She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons Vol. 1 Review – Heart Wrenching Yuri

Romance is always a beautiful story to follow when not written in a tragic sense like a Shakespearean play, especially when it’s an innocent romance growing between two adolescents discovering themselves through their hobbies and interests. She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons capitalizes on that charm but focuses on the romance between two young girls who seem to be direct opposites. Of course, the opposites attract trope is nothing new, but the execution of it is what makes or breaks a romance manga.

The introspection of the main character Akari in her third year of high school makes this story stand out in volume one. She doesn’t have any passions and finds herself just doing what the other girls in school do because of the “unwritten rules” in her school, which pretty much keep her in a stereotypical box. These unwritten rules are superficial, focusing on having the perfect body, hobbies, and interests.

Right from the beginning, there are slight hints that Akari doesn’t think like the other girls in her school, specifically in the sense of her romantic tastes; it is subtle, so even Akari doesn’t realize how different she feels from the other girls until she starts interacting with the enigma of their class; Yuki Sendo.

Yuki stands out from the other students because of how pretty she is, yet she does not interact with the other girls and stays to herself with her camera. When Akari follows her outside during lunch one day, Yuki takes an off-guard photo of her, prompting Akari to approach after lunch; this is where their romance begins. Yuki is calm, free-thinking, and creative, just like an artist, while Akari tries her hardest to fit the standards of her school, two very different character types.

As a Girls Love manga, I think depicting same-sex love and romance in adolescence is essential to cover correctly without creating a fetish from the content. The wholesome connection between two young people learning about each other, their interests, and even taking things to the next level through innocent moments of their connection.

What I loved the most about She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons was the honesty portrayed through Akari and her developing feelings for Yuki. She is discovering a side she did not know was there, so she is slowly trying to decipher her feelings while hiding them from everyone else; however, Yuki cares little about what others think and seemingly embraces Akari’s affection.

Volume one was a great start to this story, and the cliffhanger at the end made my heart wrench a little! I look forward to releasing volume two, so I can continue to read about Akari’s revelations within herself. At the same time, she navigates the battlefield of romance with a free spirit like Yuki. This is a MUST pick up for romance lovers.