Snow and Ink manga is a Seinen by Unohana Miyuki, released in 2022 by Kodansha. While it falls under the genre of Seinen, one could very well argue that it is more suitable to be called a Josei. It has mixed elements from both spectrums providing its readers a well-rounded experience.
In this article, I will introduce you to this manga and give you tiny bits of why this piece of work should be added to your list of readings. If you like my suggestions, be sure to subscribe to Spiel Anime’s Newsletter, where we bring the spiciest and the most wholesome anime and manga content to your fingertips, not once but twice a week.
Snow and Ink Manga – What is it about?
The story starts with the public execution of our male lead. Neneo, accused of murdering 50 villagers, is being held in front of the public as his sentence is being announced. However, he was not fated to die so soon. A young aristocrat stops the execution and buys him. Our female lead, Freya, steps in and since then life has not been the same for both of them.
Thrown out of her family, she is heading to a remote village to live out the rest of her life. She buys him as her squire and bodyguard. Each with their own circumstances, how will this weird duo fare against each other? A criminal with unending bloodlust and a failed aristocrat. What is their story going to be?
Why should you read this manga?
Despite being a Seinen, the manga has many elements of Josei in it. As we know, Seinen is catered toward Men, and Josei is catered toward Women. However, the manga caters to both with its wholesome and mature spin on their relationship.
- Neneo is a misunderstood gentleman. He is framed, albeit by himself, for the murder of his village folk. This is metaphorical in nature, it hints toward how everyone in this world is misunderstood by their image in public. It is a depiction of how the social assumptions of an individual dictate their interaction with society.
- Freya is also misunderstood. While frowned upon as a failure, society has failed to see how kind she really is. Being conned by businessmen, her kindness ended up destroying the economy as she tried to help everyone. This is a depiction of how harshly society will treat you for your actions, even if the intentions behind them only meant good.
- The entire story is a cry for society to look back on its own decisions. If throwing people out of the circle just because they deemed it right is the correct way to go about living. Reasoning has left the chat with such a discourse being considered the default plan of action. Societies have grown mean and rude the more they prosper, forgetting the very reason they are here.
The story is a sweet take on how these two individuals continue to live their lives and grow to carry on their responsibilities. It is also another expression of how trauma is within us and that it cripples us even when everything couldn’t be any better. There are hundreds of reasons why this manga is just amazing, specifically the cute romance scenes between the two.
Conclusion
If having a light-hearted story with a deep portrayal of society is what you need right now, this is clearly the one to go for. A wonderful tale of romance, mixed with subtle depictions of human understanding, this manga is on the path to success. It has already made my heart flutter a thousand times by now, and I am sure after reading it, you will agree.