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  • Published: 18 June 2024
  • ISBN: 9798888771792
  • Imprint: Kodansha
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 160
  • RRP: $26.99

Bless 1




They said Aia was destined to be a model, and Jun was bullied for her freckles. Together, they will take back the power to define themselves in an inspirational fashion manga that asks cutting questions about what it really means to be beautiful--and what it takes to overcome an arbitrary system that seems to respect talent over hard work.

They said Aia was destined to be a model, and Jun was bullied for her freckles. Together, they will take back the power to define themselves in an inspirational fashion manga that asks cutting questions about what it really means to be beautiful--and what it takes to overcome an arbitrary system that seems to respect talent over hard work.

At a young age, Aia Utagawa was scouted as a model, but his real ambition is to become a makeup artist. But, even as the end of high school approaches, it's a dream he hides inside, afraid of stepping outside his prescribed role as a pretty face. Then, one day, he meets Jun, a quiet classmate who hunches because she's ashamed of her face, covered in freckles. He convinces her to enter a school runway fashion contest together--with him doing her makeup. They make an incredible team, with Jun discovering a confidence she never knew she could show and Aia finally learning that, while it may be tough to open yourself up to failing at the one thing you care about, the difficulties can be worth facing.

  • Published: 18 June 2024
  • ISBN: 9798888771792
  • Imprint: Kodansha
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 160
  • RRP: $26.99

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Praise for Bless 1

"I truly think this is a hidden gem. It reminds me of Paradise Kiss and a bit of Blue Period. The art style is magnificent, each character design is so unique and characters are all interesting and multidimensional. The story is primarily a coming of age with drama and a bit of romance.
I was thinking to myself, that it is weird we don’t have that many shoujo/josei manga about fashion, modeling and makeup." -Reader review

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