Fantastic!!

What a fantastic manga! I had never heard of this one before finding it on the shelf in our teen department, and I am so impressed.

Run on Your New Legs follows Shouta Kikuzato, a former star soccer player who has unfortunately lost a leg in a non-described incident. He’s back to school for the first time since his accident and must repeat his first year of high school, which already places him away from everyone he knew before his accident. Resigned to be a loner and never play sports again, Kikuzato is noticed one day in town by Chidori, a prosthetist who recently left his job to create his own sports prosthetic company. Chidori promises he will make a perfect new leg if he’s willing to be his first client.

After thinking he would never run again, Kikuzato takes Chidori up on his offer when he sees another kid about his age run on his prosthetic in competition and regains his desire to perform by running. Together they decide to take on the world together and navigate this new aspect of life.

I loved this manga. It pulled my attention from page one, and it felt like Shouta Kikuzato was a real, angsty teen who wanted to express himself but had already lost too much to risk it. The art is beautiful and really lends itself to the fast-paced world of professional runners in the Special Olympics. There are real stakes to him taking a chance on running, and there’s also a side story involving an old friend of Kikuzato that I’m sure will grow in relevance. I totally loved this and highly anticipate continuing the series.

Title: Run On Your New Legs (Vol. 1)
Author: Wataru Midori
Format: Paperback
Pages: 160
ISBN: 9781975339005

Three Descriptors: Intense, Thoughtful, Authentic

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