(This review is from 2 years ago, so reader discretion is advised.)
True stories never fail to grab my attention. This is especially true in the manga world due to the abundance of fiction in the genre. I started reading Yomawari Sensei not only because it was an autobiography, a method of storytelling I had yet to see in the manga world, but also because it was short and had good ratings on MAL. I finished it in about 3 hours, and it is safe to say this manga became an instant favorite of mine due to it's almost unparalled reality and beautifully told true stories.

Story:9
Yomawari Sensei is an episodic manga that follows the life of our main character, Osamu Mizutani, a teacher who helps troubled youth. Every chapter is quite simple once you break it down. Mizutani finds a troubled individual, Mizutani tries to help, Mizutani fails or succeeds. While it is very simple it's also realistic, as Mizutani fails to help as often as he succeeds. I was always on the edge while reading and sometimes the conclusions of certain characters devastated me. I really enjoyed this change of pace from many other manga, as the situations Mizutani gets in are gripping with pure practicality and unblemished truth. A few examples would be a fellow teacher who can't connect to his students, drug abuse and addictions, or sexual assault and rape.

Art:8
The art is the weak point of the manga, though it is also really good. The feel and overall art style was fitting for the story and setting and there is some brilliant art hidden in many scenes, but it wasn't anything insanely groundbreaking. I appreciate the style of Mizutani himself, and many of his expressions painstakingly reveal his intent and morose affirmation of his desolate career.

Character:10
A large problem I have with manga is the lack of realism within the characters. In rom-com or Shonen manga it's fine, hell unrealistic characters can be some of my favorites (As Kamina from Gurren Lagann is even my favorite character.) But when a character oriented manga has tropey, uninteresting characters, I lose interest fast. The characters in the manga are flawed, but every one of them feels real, which is to be expected from a manga based on a true story. I can see the characters the mangaka was trying to establish in his former students, and I can relate to their problems in many ways, as Mizutani himself does really give recognition to these lost souls and gives them a platform to finally be presented. I do think the mangaka made himself look a little to much like a saint, but in the end it shows his moments of weakness as well. The character in this manga is easily the highlight.

Enjoyment:9
It was short and sweet, all of the stories brought something new, and the tension built up through out every story always helped the ending become something special to me. Because of it's episodic nature, however, it can be hit or miss with some stories.

Overall:10
An easy favorite manga for me, I have never felt a manga that portrayed life in such a unique and realistic way. Highly recommended.