02 Mar / Genkaku Picasso (vol. 1) by Usamaru Furuya, translated by John Werry
High school student Hikari Hamura was supposed to die young. But thanks to the fervent intervention with the gods by his best friend Chiaki, who actually did die that day, Chiaki was able “to save [Hamura] and [his] incredible talent.” Hamura’s nickname, by the way, is Picasso … with good reason.
But Chiaki’s intervention came at a cost. The gods aren’t that easy! “Picasso can be saved, on one condition … Picasso … you have to help people.” And Chiaki, now a miniature angel who fits perfectly in his pocket, has come back to show him how. As long as Picasso keeps helping others, he can keep his flesh from decaying away!
Picasso and Chiaki make a dynamic duo with a unique mode of help: Picasso draws the individual situation as he initially sees it, and into the picture the two must go in order to repaint trouble into something else. Together, the pair bring a father and son back together, helps a young girl get over the trauma of losing a beloved pet, nudges two tongue-tied would-be lovers to open up, and shows a troubled young girl a clear path back to her own self.
Reminiscent of an anti-Dorian Gray, Genkaku Picasso is an imaginative new series celebrating the power of caring friendship, of taking the time to understand even when the picture literally seems muddled and confused. So the allegory is a bit heavy, but in this hyper-wired virtual world that leaves little room for true connections, Picasso is a sweet reminder to reach out and touch someone … or else!
Readers: Young Adult, Adult
Published: 2010 (United States)
GENKAKU PICASSO © Usamaru Furuya
Original Japanese edition published by Shueisha Inc.