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描くなるうえは [Kakunaru Ue wa] #1
Now That We Draw Vol. 1
Opposites attract in this hysterical rom-com about two high school manga artists who can't catch a break!Dweeby high schooler Uehara Yuuki has created the perfect romantic comedy heroine--she's bashful, airheaded, and completely chaste. When an editor at Uehara's dream publisher coldly dismisses his manga story as trite and lacking realism, it sends Uehara into a spiral of despair that pushes him into the path of his bubbly, gorgeous classmate, Miyamoto Niina--an aspiring manga artist herself!
Having gotten the similar feedback on her own manga, Miyamoto proposes she and Uehara engage in a fake relationship, since neither of them has any romantic experience. But Miyamoto is far from the perfect heroine Uehara's concocted, and he certainly isn't the cocky hero from her story either. Can their wacky relationship turn their manga dreams into reality, or will it lead to even more comic disasters?
Having gotten the similar feedback on her own manga, Miyamoto proposes she and Uehara engage in a fake relationship, since neither of them has any romantic experience. But Miyamoto is far from the perfect heroine Uehara's concocted, and he certainly isn't the cocky hero from her story either. Can their wacky relationship turn their manga dreams into reality, or will it lead to even more comic disasters?
Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 25, 2025
(Volume 1 out of 5)
Cozy, sweet, cute, sexy slice of slide story between two young mangaka artists. The protagonist Uehara is a shota type of guy who is the super nervous, low self esteem and awkward character but is relatable. Miyamoto is a super bright, cheerful, sweet, funny girl who is one of the most popular at school and has an amazing body to boot.
Their styles of manga are vastly different but they are doing a mock relationship to help become better manga artists. Miyamoto is too good to be true and I am personally loving her banter towards Uehara. She definitely makes the series worth while as she’s also on the cover.
No nudity but everything is very very well drawn. Some scenes are still very titillating. (Of course I always prefer nudity but this series gets a pass and you’ll know what I mean if you try it out)
I’ll definitely get the next one too.
Cozy, sweet, cute, sexy slice of slide story between two young mangaka artists. The protagonist Uehara is a shota type of guy who is the super nervous, low self esteem and awkward character but is relatable. Miyamoto is a super bright, cheerful, sweet, funny girl who is one of the most popular at school and has an amazing body to boot.
Their styles of manga are vastly different but they are doing a mock relationship to help become better manga artists. Miyamoto is too good to be true and I am personally loving her banter towards Uehara. She definitely makes the series worth while as she’s also on the cover.
No nudity but everything is very very well drawn. Some scenes are still very titillating. (Of course I always prefer nudity but this series gets a pass and you’ll know what I mean if you try it out)
I’ll definitely get the next one too.
May 24, 2026
Wow this was actually a really fun read with beautiful art. The story isn't exactly too innovative, with cliche moments and a reasonably stereotypical plot-line, but it reflects on a lot of very real emotions a striving artist would experience. Despite that, there are still moments that makes me root for the two :3
July 1, 2025
Okay…. I get it… the fan service is a bit much. But DAMN if the story isn’t so stinking cute and wholesome 😭 I really love that they’ve found friendship in one another and the scene where they talked about their favorite mangas was so adorable. I also really love the fact that she’s also insanely embarrassed about anything even slightly romantic and was blushing about holding his hand. She plays it so cool but inside she’s dying like he is. Overall I really enjoyed the story for this and I’ll be continuing because I just want them to get a happy ending. Also this artwork is STUNNING 🤩
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2025
Yuuki's persecution complex is pretty damn severe. Not entirely unwarranted, but severe nonetheless. Indeed, what can be done for a teenager whose social ineptitude and incongruity constantly leave him on the outskirts of the norm?
NOW THAT WE DRAW is a simple, fanservice-heavy romantic comedy. The manga doesn't especially pull together character dynamics, story themes, or comedic scenarios readers haven't encountered elsewhere . . . but for comics fans eager to fill out their collections with stories of a certain type, then the series may be a fond investment. NOW THAT WE DRAW doesn't do anything new, but for some readers, that's precisely going to be its appeal.
Uehara Yuuki, an artistic manga/anime fan who quests to become a manga-ka before he graduates high school, runs into (or, perhaps gets run over by) a classmate, Miyamoto Niina, who keenly pursues a similar professional endgame. The problem, of course, is that Yuuki is a quiet shut-in, whereas Niina is a typical gyaru character whose boisterous, highly social personality borders on tragically annoying. For readers keen on stories featuring gyaru otaku, NOW THAT WE DRAW may prove interesting: Niina is a skilled artist who lacks real-world experience to bevel the roughest edges of her talent. However, for readers seeking something quintessential or unique about Yuuki and Niina's relationship, they'll need to look elsewhere.
Yuuki and Niina stumble into a friendship, and soon thereafter, a fake relationship, in an effort to improve their grasp of what constitutes a good teenage romantic dynamic. Yuuki's been rejected by manga editors left and right, and his inexperience seems to be a major roadblock. So, why not? And as for Niina, she's had some level of success, but editors regularly criticize her work as unrealistic or impractical. So, again, why not force some real-world experience into the mix?
The problem, of course, is that forced-proximity stories are wretchedly common. NOW THAT WE DRAW bounces around far too much. Niina is loud and grating and she rarely expresses concern for her counterpart's legitimate discomfort; she isn't written as a particularly good person. And while Yuuki is comically melodramatic, the guy's ability to stand up for himself takes hit after hit, and he never quite learns his lesson. Sometimes, this combination proves puerile and entertaining (e.g., Niina claims that giving Yuuki a panty shot of her walking up the stairs will give him a good sense of what a manga character feels), but other times, not so much (e.g., sneaking into school at night, tending to a sick friend, too much fanservice).
Toggling between acute humor and outright boredom is a regular problem. But Kaba's art is a notable high point for this manga. Aside from the glut of fanservice, the manga's art is stridently precise: character blocking is solid, angles/perspective are consistent, action:dialogue balance is good.
Occasionally, the art will shift into something totally goofy, as when Yuuki hears Niina's friends approaching (ostensibly interrupting their secret manga convo), and the young man totally panics and runs away. In a one-fifth panel, Yuuki is seen sweating through his cardigan, running for his life, with a terribly comical yet impressively frightened expression. No dialogue is shown. NOW THAT WE DRAW doesn't have a lot of scenes like this, in which the characters' actions perfectly match their overlapping insecurities, but when it does, the humor is golden. But at all other times, the manga delivers a rather beautifully drawn but eminently typical story.
NOW THAT WE DRAW is a simple, fanservice-heavy romantic comedy. The manga doesn't especially pull together character dynamics, story themes, or comedic scenarios readers haven't encountered elsewhere . . . but for comics fans eager to fill out their collections with stories of a certain type, then the series may be a fond investment. NOW THAT WE DRAW doesn't do anything new, but for some readers, that's precisely going to be its appeal.
Uehara Yuuki, an artistic manga/anime fan who quests to become a manga-ka before he graduates high school, runs into (or, perhaps gets run over by) a classmate, Miyamoto Niina, who keenly pursues a similar professional endgame. The problem, of course, is that Yuuki is a quiet shut-in, whereas Niina is a typical gyaru character whose boisterous, highly social personality borders on tragically annoying. For readers keen on stories featuring gyaru otaku, NOW THAT WE DRAW may prove interesting: Niina is a skilled artist who lacks real-world experience to bevel the roughest edges of her talent. However, for readers seeking something quintessential or unique about Yuuki and Niina's relationship, they'll need to look elsewhere.
Yuuki and Niina stumble into a friendship, and soon thereafter, a fake relationship, in an effort to improve their grasp of what constitutes a good teenage romantic dynamic. Yuuki's been rejected by manga editors left and right, and his inexperience seems to be a major roadblock. So, why not? And as for Niina, she's had some level of success, but editors regularly criticize her work as unrealistic or impractical. So, again, why not force some real-world experience into the mix?
The problem, of course, is that forced-proximity stories are wretchedly common. NOW THAT WE DRAW bounces around far too much. Niina is loud and grating and she rarely expresses concern for her counterpart's legitimate discomfort; she isn't written as a particularly good person. And while Yuuki is comically melodramatic, the guy's ability to stand up for himself takes hit after hit, and he never quite learns his lesson. Sometimes, this combination proves puerile and entertaining (e.g., Niina claims that giving Yuuki a panty shot of her walking up the stairs will give him a good sense of what a manga character feels), but other times, not so much (e.g., sneaking into school at night, tending to a sick friend, too much fanservice).
Toggling between acute humor and outright boredom is a regular problem. But Kaba's art is a notable high point for this manga. Aside from the glut of fanservice, the manga's art is stridently precise: character blocking is solid, angles/perspective are consistent, action:dialogue balance is good.
Occasionally, the art will shift into something totally goofy, as when Yuuki hears Niina's friends approaching (ostensibly interrupting their secret manga convo), and the young man totally panics and runs away. In a one-fifth panel, Yuuki is seen sweating through his cardigan, running for his life, with a terribly comical yet impressively frightened expression. No dialogue is shown. NOW THAT WE DRAW doesn't have a lot of scenes like this, in which the characters' actions perfectly match their overlapping insecurities, but when it does, the humor is golden. But at all other times, the manga delivers a rather beautifully drawn but eminently typical story.
December 6, 2025
61%
Pretty much My Dress-up Darling, but about making manga rather than cosplay. Pretty heavy on the fan-service (which they did NOT hold back much on, for better or for worse depending on your outlook) along with a few relatable moments regarding the trials of trying to get better at something you love but aren’t much good at.
Both main characters so far are okay - not badly written, but they don’t exactly have a whole lot of depth so far. Niina is pretty cute and is quite supportive of Yuuki’s goals, but so far she just kinda feels like a Marin Kitagawa 2.0. Hopefully she can get more moments going forward that flesh out her character some more, which’ll help to seperate their personalities a bit. Yuuki himself is the same deal - like a slightly weaker written Gojo with a plainer character design.
Anyway, it’s not bad. It’s just quite clear where the inspirations for this series come from. The art is pretty good (besides a few panels where Niina’s legs look goofily thin and long haha) but I liked it. I’m hoping that going forward there can be more character building moments and not just back-to-back fan-service (I don’t find it bad, but series like that get boring pretty quickly). Onto the next!
Pretty much My Dress-up Darling, but about making manga rather than cosplay. Pretty heavy on the fan-service (which they did NOT hold back much on, for better or for worse depending on your outlook) along with a few relatable moments regarding the trials of trying to get better at something you love but aren’t much good at.
Both main characters so far are okay - not badly written, but they don’t exactly have a whole lot of depth so far. Niina is pretty cute and is quite supportive of Yuuki’s goals, but so far she just kinda feels like a Marin Kitagawa 2.0. Hopefully she can get more moments going forward that flesh out her character some more, which’ll help to seperate their personalities a bit. Yuuki himself is the same deal - like a slightly weaker written Gojo with a plainer character design.
Anyway, it’s not bad. It’s just quite clear where the inspirations for this series come from. The art is pretty good (besides a few panels where Niina’s legs look goofily thin and long haha) but I liked it. I’m hoping that going forward there can be more character building moments and not just back-to-back fan-service (I don’t find it bad, but series like that get boring pretty quickly). Onto the next!
November 9, 2025
It's a cute rom-com. I like the chemistry between the main characters. Those scenes where they are both shy are super adorable <3
My only concern so far is the amount of fan service. And the fact that there is no warning anywhere about this manga being borderline ecchi. And I'm not into echii (when I want to read hentai, I read hentai, easy), so the amount of close-up shots of the teenage girl's boobs and ass every other page feels really unnecessary.
Since she has a perfect body, like super perfect, mid-story, I started to feel bad about the way I look. Of course, that's my own problem - sharing it only for people who also have body dysmorphia as a warning, that it might be uncomfortable for longer reading.
But it doesn't change the fact that the art is superb. Honestly, the way the artist manages to convey all the emotions of the characters' faces is simply beautiful. I catch myself stopping reading to just look at their faces for a bit longer.
My only concern so far is the amount of fan service. And the fact that there is no warning anywhere about this manga being borderline ecchi. And I'm not into echii (when I want to read hentai, I read hentai, easy), so the amount of close-up shots of the teenage girl's boobs and ass every other page feels really unnecessary.
Since she has a perfect body, like super perfect, mid-story, I started to feel bad about the way I look. Of course, that's my own problem - sharing it only for people who also have body dysmorphia as a warning, that it might be uncomfortable for longer reading.
But it doesn't change the fact that the art is superb. Honestly, the way the artist manages to convey all the emotions of the characters' faces is simply beautiful. I catch myself stopping reading to just look at their faces for a bit longer.
February 6, 2025
4/5 I was drawn to this for two reasons. And they’re prominently displayed on the cover. And while it has plenty of fan service it was an enjoyable little romcom. Uehara draws manga poorly. Miyamoto also draws manga, also poorly. They’ve both been recently rejected by an agent who has told them that they don’t know how to write romance manga because they’ve never been in love. A chance meeting sends this awkward otaku and unrealistically sexy otaku into a plot to form a romance. But only for the sake of their art.
It’s cute and funny. The art is great it’s enough to keep me going for awhile. I don’t have high hopes for maintaining but it’s fun.
The very tall and busty Miyamoto on the cover of volume 1.
Read 2/5/2025
It’s cute and funny. The art is great it’s enough to keep me going for awhile. I don’t have high hopes for maintaining but it’s fun.
The very tall and busty Miyamoto on the cover of volume 1.
Read 2/5/2025
August 25, 2025
This has The Dangers in My Heart vibes: tall, busty and overtly excitable girl with a heart of gold and a short, shy, neebishy, introverted boy who couldn’t get a girl to look his way if he paid them have similar interests; they both draw manga. I’m a sucker for main girl characters that are bubbly and extroverted and Niina is that times a million. My enjoyment of this series will hinge on my tolerance of Yuuki the downer. It took me by the second volume of Dangers in My Heart to care about the male MC. I actually enjoyed this first volume very much for the simple fact the art is stupendous! I’m hoping Yuuki’s shy boy cliché doesn’t bog this series down.
August 27, 2025
This is basically my dress up darling but about manga so if you like it then check it out, the art style is really pretty. Although it's not at the same level as MDUD but it's still pretty good
January 23, 2026
A 3.5. everything is still developing so it's hard to tell, right now it's feeling a bit generic
September 9, 2025
I remember discovering this manga on my for you page on IG. I love it for a number of reasons.
For starters, Miyamoto-San is hot. That’s it.
But more importantly, it’s about two aspiring manga artists who have big dreams of making it big. Of having their manga published. It’s got a simple story. I’ve been following along on mangadex for a while now. As an artist myself, I love these characters and the passion they have for their craft. It reminds me of myself.
The ecchi can be a bit much sometimes, but I enjoy it nonetheless.
For starters, Miyamoto-San is hot. That’s it.
But more importantly, it’s about two aspiring manga artists who have big dreams of making it big. Of having their manga published. It’s got a simple story. I’ve been following along on mangadex for a while now. As an artist myself, I love these characters and the passion they have for their craft. It reminds me of myself.
The ecchi can be a bit much sometimes, but I enjoy it nonetheless.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews