人形芝居 [Ningyou Shibai] #1

Published under Hakusensha's beloved 花とゆめ COMICS imprint, this first volume of 人形芝居 (Ningyou Shibai) opens with a quietly striking cover: two older figures — a boy on the left and a girl on the right — frame a small, serene child at the center, all rendered in soft golden tones that give the composition a dreamlike, almost otherworldly warmth. The arrangement of the three characters suggests layered relationships and an intimate emotional story waiting to unfold. It's a gentle, thoughtfully composed introduction to what promises to be a character-driven shōjo series from Shigeru Takao.