Yatora is the perfect high school student, with good grades and lots of friends. It's an effortless performance, and, ultimately...a dull one. But he wanders into the art room one day, and a lone painting captures his eye, awakening him to a kind of beauty he never knew. Compelled and consumed, he dives in headfirst--and he's about to learn how savage and unforgiving art can be.... --

"Summer whizzes by like a typhoon, and Yatora has learned that large-scale pieces--in production and concept--only come together with elbow grease and teamwork. TUA opens its gates once more for the second term and Yatora's back at it. . .But he hasn't picked up a brush in months!"--Back cover.

"Tokyo University of the Arts is now Yatora's campus, where each new encounter with colleagues, professors, and assignments challenges everything he's ever known! Self-doubt and life's hardships still lurk around every corner, but running into an old friend may just turn things around"--Page 4 of cover.

"Yatora makes the best of a bad situation during TUA's first exam, and he must surpass these efforst for the second. But after all he's gone through, Yatora is feeling a little out of sorts. To get back on track, he'll have to step out of the studio and into new lighting. With the help of an old friend, Yatora bares his soul and some skin to take on his latest challenge: the nude self-portrait"--Back cover.

A manga about the struggles and rewards of a life dedicated to art. Popular guy Yatora realizes he's just going through the motions to make other people happy and finds himself in a new passion: painting. But untethering yourself from all your past expectations is dangerous as well as thrilling... After a disappointing first assignment, Yatora is encouraged by Maki and is determined to move forward. His next assignment is a scenery of Tokyo. As he...

"Yatora's back on campus for year two and suprises abound. He's greeted by an old friend and then gets bombarded with new friends, instructors, and assignments! But one day, when Yatora encounters an artists' commune, he begins to question if TUA is really the right place for him..." --provided by publisher.