Shonen Note: Boy Soprano - Reviews

Alt title: Shounen Note

Shonen Note: Boy Soprano
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Webtoons4Ever's avatar
Aug 23, 2023

review of the first volume:

♪♬♮♫♭𝔖𝔥𝔬𝔫𝔢𝔫 𝔑𝔬𝔱𝔢: 𝔅𝔬𝔶 𝔖𝔬𝔭𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔬♭♫♮♬♪
      One day Yutaka Aoi overhears the choir when he is entranced by the beauty of voices coming together as one. To Yutaka, music is both an escape and a safe place for him to dream. His hypersensitivity to sound allows Yutaka to deeply connect with sound but also causes him to be easily emotionally affected. Many are shocked by the beauty of his soprano voice and the way he so deeply feels the emotions in a song. Midori Machiya inspires him as she encourages him to pursue his dreams. When many take notice of Yutaka's voice and realise that his soprano voice will only last for so long, Yutaka is forced to choose between staying where he first began, in the choir, or moving to bigger opportunities.

     Yuhki Kamatani writes a cinematic and beautiful story about one boy's special voice and the people he meets along the way. The art panels create such a perfect juxtaposition of magic and emotion, pulling the reader deeper into the way Yutaka sees the world. Yutaka was such a sweet protagonist. Deeply connected to music, he experiences a range of emotions just by hearing one song. Yutaka's mother was so supportive and sweet, always trying to make him feel comfortable and safe whenever he couldn't control the emotions he experienced. He meets many wonderful people, one of whom is Midori Machiya.

       This was a very coming-of-age story about dreams and humble beginnings. Yutaka started off as a singer in a choir, loving to be a small part of a greater voice. It is true that his soprano voice won't have the exact same tone after going through puberty. With not a lot of time left before his voice starts to change, he can choose to stay with the choir that needs him or move on to bigger opportunities. For him, bigger opportunities do not equal better ones. With fame comes responsibility and attention, and making a decision will be one that can change him as well as what singing means to him.
   
      I read the first volume of Our Dreams at Dusk and noticed a very similar tone to both stories. The mangaka chooses to write coming-of-age stories about discovering oneself, about exploring the relationship between the protagonist and what matters to them, and about the moment when you have to make decisions that could change who you are. It's about choosing what defines you as a person, and ultimately, those stories are ones that will speak to readers for many years to come.
☑️PLOT
☑️CHARACTERS

7/10 story
8/10 art
7/10 characters
7/10 overall
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