A jam-packed book of original illustrations, storyboards, and promotional materials for one of our favorite unexpected couples!
Creative Staff
Story and Art: HERO and Daisuke Hagiwara
Translation/Adaptation: Taylor Engel
Lettering: Lys Blakeslee
What They Say
A snapshot of the sweet “aww”-inspiring tale of school life!!
Celebrating the first hundred chapters of Horimiya, collected in this memorial book are a treasure trove of original illustrations posted in commemoration of new chapter releases, a sneak peek at a few of the storyboards before they went to print…and more!!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Following in the footsteps of the pandemic-delayed conclusion of Horimiya earlier this year comes this volume, the Horimiya Memorial Book Page. 100 Art Book, celebrating 100 chapters of the Horimiya manga. This book is filled with promotional artwork and illustrations advertising various releases, storyboards from various parts of the manga, and a full summary of the series sprinkled throughout. Finally, the book ends with a couple short stories about Hori and Miyamura in middle school, before they met each other. Obviously, Hori and Miyamura are the focal point of much of the material that appears in here, but all of the characters get some time to shine, and the storyboards chosen give a good sampling of what can be expected from the manga. There is nothing that really adds to the series, but there is a lot of material to dive into and enjoy.
Honestly, there’s not a whole lot to say about the content other than that, but the shortness of this review should not be taken as a sign that there’s not much going on here. There is a ton of material to pour through, and it also has to be mentioned that this book is an absolutely gorgeous release. At first glance, it appears a standard manga release, appearing the same size with the same general look, but once you get it in your hands and start going through it, it is so much more than just a standard release. The first thing you notice is the weight: this sucker is heavy, and understandably so once you realize what has gone into it. The cover has a fully removable dust jacket, with full artwork on the jacket and just the title of the volume on the cover beneath.
The book is full color throughout, printed on a heavyweight, glossy stock that really makes the artwork pop, and the book has the sort of stiffness that quality publications tend to have. This was made to last. For something that is no bigger than a manga volume, you might find the price tag to be a bit off-putting, but once you have it in your hands, you’ll understand why. Yen Press and Square Enix put a lot of effort into making this the best book that they could, and I think that they did a wonderful job with it. If you enjoy Horimiya, then I think you will love this.
In Summary
The Horimiya Memorial Book Page. 100 Art Book is an excellent love letter to the series. It is crammed with materials celebrating the series, and Yen Press and Square Enix spared no expense to put together a magnificent volume that I think any fan of Horimiya would fall in love with, and it would be amazing if more titles could get this sort of treatment after the fact. Highly recommended.
Content Grade: A
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: T-Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: July 18th, 2023
MSRP: $20.00
