“Friday at the Atelier” official synopsis from Yen Press: “Emiko Tamaki is a female office worker who's exhausted with life, but when she goes up to someone collapsed on the street, she's surprised by his sudden request to model for him. The man turns out to be renowned artist Shunsui Ishihara, and he wants her nude…and covered in fish?! It's not the most normal way to get to know someone, but it might be the start of something beautiful— or at least unpredictable!”
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Following a fickle romance between a mature ‘salary woman' and a celebrated surreal artist, Sakura Hamada's “Friday at the Atelier” is instantly welcome in shucking the teenage romances and presenting a complex relationship. Moreover, placing the story within the art world and modeling pushes Hamada to celebrate the medium and natural beauty of the female form. While enticing, all these elements don't necessarily make a competent manga by default, and the initial success of “Friday at the Atelier” is not without caveats.
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There is an undeniable allure for readers looking for adult relationships in manga, and Sakura Hamada certainly understands the inherent complexities that can come with that. Emiko and Shunshi struggle through an awkward courting, but instead of being inspired by childhood innocence, it feels grounded in past hang-ups yet to occur. Aspects like Shunshi's over-protectiveness point to the possibility of having lost someone or made a past mistake he regrets, teasing that the already awkward relationship the two are building has more kinks to work out before getting to that point, a welcome prospect to explore an adult romance.
Revelations of future tribulations may be speculative, but a greater reveal seems inevitable, given the inaugural volumes' focus on character-building between two eccentric personalities. As an introduction, both characters have abundant potential, and fans of adult-themed romance should be excited to see what comes next.
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Sakura Hamada is given room to experiment visually through Shunshi's profession. While underutilized, this approach sprinkles moments of pristine beauty throughout the pages; the portraits of Emiko are lush and expressive. In addition, each chapter opens with a full-page drawing that is consistently impressive and perfectly leads into the next section. As is often the case with Yen Press, they know when to publish a book in a larger format to showcase the mangaka's ability to benefit the story. In earnest, the visual style of Hamada can be overtly simple, and occasionally the juxtaposition is a bit harsh to the overall presentation. Still, the importance of having the proper panels resonate with readers hides these minor blemishes.
For those curious about the plastic wrap and the parental advisory warning, “Friday at the Atelier” approaches sexual matters in a subdued manner. There is room to interpret the work as fetishistic, with Shunsui covering Emiko's naked body in fish for inspiration. However, this plot point becomes wholesome as it introduces Shunsui's desire to care for Emiko by feeding her afterward and his passion for cuisine rivaling his art. It never feels overly exploitative, and Emiko has a natural body type, pointing to a more sincere approach to eroticism.
Where worries stem is the uncertainty of an introductory volume and whether it will touch on deeper themes hinted at. Looking at it as a single volume, Emiko is overtly simplistic, aimlessly wandering through life and obtuse to much of the world. Comparatively, Shunsui's persistent push to care for the aloof woman, playing a nurturing role, makes Emiko appear all the more helpless. The subsequent volumes must give more dimension to each character, or it will falter into an uninspired love story based only on the need for one character to ‘save' the other.
There is enough uncertainty that some may want to wait for the next volume before committing fully. Still, others will want to dive in immediately, especially with mature manga titles so few and far between (especially ones with such a strong visual direction). Sakura Hamada undeniably impresses with the inaugural volume of “Friday at the Atelier,” but the series' continued success rests on hopeful optimism and not utter certainty.
