A notebook can feel pleasant to write in and still show more writing through the reverse than its owner wants. That is the useful tension in one MD Notebook A5 account, rather than a reason to describe the paper as either universally good or universally bad.
The current MD PRODUCT A5 listing specifies 176 pages of 80g/m² MD PAPER and thread stitching. Its blank version has item code 15384006. These identifiers matter because MD Notebook Thick, Cotton and diary products are separate choices; a favourable report about one should not silently become evidence for all of them.
What the owner liked and disliked
In an original A5 user’s comparison, the writer describes visible show-through with four ink types, including ballpoint, while still enjoying the notebook. Respondents differ in their tolerance of ghosting; one discusses an MD Thick purchase. Those comments do not establish that the current blank A5 uses the same batch of paper as the photographed notebook.
We have not repeated the comparison or verified its lighting, pressure or paper identity. The useful observation is a divided preference within an otherwise positive experience, not a measured opacity result or a failure rate.
Look at two sides of a sample
When inspecting a permitted sample, look first at the written surface and then at its reverse under your normal reading light. A visible outline of writing is show-through. Ink actually reaching or marking the opposite surface is a different observation. Describe what you see before applying a general label such as “bleeding.”
For two-sided journaling, ask whether the reverse remains comfortable to read once both sides contain ordinary entries. For one-sided sketches, the same visibility may matter less. A thin backing sheet can change how a page looks while it is being used, but cannot establish that the paper itself has become more opaque.
Our preference would be to choose around the finished spread, not an isolated writing sample. If faint reverse marks distract you every time you reread a page, that is a valid reason to consider another paper even when you like this notebook’s feel.
Manufacturer listing and one self-selected discussion checked 24 October 2026. No paper or ink test; no promise about every pen or paper batch. Related: buying guides.
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