Art-lover Kinoshita Nanaka enrolls into high school with childhood best friend Meiko, and promptly start off with becoming members in the art club. However, the club only consists of two guys—the upbeat and outgoing Kento, and the mysterious and introverted Chihaya. Both bishies, naturally! Just what exactly does high school have in store for these four art club members, one may wonder...? (Besides a lot of art-fapping, of course)
Art – 7.7 / 10.0
With such an art-centric story, I was probably expecting a bit more than what was delivered. Not to say that 24 Colors wasn’t pretty, because it was—but it’s a very stereotypical shoujo kind of pretty, with boys thin as sticks and eyes too large for their faces. Going more along the lines of moe rather than anything else, à countless of its predecessors and followers.
But what gives it a higher score though, is its subtlety. The story manages to convey its general atmosphere—the mystical and intriguing world of art—without going into the realm of abundant sparkles and flowers.
Plot/Concept – 4.9 / 10.0
This is where the story falls flat. I wouldn’t give it a low rating since it isn’t bad per se; just very, very predictable. There is little to no development, and the entire plot is just a set-up in order to host its moments of moe. No particular message is conveyed, and there is no overall meaning behind its concept. And you know every crook and turn of its plot advancements right from the get-go; it’s like a textbook shoujo.
Characters – 6.5 / 10.0
Low points for generic characters, plus points for not giving me any reason to hate them. Given more time and space (and actual essence), maybe I would have found myself liking them better, but with the frames we’re given in which they can develop, there’s little room to find anything particular remarkable about them. The characters simply don’t stick, and you forget about them as easily as you get to know them.
Romance – 2.1 / 10.0
This was the one thing I didn’t like at all about the story. I’m not much for love-at-first-sight scenarios, and this was just absurd. The emotional turmoil hardly fit the context. Everything progressed far too quickly. Unless you’re the kind that can understand this whole love-at-first-sight thing, it’s impossible to relate to the story.
It is pretty cute, however, how the expression of feelings through art is centric for the romance. It makes for a refreshing break from how manga characters usually sidestep around each other’s actions and try to guess at the intent behind it, leading to a bunch of misunderstandings: but we see that the characters themselves are pretty perceptive and can understand each other through their art.
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If you’re in for a light read, this isn’t half-bad. It’s not the kind of story that will grate on your nerves and it’s pretty sweet, but in terms of being memorable, this gets a pretty low score. Not something I’d pick up for a second read, but if you’re bored and wouldn’t mind indulging in a little break from all those intense, heart-racing manga you’re reading, this could be what you’re looking for.
Overall rating: 6.4 / 10.0
Credits for the scans: Nagareboshi Manga
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