While the homages are powerfully triggering (in the best way), you need not be familiar with Shonen or even anime and manga to enjoy Heyman's musical. The ensemble cast is infectious and so much fun, and guide us not only through the show's competition, but the myriad of reasons writers develop their drive to create and tell their stories, no matter the form. It's also a beautiful exploration of the collaboration of writing and nature of competing, for all the good and bad they both entail. I can't wait to see how this piece grows and to experience it live.

Between the catchy song work and the feel-good narrative, this play pushes all the right buttons for young and old actors alike. There's an enthusiasm here as the characters, the main ones being 8th graders involved in a competition to be published (and therefore taken seriously as writers) that carries over to the audience. You want these kids to succeed. But more than that, you want them to be better human beings. Whether by mending long-broken fences or rising above petty rivalries, we become invested in these future wordsmiths. And the songs are just as uplifting as the story.

I don't know a thing about Shonen, and I am here to tell you that you don't have to in order to enjoy this musical. It's a wonderful vehicle for young actors with great songs and a lot to say about what it means to be an artist and whether or not a "winner" can ever truly be proclaimed in a subjective field like the arts.