Chris Hart's Girl Power! The Manga Artist Coloring Book Review: Cute Characters with Room for Creativity
Chris Hart's Girl Power! The Manga Artist Coloring Book Review: Cute Characters with Room for Creativity
If you've spent any time learning how to draw manga, chances are you've come across Chris Hart. He's written dozens of instructional art books covering everything from anime characters to comic book illustration, and his books have helped countless artists get started.
So when I discovered Girl Power! The Manga Artist Coloring Book, I was curious to see how his drawing style translated into a coloring book.
As someone who loves anime, manga, and coloring books, this seemed like it would be right up my alley.
After flipping through every page, I came away with mixed—but mostly positive—thoughts.
First Impressions
The cover immediately caught my attention.
It's colorful, energetic, and exactly what you'd expect from a manga-inspired coloring book.
Inside, the paper quality was the first pleasant surprise.
The pages are noticeably thicker than many coloring books, and each illustration is printed on only one side of the page. That's fantastic news if you enjoy experimenting with markers or heavier coloring techniques because you don't have to worry about ruining artwork on the reverse side.
I'd still recommend testing your favorite markers first, but overall the paper feels well above average.
Chris Hart's Character Designs
The real strength of this coloring book is the characters.
Chris Hart clearly knows how to design expressive anime girls with lots of personality.
Throughout the book you'll find:
- Kawaii-inspired girls
- Gothic-inspired characters
- Steampunk influences
- School uniforms
- Fantasy costumes
- Halloween-themed artwork
- Mermaids
- Cat girls
- Beach scenes
Almost every character has a different personality, making the book feel varied even when some of the page layouts become repetitive.
My Biggest Complaint: The Backgrounds
If I had one major criticism, it would definitely be the backgrounds.
Many pages feature decorative patterns instead of actual environments.
Personally, I've never been a huge fan of repeating patterns in coloring books.
I'd much rather see the characters placed inside a complete scene than surrounded by abstract shapes or repeating designs.
Several times while flipping through the book, I found myself thinking:
"This character deserves a real setting."
The good news is that if you enjoy drawing, those simple backgrounds become an opportunity.
It's easy to:
- Add your own scenery
- Create fantasy worlds
- Draw city streets
- Build gothic castles
- Turn simple patterns into complete illustrations
In a way, the book almost invites you to finish the artwork yourself.
Some Pages Really Shine
Whenever the book switches from decorative backgrounds to full scenes, the quality immediately jumps.
Those pages became my favorites.
Seeing the characters placed in an actual environment makes the artwork feel much more alive.
The Halloween-themed page especially stood out.
Naturally...
Being the Spooky Cat Lady, I'd probably make it even darker.
Cats Always Improve Everything
One thing I appreciated was the occasional appearance of cats throughout the book.
Any coloring book instantly earns bonus points from me when it sneaks a few feline friends into the artwork.
Cat-themed patterns?
Completely acceptable.
I may complain about backgrounds...
...but I'll happily make an exception for cats.
A Blend of Drawing Styles
Another interesting thing I noticed was the variation in line work.
Some illustrations have clean, polished ink lines.
Others look almost as though they were scanned directly from pencil drawings.
That gives the book an interesting mix of finished artwork and sketchbook energy.
Some people will love that.
Others may prefer a more consistent style throughout.
Personally, I found it interesting because it gives different pages very different moods.
The Background Mystery
As I continued flipping through the book, I couldn't shake the feeling that some background elements didn't quite belong with the characters.
It almost felt like:
- A beautiful anime girl was drawn first.
- Decorative elements were added afterward simply to fill the page.
Several backgrounds reminded me of stock design elements or digital assets rather than illustrations created specifically for the character.
That doesn't ruin the coloring experience—it just makes the artwork feel slightly disconnected at times.
Comparison to Other Anime Coloring Books
After reviewing quite a few anime coloring books over the years, I couldn't help making comparisons.
For me, books based on existing anime series—like Demon Slayer or Attack on Titan—still come out ahead.
Those books tend to feature richer environments and stronger storytelling because they're pulled directly from established worlds.
That said, this book has one big advantage:
Original characters.
Instead of coloring someone else's favorite anime hero, you get to invent your own color palettes and personalities from scratch.
That's a lot of fun.
A Great Book for Customization
One thing I kept thinking while reviewing this book was how much potential it has for customization.
Since many backgrounds are fairly simple, you could easily transform the pages into something completely different.
If I were coloring this book, I'd probably give many of the illustrations a darker gothic atmosphere with dramatic lighting, haunted backgrounds, and moodier color palettes.
Not surprisingly...
Everything eventually becomes spooky in my art room.
Final Verdict
Girl Power! The Manga Artist Coloring Book isn't the best anime coloring book I've reviewed...
…but it's certainly far from the worst.
What I Loved
- Thick paper
- Single-sided pages
- Cute anime character designs
- Great variety of outfits and themes
- Plenty of opportunities to customize backgrounds
What Could Be Better
- Too many decorative patterns
- Some backgrounds feel disconnected from the characters
- I would've loved more complete scenes
Overall, if you're a fan of Chris Hart's artwork, anime-inspired illustrations, or simply want a coloring book filled with adorable original manga girls, this is a solid addition to your collection.
I just wish more of those wonderful characters had been given worlds as interesting as they are.
Final Thoughts
One of the things I enjoy most about coloring books is imagining how I'd redesign them.
This one practically encourages it.
Add a haunted forest.
Replace a patterned background with a moonlit cemetery.
Turn a cheerful anime girl into a gothic heroine.
That's part of the fun.
Coloring books don't have to stay exactly as they're were printed.
Sometimes they're just the starting point for your own creativity.
Who's your favorite manga artist? And if you could create your own anime coloring book, what theme would you choose? Let me know in the comments!
For more coloring book reviews, spooky art, paranormal adventures, books, and creative inspiration, visit darkwhimsicalart.com. Stay spooky—and happy coloring! 🎨🐈🖤