════ ⋆★⋆ ════ Considerations ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ ● This is a spoiler-free review. ● 80+ in my rating means very good media. ● I've got to read this work on a friend's recommendation. I'd heard about it and knew about the themes already, so I knew what to expect.
● This manga deals with heavy themes such as abuse, suicide, and depression.If you feel like those themes are sensitive topics for you, please skip this review and the manga. If you are struggling with any issue, call your country's hotline.Take care ♡.
════ ⋆★⋆ ════ The Story ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ The story is centered on Shiino, who on a typical night while eating her dinner finds out through the news that her childhood friend, Mariko, who suffered abuse for the entirety of her life, has committed suicide. Now Shiino starts spiraling down and sets a goal of freeing her already deceased friend.
The story is heavy, cruel, and I personally felt on the edge of emotions while reading it. The narrative is good; the author starts to tell the story and constantly comes back to the memory of the past, impactful moments. I felt like I was reading someone screaming a true story. The pacing of the story, in my opinion, helps to give this impression in conjunction with the art.
Even with only 4 chapters, it's very impressive how this work is able to convey so many emotions. There's nothing to complain about the story.
════ ⋆★⋆ ════ The Art Style ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ The art in this work is absurdly good. The use of darkness with black backgrounds and dark, bold outlines gives an emphasis on the sorrow and anger, while there are also a lot of shots with flickering, which gave me an impression of anger. The backgrounds are well drawn, and there are even reflections in some panels. They also play a lot with angles and perspective. It's a very nice detail that is also very well done. To be totally honest, everything looks amazing. There's nothing to complain about art. Several points were so well drawn that I stopped and appreciated the art.
════ ⋆★⋆ ════ The Characters ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ There are not a lot of characters in this work. Everything is focused on Shiino and her interactions with Mariko. There are the supporting elements, but they're not the focus, and it's not something that, in my opinion, was lacking as we were focused on the sorrow of Shiino.
If you're like me, you skip everything and read only the conclusion because you don't want to get spoiled with other themes. So I will try to be brief on this point:
Read it. I found this work amazing. I've previously read Oyasumi Punpun, which is considered by many the "depresso expresso," but this one in four chapters was able to convey so many feelings and emotions that it is just absurd. I could go on talking about how it portrays the effects of abuse on people and how one should be aware of their own mental health, but I will leave all that for you, the reader, to think about.
It's such a good piece of work, and I can't help but quote the review from the user Soulblade17:
