This is the last chapter of Sketchbook. It was released on 25th June and the great saga of Art Club has ended with that. This chapter is special as it does not follow the usual 4-panel style. Most probably, it tells the story of the last day of the students at the school, their graduation, their future, and so on. They also seem to be preparing a feast in the club room. The last page has Sora sitting beside a sketch of all her friends, colleagues and teachers.
An era has ended with the end of Sketchbook. My life won’t be the same anymore. No more looking forward to 25th of each month to ‘read’ less than a dozen pages of supposed hilarity, trivialities and enlightenment about bugs, insects, plants and life in general. This was a true slice of life manga. The manga which I could relate to because of my life experiences whether in school or otherwise. All characters felt like they were part of me and in turn, it felt like I was a part of the manga.
I could have been Sora trying to find some courage to speak to a stranger. I could have been Natsumi trying to be carefree. I could have been Hazuki trying to save some money. I could have been Kokage trying to be dark and witty. I could have been Nagisa trying to be knowledgeable about everything and Juju trying to remain calm in the presence of caterpillars. I could never be the SuzuKaze combo but could have been Fuu and Ryou trying to be resourceful just for the hell of it. I could have been Asaka trying to never fail in my endeavours and Daichi trying to convince others that I AM NOT ANGRY! I could have been Kate trying to see the funny or dumb side of things. I could have been Asakura-Sensei trying to be an adult among kids, Kasugano-Sensei trying to be a child among adults and the President (Ujou) trying to be just the right person among all. I could have been Takane and Kei trying to avoid extra-curricular activities. I could have been Minamo trying to learn photography. I could have been Ao trying to help my sister in the kitchen. I could have been Tsukiyo trying to vanish in the background of this world.
The last volume 14 of Sketchbook should be released in a few months. Will share it as and when I get my hands on it. For now, I leave you with the
