Editor's Sidebar: Where we hear directly from VIZ editors about series they're currently working on.

Ao Haru Ride will be one of those series that exemplifies a certain time and mood in shojo manga. It was very lucky to have been adapted into an anime, surpassing the usual “live-action movie only” delegation that shojo manga has been thrust into in Japan. So in that way, more people here discovered the series, and it found a place in their hearts.

I do think this series is a response in a conversation to We Were There by Yuuki Obata, also published by Shojo Beat, a manga that was hugely popular in Japan and heavily influenced the high school romance genre. They are both excellent.

I really like how Io Sakisaka creates characters full of hope, who meet all the challenges set in before them.

This series is one for your manga shelf! Enjoy.

Read a free preview of Ao Haru Ride, Vol. 13 by Io Sakisaka here!