Living in a big city like Tokyo is difficult as it is, but it is even more so if you are a young professional woman on your own. How do you cope with the stress? The depression, anxiety, and seemingly endless heartache? These are stories about four women whose lives are connected by circumstance: Touko, a young illustrator whose self-portrait is one of endless despair. Her roommate Chihiro, a beautiful office clerk that masks her insecurities with a free-spirited facade. Akiyo, a hard-hearted prostitute that harbors a secret love for a mild-mannered office worker. And Suzuki, a level-headed realist who wonders why she has no love to call her own. a1k1k

This thoughtful, sad, and exhilarating graphic novel pulls no punches in bringing to light the darkest fears and brightest triumphs of real world women as they struggle to find their way in the big city. [Central Park Media]