Kakukaku Shikajika
Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey

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I couldn't help but be reminded of Kakukaku Shikajika as they cover learning about drawing, some issues with assignments, taking art university exams as well as the whole school environment. As for differences, Blue Period has more 'art history' learning points but feels less realistic than Kakukaku Shikajika. 

Both manga have art theme. And both have protagonists who are struggling to attend art school.  

Both series dig into art education and art creation. Yatora and Akiko are both aspiring artists, stumbling their way into the prep schools while dealing with artist's block and anxiety. Both are also observant and perceptive individuals, drawing a lot of inspiration and energy for their art from people around them. While Blue Period is a work of fiction, Kakukaku Shikajika is an autobiography of the award-winning mangaka Higashimura Akiko. The latter also focuses on Higashimura-sensei's friendship with her mentor Hidaka-sensei. 

Both titles are great autobiographical manga that explore the struggles of the author with their identity and creative pursuits. Both manga provide readers with not only the author's personal life story, but also their point of view on their experiences. This includes their current opinions of their past selves, allowing readers to engage with and question the author's self-perception. One of the strengths of "Kakukaku Shikajika" is its exploration of the creative process, and the way that the author uses art to express her feelings and experiences. This theme is also present in "My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness", where the author uses her writing to explore her own sexuality and mental health. read more