Tales of a high-school calligraphy club.

A story about a high-school calligraphy club on the verge of breaking up that enters in a major competition while overcoming problems. Yuki, a promising female judoist, and Yukari, a quiet Canadian-raised boy who just returned to Japan, end up joining the club for the sake of maintaining the membership required to keep the club. Together with the old club members with unique characters, they gradually discover the fun of calligraphy and work together to win in the competition. -- NHK

Kenn's Comment: CANADA! PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND! Canada is so rarely represented or even mentioned in foreign series that any inclusion or mention of this wonderful country stands out like a wonderfully sore thumb. The Japanese love Anne of Green Gables which is set in the little province of Prince Edward Island, which is where the main character grows up.

Anywho, the story is great. From it's description it sounds pretty boring, but the series is written in a way that makes even the most mundane task rather gripping. Calligraphy makes up a good chunk of the story, but it doesn't drag, which is really nice. When the new members are training, you can see them progress and get better, seeing both their initial work and the end work and really gives a sense of progression that feels more honest and realistic compared to a training arc in a battle manga.

The character relations are top notch in this one. We've got the...energetic upperclassmen, the kind and hardworking club president, and the geeky teacher. Then we've got the main character, the slightly awkward Canadian, and the other new member, the competitive Judo champion, Yukari. Watching her reactions to everything that happens is so much fun because they're often little things in the background of the panels.

Also, this one is a two time nominated work for the Best Manga catergory in the Manga Taisho. You know it's gonna be good if it's a two time nominee!