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La Magnifique Grande Scène #1
La Magnifique Grande Scène, Vol. 1
Kanade, a girl gifted with an observing eye and an ability to get things done. This is the story about her journey discovering the beauty of classical ballet and the joy of dancing. From the popular author that brought us Vanitas, comes a romantic story that makes the beauty of classical ballet come alive.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2014
9 people are currently reading
377 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
November 23, 2018
Although I'm not a fan of ballet, I'm always amazed by how graceful they perform on stage. Reading
La Magnifique Grande Scene
makes me respect more the ballet dancers because behind those beautiful performances and costumes is a lot of hard work and endurance. They sacrifice a lot of their time and exert a lot of effort just to achieve their dream to be a prima ballerina.
This graphic novel is about a young girl, Kanade, who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer when she saw how beautiful her neighbor, Risa, performed. She experienced a lot especially giving up already because she thought it would be just easy. Kanade was also disheartened when she was still not given the chance to wear pointe shoes just like the others. But throughout her journey, she learned a lot that all things must not be hurried — that patience and hard work really pay off in the end.
This graphic novel is about a young girl, Kanade, who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer when she saw how beautiful her neighbor, Risa, performed. She experienced a lot especially giving up already because she thought it would be just easy. Kanade was also disheartened when she was still not given the chance to wear pointe shoes just like the others. But throughout her journey, she learned a lot that all things must not be hurried — that patience and hard work really pay off in the end.
July 25, 2021
A really sweet slice-of-life manga about a young girl, Kanade, who wants to learn to dance ballet, and so joins a ballet school. She idolises an older girl, Risa, who is also a student at the ballet school. We follow the ups and downs of Kanade (and several other girls), and her bright personality and passion steal the show.
I don't know a lot about ballet, but Cuvie seems to have done her homework - there's an impressive amount of attention spent on the technical side of ballet, both in dialogue and in art.
It has the hallmark of a good first volume - the moment you have a good grasp on the characters, you hit the end, and you don't want it to stop.
Merged review:
A really sweet slice-of-life manga about a young girl, Kanade, who wants to learn to dance ballet, and so joins a ballet school. She idolises an older girl, Risa, who is also a student at the ballet school. We follow the ups and downs of Kanade (and several other girls), and her bright personality and passion steal the show.
I don't know a lot about ballet, but Cuvie seems to have done her homework - there's an impressive amount of attention spent on the technical side of ballet, both in dialogue and in art.
It has the hallmark of a good first volume - the moment you have a good grasp on the characters, you hit the end, and you don't want it to stop.
(Thanks to Akita Publishing for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley)
I don't know a lot about ballet, but Cuvie seems to have done her homework - there's an impressive amount of attention spent on the technical side of ballet, both in dialogue and in art.
It has the hallmark of a good first volume - the moment you have a good grasp on the characters, you hit the end, and you don't want it to stop.
Merged review:
A really sweet slice-of-life manga about a young girl, Kanade, who wants to learn to dance ballet, and so joins a ballet school. She idolises an older girl, Risa, who is also a student at the ballet school. We follow the ups and downs of Kanade (and several other girls), and her bright personality and passion steal the show.
I don't know a lot about ballet, but Cuvie seems to have done her homework - there's an impressive amount of attention spent on the technical side of ballet, both in dialogue and in art.
It has the hallmark of a good first volume - the moment you have a good grasp on the characters, you hit the end, and you don't want it to stop.
(Thanks to Akita Publishing for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley)
September 15, 2021
*Pre-reading thoughts included below.*
“Kanade... you’re annoying...”
The concept was average and the protagonist was irritatingly over-enthusiastic with little patience and had a problem with fixating on things.
This suffered from one of the cliches of manga: excessively weepy characters. Oftentimes when characters lack depth they’ll have exaggerated emotions about everything and cry far too much, as was exhibited in this manga. Granted, the protagonist was young enough to excuse her constant teariness, but even one of the other characters her age called her out on it because not only was it exhausting to watch her cry about everything, it was also completely emotionless. The protagonist killed most of the potential this manga had and made this an unenjoyable read.
Pre-reading thoughts: (28/07/2021)
Did I miss getting a copy of this from Netgalley? Sadly, yes😔
Am I going to try and find a copy online instead? You bet I am!
This is what I get for allowing my notifications to accumulate and check them all at once instead of on time🤦🏻♀️
“Kanade... you’re annoying...”
The concept was average and the protagonist was irritatingly over-enthusiastic with little patience and had a problem with fixating on things.
This suffered from one of the cliches of manga: excessively weepy characters. Oftentimes when characters lack depth they’ll have exaggerated emotions about everything and cry far too much, as was exhibited in this manga. Granted, the protagonist was young enough to excuse her constant teariness, but even one of the other characters her age called her out on it because not only was it exhausting to watch her cry about everything, it was also completely emotionless. The protagonist killed most of the potential this manga had and made this an unenjoyable read.
Pre-reading thoughts: (28/07/2021)
Did I miss getting a copy of this from Netgalley? Sadly, yes😔
Am I going to try and find a copy online instead? You bet I am!
This is what I get for allowing my notifications to accumulate and check them all at once instead of on time🤦🏻♀️
May 7, 2018
A must read for any young girl interested in ballet. the drawings are expressive. The story of a young girl learning how to dance, practice and deal with injury -- all for the love of dance -- is just charming.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2018
3.5 on the blog.
I really liked this manga. It is my very first one read! They did a wonderful job of capturing an authentic ballet school feel. Except for encouraging the young ballet students to eat a big lunch right before their performance. It is not something which is done. Ha ha. There is a section in the back that explains rudimentary dance moves and positions that was also nice. The artwork is very good and I liked the style.
The storyline encourages readers to look for their own strengths when learning and performing. To find the things they are strongest in, and to perfect them to make up for the places they are the weakest, or not so talented with. It also highlighted that practicing and perfecting only the physical aspects of a performance art isn't enough. One has to put real emotion and personality into their art. The story also touched on not having the exact "equipment" wanted (certain ballet shoes) not stopping them from being their best. I was so happy to see this because it seems in this world of YouTube performers that many of them don't get that being able to play an instrument really fast and precise like a machine isn't what makes a fantastic musician. The music also has to have emotion and flow and dynamics.
One thing that didn't quite make sense was one student opting to do work for the school because she couldn't afford lessons anymore, but she wanted to still be around dance school atmosphere. Most Arts schools will let you work to pay for your lessons if you are having trouble. I know it was to point out sometimes we can't do exactly what we want when we are passionate about something, but we can usually find something within that area to do and still contribute and participate, but it needed to get there via a more believable path.
Here is the thing that brought my rating down a half star. The dialogue was a "wanna" "gonna" fest. Ugh. I think just about every page had wanna or gonna on it. Sometimes I thought that was all I was reading, "Wanna, gonna, wanna, wanna, wanna, gonna, wanna, wanna, wanna, gonna." Yes, the students were young, but the adults all spewed them, too! This was a Classical Ballet school, so the teachers throwing slangy vocabulary around like lawn sprinklers was ridiculous.
I really liked this manga. It is my very first one read! They did a wonderful job of capturing an authentic ballet school feel. Except for encouraging the young ballet students to eat a big lunch right before their performance. It is not something which is done. Ha ha. There is a section in the back that explains rudimentary dance moves and positions that was also nice. The artwork is very good and I liked the style.
The storyline encourages readers to look for their own strengths when learning and performing. To find the things they are strongest in, and to perfect them to make up for the places they are the weakest, or not so talented with. It also highlighted that practicing and perfecting only the physical aspects of a performance art isn't enough. One has to put real emotion and personality into their art. The story also touched on not having the exact "equipment" wanted (certain ballet shoes) not stopping them from being their best. I was so happy to see this because it seems in this world of YouTube performers that many of them don't get that being able to play an instrument really fast and precise like a machine isn't what makes a fantastic musician. The music also has to have emotion and flow and dynamics.
One thing that didn't quite make sense was one student opting to do work for the school because she couldn't afford lessons anymore, but she wanted to still be around dance school atmosphere. Most Arts schools will let you work to pay for your lessons if you are having trouble. I know it was to point out sometimes we can't do exactly what we want when we are passionate about something, but we can usually find something within that area to do and still contribute and participate, but it needed to get there via a more believable path.
Here is the thing that brought my rating down a half star. The dialogue was a "wanna" "gonna" fest. Ugh. I think just about every page had wanna or gonna on it. Sometimes I thought that was all I was reading, "Wanna, gonna, wanna, wanna, wanna, gonna, wanna, wanna, wanna, gonna." Yes, the students were young, but the adults all spewed them, too! This was a Classical Ballet school, so the teachers throwing slangy vocabulary around like lawn sprinklers was ridiculous.
December 15, 2020
Wow.
I'm not sure if someone without a dance background would love this as much as I did, but I thought it was amazing - not only does it capture the feeling of dancing and the emotions before stepping onstage (whatever those may be; Cuvie shows a good variety), but it also gives a sense of weight to the movements. I don't mean that they feel heavy, but rather that if you know the steps, you can see (and feel) the muscles used to execute them working, feel the strain of trying to get the best leg extension, and the tension of standing as if a string is holding you up. As an added bonus, even the basic habits of dancers are present - I can't stand in anything but turn-out and even the way I set with my toes pointed, as if I was going to have to spring to pointe from seated, is captured in Kanade's daily life.
As a fun fact, Cuvie got her start as a mangaka in hentai (porn). If that's what gives her bodies such a sense of earthiness, I'd say the experience paid off.
I'm not sure if someone without a dance background would love this as much as I did, but I thought it was amazing - not only does it capture the feeling of dancing and the emotions before stepping onstage (whatever those may be; Cuvie shows a good variety), but it also gives a sense of weight to the movements. I don't mean that they feel heavy, but rather that if you know the steps, you can see (and feel) the muscles used to execute them working, feel the strain of trying to get the best leg extension, and the tension of standing as if a string is holding you up. As an added bonus, even the basic habits of dancers are present - I can't stand in anything but turn-out and even the way I set with my toes pointed, as if I was going to have to spring to pointe from seated, is captured in Kanade's daily life.
As a fun fact, Cuvie got her start as a mangaka in hentai (porn). If that's what gives her bodies such a sense of earthiness, I'd say the experience paid off.
July 18, 2021
*thank you to Netgalley, Akita Publishing Co., Ltd and Cuvie for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
4 stars.
This is definitely a great Manga for those who love Ballet. The artwork was pretty standard for a Manga.
The story follows a girl named Kanade and her thoughts and emotions as she joins a Ballet group. Im not a Ballerina but this seems like a pretty realistic experience to have with trying to learn Ballet and be the best you can be.
The sorry ends abruptly but that's because this is just the first volume. Definitely recommend.
4 stars.
This is definitely a great Manga for those who love Ballet. The artwork was pretty standard for a Manga.
The story follows a girl named Kanade and her thoughts and emotions as she joins a Ballet group. Im not a Ballerina but this seems like a pretty realistic experience to have with trying to learn Ballet and be the best you can be.
The sorry ends abruptly but that's because this is just the first volume. Definitely recommend.
June 23, 2018
4.25 stars
Wow! This was a surprise! I really liked it. Young girl watches neighbor in ballet perform, is dazed, and declares that she will be a ballerina too. Only once she starts, she discovers that it's a lot of hard work, and not a whole lot of fun. Kanada isn't naturally gifted, but she is determined, so she is constantly striving to improve. This has all of the aspects of a series that I enjoy most: a will to succeed against the odds, a determined protagonist who never quits, and a whole lot of heart.
Full review to come
Wow! This was a surprise! I really liked it. Young girl watches neighbor in ballet perform, is dazed, and declares that she will be a ballerina too. Only once she starts, she discovers that it's a lot of hard work, and not a whole lot of fun. Kanada isn't naturally gifted, but she is determined, so she is constantly striving to improve. This has all of the aspects of a series that I enjoy most: a will to succeed against the odds, a determined protagonist who never quits, and a whole lot of heart.
Full review to come
July 7, 2023
This is a fabulous start to a series.
Absolutely breathtaking illustrations!!!
I do wish the child were less bratty/whiney, but kids right?
Highly excited to check out the rest of this run.
Much love to NetGalley & Akita Publishing Co., Ltd. for my DRC.
Absolutely breathtaking illustrations!!!
I do wish the child were less bratty/whiney, but kids right?
Highly excited to check out the rest of this run.
Much love to NetGalley & Akita Publishing Co., Ltd. for my DRC.
March 10, 2019
J'ai adorer ce manga. Les dessins sont magnifiques, simple mais clair. Le personnage de Kanade est vraiment intéressant, joyeuse, déterminer, et maligne. Les autres personnages sont tout autant intéressant et apporte chacun un petit truc à l'histoire. Le thème de la danse est simple à comprendre grâce aux dessins et explications en dehors des dessins. J'ai hâte de lire la suite qui promet une excellente suite d'aventure.
January 23, 2018
Dès les premières pages, j'ai été bluffée par le graphisme magnifique de ce manga qui explore l'univers de la danse classique à travers l'histoire de la jeune Kanade dont le rêve le plus cher est de devenir danseuse professionnelle et partager la scène avec les plus grands danseurs de ballet. L'atout de cette série : son héroïne rafraîchissante! Kanade n'a pas un don inné pour la danse, mais doit franchir de nombreux obstacles avant d'atteindre son but. Une très belle découverte!
January 5, 2018
Je ne connais pas du tout l'univers de la danse et découvrir celui-ci via les yeux de Kanade est un véritable plaisir.
September 15, 2018
It is a nice will to succeed by accepting one's failures coming of age story. It does downplay the physical toll it has an on a ballet dancers body like loss of toenails.
May 31, 2025
J’adore ce manga, c’est toujours un aussi grand plaisir à la relecture. Des thèmes importants sont abordés et Kanade est juste géniale. Elle n’est pas parfaite, elle fait des erreurs et surtout elle ne réussit pas du premier coup, mais elle est une réelle passionnée et elle se donne à fond. Elle donne envie de danser et je crois que c’est le plus beau compliment qu’on puisse lui faire.
February 21, 2019
This review is also posted in my blog :
https://onewordtoomuch.wordpress.com/...
Thank you to Akita Publishing Co.,Ltd. and Net Galley for a free copy of this book in trade for an honest review.
Ballet oh ballet! I’ve always love ballet from when I was a child, but only as far as watching. The gracefulness, the movements, costumes and music is like a dream. This manga really pictured it. This for sure is quite different from other mangas with ballet theme that I’ve read during my teenage years. Usually, the story concentrated on the performance, school or love life of the characters. But this manga takes another view: the view of studying the ballet itself. The drama only evolved around the struggle of Kanade in achieving her goal as a ballet dancer. It’s quite refreshing reading something that is not school girl crush with ballet theme.
The story is quite simple. We follow the life of Kanade who wants to learn ballet because of her neighbor, Risa who is a ballet dancer. Kanade is not talented, but she’s very determined to be a good ballet dancer.
The characters are quite serious in this story. Usually manga has some funny pictures or references, but not this one. Kanade is pictured as a serious girl with big curiosity and determined attitude. She won’t stop at anything into achieving her goal of becoming a good ballet dancer. She is showed having fun with her dancing lessons and try to practice hard.
The illustration is light and has the right proportion for the human body. No bigger heads, smaller body or things like that. The arms and legs are drawn in details, down to the nails. The body movement is well researched and very fluid. Facial expression is also very obvious. Whether it’s frustration, anger, tiredness or happiness, it’s shown clearly. Reading this makes me feel like I’m reading a guidebook to ballet 101 that makes me enjoy it and might want to try to dance.
Recommend for those who loves dancing, ballet and manga (not in that specific order).
https://onewordtoomuch.wordpress.com/...
Thank you to Akita Publishing Co.,Ltd. and Net Galley for a free copy of this book in trade for an honest review.
Ballet oh ballet! I’ve always love ballet from when I was a child, but only as far as watching. The gracefulness, the movements, costumes and music is like a dream. This manga really pictured it. This for sure is quite different from other mangas with ballet theme that I’ve read during my teenage years. Usually, the story concentrated on the performance, school or love life of the characters. But this manga takes another view: the view of studying the ballet itself. The drama only evolved around the struggle of Kanade in achieving her goal as a ballet dancer. It’s quite refreshing reading something that is not school girl crush with ballet theme.
The story is quite simple. We follow the life of Kanade who wants to learn ballet because of her neighbor, Risa who is a ballet dancer. Kanade is not talented, but she’s very determined to be a good ballet dancer.
The characters are quite serious in this story. Usually manga has some funny pictures or references, but not this one. Kanade is pictured as a serious girl with big curiosity and determined attitude. She won’t stop at anything into achieving her goal of becoming a good ballet dancer. She is showed having fun with her dancing lessons and try to practice hard.
The illustration is light and has the right proportion for the human body. No bigger heads, smaller body or things like that. The arms and legs are drawn in details, down to the nails. The body movement is well researched and very fluid. Facial expression is also very obvious. Whether it’s frustration, anger, tiredness or happiness, it’s shown clearly. Reading this makes me feel like I’m reading a guidebook to ballet 101 that makes me enjoy it and might want to try to dance.
Recommend for those who loves dancing, ballet and manga (not in that specific order).
January 14, 2019
Kanade is simply a lovely character. I love her passion towards ballet, which isn't the ordinary kind of passion seen in shoujo protagonists. She does not simply want to get better at her art form, but to know everything about it and immerse herself completely. She has heart, a real, pure girl's heart, and it becomes more and more apparent through subsequent volumes. She's not always the best or most unique, but her love for her passion makes her stand out.
July 17, 2021
This is a fun ballet manga with good atmosphere.
Aspiring dancer Kanade has a good developing story in the first volume of this manga, hugely ambitious but too young for pointe shoes and searching for a way to make the best of things as she works her way up in the world of ballet.
I really enjoyed the atmospheric aspects of this. Manga is at its best when the setting is immersive, and this is a good encapsulation of ballet school, and both the art and the writing shine in that respect.
The story has potential, though the end is a bit abrupt and doesn’t tell us much about where this story is ultimately going. I hope we’ll see more of Risa in the next volume, and that Kanade will continue to advance as a dancer.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Aspiring dancer Kanade has a good developing story in the first volume of this manga, hugely ambitious but too young for pointe shoes and searching for a way to make the best of things as she works her way up in the world of ballet.
I really enjoyed the atmospheric aspects of this. Manga is at its best when the setting is immersive, and this is a good encapsulation of ballet school, and both the art and the writing shine in that respect.
The story has potential, though the end is a bit abrupt and doesn’t tell us much about where this story is ultimately going. I hope we’ll see more of Risa in the next volume, and that Kanade will continue to advance as a dancer.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
July 9, 2019
Ballet isn’t my greatest interest but this narrative was fascinating. I especially appreciate the artist’s close watch of anatomy in properly drawing the various poses and forms. Being able to understand the physical and mental struggles of ballet actually made dance seem much more interesting!
The only blunder is there’s an typo where “body” is spelt “boy” later in the volume.
Regardless a fun slice of life title.
This book was provided free via the publisher for an honest review.
The only blunder is there’s an typo where “body” is spelt “boy” later in the volume.
Regardless a fun slice of life title.
This book was provided free via the publisher for an honest review.
May 11, 2018
Kanade is a young girl when she sees her neighbor, Risa, dancing in the ballet, and begs her parents for ballet lessons. She quickly learns that studying ballet means hard work, determination, and sometimes disappointment. With Risa's help, Kanade is encouraged to stay dedicated to ballet, and she uses her intense observation skills to learn from the dancers around her.
Later with two years of dancing experience, she longs to be allowed to wear pointe shoes, but is told she is still too young. Despite the drama surrounding the other students, Kanade finds her own inspiration and her own center as she prepares for her big recital.
I LOVED the beautiful artwork in this manga! The graceful dance poses, and lovely costumes make this a pleasure to read, and I found myself pausing on several pages just to enjoy the gorgeous illustrations.
The story is wonderful; all about finding your inspiration in your art, learning to deal with disappointment, and reaching out to others and encouraging them, even if it means they might surpass you and claim that coveted solo part.
Kanade is a delightful character who goes through a lot of change and development through this first volume. She is spunky and funny and fierce. She is a perfectionist, and can get discouraged easily at times, but her friends encourage her to keep working hard to perfect her dancing, and she develops the skills she needs to be a great dancer.
Through it all, Kanade finds JOY in dancing, and it's infectious! She inspires other dancers with her pure love of movement, and captures the hearts of her audience. Just like this manga captures the hearts of its readers!
Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.
Later with two years of dancing experience, she longs to be allowed to wear pointe shoes, but is told she is still too young. Despite the drama surrounding the other students, Kanade finds her own inspiration and her own center as she prepares for her big recital.
I LOVED the beautiful artwork in this manga! The graceful dance poses, and lovely costumes make this a pleasure to read, and I found myself pausing on several pages just to enjoy the gorgeous illustrations.
The story is wonderful; all about finding your inspiration in your art, learning to deal with disappointment, and reaching out to others and encouraging them, even if it means they might surpass you and claim that coveted solo part.
Kanade is a delightful character who goes through a lot of change and development through this first volume. She is spunky and funny and fierce. She is a perfectionist, and can get discouraged easily at times, but her friends encourage her to keep working hard to perfect her dancing, and she develops the skills she needs to be a great dancer.
Through it all, Kanade finds JOY in dancing, and it's infectious! She inspires other dancers with her pure love of movement, and captures the hearts of her audience. Just like this manga captures the hearts of its readers!
Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.
September 24, 2018
Pages: 215
Genre: Slice of Life, Sports, Young Adult
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
A manga! I haven't read one of these babies in so long! After realizing it's not worth buying the translated versions of manga, I now stick to the cheaper Japanese ones when I can afford it. Unfortunately, that's a rarity. I've also just been more into novels with full stories than quick page-turners with no completion.
But, I decided to enter this giveaway on goodreads to score one of these babies! It is a kindle version which made for easy reading and brought me back to my manga binging days.
This manga is about Kanade, a girl who goes to a ballet performance and becomes inspired. She follows in the footsteps of her neighbor, Risa, and together they work towards learning the art of ballet.
This manga covers all of the trials and tribulations that go into learning ballet. It's not easy and this manga shows how much young people have to give these hobbies their all. The characters were really developed and each had their own personality, as well.
Unfortunately, the first book doesn't really come to an end. I'm assuming this manga is usually published week-by-week in a magazine so the continued story is what they work towards, chapter by chapter.
Besides that, it was a cute slice of life story. This manga is incomplete so don't purchase this with the intention of having a full story. But if you have any interest in the real world behind ballet, then have at it!
Genre: Slice of Life, Sports, Young Adult
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
A manga! I haven't read one of these babies in so long! After realizing it's not worth buying the translated versions of manga, I now stick to the cheaper Japanese ones when I can afford it. Unfortunately, that's a rarity. I've also just been more into novels with full stories than quick page-turners with no completion.
But, I decided to enter this giveaway on goodreads to score one of these babies! It is a kindle version which made for easy reading and brought me back to my manga binging days.
This manga is about Kanade, a girl who goes to a ballet performance and becomes inspired. She follows in the footsteps of her neighbor, Risa, and together they work towards learning the art of ballet.
This manga covers all of the trials and tribulations that go into learning ballet. It's not easy and this manga shows how much young people have to give these hobbies their all. The characters were really developed and each had their own personality, as well.
Unfortunately, the first book doesn't really come to an end. I'm assuming this manga is usually published week-by-week in a magazine so the continued story is what they work towards, chapter by chapter.
Besides that, it was a cute slice of life story. This manga is incomplete so don't purchase this with the intention of having a full story. But if you have any interest in the real world behind ballet, then have at it!
June 2, 2018
-I read this book from NetGalley UK in exchange for a fair review.-
The story begins with Kanade watching her neighbour Risa’s enchanting performance on stage. Soon after she kicks up a fuss by pleading her parents to let her attend ballet classes. Two months in, she is frustrated and has a breakdown of sorts. Her class teacher decides to let her watch the advance class where Risa is in.
This book feels like it doesn’t take detours. all about the ups and downs in the world of ballet and it’s as good as it gets. Does bear some similarities to the long-time classic ‘Glass Mask’ in this aspect. What a refreshing read!
I knew nothing about ballet when I started reading so it was confusing. It took some effort to make sense of what was going on by looking at the panels more carefully. One particular downside is that the ballet vocab in French isn’t italicised.
The story begins with Kanade watching her neighbour Risa’s enchanting performance on stage. Soon after she kicks up a fuss by pleading her parents to let her attend ballet classes. Two months in, she is frustrated and has a breakdown of sorts. Her class teacher decides to let her watch the advance class where Risa is in.
This book feels like it doesn’t take detours. all about the ups and downs in the world of ballet and it’s as good as it gets. Does bear some similarities to the long-time classic ‘Glass Mask’ in this aspect. What a refreshing read!
I knew nothing about ballet when I started reading so it was confusing. It took some effort to make sense of what was going on by looking at the panels more carefully. One particular downside is that the ballet vocab in French isn’t italicised.
March 10, 2019
Wonderful, gracefully drawn manga about young girl who starts dancing ballet. I've loved ballet for a long time, so I enjoyed this a lot too. There wasn't much about Kanade's (or other characters') lives beyond ballet but that's okay, it was nice that the story really focused on its subject.
I liked how Kanade and Shoko's relationship was portrayed, they were rivals but it didn't go as I thought, that Shoko would be mean and Kanade would focus only on topping her, instead, they clearly are trying to be better than the other but they also were friends at least on some level, and nice to each other too.
I liked how Kanade and Shoko's relationship was portrayed, they were rivals but it didn't go as I thought, that Shoko would be mean and Kanade would focus only on topping her, instead, they clearly are trying to be better than the other but they also were friends at least on some level, and nice to each other too.
May 4, 2018
I simply adored this book, it was so lovely. Kanade is such a sweet kid with a big heart and a big passion, I want to protect her till the end of the time. I love how she starts dancing because she was idolizing her neighbor, Risa, but they ended up helping each other, girls supporting each other, this is what I'm here for. The art was so soft to look at it really went so good with the story. I can't wait to read the rest of this story and know what'll happen next.
(Can you believe this book made me wanna dance ballet again, and i absolutely hated my classes?)
(Can you believe this book made me wanna dance ballet again, and i absolutely hated my classes?)
May 22, 2018
I love this manga. As an ex-musical theatre student I could feel our main character's pain and I also really appreciated the aspect of her having someone she looked up to and idolised and also how that person was shown not to be perfect.
This was just adorable and inspiring and I love the message this sends. It doesn't matter if you're not the best, if you're not progressing as fast as those in class with you. What matters is you are working as hard as you can, that you're passionate and things will work out for you
This was just adorable and inspiring and I love the message this sends. It doesn't matter if you're not the best, if you're not progressing as fast as those in class with you. What matters is you are working as hard as you can, that you're passionate and things will work out for you
September 25, 2018
This was a beautifully illustrated and written manga about a girl's dream to learn ballet. I loved the story, the artwork was gorgeous, and the ending was fantastic! I'm interested to see if this gets a sequel. I liked that Kanade had moments of frustration and doubt as it really made me love her more. Kanade was sweet, smart, and adorable and her passion for ballet was fascinating to watch. Overall I really enjoyed this manga.
Rating: 5 stars!
FTC DISCLAIMER: I received this book in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 5 stars!
FTC DISCLAIMER: I received this book in exchange for an honest review
March 1, 2018
J'ai tout simplement adoré, moi qui adore la danse c'est le manga qu'il me fallait !
April 2, 2018
J’adore les manges et la danse classique donc quel plaisir d’en découvrir un dessus. Kanade est tellement attachante. J’ai hate de lire la suite!
September 12, 2018
Color me surprised, this was a damn good read.
September 26, 2018
This manga was a wonderful view into the world of ballet. The art was amazing. And I loved following Kanade, Shoko, and Risa's stories. I am so excited to read the next volume.
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July 22, 2021ARC received from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This ballet manga follows a girl who falls in love with ballet and works hard to achieve her dream of becoming a great dancer. After watching an older girl named Risa dance at a recital, she throws herself headfirst into classes and struggles to reach her goals.
Unfortunately, I DNFed at 58%. I normally can't watch ballet in real life because it makes me very uncomfortable to watch how their feet move (too much sympathy pain!), so I was hoping this manga would capture the graceful motion, beautiful costumes, and other elegant and lovely elements of ballet without focusing on that part of it. However, I found the art style too simplistic for such a beautiful, moving dance style, and the pacing felt off to me. I had to stop reading after the book began heavily focusing on Kanade's desire to wear pointe shoes, which has a LOT to do with feet...
I would still recommend this to those who think they might be interested, as I may have been predisposed to not liking this sort of story.
❧ 0 ★
This ballet manga follows a girl who falls in love with ballet and works hard to achieve her dream of becoming a great dancer. After watching an older girl named Risa dance at a recital, she throws herself headfirst into classes and struggles to reach her goals.
Unfortunately, I DNFed at 58%. I normally can't watch ballet in real life because it makes me very uncomfortable to watch how their feet move (too much sympathy pain!), so I was hoping this manga would capture the graceful motion, beautiful costumes, and other elegant and lovely elements of ballet without focusing on that part of it. However, I found the art style too simplistic for such a beautiful, moving dance style, and the pacing felt off to me. I had to stop reading after the book began heavily focusing on Kanade's desire to wear pointe shoes, which has a LOT to do with feet...
I would still recommend this to those who think they might be interested, as I may have been predisposed to not liking this sort of story.
❧ 0 ★
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