It doesn’t take much for an idol manga or anime to grab my attention, and Hikaru in the Light by Mai Matsuda captured me back in 2022 when it was released digitally on the English manga app, Azuki. Now in 2025, Scholastic’s print release of Hikaru in the Light will allow readers to enjoy a physical English copy for the first time starting on March 4th featuring full-colored pages.
While Scholastic describes the manga as being aimed towards children aged 7-12, the manga drew me in even as an adult. Hikaru in the Light‘s overseas release is easy to read for English-speaking children while also possibly introducing young Western readers to Japanese culture for the first time. Even for veteran readers of manga, Hikaru in the Light is heartwarming, exciting, and somehow gives a nostalgic feeling about being young and having dreams. As volume one releases tomorrow at the time of this writing, I’ll only go over what will be released in that volume.
From the Bathhouse to the Stage
Middle-schooler Hikaru Ogino helps run the family bathhouse in Tokyo, Japan. Hikaru can often be caught radiantly singing while mopping the floors of the bath, and bystanders notice her talents. Hikaru only pictures herself as average, as her childhood friend, Ran, is the real star. Ran is part of a manufactured idol group and is often even seen on TV – that is until she decides to quit in order to audition for a new group that promises to only accept true talent. Ran convinces Hikaru to join her in this audition which sets the (literal) stage for Hikaru in the Light.
The average girl next door to aspiring idol formula is one I’ve adored ever since I read Arina Tanemura’s Full Moon Wo Sagashite, which also features a young teenager auditioning to become an idol. Hikaru in the Light is much easier to digest for young readers compared to Full Moon, but still offers anticipating moments, and characters with internal struggles that I think any age group can relate to. I also appreciate its display of Japanese culture and was relieved that the English release is not censored (such as public bath scenes) or changed for Western audiences – much like we have seen in the past with anime and manga that come to the West aimed towards young people.
Hikaru is only a young teenage girl with her entire life ahead of her, and in Hikaru in the Light she is set on becoming an idol. While this is a manga aimed at children, there are plot beats that deal with Hikaru needing to make adult-like decisions such as thinking about her future and about how the entertainment industry can be an unreliable source of income and success. The manga does a great job of balancing the lighter, heartwarming sides to this story and also the more serious and challenging parts, such as Hikaru dealing with her parent’s hesitancy throughout her audition journey.
As an adult reader, it’s easy to empathize with both Hikaru and her parents throughout the story. The idol industry in Japan isn’t as bright and colorful as it is on the surface – avid Japanese idol fans even know this to be true. Hikaru Ogino is young, and while smart, she also starts off not knowing the full capabilities of the darker side of the entertainment industry – unlike her friend, Ran, who has already been in the industry long enough to have faced those unpleasant sides. Hikaru’s parents recognize that this path isn’t a perfect one, and warn Hikaru that if doesn’t make the audition, she must only focus on school and avoid auditioning for anything else idol-related, which ignites Hikaru’s determination.
Idol culture in Japan is so different than pop music culture in the West (in my experience), and young Western readers can learn in a simple way a bit about how Japan works in comparison to their own country. The manga occasionally gives subtext for parts of Japanese culture that may be confusing to newcomers. The print manga also features a page of explanations for honorifics in Japan, as the translation stays true to the original work.
Hikaru in the Light finished serialization in August 2022, wrapping up the story within four volumes, making the series an easy venture. The manga’s art is simple and light, with the colored pages only accentuating Mai Matsuda’s drawings. No matter your age or gender, Mai Matsuda brings us a heartwarming story about following your dreams in the face of hardships and impossibilities, and I recommend the manga to newcomers to the medium and veteran manga readers.
The physical version of Hikaru in the Light will be available in paperback for $11.99 USD on March 4th on Scholastic’s website.
A digital version of Hikaru in the Light was given to Anime Corner for review purposes.
Copyright © 2021 by Mai Matsuda
Translation © 2022 by Azuki
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