Goze Hotaru

SHONEN JUMP/SHUEISHA WHOEVER THE FUCK WHEN I FIND YOU I WILL KICK YOUR WATER BOTTLE OFF THE TABLE !!!!!! I will fully defend so many works that get published and then never make it past their first or second arc. I don't know when the authors get that grace period message that their work will never develop past a certain point, I don't know at what point the ax swings down, but I know the disappointment of the period after, I notice how fans commiserate in the comments section mourning something that never got a chance to fly. I get that it's a cutthroat world outthere and I will say I'm rather new to the disappointment of watching something be taken away when it was not given full possibility. The author of Goze Hotaru was cookin and the appetizer was delicious, the news of the main course was appetizing, but I never got to eat it. You have this historical setting set with a vibe very similar to the wandering of a manga like Mushishi, surreal and supernatural spin in its art and menagerie of potential non-human beings, such loose and alluring strokes of the pen, moments of near cartoonish expression, vibrant and vivid patterns that make us understand that the characters in this world are blind yet their perception is vitally important for their career and livelihood, so how do you express something happening to the characters in a sonically rich and mysterious world? I think we come close to success here. This is one of the standouts among all published works that held such a thrilling potential: we see a young blind girl find a group of misfits who go around singing and telling stories to villages, the untapped storylines that could be there, it was exciting, it was fresh, there is mystery to the background of major and minor characters that weave a loose but expertly crafted story (like a wooly sweater with large bits of yarn). And while the core of the mission for Hotaru was to understand the reasons her family was split apart, we know that if the author was given time, there would be a fruitful journey of growth, discovery, community, hardship, etc etc that would make the main cast of lovable, talented dummies a warm welcome to a found family trope. And you know what? The rushed ending to this short 24 chapter was actually not bad! There was a timeskip and even then, it didn't feel obscenely disruptive to the flow of the narrative, it set up for its audience a charming epilogue that may open up many a fanfiction to bloom from the world the author gave. I'm frustrated that such a unique storyline will be let down, and hey this may not be someone's genre especially from it being in a place full of action shonen, so really this is a plea to readers (though those who are already here may already agree), branch out to stories like this instead of the usual slop and give this a fighting chance. I'm gonna miss this. I look forward to the author's upcoming works, for now, enjoy your rest.