The plot focuses on 喜久雄’s growth as an artist and the difficulties he faces along the way. What I really liked is that the writer doesn’t use an overly dramatic or sentimental tone to describe his difficult and often unglamorous experiences. Instead, the story is told in a calm way. Even without heavy emotional language, you can clearly feel how much he has gone through and how deeply he loves his craft. He’s willing to pay everything just to continue performing. One surprise for me was the page time 徳次 gets. Honestly, he’s such a funny and loyal character, especially in how devoted he is to 喜久雄. Another highlight is the female characters. The women in this book are all strong, independent, and reliable! from 喜久雄’s mother and his teacher’s wife, to his girlfriend and his ex-girlfriend.