“Twenty-three-year-old art school reject Miyuu Seno has a blueprint for the future, but it's not her own. Instead, she's stuck on the “secure” path her mom has laid out for her—from her office job, to her clothes, to the guys she meets—and it's making Miyuu more miserable by the day. When things come to a head between them, Miyuu leaves home with a blank canvas in tow, holding on to the hope that painting can somehow undo the phony she's become…” (Yen Press)
The slightly deceptive title, “The Essence of Being a Muse” is less about being a ‘muse' and more about drawing inner inspiration to compel oneself to change. Aya Fumino uses protagonist Miyuu Seno to explore insecurity and social pressures on younger generations, with the woman's repressed dream of becoming an artist hindering her personal growth and ability from finding a stable identity.
“The Essence of Being a Muse” starts somberly and teeters into undesirable territory for exploring insecurity early on. Notably, a sense of desperation attracts a man's interest in romanticizing the poor mental health of Miyuu. The first interaction between the two, in particular, is where Miyuu ‘offers' herself up, and the interaction ends with (potential romantic interest) Kairi, giving a misguided and cruel sentiment of falling for the confused woman because she is “cheap and flimsy.” However, near the end of volume one, Aya Fumino starts to build Kairi as a complex character with personal issues that affect his interactions with others–his reason for feeling a kinship with Miyuu. As the story develops, concerns over the tone melt away, and what replaces them is an authentic and sincere exploration of insecurity, trauma, and the power to overcome the past and start anew.
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Aya Fumino's writing is intricate and layered in a way that conveys the mangaka as a masterful storyteller who understands the inherited complexities of the human connection and how there is often depth to everyday conversations based on past traumas and insecurities. While it is, admittedly, still early to get a broader picture of where Fumino is going to take the story, the work hints at a brilliance on par with other mangakas like Akane Torikai or Shuzo Oshimi in their ability to tap into the uncomfortable elements of human nature with a honed, visceral clarity.
Complimenting the story, Fumino's art is beautifully styled to capture the emotions of her characters and the liveliness of life in a big city. Fumino also excels in interjecting abstract art and panels to convey rushes of emotions felt by Miyuu, to significant effect. However, there are some consistency issues, with various panels feeling slightly more rushed with fewer details for characters and backgrounds. This approach adds to the rawness and realism of being hyper-focused on Miyuu (to a lesser extent Kaira) and their struggles. Still, this sentiment may not be universally shared, especially when critiquing individual panels over how the art complements the larger narrative.
For a first volume from a debuting creator, “The Essence of Being a Muse” is surprisingly mature and expertly crafted. Whether this continues into later volumes… readers must wait and see. Regardless, those who purposely seek manga focused on intense emotions and personal struggles will want to watch Aya Fumino from now on and undoubtedly want to read this title for themselves.
