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Akiko Higashimura's Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey Manga Gets Live-Action Film
posted on by Alex Mateo
Warner Bros. Japan announced on Tuesday that Akiko Higashimura's semi-autobiographical manga Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey (Kakukaku Shikajika) manga is getting a live-action film on May 16, 2025. The company streamed a trailer:
Higashimura drew an illustration to commemorate the announcement:
The film stars Mei Nagano as high school girl Akiko and Yō Ōizumi as art teacher Hidaka. Kana Hanazawa, who plays Tsukimi in the anime of Higashimura's Princess Jellyfish manga, narrates the trailer.
Kazuaki Seki is directing the film. Date-san is writing the script, along with original creator Higashimura. Yuki Munakata is composing the music.
High schooler Akiko has big plans to become a popular mangaka before she even graduates, but she needs to get much better at drawing if she ever wants to reach her goal. Looking for an easy fix, she signs up for an art class, thinking all her problems will soon be solved. She's in for a surprise: her new instructor is a sword-wielding taskmaster who doesn't care about manga one bit. But maybe this unconventional art teacher is just what she needs to realize her dreams!
Higashimura (Princess Jellyfish, Tokyo Tarareba Girls) began the series in the debut issue of Cocohana, the relaunch of Shueisha's women's magazine Chorus, in November 2011. She ended the manga in January 2015. Shueisha published the series in five compiled book volumes.
The manga won the grand prize at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs' 19th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards and the eighth Manga Taisho award in 2015.
Sources: Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey live-action film's website, Comic Natalie
