If you’re looking for a relaxing, entertaining and cosy book that’s easy to read but hard to put down, then this is the manga for you.
Satoko and Nada is a contemporary, slice-of-life manga about the bubbly friendship between two roommates: Satoko, who is Japanese, and Nada, from Saudi Arabia. This cool and cute story of friendship takes readers on a journey of roommate antics, culture, and comedy as the characters adapt to life in America.
If you’re new to the world of manga (and reading from right to left), this is a great place to start. The artist has done a fantastic job of creating vibrant and enjoyable illustrations that are intuitive for readers to follow. Additionally, each page has a unique, quick-moving story, so it’s easy to dip in and out of – but if you’re anything like me, you’ll speed through this book.
What really drew me in was the three-dimensional characters. Similar stories often fall into the trap of cultural stereotyping, but not in this case. In fact, in Satoko and Nada, all of the personalities seem like people you could really meet. This makes a big difference when sensitive topics are explored, as we get to see the characters dealing with the issues like real-life people would. Throughout the manga, I felt like I was spending time with a group of friends and seeing the optimism and challenges of their daily life.
If you want to take your enjoyment of this manga to the next level, you could follow Nada’s dessert recipe that’s included in the book - that really would make for a perfect experience.
However you approach it, Satoko and Nada is guaranteed to leave readers with feelings of optimism, happiness and enjoyment.
There are a further three volumes in this series, so if you like volume 1 make sure to come back for more.
Melina
Format
Graphic Novel
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