family who runs the farm, and starts a new life surrounded by horses. As he learns about breeding, raising, and training thoroughbreds, Shunpei slowly adapts to this unfamiliar environment. The series depicts not only the farm’s peaceful daily life but also the harsh realities of raising racehorses and the human drama that unfolds alongside them. Main Characters Shunpei The protago...

Hyakushō Kizoku Review (Rating: 5/5) Overview Hyakushō Kizoku ( Noble Farmer ) is an autobiographical essay manga by Hiromu Arakawa, best known as the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist . Drawing on her upbringing on a dairy farm in Hokkaido, Arakawa depicts the realities of farming life, food culture, and agricultural challenges with humor and warmth. Reference link (Wikipedia, English): Hyakushō Kizoku - Wikipedia Synopsis This manga is based on Arakawa’s personal experiences growing up in a farming family. Through short essay-style episodes, readers are introduced to life on a dairy farm: caring for cattle, seasonal agricultural work, and the everyday struggles and wisdom of farmers. While lighthearted in tone, the manga also highlights the social context surrounding agriculture and its direct connection to what ends up on our tables. It allows readers to laugh while learning about aspects of farming life that are usually hidden from view. Characters Hiromu Arakawa (herself) The ...