Record Journey, Vol. 1

Kezuka presents a quietly affecting collection of short stories exploring the influence and importance of music on the human experience. Anchored loosely around a small Tokyo record shop, this first volume offers a series of self-contained stories linked by the emotional power of recorded sound rather than by plot continuity. The opening tale follows Miyama, the record shop’s owner, as she helps a woman unravel a mystery connected to a record left to her by her recently deceased grandfather. Subsequent tales widen the scope considerably, taking place in a time and place where music is outlawed under an authoritarian regime and must be smuggled, chronicling a record clerk’s consuming devotion to a British rock band and tracing the exploits of a pirate-radio ship broadcasting from international waters. While the settings and genres shift, each story touches on music as a vessel for longing, defiance, and human connection. Kezuka’s delicate and atmospheric illustration favors soft lines and carefully composed panels that emphasize small gestures and quiet spaces. The pacing is unhurried, inviting readers to sit with each emotional beat.