[DeepL Translation - needs review] Volume 1 Introduction: Aiyu Shirakawa, a high school runaway, runs away from the countryside by herself for "certain" reasons. She is taken in by her cousin Kyo Shirakawa, an editor, after she is caught by a police officer and taken into custody the moment she takes her first step to Tokyo with no plan. Aiyu is introduced to a part-time job as a caretaker and monitor for Kyo's popular author, Hikari Ebi, who is a habitual deadline-breaker. Aiyu is assigned ...
Enjoyable, but I recommend the novels
General: I've been hesitant to read this manga for a while, because I really like the light novels | L28 (see my review of book 1), and I was worried too much would get lost in translation. While the manga is pretty loyal (nothing crammed or reordered, same overall tone, (mostly) fitting art style, relative wholesomeness, fluffiness, etc), my concern was justified. It's pleasant enough, but I would strongly encourage you to read the novels, even if they're slightly above your level.
Adaptation: One of the novels strengths is that it has a very tasteful, subtle, and moderate feeling. As is often the case, some things are much more accented in the manga than I care for.
The loss of inner monologue really removes a lot of the emotional depth that makes the novels interesting. The novels switch between the two leads' perspective each new chapter, and as a result you know both what Ayu's emotional experience of being a lesbian runaway from the country (and the insecurity/instability that accompanies that) is like, and you know the ways Yukari feels alien and out of place. These experiences are so important to the characters' motivations, actions, and accomplishments, but they're largely just missing here. So while I think the story is still decent and enjoyable, it loses a lot of what makes the two characters and their relationship so special.
Another thing missing is the synopses and data about Yukari's plays, between the chapters (not such a big deal). Artistically Yukari's body is sometimes drawn a bit unrealistically, and I don't really care for the occasional overly cartoonish panels. Besides that, I think it's very solid artistically. That said, this is definitely one of the better manga adaptations I've seen, and I don't regret reading them.
Language: the things that stand out the most are the food/cooking, shopping, and location vocab. This is one area where the manga excels over the novel, since you can see the actual foods, items, and locations. Another thing I love is that the handwritten parts have furigana. So in that sense, this is a great pick.