青のオーケストラ [Ao no Ōkesutora] #5

A teenage boy commands the cover of this fifth volume of Ao no Ōkesutora, his cello held with quiet confidence against a warm dusk backdrop of glowing stadium lights and a deepening purple sky. Makoto Akui's linework renders both the instrument and its player with striking care — the rich wood grain of the cello feels almost tangible. It's a beautifully composed image that captures the bittersweet, striving mood at the heart of this orchestral coming-of-age series.