AMINE AND MANGA

Mizuiro Jidai (水色時代) is manga series which was serialized in 1991 by Shogakukan Inc. in the shōjo manga magazine "Ciao". An television anime version ran for 47 episodes in 1996/1997 on TV Tokyo. During the run of the anime a continuation of the story called "Shin Mizuiro Jidai" was run in Ciao Magazine. The series was made into a musical in 2001 and a cast recording was released. It is known as Aqua Age or the Blue Green Years in English. (The title has a meaning similar to the English idiom Salad days.)

The story follows Yuko Kawai, a junior highschool student, as she faces the challenges of growing up and overcoming her shyness as she comes of age. She begins seeing her best friend Hiroshi Naganuma, the boy next door, in a different light.
Of note is that the fifth episode of the anime tells the gentle and understanding story of Yuko's first menstruation.