“Take a peek into the past as Gaku recalls his first music festival! After stumbling upon a café that shares his name, he’s invited by the elderly owner to come along to an overnight camping festival. Gaku doesn’t know what to expect, but his heart is stolen by the sights and sounds he finds there…!” (Yen Press)
Each volume of “Days on Fes” acted as a celebration of music and the culture surrounding the enjoyment of live music. Furthermore, its focus on four different characters at different stages of discovering their passions allowed the reader to relate to either the hardened festival goer or the newbie running around in a frenzy. It has made the series a true love letter to the life of a dedicated audiophile, which would expand into various ways people experience live music. However, volume four takes a step back from this formula and gives us more backstory, further pushing the endearing nature of the pristine slice-of-life title.
Learning the origins behind Gaku; how he came to own his coffee shop, his passing of his love of music to his little sister, and his introduction to Ritsu frames the importance of positive community in building a passion for music. Essentially, every positive or profound moment in Gaku’s life is intertwined (or perhaps scored) through music pulling him towards certain people and places. The kind and sincere nature of Gaku hinted at a past built through the love of music, but to have the stories actually told gives deeper appreciation to the kindhearted shop owner.
As with the previous volumes, the art of Kanato Oka is still very light and playful, with an emphasis on capturing the mannerisms of the characters. The aesthetic is not overly flashy but it does capture the passion of the crew along with the excitement surrounding live music performances. Regardless, the artist has a fitting style for the slice-of-life genre where conveying the spirit of the characters is essential.
“Days of Fes” are almost coming to an end, with one future volume released before seeing the four concertgoers off. The series has become a personal favorite (making our best of 2021 list) as it really is one of the best celebrations of music fandom you will come across. Overall, the recent release reconfirms the sentiments and celebrations around music that came before it–an idyllic interlude for an already exceptional slice of life.
