Volume 1 synopsis: Setsu Sawamura, a Tsugaru shamisen player, leaves Aomori alone and heads to Tokyo, her instrument strapped to her back. Having lost her grandfather — her teacher and guiding light — she has lost sight of the music she should be playing. But through encounters with all kinds of people, she now embarks on a journey to find her own sound. — From Marimo Ragawa, creator of Baby & Me and Shanim ni GO!, comes the hottest Tsugaru shamisen × coming-of-age story of the moment!!
Great Story But The Dialect Makes It Hard to Understand At Times
I read this because I really enjoyed the anime, but honestly? It was a difficult read. Content-wise, it's equally poignant and funny, with hints at the awesome story to come. Even though you can't hear the music, you can still feel the emotions.
However, as a Japanese learning resource, it's best left to those who don't mind wading through the Aomori dialect/accent that Setsu and Wakana-chan speak, which made it hard for me to look up words at times.
Overall, while I did enjoy reading this (and it does have furigana), I'd recommend it to more advanced learners comfortable dealing with non-Tokyo Japanese. 4 stars for the story though! It's worth wading through for sure.