What do you think?
Rate this book
Scars
Scars 1
A love story between a boy with a scar and an abused, misgendered classmate, both victims of bullying at school, Scars is an ardent coming-of-age manga about acknowledging our differences and finding self-acceptance
A stunning and heartfelt manga trilogy from debut author-illustrator Brandon Arias, Scars deftly tackles childhood trauma, bullying, and the issue of growing into one’s own identity.
Two school kids, Kyonosuke and Akira, live in a little village by the Japanese countryside. After an accident, Kyonosuke recieves a skin graft to his face, leaving him permanently scarred. This disfigurement makes Kyonosuke a target for constant bullying.
Akira, his classmate, is trying to come to terms with her gender dysphoria, but is beaten by her father for saying she wants to be a girl. When they meet and fall in love, they decide to escape their toxic environment together. But are they strong enough to accept each other, and themselves, for who they are?
This gorgeous, fresh slice-of-life drama is sure to become a classic alongside such timely and relevant manga titles as Orange by Takano Ichigo and Our Dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani.
A stunning and heartfelt manga trilogy from debut author-illustrator Brandon Arias, Scars deftly tackles childhood trauma, bullying, and the issue of growing into one’s own identity.
Two school kids, Kyonosuke and Akira, live in a little village by the Japanese countryside. After an accident, Kyonosuke recieves a skin graft to his face, leaving him permanently scarred. This disfigurement makes Kyonosuke a target for constant bullying.
Akira, his classmate, is trying to come to terms with her gender dysphoria, but is beaten by her father for saying she wants to be a girl. When they meet and fall in love, they decide to escape their toxic environment together. But are they strong enough to accept each other, and themselves, for who they are?
This gorgeous, fresh slice-of-life drama is sure to become a classic alongside such timely and relevant manga titles as Orange by Takano Ichigo and Our Dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani.
206 pages, Paperback
Published December 17, 2024
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 5, 2025
2.5 - sadly this didn't really work for me. it reminded me of free web comics i read in high school that were hosted online and usually written by younger people without as much life experience. it's a bit immature in what it's depicting, the characters aren't very fleshed out, and the art doesn't add to any of it. we get very little interiority for any of the characters and this adds to the romance feeling extremely rushed and lackluster. the only way it seemed to know how to add drama to a situation was by someone getting punched, or slapped, or getting a bat to the face. there's no lead up to most of the pivotal scenes, so they felt misplaced and unearned. it all just felt pretty under baked which isn't great for a work that's attempting to tackle some pretty heavy issues.
i can tell the creator is trying to be like the creators he lists as inspiration (inio asano, oshimi shuuzou), but he lacks their willingness to take their time with their characters and stories as well as allow the reader the chance to get to know them and the world they exist in. if this was paced a little slower, if we could get to know the characters better, if every adult wasn't the same kind of bigoted abuser, i think this would have potential! but sadly it leans into some pretty basic tropes and does nothing to elevate them. i also have a bit of an issue for how the facial scarring is depicted for the main character - i understand the style is simplistic, but i wish it was a bit more true to how facial scarring usually appears instead of leaning into a cartoon-y frankenstein look.
i can tell the creator is trying to be like the creators he lists as inspiration (inio asano, oshimi shuuzou), but he lacks their willingness to take their time with their characters and stories as well as allow the reader the chance to get to know them and the world they exist in. if this was paced a little slower, if we could get to know the characters better, if every adult wasn't the same kind of bigoted abuser, i think this would have potential! but sadly it leans into some pretty basic tropes and does nothing to elevate them. i also have a bit of an issue for how the facial scarring is depicted for the main character - i understand the style is simplistic, but i wish it was a bit more true to how facial scarring usually appears instead of leaning into a cartoon-y frankenstein look.
September 6, 2025
I really like some of the premise of this book (boy with face scar and trans girl are both bullied and find solace with each other). Relatedly, I thought it was fascinating how they showed the boy’s dad, an otherwise supportive character, berates and abuses him for liking a trans girl, revealing his true nature as a villain in the boy’s story. I think the perspective of men who date trans women (and how they are treated in response) is really unrepresented, and I think trans women could be saved a lot of heartache if more of their potential dates knew that yes it’s straight to date trans women, if your family or friends have a problem with, then they’re wrong, etc (not that the child from this manga is that adult representation, but I digress.)
However, I found myself wanting more out of the characterization. The characters either act as innocent victims or violent and evil. The amount of violence committed by bullies and parents seemed gratuitous. The main couple’s relationship didn’t have any internal tension and they get together relatively quickly. One of their bullies gets a redemption arc (a pivot from violent and evil to innocent victim) that I didn’t find believable.
I thought this was an interesting volume and I liked most of the representation (I got some nitpicks I won’t list here, but I mostly appreciate it). However, this felt to me like something of a premature debut—it feels a bit like what someone might write at an intermediate level but are not yet at a professional level. Very “us vs. them” with not much more depth than that.
However, I found myself wanting more out of the characterization. The characters either act as innocent victims or violent and evil. The amount of violence committed by bullies and parents seemed gratuitous. The main couple’s relationship didn’t have any internal tension and they get together relatively quickly. One of their bullies gets a redemption arc (a pivot from violent and evil to innocent victim) that I didn’t find believable.
I thought this was an interesting volume and I liked most of the representation (I got some nitpicks I won’t list here, but I mostly appreciate it). However, this felt to me like something of a premature debut—it feels a bit like what someone might write at an intermediate level but are not yet at a professional level. Very “us vs. them” with not much more depth than that.
July 18, 2025
the pacing is quite fast, and while we do get a feel for the characters i would love a bit more time to get to know them. this writing style does remind me a lot of one of arias' inspirations-- shuzo oshimi. fast-paced and plot focused, the characters get little time to breathe when the world is coming after them.
the little moments where we got to sit with kyonosuke and akira were great, and the character-focused chapter around the bully was a great bit of character building! maybe if this first volume were maybe 50 more pages with a bit more time to sit with our two leads, i would call this perfect.
but the art and the story itself are the main draw of scars. the two leads are sweet to each other despite hardship, and even with how little support they get from the people around them they still treat others with kindness. i hope this scars doesn't go the route that a lot of oshimi's works go-- i hope that akira and kyonosuke get a happy ending of their own.
excited to get my hands on volume 2!
the little moments where we got to sit with kyonosuke and akira were great, and the character-focused chapter around the bully was a great bit of character building! maybe if this first volume were maybe 50 more pages with a bit more time to sit with our two leads, i would call this perfect.
but the art and the story itself are the main draw of scars. the two leads are sweet to each other despite hardship, and even with how little support they get from the people around them they still treat others with kindness. i hope this scars doesn't go the route that a lot of oshimi's works go-- i hope that akira and kyonosuke get a happy ending of their own.
excited to get my hands on volume 2!
September 18, 2024
I’m fascinated by this series and feel this was a really strong first volume. I’m really interested in learning more about Kyonosuke’s backstory and in seeing how Kenta fits into the story again in the future. I’m most interested though in seeing how Akira’s character is developed. There’s a lot of painful moments, but I think it’s a very realistic look at the harsher realities kids face in dealing with bullying, abuse, and queerphobic parents and peers. I will say I’m not a big fan of the art style, but it is an ARC so perhaps it’s unfinished. I got used to it after a couple chapters but it definitely makes it a bit more difficult to follow the scenes as the art is just so fuzzy. Perhaps that’s a style choice though too, it does seem to fit the mood of the story even if I’m not a personal fan of it. Either way, I definitely want to read the next volume.
November 6, 2025
Brandon Arias is a skateboarder, animal lover, and artist who has created a heartfelt slice of life manga.
This beautiful manga follows a disfigured boy as he moves to a new school. It is a roller-coaster of emotions as he confronts the cruel realities of the world, while also finding genuine kindness, and falling in love.
You can’t help but fall in love with the two main characters, especially Kyonoto, who displays empathy and compassion despite what he is forced to endure. The result is a book that manages to be a beacon of hope, despite not shying away from the darkness out there in the world.
This beautiful manga follows a disfigured boy as he moves to a new school. It is a roller-coaster of emotions as he confronts the cruel realities of the world, while also finding genuine kindness, and falling in love.
You can’t help but fall in love with the two main characters, especially Kyonoto, who displays empathy and compassion despite what he is forced to endure. The result is a book that manages to be a beacon of hope, despite not shying away from the darkness out there in the world.
November 11, 2025
this is really just like the circle of bullying. everyone and everything sucks when you’re too young to make it on your own. these kids got lucky with the couple who found them. i’m sad to read the next volume. hope it gets better for them.
February 20, 2026
This first volume packs a real emotional gut punch. I could really feel for the characters and their need to escape. We’re left knowing that Akira and Kyonosuke are feeling hopeful for their new life but also that things aren’t going to be easy, with a private detective on their tail.
January 12, 2025
It’s hurting kids supporting each other so I’m totally biased but this was one of the best things I’ve read in a while.
September 16, 2025
very very quick read. it was good but honestly I think it moved too quickly
April 26, 2025
This is an emotional roller coaster of a book that would be perfect for readers who want to be drawn in by sympathetic characters. Arias even makes you care about the bully!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews