Ohikkoshi

These stories showcase the same bold, kinetic artwork and brilliantly calibrated storytelling that define Samura's celebrated *Blade of the Immortal* saga. The centerpiece, *Ohikkoshi*, trails a restless group of twenty-something art students through love, lust, rock-band practices, motorcycle rides, shared meals, shared beds, and a determined effort to dodge adult decisions while drunk. It is a romantic comedy of Japanese art-school life, overflowing with absurdist humor, obscure death-metal references, and precisely placed dramatic gut-punches. *Luncheon of Tears Diary* delivers a vibrant, genre-defying ride that balances its comedy with sharp dramatic turns, following virgin aspiring manga creator Natsumi Funabashi on her search for love and career success—a path littered with pushy suitors, gang skirmishes, mahjong obsession, and a lecherous editor. Rounding out the collection is Samura's uproarious autobiographical travelogue, *Kyoto Super Barhopping Journal: Bloodbath at Midorogaike*.