This was a random find at Barnes and Noble, and since it was marked down to $7 and I used my $5 rewards, I technically got it for $2. A real deal thanks to the Book Annex discount the store does. Probably due to this title not selling well enough for them to discount it, they only had volume 1 and 3, so I only got volume 1. While I did like it, I don’t think I liked it enough to track down volume 2.
Satoko and Nada is a slice of life series following two college roommates in America. Satoko is from Japan and Nada is from Saudi Arabia. They become roommates and friends after Nada puts an ad up. The part of the story explaining their first meeting at the end of the book was really affecting, with potential roommates turning her down due to her being Muslim before Satoko shows up. The book shows their friendship deepening and provides a cheerful look at being a foreign college student in America, as well as the challenges that come with being overseas. Nada in particular faces racism and xenophobia throughout the book, but Satoko also has to deal with racism and is nearly kidnapped by a man who offers her a ride in one somewhat confusing sequence. It was jarring considering the rest of the book is pretty light and comedic, and this incident is never mentioned again.
The art is very simple but gets everything across well. In these sort of reality based slice of life manga, the art doesn’t tend to be too fleshed out, so that was not a surprise for me. Overall, I have no regrets about reading this and it provided a more in-depth look at the struggles and triumphs of foreign students.