What a heartwarming story !!
"Maybe... We both aren't really brave people. But we can both give a little courage to each other."
Lee Hou Yuet is both a mystery and alluring. His passion for music makes him lovable, and his awkward social skills make him relatable. Lau Yu Kiu has a strong passion for art, but she struggles to find her own style and inspiration. Her bubbly and positive personality makes her cute and lovable, and her struggles with her art make her relatable. Throughout the story, these two characters balance each other out, and the friendship (potentially more) that blossoms between them is beautiful to see. They bring out the best in each other and help each other grow into the artists they want to be. This volume is a great first instalment, I can't wait to read more! Also, the art style and colour grading in this volume were absolutely phenomenal!

a little step is a coming of age graphic novel centered on two high-school students struggling to put their creative pursuits in motion because of outside influence.

in its own way, the story instills in us the courage to pursue our dreams and not to let what other people think hinder us from doing what we love to do. it's a friendly reminder that we should always find inspiration, hold on to them to help us keep going and of course it wouldn't hurt if you had a support system to give bouts of motivation along the way.

i appreciate that this was in full-colored panels, and i love how the art style and characters were drawn so relaxed! personally, i thought it enhanced the story's quality and gave off a more relatable atmosphere.

Book name : A Little Step (Vol. 1)
Author : Mimi Szeto
Rating: 3.25/5 stars

<blockquote> "She always says that music helps her, but she actually drew the picture all by herself. I only helped her a little..</blockquote>

Review :
A Little Step is a tender and inspiring start to a series about art, music, and the courage to take that first step forward when you feel hopeless or you are losing motivation.
Lau Yu Kiu ( Female lead) suffered from a relatable struggle, which is the fear of taking the first step toward creating something, especially when weighed down by other people’s opinions. It was interesting to see how artists feel during the process of making art. Through her perspective, we’re pulled into the inner monologue of an artist grappling with pressure, self-doubt, and the longing for freedom in her art.
Her path unexpectedly crosses with Lee Hou Yuet (male lead) , a talented but misunderstood musician whose quiet demeanour hides a depth she doesn’t expect.
It was sweet reading about how male and female leads inspire each other when either one of them goes through self-doubt.

What stands out :
Relatable Struggles- Yu Kiu’s inner monologue captures the agony of artistic insecurity when she thinks that "Shouldn’t creation be free? Why do others’ opinions matter?" . This made her character highly relatable to me.
Quiet Chemistry- The leads’ dynamic is subtle but sweet, with Hou Yuet’s quiet encouragement catalysing Yu Kiu’s growth (and vice versa). Their bond asks: Can inspiration come from someone else’s "little step"?
Art & Atmosphere- The soft blue palette and delicate art style reminded me of "Your Name" Anime

Final Thoughts:
I think I have some problems with the pacing of this, but I am invested enough to pick up Volume 2 to see how Yu Kiu and Hou Yuet’s relationship evolves.

Recommended for fans of: Slice-of-life manga about art/music and character-driven growth.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mad Cave Studios | Nakama Press, and Mimi Szeto for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this quite a bit. I feel like the blue-heavy color choices in this book made the whole thing feel really somber. Even the scenes that were meant to be a little happier. On occasion, the intense blueness also imparted a sense of calm and peace.

In addition to the sad mood of the graphics, some of the themes of the book were fairly heavy and deep. There were were some hopeful moments too and the building of a very special and supportive relationship between the MCs leading to me feeling like the whole book/story was really sweet overall.

I'd recommend this to anyone who likes emotional manga with a focus on art or music. Bonus for anyone looking for manga that doesn't take place in Japan (this one is set in China).

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 2 stars ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

it wasn't too bad, but i felt like the whole manga was underdeveloped. it was too fast paced, no clear plot, and no character development. the art style is nice, but the color palette was very dull and the same throughout the whole thing. overall, this story was just not for me.

˗ˋˏ ୨୧ thank you to NetGalley, Mad Cave Studios | Nakama Press, and Mimi Szeto for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review! ୨୧ ˎˊ˗

This was such a nice surprise!
Usually I am cautious about school-aged manga but this was so sweet and emotional without being romantic aspect.
I love the aspect that the chemistry between the two was not instant or based on any pre conceived notion but felt more natural and hence endearing and believable. The back story was also very in-depth and I cannot wait for the next volume.
Thankyou #netgalley and #MadCaveStudios for providing a review copy. Out of all the mangas I received this one was my favorite.

Bin ohne Erwartungen an den Titel rangegangen und wurde nicht enttäuscht. Zwar ist der Artstyle vielleicht nicht für jeden etwas, da er teils etwas sketchy wirkt und unsauber, aber nach einer Weile hab ich das alles gar nicht mehr so wahrgenommen, denn die Story und Emotionen kamen wunderbar rüber, tolle Szenen wurden gut eingefangen und bildlich schön ausgedrückt. Finde es gerade schwer die richtigen Worte dafür zu finden, haha 😄
An sich ist es ein seichter Slice of Life Titel, der eine emotionale Ebene ansteuert und zum Nachdenken anregt - denn ein jeder hat Träume, die er gerne verwirklichen würde, aber oft nicht den nötigen Mut dafür aufbringen kann. So geht es auch unseren beiden Protagonisten und sie geben sich gegenseitig genug Ansporn dann doch einen Schritt vorwärts zu machen. Die Message kommt sehr schön rüber und so kann man sich auch gut in beide hineinversetzen 😊

Zwar ist das Ende etwas fies, denn man möchte doch wissen, wie's nun weitergeht 😂 aber es sei euch verziehen - Hauptsache es kommt Band zwei 😉

The art is lovely and the characters have promise, in a sweet, low stakes high school manga sort of way.

I do think the translation needs a bit of work, as the text and dialogue were overly stilted and lacked a good flow that would have made the story feel smoother and the characters more lifelike.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced e-copy.
This was very sweet and quick, it's pretty fast paced so we don't spend much time with the characters and the plot is very simple throughout.
It follows two character struggling with their different creative paths (music and painting) and how they connect and help each other reconnect with their passions.
The art is cute, some panels are a bit clunky sometimes but it's fine. The characters don't really have much depth or interesting backstories, so their connection with each other and their art is the only thing carrying the story forward

The first volume of Mimi Szeto's A Little Step is full of color, with each page bathed in a soft blue palette that immediately catches the eye and sets a special mood. The simple story follows a pair of young characters whom we want to support in their artistic dreams.

This first volume hints at potential for further development, particularly in terms of the protagonists' personalities.

A lovely start that makes you want to continue the journey with volume 2.

Review to be posted in November on my blog/other places.

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

WOW, I am just blown-away by this gorgeous manhua. I thought I would enjoy it, and though it had a rocky start, I really enjoyed it. I definitely would love to continue reading this series.

In this one we meet two teens Yu-kiu Lau who is a quiet and shy girl who loves to draw and paint and has dreams of going overseas. She just has one problem. When a competition or a deadline appears she cannot draw/paint for life and we see she struggles. She wants to go places, but this is just stopping her. Then there is Ho-yuet Lee, a boy who loves making music and has a bad reputation (though he is really a sweetheart) and a not so fine home situation (a mom who has again divorced and other family stuff). At first I wasn't sure what to think of either characters but as the story continued and we saw them help the other, she by motivating him to make music and follow his path, and he helping her with her art block/worries as his music helps her. I loved seeing them get closer with each page, see them get better themselves thanks to the help of the other, see them lift each other up and figure out how to make the path they want to walk on a reality. I loved seeing Yu-kiu gain more confident and see her think of fun things and be able to draw/paint. I love seeing Ho-yuet speak up against his mom and get her to understand his dreams.

While the whole school booth/anniversary thing was something I am not familiar with (I have read about it in other manga/manwha/manhua though) I still liked the thought, though haha, I would rather be an onlooker/visitor rather than one actually doing something. But I loved seeing our duo figure things out, make plans, get information and ideas and help about technical stuff, and then rock it. I would have loved to buy some stuff from their booth.

I did think it was weird that the guy was all meh about our duo doing a performance on stage to get more people, but I guess that guy is the stepfather and he is just like that against his stepson. I mean, everyone else had to promote like mad, so why is this different. We had people using cheerleaders, mascots, do a show, and more.

The art was really nice. It gave me Makoto Shinkai vibes with the colours and style and I love that. I also very much enjoyed the fact that the whole volume was in colour. I hadn't expected that, so this was a delight.

Though that ending? It should be illegal. I want to know. You mean I have to wait? Nooo, at least tell me the results of the booth competition.

All in all, I am very happy about this first volume, it was a bit rocky at the start but I can say I am invested now and I would love more. I would recommend this one to everyone looking for a sweet, motivational, soft manhua.

Not too bad of a read, although I did feel the lack of character development in this as it was way too fast paced. I also felt the art was dull enough….

**I managed to read this manga in courtesy of Netgalley and Mad Cave Studios**

A Little Step Volume 1 is a great introduction to these characters. The author, Mimi Szeto's artistic journey is highlighted in the end of the manga which adds depth to this story. The main character, Yu-kiu Lau is preparing to graduate and submit her portfolio to a university overseas. She lacks inspiration but finds when she hears Jp-Yuet Lee practicing his guitar. Despite this forming friendship, the story feels a bit rush at times especially towards the end.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced e-copy.

This was sweet. Plain and simple. Sweet. Very little action. Very little plot.

It is artist girl meets musical boy and they pair up for a school competition. Both have trouble presenting their talents in front of crowds, but in order to achieve their dreams (studying abroad for her, making a name for himself for him) they need to win the school's competition. Their combined efforts prove successful in one way, but further volumes will need to cover if they succeed in their dreams. And succeed in breaking through each other's walls and into the other's hearts.

I thought the story was so sweet and inspiring, it’s important to follow our dreams even though it can be scary. Both MCs were really relatable and were very good and cute together.

The art style is sooo nice. It makes me feel really calm and cozy, if that makes sense at all.

The cliffhanger is brutal but can’t wait to read more.

I like the core idea of young creative people who lack confidence inspiring each other mutually through respect and friendship (and love), pushing themeselves to their goals. It's a very nice idea that sparks warm feelings inside me. Sadly, I think the script for this comic is a bit underdeveloped. The story goes way too fast and everything goes smoothly since the beggining for the main characters. There's a bit of conflict at the start for both of them but it doesn't really push them back that much, so it mostly feels like it's there just for the sake of being there.

Also, it's okay to have cliffhangers between chapter and chapter but I would expect that if you are compiling a couple chapters in a volume each volume would cover their own arc, with their respective resolution or at least significant progress in case it's a long arc that spans a couple volumes. I don't think I've ever read a comic with this kind of blatant cliffhanger at the end of the book, and I can't say I'm a fan of it either.

"A Little Step" follows 2 creative teens who team up in order to try and win a competition that's offing a large scholarship. They inspire each other to be the best that they can be at their craft.

I enjoyed the art style immensely. The color palette is blues, beiges and white and is quite pretty, and the character art style is really attractive! I was really engaged in the story and definitely would pick up volume 2.

The only thing I think needs a bit more work is the translation. I felt the dialogue between characters was stilted and sounded dumbed down.

This series is perfect for teens, artists, and anyone who's ever felt blocked from their creative side. 4/5 stars

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.