Ananth Hirsh

Despite its sci-fi trappings and the occasional poke at the systemic racism we build into our artificial intelligence algorithms, this is content to be a bland and obvious story of enemies to lovers. If it weren't for all the pointless dream sequences I might have rounded my rating up, but there they were and here we are.

Out of work and out of her apartment Penny Brighton moves into her friend Helen’s storage unit. Helen is moving out of town, and Penny is feeling friendless, but Helen’s other parting gift is a referral to a job at her parents’ laundromat. But when Penny shows up for an interview she discovers the manager is Helen’s snarky eleven-year-old brother! Can she cope with the humiliation of her new job? Can she charm the shy receptionist at the gym to let her use the showers, even if show more she’s not a member? The answer is yes. But can she coax him into a romantic relationship? It proves more challenging when she discovers his favorite pastime is role playing games with middle schoolers. What can she do to change her luck? Perhaps some advice from the steamy romance novels she inherited from her grandmother will help.

Ota’s illustrations perfectly capture the mood of Hirsh’s story as it builds steadily to a very funny climax. show less

A story about AIs, artwork, and relationships? Count me in. I bought this solely because I've been a fan of Hirsh and Ota since I first discovered their webcomic as a teen. I didn't even know what the plot was, I just wanted to support them! Turns out I loved the story and I also enjoyed Doyle's artwork. I felt like it touched on the rivalry between the two girls, their art, and their lives very well. I would even like to see a story like this in a longer format, like as a novel. The colors show more are very rich too. Just overall, really well done. If you're looking for something a bit sci-fi, a bit sad, and very beautiful, check this out! show less

An intriguing, dreamlike story about coming of age in a mirror universe to our own with similar ongoing crises (climate change catastrophes) but also very fantastical elements. I absolutely loved the art in this; every other scene looked like an incredibly rad band poster.