Aoi Hana [English], by S Shoten
I sometimes mention my opinion the Japanese idol system is flawed, behind the shiny scene this is a machine pushing unrealistic expectations and destroying young girls’ dreams. Behind one popular girl, how many other girls feel despair and insecurity?
This share is about one of these girls, working as an idol, having her fans, but still earning hardly enough to pay her bills. Eventually, the world rears its ugly mug when a producer tells her she’s getting old for the job and offers to hire her for adult videos.
She accepts because she needs the cash, performs well during the shooting, is pleased and pleases, and then she comes back home, to cry at last, alone, lost in the world.
Time to test if tears make a good lubricant.
Asides from the dramatic, harrowing, sadly realistic story, it’s pretty well drawn, the art realistic, with drawings traits I only saw with very few mangakas. I think it’s worth a look, at least for these drawings.
Thanks to Doujin-Moe for the scanlation!