Manga creator Hidari Yokoyama has officially returned to Shueisha’s digital publishing ecosystem with a brand-new series. The author launched their latest romantic comedy work, titled Ayaru's Brush with Romance (known in Japan as Ippitsu Ayaru), on the Shonen Jump+ platform. Alongside its domestic Japanese debut, MANGA Plus has rolled out the premiere chapter in English for international readers worldwide.
Calligraphy and Confessions
The narrative centers on Ayaru Kagami, a second-year high school student whose given name is written with a complex, obscure kanji that leaves most people stumbling over its pronunciation. Because of this linguistic hurdle, he has never been addressed by his actual first name. Everything shifts when he encounters Kyono Chinzei, a fellow student in the school's calligraphy club. Driven by a sudden, powerful infatuation, Ayaru joins the club to win her attention, setting off a story where ink and teenage romance intertwine.
Since his first name is written with an obscure kanji that's difficult to read, second-year high school student Ayaru Kagami has never once been called by it. Then one day, he falls in love with a girl in Shodo Club—Kyono Chinzei. Desperate to get closer to her, he joins the Shodo Club...and ink fills the pages of his adolescence with romance!
MANGA Plus
An Established Creator's Return
Yokoyama is already well-known to digital manga readers through previous serialized works hosted on Shonen Jump+. The author previously penned Moebana, which ran from June 2022 to March 2023 across four compiled volumes, followed by Tsuruko Returns the Favor (Tsuruko no Ongaeshi), which serialized from August 2023 through May 2025 across five volumes. With Ayaru's Brush with Romance, Yokoyama continues to explore character-driven stories rooted in artistic hobbies and youthful sincerity, available now via Shonen Jump+ and MANGA Plus.
