かくかくしかじか [Kakukaku Shikajika]

A warm, autobiographical manga from Akiko Higashimura, published by Shueisha from 2012 to 2015, Kakukaku Shikajika is a five-issue memoir about the artist's youth and her transformative relationship with her gruff, unconventional art teacher. Through the lens of her teenage years, Higashimura explores the painful, funny, and ultimately grateful journey of finding her own path as a creator under the stern tutelage of a man who refused to let her settle. The series is a deeply personal, non-fiction work that stands as a poignant tribute to the sometimes difficult mentors who shape our lives.