PART 3 of 52 ONESHOTS in 52 WEEKS
桜アミューの『ディア グリーン』 “Dear Green” by SAKURA Amyuu
Amyuu Sakura is a mangaka best known for her series Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life, which has been published in Jump Square since 2012. She often writes romantic stories within a school setting, typically featuring music and the arts. Before penning her long-running manga, author Sakura had written numerous oneshots, with Dear Green being one of her earliest. Featuring in a special edition of Ribon magazine in 2007, the 50-page oneshot remains one of her most popular short works, with themes of self-acceptance and parental expectations.
Middle schooler Shun and her older sister Mio are complete opposites. Mio excels at everything she puts her mind to, with plans to become a musician and medical doctor, whereas Shun has taken on a more rebellious persona, not putting much thought toward her future. Living in her sister’s shadow, Shun prefers to keep to herself and go at her own pace, which leads her into conflict with her parents and teachers. Her one solace is a secluded woodland area, where she goes to play the flute in solitude. That is, until she is interrupted one day by a young photographer. However, this chance encounter guides Shun toward a more loving and responsible perspective, where she learns to embrace and appreciate both herself and those around her.
Dear Green slots very firmly into the shoujo archetype, with its idol-like love interest and outwardly nonchalant but inwardly passionate central character. It does little to reinvent the wheel, but manages to stay engaging through its worldly themes and meticulous art style, characterised by layered panelling.
Amyuu Sakura depicts the weight of expectation well, writing Shun in comparison to her sister Mio as too defeated to try, despite possessing talents of her own. Being overshadowed has led Shun to become almost prejudiced regarding her sisters motives, viewing care and concern instead as pity. There’s a layered and complicated persona at Shun’s core, who has taken on some negative conceptions due to her environment.
However, the author fails to properly challenge and explore these feelings, instead forging a more hopeful outlook for Shun through the male love interest, who tells Shun to appreciate herself. Starved of attention at home, it makes sense that Shun might latch onto the first bit of genuine care she perceives, but this realisation lacks nuance and is terribly overstated. What’s more, Shun’s parents are explicitly shown as not very empathetic toward her, with her mother even attempting to strike her at one point; for Shun to bear responsibility for this due to her having a ‘bad attitude’ feels disproportionate and a bit of a disservice to the character.
Shun’s inner conflict and the oneshot’s broader themes are compelling, but their conclusion is overly fanciful. The story will, however, appeal to fans of the genre, with a romantic twist that is very sweet. Likewise, the artwork plays to its demographic, abundant in enormous eyes, delicate lines and wispy effects which are often associated with shoujo manga. Amyuu Sakura’s panelling and page layout is particularly impressive, with layered artwork and panels within panels — each and every page is eye-catching. Ultimately, Dear Green ends as a captivating if frustrating read, introducing a complex character whose strife feels abruptly bookended by a simple romantic resolution.
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Morning, Roo 