Shonen Note
Plot. Yutaka Aoi is a talented boy soprano with an angelic voice and an unusual sensitivity to sounds. Upon starting junior high, he joins his school's choir and develops friendships with various other members as they participate in competitions. He also becomes involved with his community's local opera. However, he must face the transient nature of his gift as soon puberty will deepen his voice. As the school year goes by, he crosses paths with a famous Russian boy soprano who is already losing his high singing voice, and Yutaka's fellow choir members also face  their own challenges. Publication. Written and illustrated by Yuhki Kamatani, "Shonen Note" was serialized in Kodansha's "seinen" manga magazine "Monthly Morning Two" from November 22, 2010, to May 22, 2014. Kodansha collected its chapters in eight "tankōbon" volumes. The Japanese version is subtitled "Days of Evanescence." The story was developed from Kamatani's oneshot "Octave" (オクターブ) which was published in Morning Two in 2010; this pilot chapter is included in the seventh bound volume. Kodansha USA licensed the series for an English-language release beginning in 2022. Reception. Shonen Note was a Jury Selection for the 17th Japan Media  Arts Festival in 2013; they described it as a work that "portrays the harmony of the passing days of life at school, in which boys and girls share both their joys and conflicts."