Bless (manga)
Bless is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yukino Sonoyama. It began serialization in Kodansha's manga magazine Shōnen Magazine Edge in January 2022. After the final issue of the magazine was released in October 2023, it was transferred to the Monthly Shōnen Sirius magazine in December that same year.
Plot
At Aoiyama High, a high school known for producing up-and-coming students seeking to enter showbiz or become beauty professionals, first-year Aia Udagawa longs to be a makeup artist. However, he keeps his dream to himself because he is convinced he will not be good enough due to people disregarding his interest in it in the past. His classmate Jun Sumisaki longs to be a model, but she keeps her dream to herself because it is not how other people see her because of her timid nature and freckles. After being lumped into a team for their school's Aoi Con Festival, a high-profile runway show produced by the students, Aia and Jun finds themselves as stylist and model. Finding courage and inspiration in each other, Aia and Jun form a profound bond where they can reveal who they really are and gain the confidence to chase their dreams.Following a successful show in Aoi Con, Aia is contacted by Hikaru "Daiya" Oya, a famous model who is also a successful hair and makeup artist that Aia idolizes and has a close connection to. Daiya pushes Aia to join Mirror, a new makeup school that Daiya and his fellow makeup artists created to teach their craft, allowing Aia to refine his skills along with his peers and meet other pros. Meanwhile, Jun tries to find modeling gigs, which leads to more collaborations with Aia and catching the eyes of respected veterans in the fashion industry. Together, Aia and Jun take on challenges of defying expectations and navigate an industry that upholds strict beauty standards and values talent over hard work.
Characters
Protagonists
;Aia Udagawa;Jun Sumisaki
Mirror Academy
Initially founded as a workshop by Daiya and three other makeup artists to collaborate ideas and strive for innovation, but the success of the four founders' careers garners attention from many other makeup artists and other members of the fashion industry. Due to their sponsors, the workshop transforms into a makeup school for all ages and recently opened just six months prior in Shibuya. It is open on a walk-in basis, starting from five to nine on weekdays and all day on Saturdays, but closes on Sundays. The teachers rotates every day, taking turns to give lessons and lectures, with the lessons being free. However, the academy's principle of innovative means only the most talented and dedicated students are allows to stay, making it a small and exclusive group.;Hikaru "Daiya" Oya
;Hiro Morinomiya
;Akiharu Nakano
;Joe Osaki
;Hajime "MM" Taguchi
;Oroka Sumeragi
;Shitataka Sumeragi
;Ariake
Others
;Mahjong Parlor Boss;Ginga Yoyogi
;Yoriko Sumisaki
;Takuto Akasaka
;Arina Himemiya
;Tadashi Mori
;Akihiko Takatsuki
;Yukiko Himuro
;Mikado Ekuni
;Tamako Shinagawa
;Kurieda
Publication
Written and illustrated by Yukino Sonoyama, Bless began serialization in Kodansha's manga magazine Shōnen Magazine Edge on January 17, 2022. After the final issue of Shōnen Magazine Edge was published on October 17, 2023, the series was transferred to the Monthly Shōnen Sirius magazine on December 25, 2023. The series' chapters have been collected into seven volumes as of May 2025.During their Anime Expo 2023 panel, Kodansha USA announced that they licensed the series, with the first volume releasing in April 2024. The series is also available on Kodansha's K Manga website and app in the United States.