Furuya Usamaru | Genkaku Picasso

Japanese: 幻覚ピカソ
English: Genkaku Picasso
Synonyms: Picasso Hallucination
Type: Manga
Volumes: 3
Chapters: 19
Status: Completed
Published: Sep 4, 2008 to Apr 3, 2010
Genres: Adventure, Drama, School, Shounen, Psychological
Mangaka: Furuya Usamaru (Story & Art)
Serialization: Jump SQ

Synopsis: After miraculously surviving a freak helicopter accident, Hikari "Picasso" Haruma finds that he somehow has the power to help people through his art. He is helped by his friend Chiaki Yamamoto who was killed in the helicopter accident, but came back as an angel. 

According to Chiaki, when the accident happened both she and Picasso died, but she begged God to save Picasso because of his wonderful talent, so Picasso survived the accident on condition that he saves other people. Basically when he sees someone in trouble, Picasso's able to draw a picture symbolizing the person's problem, and then enter that picture to see that person's hidden feelings and use that knowledge to help them in the real world.

(Picasso got his nickname because he wrote his name ヒカリ, hi-ka-ri, on his school shoes, but his リ looked like a ソ (so) and Chiaki called him "Hikaso" so he ended up being called Picasso. Even though he actually aspires to be like Da Vinci.)

Groups Scanlating

Camp Kijuju

Kittenpatriot

Licensed in English

Viz (3 Volumes - Complete) 

Source: MAL Manga info, Baka updates, Bato.to (Portuguese)

Side notes: As I see the series being complete after three volumes I find it a bit alarming. In my nose this series could have gone further than that but maybe it was right time to end it before it got too stereotypized and not moving plot wise anymore. Or there can be many other reasons... that I'm not knowing about. I've read the first volume now and leaving the series on hold for now (no time to read.>.<) The art is on good level but the style can be a bit "get used to it." So it's not probably something that everybody likes. There is also another theme connection to Shindere Shoujo to Kodoku na Shinigami that isn't being a lone protagonist.^-^

Main characters

Hikari Hamura, 17

Height: 155 cm

Picasso is always drawing, always carrying around his sketchbook and his pencil nicknamed '2B'. He created his own after-school club 'The Riverside Club' that sketches the water by the river - there are only two members. After the accident, Chiaki appears before him and his new task is to help people. Now Picasso's duty is to save people's lives with his art to save his own if not he is going to die and start rotting.

His ideal was Leonardo Da Vinci instead of Pablo Picasso. Drawing water calms him down and makes him feel at ease. He likes catalogues. And he is totally awkward with other people.

After her death she returns as mini sized
angel that only Hikari can see.

Chiaki before dying.

Chiaki Yamamoto, 16/17

height: 168 cm

Chiaki Yamamoto is one of Picasso's closest friends at school. She was a member of his after-school club, at which the event of the helicopter crashed. Chiaki was killed, but at the moment of the accident she prayed that Picasso be saved because of his talent.

Chiaki returns after her death as a smaller version with wings to help Picasso save people or else he will soon die himself.

She likes to read "difficult" books.

Source: MAL