When I saw Barakamon manga on Amazon, I can’t help but notice that the anime is also available on Amazon Prime Video.

What caught my attention about the anime isn’t so much to do with being able to watch the anime through Amazon Prime Video. Rather, it’s the year the anime came out. That’s when I realized it’s been a long time since I watch Barakamon anime.

And here I am, talking about Barakamon manga six years later as I write this blog post.

Somehow, it got me thinking how most of us feel like they’re missing the boat only because they jump into the fandom or any opportunities for that matter way too late.

If that’s how you feel right now, let me tell you that it’s never too late for you to get into anything in life.

And that also applies to discovering Barakamon manga for the first time. You can also say the same thing for my blog too.

Sure, my blog has been around for quite some time already. If this is your first time reading my blog, welcome and I hope that you find the blog and also the books I’m recommending interesting.

What Barakamon manga is all about

Here’s the book description that I got from Bookwalker.

First things first………Visitors are supposed to come in through the front door!!For a certain reason, a handsome, young calligrapher by the name of Seishuu Handa uproots himself and moves to an island on the westernmost edge of Japan. “”Sensei,”” as he comes to be known, is a city boy through and through, and has never experienced rural life until now. And by the looks of it, he has much to learn! Luckily(?), he has a willing teacher in Naru, the energetic expert islander, to help show him the ropes. But can Sensei keep up with the plucky first-grader, or will he get schooled?! Here unfolds a heartfelt island comedy about a gruff on the outside, soft on the inside urbanite teacher and his new, unfailingly kind island neighbors!

What got me to read this manga

Yes, I admit that I already watched the anime before. So, I know what to expect when I bought the Kindle version of the manga.

In case you’re wondering, I did get the manga while it was on sale. That’s another reason why I’m willing to give the manga version a try.

Even if I never watched the anime before, I will still give it a try because I do find the story to be interesting.

What makes Barakamon manga worth reading

When we see someone who is young and talented like Seishuu Handa, we tend to believe that they seem to have it all. Not only that, but they don’t have to work hard as much as everyone else. Heck, they may not even have to work hard at all since they can have it easy.

Guess what? That’s not true at all. This is where the manga is giving a realistic portrayal of someone like Handa through Hiroshi’s perspective.

When Hiroshi met Handa sensei for the first time, Hiroshi assumed that he doesn’t have to work hard. He even believes that things will come easy for him thanks to his talent.

It was when Naru showed him all the handwriting practices that he did make Hiroshi realized that Handa sensei still needs to work hard. He also realized that the reason why he wasn’t successful wasn’t because he didn’t have the talent. It was because he approached things with a half-baked attitude.

Of course, this isn’t the only life lesson that you’ll discover throughout Handa sensei’s stay in that area. You’ll discover a ton of life lessons that you can relate to as the story is progressing.

If you prefer a story filled with life lessons but in an entertaining way, then you will find the manga to be an enjoyable read.

What I didn’t expect when I read this manga

It’s strange for me to say this. But I never thought that Handa sensei to be such an ikemen in the manga version. I guess that the anime doesn’t do much justice when it comes to portraying Handa sensei being a hottie.

And I agree wholeheartedly with Naru calling him Junon Boy because he’s such a good-looking man.

To be honest, I don’t remember if Naru did make such a reference in the anime version. But I won’t be surprised at all if that part doesn’t even make it to the anime version. Even if it does, I have a feeling that it may get lost in translation unless you’re familiar with the Japanese entertainment industry.

Another thing that I never expect when I read the manga is that it can take a while for me to get used to the dialect.

Well, it’s not that it’s my first time reading a manga with a dialect. Summer Time Rendering comes to mind when it comes to manga where most characters are talking in a dialect.

But the dialect in Barakamon manga is much harder to grasp than the one in Summer Time Rendering.

If you’re thinking of reading the manga in Japanese, just be aware that most of the characters aren’t talking using standard Japanese. You may find it hard to understand unless you’re familiar with the spoken dialect.

Who should read this manga

If you’re the kind of person who enjoys reading a slice of life manga with a strong message about life, then you will certainly enjoy reading this manga.

Keep in mind that the story does tie back to the Japanese culture and also the pop culture in Japan. So, it can be a bit hard to understand what these characters are saying.

But don’t worry. Just like in any manga that ties back to the Japanese culture and the pop culture in Japan, the manga also provides a translator’s notes too to make it easier for you to understand what these characters are talking about.

Where to buy Barakamon manga

As always, you can buy the manga in digital or in print on Amazon. You can get the manga in whichever format you prefer right here:

Buy Barakamon manga on Amazon

Can’t buy the manga on Amazon? You can also buy the manga at Bookwalker too. You can get the manga right here:

Buy Barakamon manga on Bookwalker

Over to you

What do you think about Barakamon manga? Are you interested in giving the manga a try after reading about it on my blog? Let me know in the comment below.

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