Kinue, a woman of 27, works for a major department store in Shinjuku, a very competitive environment. Unexpectedly, she is transferred from the bedding floor, where she loves to work, to the women’s clothes floor. This is the story of her search for meaning in dressing, working, and living, and also of her personal development through her work and dealings with devious new coworkers.

I was once asked by an attractive man: “Why do so many women not enter the public world?” At the time, I was at something of a loss to explain it, and lacking a clear reason I was rendered speechless; It seemed to me that the obvious answers were insufficient, that is to say “because of the social system” or “because society is male dominated.” If I were asked the same question now, I would reply “because they do not have the passion to do so,” though I know I would feel bitter after having admitted that. Such women are also my alter ego. They are not present in the public world, but they are not nonexistent; the reasons why they stay behind are “lack of self confidence and courage,” which are exactly the anxieties I have myself. I would like to depict self confidence and courage. Thank you very much.

I was not only captivated by the artist’s outstanding drawing skill and sharp, effective lines, but also by the clever storytelling, and healthy elegance and liveliness of the heroine, who almost seemed as though she were coming out of the picture. Although the same can be said of her other works, the exhaustive research into the thematic subject matter is amazing. This story is set on a women’s clothes floor, one of the topliner sections in a department store. She lives positively and energetically. However, her romance begins to hinder her work, and she must choose between them! It is the sort of life-changing turning point that all working women have to face once in their lives. The artist faces this matter squarely, portraying the naked soul of humanity. The heroine eventually chooses her work, and breaks up with her beloved boyfriend. The expression of her intense feeling of loss is strongly conveyed and the reader cannot help but feel deep compassion. This modern heroine’s way of life is very interesting, and I hope that women currently facing similar decisions in the workplace have the opportunity to open the pages of this manga.