Smile Down the Runway Volume 16 by Kotoba Inoya

Japanese Title: ランウェイで笑って (Runway de Waratte)

Published: 1 December 2020

Genres: Graphic Novel, Shounen*, Slice of Life, Drama, Fiction

* Shounen is a genre with a target audience of young teen males

Available as: Manga, Anime

Summary:

Smile Down the Runway represents the journey of following ambitions and pursuing dreams as a high schooler. This story follows the lives of Ikuto Tsumura and Chiyuki Fujito. Previously, Ikuto decided to follow his dream to become a designer and Chiyuki decided to follow her dream to become a model despite the height barriers of the industry. In this volume, Ikuto and Chiyuki are taking another step in this journey, overcoming new rivals, and participating in the Tokyo Girls Collection. There is nudity while the models are changing.

Review

I would recommend this manga to young adults who enjoy tournament arcs, enjoyed Skip Beat, or enjoy reading about characters following their dreams. The two elements that I enjoyed were the artstyle and the irony of what defines a model. Through the art style, the aura of the clothes and the models were represented so beautifully. I also enjoyed the situational irony between Chiyuki and the top model, Charlotte, and the differences between how they pursue their model journey and interact with their designers. One element that I did not enjoy is that the text focuses on Ikuto’s journey more than Chiyuki’s. For example, before she participates in Tokyo Girls Collection, she only appears at the moments where Ikuto needs a break